Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Pasta Sauce

This pasta sauce is so flavorful and packed full of good for you veggies!  I love roasting vegetables on cold days like this one.  We just may have our first snow of the season tonight! The recipe makes quite a bit of sauce, but you won't mind having leftovers!  So here is what you'll need!

1 medium size eggplant
1 red pepper
4-5 roma tomatoes
5-6 cloves garlic
1/2 small onion
1 jalepeno (optional)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 cup water
seasonings

Red peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, 1/2 small onion, jalepeno

 Chop vegetables and bake at 400 degrees about 20-30 mintues

Watch the vegetables since the eggplant and tomatoes will be done sooner than the red peppers.  

(You may want to separate onto 2 pans.)

 

 Combine all roasted veggies except red peppers into a food processor and pulse until it's blended but still a bit chunky. 

 In a sauce pan add 1-2 cans of diced tomatoes.  (You will use 1 or 2 depending on how many vegetables you have roasted.)

 When red peppers are charred, put them in a bowl

 And cover with plastic wrap, let it sit for about 15 minutes. 

Then take skin and charred part off, chop the peppers

Combine pureed vegetables with tomatoes then chop and add the roasted red peppers.  Add 1/2 -1 cup water if sauce is too thick.  Simmer on low until sauce reduces, add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, cayenne, and any other seasonings you'd like! Enjoy over pasta!

Applesauce

I love apples and seem to buy them every time I'm at the grocery store.  About this time of year I seem to have many apples in my refrigerator that have been there well... for awhile.  So a few weeks ago, I decided to clean out the fruit drawer and make some homemade applesauce.  It was super easy, so easy I'm not really sure if I can call it a recipe, but delicious anyway!  Hope you'll make some next time you have some extra apples!

Start with 10-12 apples, I used fuji, gala, golden delicious, and granny smith

 Peel the apples

Core and cut into even pieces

Put in a crockpot on low with 1/2 cup water

Sprinkle with cinnamon

Cover and set on low for 5-6 hours.  

When the apples become tender, use a potato masher to make applesauce. 

Enjoy!

Fiesta Bowl

This is a great meal to make when you want something healthy but will also fill that cozy comfy place inside.  Lentils are pretty high on my list of favorite foods, I just love the natural flavors and the health benefits.  This is another recipe from a friend at church and it has become one of our favorite fall/winter meals.  It makes about 3 servings so adjust to fit your family.  It's nice for us that there is some left over for lunches the next day. 

1 cup lentils
3 carrots (grated)
1 small onion (chopped)
Spinach
Brown rice (cooked, I use 1 cup uncooked to prepare)
Fresh salsa - try this recipe, it's our favorite
1 Avocado (chopped)

 Combine lentils, onion, and carrot with 4 cups of water in a large pot.

Cook about 25-30 minutes until the lentils are tender.  

Add some seasonings if you like, I used cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper. 

Also prepare some brown rice at this point, it will take about 35 minutes.

 The base of the bowl is a BIG handful of spinach

 then add some rice,

The hot rice and lentils will wilt the spinach.

 add the lentils,

Finally top with lots of fresh salsa, avocado, and tortilla chips.

Enjoy it knowing that it's all good for you! Well, maybe not the chips, but you need a little crunch in there!