Pioneer Woman's Creamy Tomato Sauce

Pioneer Woman's Creamy Tomato Sauce

One year for Mother's Day, I wanted a pasta dish for Dinner. I found a recipe from the Pioneer Woman I was curious about, so I asked Kevin to make it for me. We've been hooked ever since.  We make this on a regular basis. It goes great with Garlic Knots or Breadsticks!

Abby requests this almost every month for her night. This is one of her favorite meals. The thing that I love about it, is it is meat free and doesn't leave you wishing for the meat like other pasta dishes do.

Pioneer Woman's Tomato Cream Sauce

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/2-1 Onion, finely diced
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Cans Tomato Sauce, 15oz each
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dash of Sugar
Lawry's Garlic Salt
1 Cup Heavy Cream
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Handful of Fresh Basil
1 Pound Cooked Spaghetti or Fettucini

Heat Butter and Oil over medium heat. Meanwhile, chop the onion finely and mince the garlic. Once the pan is hot, saute the onion for several minutes till it is tender. Add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes longer. In a food processor add the basil and some of the tomato sauce. If you desire a more pureed tomato sauce and don't like the onion crunch, add the cooked onion and garlic to the processor and puree. Add this back into the pan and add the rest of the tomato sauce. Season with salt, pepper, garlic salt, and sugar. Cook the Pasta as needed, reserving some pasta water if desired. Simmer for 15 minutes and add the heavy cream and a handful of Real Parmesan Cheese, and the grated Parmesan Cheese in the green container. Remove from heat and stir. You can either toss in the pasta and coat, or just pour the sauce directly over the pasta. We've never used the reserved pasta water. Add more basil if desired.

It bubbles very quickly. I love the orange sauce once you pour in the heavy cream. 

We prefer to puree the veggies.

Enjoy! 

Black Bean Burgers

Black Bean Burgers

Our family has been adding meat free recipes into our diet for several years now. Not only does it help with the budget, but it is healthier. Plus, 2 of my kids have Alport Syndrome, so their kidneys have a harder time filtering out animal proteins. This recipe has become a win win for everyone in the family. 

In the past, I have had no desire for "healthy" food that is just a substitute to the delicious version. I love flavor, so I'd rather have the real deal! Now I have come to realize, you can have both! I was very nervous to try these burgers. I am a recovering Picky Eater, so I wasn't sure what to expect. My family, including me, ate all of it, and enjoyed them! 

The texture of the burger is not spot on as a hamburger would be. It is softer, but full of flavor. I cook mine longer so the outside is crispy, which helps get it closer to the ideal texture. We have been so impressed with these, that we have added them to our regular rotation, and I use them as a substitute to ground beef. If you need to ease into the idea of a black bean burger, do a 1/2 hamburger, 1/2 black bean substitute. I don't think you will be disappointed with the flavor enhancement! We have been eating these for several years now, and this is coming from a husband who loves a good burger. 

To start, I like to use the food processor for the whole process. Sure you could chop the onion and mash the beans with a fork, but I like to do what is easiest. 

Process the onion, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, egg, mayo, lime juice, and seasonings. Once pureed fine, add in the rinsed beans and panko bread crumbs.

This you will want to mix well, but it will be lumpy. It will look almost like Refried Beans.

Heat a pan on medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add a little oil (and butter) if desired. This is when it gets messy. The mixture is still thin, so you will do your best to shape the burgers in your hands, but it will stick to your hands. Don't hate me. I suppose you could plop a scoop on the pan and try to smooth it flat. You can also add more panko bread crumbs to thicken it up so it sticks less.

The directions call for cooking it 5-7 minutes on each side. I usually cook mine longer so it is getting crispy and cooked through to the middle. If you want to make a Ground Beef Substitute, you just dump the whole mixture in, and flip when it crisps on the bottom. Then when both sides are crispy, crop it with the spatula to crumble it, and cook longer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

I have found oil to be essential to cooking it. Not only for it not sticking, but the mixture seems to need it to get the burger just right. It makes it crispier. 

Black Bean Burgers

Adapted from cooking a la mode

(doubled, this freezes well when you need to add extra "meat" into a meal)

2- 15 oz Cans of Black Beans, rinsed and drained

2 Eggs

2 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs

2 teaspoons Chili Powder

3/4 teaspoon Cumin

1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 small red onion, diced fine

2 Tablespoons Lime Juice

2 Tablespoons Mayo

1 Jalapeno, diced fine

1 teaspoon Salt

Pepper and Salt for seasoning

Oil for coating the pan

Hamburger Buns and Burger Toppings

Heat a skillet on low heat while you prep your burgers. 

Drain and rinse your beans. 

In a food processor, add eggs, chili powder, cumin, cilantro, garlic, red onion, jalapeno (de-seeded), lime juice, mayo, and salt. There is no need to chop the cilantro, onion, or jalapeno prior to going in. Process till smooth, scraping sides in between, if needed. Add rinsed beans and panko bread crumbs and process till combined. 

Turn up the heat on your pan to medium. Once hot, add oil to the pan. Shape the burgers in your hand and put on the pan to fry. If the burgers are too dry, add more lime juice. If they are too wet, you can add more panko bread crumbs, but they still turn out fine. 

Cook about 7-10 minutes on each side until both sides are crispy and the middle is cooked through. Season both sides with salt and pepper. If making ground beef, use the end of the spatula to break up the burgers to resemble crumbles. 

Serve with your favorite Burger toppings. These freeze well and work great as a stand alone "meat" or as a filler to stretch the meat already in your meal.