Digging deep…

If you’ve been following along, you probably have noticed I haven’t been cooking the elaborate shit I was cooking during the wintertime. It still feels like winter weather-wise here in VT, but our hectic work schedule feels like it’s almost summer. 

I still have a well-stocked pantry, produce, and some meats in the freezer, which is the saving grace for throwing together some quick meals. 

I’ve been digging deep this week to pull dinner ideas out of my old arsenal of recipes. I remembered one called Bombay Sloppy Joe’s and made them last night. 

The food I’ve been craving isn’t light spring-like foods; it’s still warm and comforting stuff to have at the end of a long day. 

Bombay Sloppy Joe’s I saw on the Food Network years ago made by Aarti Sequeira. These sloppy Joe’s are packed with flavor and heat if you choose. Last night, our spice level was on the lower side, but I was too tired to readjust it. It was still delicious. 

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The first couple of times I used Aarti’s recipe, I followed it exactly, but you know me, I have to make it my way. My way last night was getting as much flavor as I could get with only one pan, common pantry items, and a short cook time. 

Instead of doing things separately, I made mine like I make my regular sloppy joes as the recipe reads. I started with the meat, in this case, ground chicken. I added the veggies & raisins, spices, tomato sauce, water and finished with half and half. I simmered it for 20 minutes, and it was done. Honestly, it tasted the same. 

I didn’t toast whole cumin seeds, but I did use very fresh ground cumin and garam masala. Fresh, dried spices make all the difference in cooking. I buy mine in small quantities in bulk. 

Bulk spices can be found in most co-ops or health food stores. I also pick up some of my “exotic” spices in ethnic stores. I don’t recommend dollar store spices or ones that have been on the grocery store shelves for who knows how long. 

Another quick meal this week included bruschetta topped Angus patties with melted mozzarella. Sounds fancy and is one of my favorite things to eat. It’s even easier to make. 

Ok, my Angus patties were frozen hamburgers, but they are still delicious cooked on the grill. The mozzarella cheese was a thick slice melted on the burgers at the last minute; while they were still on the grill. 

The bruschetta topping consisted of dicing up some grape tomatoes, a minced clove of garlic, a splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a dash of sugar, kosher salt, and black pepper. I finished the topping with some basil. In my case, I used the fresh basil and olive oil in a tube that I keep in my refrigerator for such occasions. 

The other fast and easy dinner was linguine topped with quick marinara sauce, fresh ricotta cheese, and parmesan. Garlic cheese bread is always a must so that I can soak up the sauce on the plate.

Quick Marinara Sauce…in a medium saucepan add a couple of tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and sauté a couple of cloves of minced until fragrant. 

Add a 28 oz can of tomato purée, crushed tomatoes, or I always use San Marzano whole tomatoes that I whizzed in the blender until smooth. 

Add a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and kosher salt & pepper to taste. I added a handful of frozen basil from last summer but also could have used a teaspoon of that refrigerated basil in the tube. 

Simmer for 30 minutes and let it cool. Reheat when ready to serve it; just serve it after 30 minutes. Easy. Quick. Better than any jarred marinara sauce, for sure. 

How do I know that my quick marinara is better than any jarred marinara? A few years ago I bought I jar of sauce because I was being lazy. I hid the jar in the bottom of the recycling bin so no one would see. 

I think I used the jarred sauce for chicken parm or meatball subs. Our youngest son Sam said after his first bite, “I don’t know what this sauce is, but it isn’t yours. Don’t even buy it again; yours is so much better.” Ok, duly noted Sam.👌🏼

What am I making tonight or for Mother’s Day? I have no clue. I am making mini strawberry shortcakes for Sunday dessert. I am not a big dessert person, but for some reason, I really feel like having it. 🍓 

Enjoy your Sunday & Happy Mother’s Day friends! 💐🌸💸🌺