Vegtastic!

David gave me a crock pot for my birthday.

Not long after, my coworker Angelo vacationed in Mexico and returned with the desire to replicate the food he ate there. He too bought a crock pot.

We’ve been talking crock a lot lately. Well, not a lot, but probably more than typical 20-somethings do.

Angelo shared with me his mom’s ridiculously easy, ridiculously tasty spaghetti sauce recipe. I wrote it down on a post-it note.

It’s actually his dad’s recipe, but something inside me loves the image of a plump Italian mother standing over a simmering pot. (For the record: his mother appears to be actually quite fit.)

My version calls for fancy San Marzano tomatoes (grown domestically) just to be posh and Italian-like, but you could use whatever.

Put it the sauce on when you leave for work, let it simmer all day long, and the aroma of heaven will greet you when you enter the door 10-12 hours later– your olfactory glands will thank you, as will your taste buds.

Seriously. You will swoon.

Mama Carosio’s Spaghetti Sauce
makes many, many servings — at least 8-10 cups

• 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 28-oz can tomato sauce
• 1 small can (6 oz?)  tomato paste
• 1 onion, chopped
• “a bunch of garlic”
• “Half a bottle of wine — well, more like 1/4 to 1/3 bottle, but a lot of wine.” (1/4 bottle)
• “Italian spices” — 2 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp dried thyme, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 TBS or so (I eyeballed it) olive oil

1. Mix everything in a Crock pot.
2. Cook on low for 10-12 hours.
3. Serve over pasta, polenta, etc. — anything you want to be delishified.

Corn tortillas + sauteed onions + sauteed spinach + mozzarella Daiya + slivered almonds. Smother in sauce. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Pat yourself on the back for making such a good decision.

Enchilada sauce (adopted from Foodista)

• 1 medium tomato
• 2 small dried serrano peppers
• 1/4 teaspoon ground Thyme
• 1/2  teaspoon Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 Clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon Lime juice
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon Flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Olive oil

1. In a vita mix or powerful blender, blend tomato. Add pepper and blend until well mixed.
2. Add oregano, cumin, garlic, cocoa powder, lime juice, salt and broth. Blend.
3. In a large skillet, saute the flour and oil over medium heat for 1 minute.
4. Add blended mixture. Raise heat to high and boil, stirring constantly until thickened.