Covenant Natural Health Care

Recipe: Homemade Tomato Sauce

Tomato sauce doesn't just have to be paired with pasta—it's just as delicious on top of sauteed vegetables! Nothing beats the taste of homemade sauce, especially when made with fresh summer tomatoes picked from the garden. This recipe freezes nicely, so whip up a couple batches for future meals.

Shopping List:
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 Small onions, chopped
• 3 Garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Celery stalks, chopped
• 8 Ounces white mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 Pound of ground lamb (other options: beef, turkey, chicken), cooked
• 1/2 Teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt and pepper (or more to taste)
• 64 Ounces fresh tomatoes (or 2 32-ounce cans)
• 1 or 2 Dried bay leaves

Directions:
• Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan and add the onions and garlic, cooking until the onions are translucent.
• Add the celery and mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes (vegetables will be soft).
• Add the meat, tomatoes, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, and bay leaves and simmer for 45 minutes on low heat.
• Pour over your favorite gluten-free pasta or sauteed zucchini.
• Cool and refrigerate any left over sauce or put in a freezer-safe ziplock bag (or container) and freeze for a later meal.

 

 

• Making a double or triple batch of this sauce and freezing it will save you time for future meals.
• You'll get the best sauce with fresh tomatoes from your local farmer's market or backyard garden.
• Leave out the meat and add other delicious vegetables like carrots and zucchini for a hearty vegetarian sauce to pour over grilled chicken breasts or cooked eggs.
• Try this easy gluten-free lasagna recipe.

Healthy New Years Eve Recipe Ideas

Bring a healthy, guilt-free dish to your New Year's Eve gathering: 

• White bean dip with homemade, whole-wheat pita chips

• Hot spinach & artichoke dip (use raw, soaked beans instead of canned beans)

• Lamb meatballs

• Easy chicken-mushroom quesadillas

• Stuffed mushrooms

• Black-eyed pea salad (make your own Italian dressing)

• Gluten-free granola

• Honey-sweetened oat cookies with a chocolate (or raspberry jam) center

Recipe: Lamb Meatballs

I'll be honest, I was never a fan of lamb. Until today. This recipe is absolutely delicious. Unexpected ingredients, like cinnamon and ground cloves make these the most flavorful meatballs I've ever had, making them a delicious food to serve with penne pasta or to enjoy as a main dish with a side salad.

If you're still looking for an appetizer to serve at your Christmas get together, look no further. We're pretty sure these will be a hit!

Now, I got the recipe at foodnetwork.com, but had to alter it to make it gluten-free, use a high quality oil for frying, and substitute for allspice and scallions.

Shopping List:
• 1 Pound ground hormone and antibiotic free lamb (I get mine from Whole Foods Market)
• 1/4 Cup finely chopped onions (or scallions)
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 Teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons arrowroot flour (or, use whole wheat flour, gluten-free oat flour, or gluten-free rice flour)
• 1 Egg
• Coconut oil, for frying

Directions: Put the ground lamb into a bowl and add the onions. Add the spices, salt, and flour, and then beat the egg adding to the bowl. Mix well, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.

Scoop out a tablespoon full of the mixture and roll in your hands to form a ball and place on a plate. Continue to do this until all the mixture is gone.

Heat 1/4-1/2-inch of coconut oil (or other high quality oil) in a frying pan. When the oil is hot, add meatballs and fry them until they are golden brown all over. Move to a plate lined with paper towels. Serve warm or let cool and freeze for an easy future meal.

Don't have allspice? Substitute 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves.

 

Slow Cookin'

There are some days when my schedule is overbooked and spending time in the kitchen is cut short. This, however, doesn't prevent me from putting a healthy meal on the table. My secret? A slow cooker/crockpot. This is one of my must-have, can't-live-without kitchen gadgets because I can practically toss broth, vegetables, beans and cooked chicken, beef, or turkey into it and have a delicious soup or roast with little fuss. It's a great way to use leftovers and save a little time. I can easily prepare something before I leave for work and come home to a slow-cooked meal for dinner.

I've collected several recipes to share, but don't feel limited by these. Get creative, use up your leftovers and create your own recipe. And, even though a recipe may not technically be a slow cooker recipe, you can easily make it one. Slow cooking will only bring out rich flavors all the ingredients.

Tuscan Chicken with White Beans and Wilted Greens

Minestrone Soup with Pasta, Beans and Vegetables

Beef Stew

Mediterranean Lamb and Lentil Stew

Slow cooker honey baked apples

Crockpot Oatmeal with Cranberries & Dates