Simple Marinara

We are creatures of habit. We wake up at our normal time, do the same things, shop at the usual stores, and eat repetitively. When we find a product, whether it be a shirt, a tool, or a food, we tend to stick with it. So it surprised me the other day when D announced that he was sick of our favorite marinara.

What? I thought the sauce was just perfect. Tomato-y, a little oily (but in a good way), perfect on its own or as a base. I'll admit, I was a little sad at the thought of finding another sauce. That is, until I remembered this recipe, which I had bookmarked a few months before. It was easy to make and the ingredients plain; the reviews promised the taste was anything but. I made it one Sunday afternoon along with some homemade ravioli. It was simple enough to complement the fresh noodles and cheeses, but vibrant enough to jazz up the box o' whatever I threw together later that week in a weekday rush. Turns out I didn't miss that old jar of sauce too much!

Marinara Sauce
Adapted from Marcela Hazan’s Essentials of Italian Cooking

28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and halved
Salt to taste

Combine the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring sauce to a simmer, then lower the heat. The sauce should be at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of melted butter float. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon.

Remove and discard the onion. Salt to taste.

Spinach, Chard and Ricotta Tortellini

http://homecooking.about.com/od/pastarecipes/r/blpasta51.htm

http://www.annamariavolpi.com/ravioli.html


http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/11813/ravioli-with-spinach-and-ricotta-filling

Homemade Pasta

Italian cookbook

Tri Report

So it wasn't "next week" as promised, but I'm here with the details of the tri!

I took off work early on the Friday before. I had a little time to get my stuff together and headed down to catch the ferry to Catalina. In all honesty this was the most stressful part of the weekend, I was SO worried I was going to leave something important at home.

At the ferry I met up with my friend/training buddy Christina, her boyfriend, and their friends. The ferry over was relaxing and the sunset was absolutely breathtaking. We got in around 7, lugged our stuff to condo we rented for the weekend, and headed to pick up our packets.

We decided to catch a cab for the mile or so, which turned out to be a great decision. There was this giant hill on the way, and we saw so many people struggling to make it up. At packet pick up there was also a course orientation, where they informed us that we would be riding our bikes up the hill the next morning. Grrreat.

We headed out to dinner shortly thereafter. We had reservations at some fancy Grille on the island, but after being told we would have to wait, despite the reservation, and after the bartender was super snotty we decided to go elsewhere. We ended up at a fun Italian place overlooking the harbor. The portions were huge - hello carbo loading! - and the wine was delicious. After we filled our bellies we headed back to the condo, relaxed, and began preparing for the next morning!

Part 2: Race Day! Coming soon :)

Dulce de Leche Apple Crisp

Find that recipe!

Triathlon!

Tomorrow I will get up, go to work, just like normal. Then I’ll come home. And then I drive to Long Beach. None of this is out of the ordinary.

Except tomorrow I will get on a boat instead of go to class. I’ll go to Catalina Island. I’ll spend the night. And Saturday morning I will get up and I will race in a triathlon.

I’m feeling relatively good about my preparation. Between work and school I didn’t get in as much training as I would have liked, but I did enough. I think. I guess I’ll find out for sure in a few days! I was able to average one of each workout a week. I can do each of the events at race distance, and I even had brick workouts where I did two events back-to-back. Right now my goals are to finish, to not be last, and to have fun. And maybe even finish in the top 50% of my age group. Under 2 hours. And look hot in a wetsuit J

I’m not nervous. Yet. I’m sure I won’t sleep on Friday night. But right now I am feeling mostly excited for the challenge.

I’ll be back next week with a race report and results!

Grasshopper Brownies

This is another dish I made and brought to the baby shower. By my own admission, I went a little crazy... but these were really, really good :)

Grasshopper Brownies


Brownies
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
10 1/2 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not extra-bitter or unsweetened and no more than 60% cacao if marked), finely chopped
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

Mint Ganache
1/2 cup heavy cream
10 oz white chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Chocolate Ganache
1 cup heavy cream
10 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

For the brownies, first, preheat the oven to 375 with the oven racks in the center. Grease a 9x13 pan, or line with foil for easy removal.

Melt the butter and chocolate in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla, then the flour, cocoa, and salt. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

For the mint ganache, first, bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and pour over white chocolate in a bowl. Let melt for1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Stir in the peppermint extract and chill until thick, about 1 hour.

For the chocolate ganache, bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate in a bowl. Let melt for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Chill until thick, about 30 minutes.

Finally, to assemble the layers, spread a thin layer of mint ganache over the top of the brownie. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Then spread chocolate ganache over mint and chill until firm, about 2 hours.