Is there a doctor in the house?

Cooking every meal from scratch with all natural, raw, and organic materials is like sitting on the beach from sunup to sundown sipping on cocktails. I would love to do it every day! Sadly, that is not the world in which I live. I guess that's why there is spray tan and jarred pasta sauce!

There are times when a little "doctoring up" of some ready made items can save the day and help you get a hot meal on the table without resorting to take out. I really don't subscribe to the Sandra Lee "Semi-Homemade" method nor have I used her recipes. But I DO appreciate having the ability to take shortcuts and still be able to do a home cooked meal in an economical and efficient way.

A couple of my favorite culinary doctoring procedures:

Pasta Sauce:  I buy organic marinara in a glass jar. You can get it with mushrooms, peppers, garlic, etc, etc. I personally prefer the traditional tomato, basil and garlic. It's a good base.

• What it needs: more flavor and depth, freshness
• How to get that: Start with a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add about a teaspoon of sugar, either freshly chopped basil, or a good squeeze of the basil from the tube (see Arsenal of a Dinnertime Ninja). Optional- a few tablespoons of dry red wine. Mix and then quickly add the jar of sauce. Let it heat up until it starts to simmer and bubble. Reduce heat.  Serve over- whatever you want! Great for pasta dishes, chicken or eggplant Parmesan, casseroles, or on a meatball sandwich!

Pre-washed Salad Mix: They have so many varieties available, and even the organics are affordable.

• What it needs: fresh veggies and homemade dressing
• How to get that: I keep things like cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions on hand pretty much all of the time. Just slice them up, and toss on top of the salad mix. For a dressing just give a couple shakes of balsamic and red wine vinegar, kosher or sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, and dried herbs of your choice. Toss and coat the salad with the mix. Drizzle on a little extra virgin olive oil and top with crumbles of cheese (feta, blue, gorgonzola, goat cheese, parmesan...) toss again and viola! 
• The darker the green, the more nutrient-rich it is. We love arugula, baby spinach and mache.

No MD required!

Time to Hit the Sauce

If it ain't broke, don't fix it! While normally this describes my attitude about pasta and sauce, there are times when adding a little extra zip to traditional marinara is all it takes to turn a boring Tuesday night spaghetti dinner into something special.

Goat Week: Day 3

Pasta Margherita

This is a play on the original Pizza Margherita made with thin crust, fresh basil and buffalo mozzarella. The red, white, and green in the pasta version are marinara, goat cheese, and pesto. It's super quick and easy, and can be used on any type of pasta shape... and even on lasagna.

Depending on your level of commitment, you can do this with homemade marinara and homemade pesto sauces. Or, to keep it simple and quick, you can use jarred sauces.

•  Start with your favorite marinara sauce simmering on the stove. 
• Add in prepared pesto sauce (chopped basil, pine nut, olive oil and garlic) and mix. 
• Next add a package of goat cheese (chevre) and stir until it is smooth and creamy. The sauce will be slightly pinkish.

• To be honest, you can't really do it wrong. Just go according to your taste. In general 1 part pesto, 1 part goat cheese to 5 parts marinara will get you there. 

I'm fine with just pasta and sauce. But when I tell my husband we are having pasta for dinner, the first question is, "Does it have meat?" So if you are looking to add a protein to the dish, here are two delicious ideas.

Meat option #1: Italian Sausage
Brown the sausage, slice, and top your fettuccine.

Meat option #2: Chicken Breast
This is one of those times to cheat and use a rotisserie chicken to save time and trouble. Remove skin and cut the breast meat off of the bone. Or bake a few boneless, skinless chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on a bed of rigatoni and top with sauce.

Viola! Dinner is done.