Sorry for the delay folks...

Long time no post from me! Sorry Mares, I promise to do better starting right now. The reasons for me not posting go as follows: last week I had the death flu and did absolutely nothing for 7 days. We are busy boxing up our current house. Two days ago, my sweet husband decided to contract both pneumonia and bronchitis (who exposed us to these horrible illnesses? We are healthy, vitamin taking people!). So this might help explain the lack of effort on my part when it comes to contributing to this awesome blog. Here's to being healthy once again!

Once I was feeling well enough to start cooking again (and what a better way to get healthy than to prepare your own fresh, vitamin rich foods in a pleasant environment) I decided anything with a zesty homemade Marinara sauce topping sounded amazing. So that is exactly what I made. Did you know that together tomatoes and olive oil help your body absorb the nutrients from each ingredient much more effectively than if you had them on their own? That is why they taste oh-so-good together, our bodies need them to be companions! So here it is, my recipe for this week is an amazing homemade marinara sauce:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 can (32 ounces) whole Italian plum tomatoes and their juices
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

To Make:

1. Heat oil in a large, nonreactive skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
2. Place tomatoes in a large bowl, reserving juices. Crush tomatoes using your hands. Add tomatoes and reserved juices to skillet. Stir in red pepper, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Remove sauce from heat, stir in cheese. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Feel free to add some of your other favorite herbs and spices to this delicious mix! I love to chop up some fresh basil and serve this over whole wheat pasta, grilled chicken breast, or use it in panini's. It is so zesty, light, and fresh you won't be able to get enough of it.

Be Healthy, Be Happy and I love you!
Court