Tag Archives: roasted garlic

Basil Garlic Marinara Sauce (Crock Pot)

I am very passionate about my sauce ! My Italian Grandma and Mom taught me well 🙂 I have been making my own since I was 16 and over the years developed a recipe that is LOVED and CRAVED by many. That recipe included cooking sausage and meatballs in the sauce – and that gives it a very rich flavor. But it also adds calories. So in my quest to keep things lower cal, I’ve been trying a few batches of sauce without meat and this one is really, really good. It comes quite close to my regular recipe !

I’ve added beef bouillon to make up for some of the lost flavor from the meat, I’ve added roasted garlic which gives a great depth of flavor (much different than dropping in raw or sautéed garlic) and I make sure to use tomato paste. Tomato paste is to tomatoes what lemonade concentrate is to lemonade – – it is highly concentrated and adds a different flavor than any other tomato product out there. And finally I add 2 secret ingredients – shhhhhhh ! Fennel and anise seeds add the flavor you would get if you cooked sausage in the sauce. It is the finishing touch that so many sauces are missing. You only get the slightest hint of taste of the seeds in the finished product. But let me tell you, without them, the sauce is just not the same.

If you’ve never tried sauce before – try !! This one starts from canned products, not raw tomatoes – so it is NOT labor intensive. And even a bad batch of homemade is better than a jar of Ragu 😉 It’s what makes a pasta meal special, so do it up !

Basil Garlic Marinara Sauce
Basil Garlic Marinara Sauce

12 servings
58 calories per serving

8 cloves roasted garlic, minced
2 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
¾ c water
1 T oil
2 t basil flakes
6 basil leaves, torn into small pieces
1 t oregano flakes
½ t red pepper flakes
½ t garlic powder
½ t onion powder
½ t whole anise seeds
1 t whole fennel seeds
2 packets or 2 cubes beef bouillon
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ c parmesan cheese

Mix all ingredients in a crock pot, cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours.

You can also put this in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes or simmer stove top for 2-3 hours.

The length of time does make a different – the sauce tastes much richer when simmered for hours than a quick sauce (which have their place in some recipes, but don’t equal a traditional slowly simmered sauce).


Freeze your extra portions and next time it’s pasta night, just defrost in the frig over night and quickly reheat in a sauce pan.

Let me know how you like it ! 🙂

Roasted Garlic Dip

Just the right amount of garlic in a great savory dip that is perfect for any occasion.

Roasted Garlic Dip
Roasted Garlic Dip

4 servings
155 calories per serving

2 whole garlic heads
4 T mayonnaise
5 T plain Greek yogurt
1 t mustard
1 T olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Separate the garlic cloves from the whole head, peel them and place in a baking dish and mix with the oil and salt. Cover with foil and bake / roast 30-40 minutes (or until very tender) and then let cool 5 minutes. Mash garlic with a fork then combine with the rest of the ingredients. Cover and chill. Sprinkle with black pepper just before serving.

Savory Breakfast Muffins

These are FABULOUS ! Serve as a breakfast muffin, for brunch, for lunch, or even as a dinner side. They are quite versatile – add or remove spices to make these taste just how you like them 🙂

Savory Breakfast Muffins
Savory Breakfast Muffins

12 servings
190 calories per serving

6 slices thin bacon, chopped (I use the precooked version and totally skip the frying step)
10 cloves roasted garlic, chopped finely (don’t substitute raw garlic)
3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk Bisquick
1 1/2 T chopped parsley
2 c shredded low fat mild cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin pans with Pam. Fry bacon and remove to a plate with a slotted spoon. Beat eggs and stir in Bisquick, parsley, cheese, bacon, salt, pepper and garlic and spoon into muffin tins. Bake 10-15 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool before removing from pan.

Roasted Garlic Potato Salad

Just one more, just one more ! That’s what you’ll be saying after you have a few bites of this warm potato salad. The flavors were outstanding and it’s a nice dish next to fish or chicken.

Roasted Garlic Potato Salad
Roasted Garlic Potato Salad

8 servings
173 calories per serving

2 lb. small new potatoes, quartered (about 20)
2 T oil
1 bulb garlic
1 t oil
½ c sliced green onions
2 T white balsamic vinegar
¼ t salt
¼ t pepper
2 T oil
¼ c sliced olives
¼ c sun dried tomatoes, drained and cut into thin strips

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put potatoes in a baking dish and drizzle with 2 T oil and toss then roast 10 minutes and stir. Cut the top off the bulb of garlic (DO VIDEO) and remove any loose paper skin and then cut side up in a baking cup and drizzle with 1 t oil. Cover with foil and place in oven and continue roasting 10 minutes. Stir potatoes and add onions and continue baking another 15 minutes or until potatoes and garlic are tender. Let stand until garlic is cool enough to handle. Squeeze out garlic cloves and mash with vinegar, salt and pepper then whisk in 1 T oil. Mix in the olives and tomatoes with the potatoes and then add the dressing and toss to coat.

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