Get Dinner on the Table!

I'm super excited to be joining the writing team at Grace for Moms. Y'all know I want to help women get in their kitchens with more joy and less fuss and stress. Because, who wants to sit down to dinner when they are frazzled and mentally spent? Not me. I've gathered up my best and simplest tips for getting dinner on the table. I'd love it if you would hop on over to their blog and be blessed by it. 

PS: Jessica Wolstenholm created a fabulous printable and is offering it for FREE on the blog post....go check it out! 

My Cooking Spot // Sweet + Savory Salmon

During the winter my husband and I love to eat our fill of stews and soups. Made with homemade bone broth to keep us healthy and because a warm bowl of stew is just so comforting to eat alongside a fire on a chilly winter night. We like to mix in some lighter meals to balance it out and this week I was craving the lightness of a salad. We baked this salmon, flaked it with a fork and mixed it in with some greens, cherry tomatoes, blueberries and homemade vinaigrette. A super simple dinner that we absolutely savored.

I love that this can be prepared all in the morning (perhaps before you leave for work) and the only work required in the evening will be to pop it in the oven!

You can find the salmon portions in the seafood section at your grocery store. We have been using plain goat yogurt and loving it's tangy mild flavor, but feel free to use any kind of plain yogurt here -- Greek, full fat milk, or any other. We use coconut aminos instead of the regular soy sauce to avoid soy as much as possible and choose a healthier option. And it tastes exactly the same! I've seen it in the natural/organic section of our grocery store, or you can pick it up online. I also keep my salmon in the freezer until I'm ready to make this dish, so it doesn't go bad sitting in the refrigerator for a few days!

This recipe serves two people, but if you'd like to add more, just add one salmon fillet per person and a 1/2 cup of warm water to the marinade.

See the full recipe at My Cooking Spot today!

Mexican Chicken Enchiladas

What does family dinner mean to you? Comfort, nourishment, respite from the trials of the day? Or does family dinner appear in your mind as a drive thru window, digging in the back of the freezer for the last TV dinner, alone on the couch?

There is so much hurt and pain in this world. From strained relationships, to sickness, aging, and emotional damage. 

The more I think about meals, dinner in particular, and my current reality, the more I see with clarity the reality of those around me, whether personally or in the larger world who do not have the things I so long for and desire for them. I can talk as much as I want about gathering our closest friends and family around a table, enjoying a meal and sharing life and stories and hurts and joys. But what if that's not your reality? What if you have never experienced that and don't know what it would look like if you saw it? 

True family, true community, and true love is found only in one place, through a relationship with Jesus. His name may not make an appearance on this blog in every post, but the heart of everything about this blog all boils down to Him. If you're reading I want you to know how loved and adored by God you are, and how desperately He longs to sit at a table and be with you. To share a meal together, breaking bread, listening to the words leave your lips and comforting you in your loneliness. That is true family dinner. One that doesn't have an end, but will actually live on into eternity. That's the kind of family that I cling to, knowing it will never fade. 

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil, for cooking

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cumin
1-2 chicken breasts

1 (16 ounce) bottle medium heat enchilada sauce

2 cups spinach or kale

juice of 1 lime

a handful of chopped cilantro

20 count bag of flour tortillas
1 cup crushed tomatoes

1-2 tablespoon taco seasoning

1 (10 ounce) block Monterey Jack vegan cheese, shredded (or any kind of cheese you prefer!)

Feel free to leave out the chicken and make this totally vegetarian! We're adding chicken and cheese in our family because my husband can't stand the thought of enchiladas without chicken and cheese. I tried to win him over on the vegetarian route, but sometimes there's just some marital battles you have to lose! ;) 

Preheat oven to 350 f

Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil over medium heat in a 3 qt. sauté pan (or pot). Sauté onions until translucent. Turn down the heat and add garlic, corn and black beans, continuing to sauté for 1 minute. Add salt and cumin and stir to combine. Allow everything to sizzle over medium heat for about 5 minutes. 

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Push bean mixture to one side of the pan, adding more coconut oil to the empty space, then add chicken breast. Allow to brown, about 5 minutes on each side. 

Pour just enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of two 9x13 baking dishes (or one 9x13 and one 9x9 dish). Mix beans and chicken together and pour in the remaining enchilada sauce. Cover and allow everything to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Using two forks, shred the chicken. You may need to transfer to a cutting board to shred, or give a fine chop with a chef knife (if you're lazy like me), then add back into the sauce. Throw in your greens (kale or spinach) and cover the pot again to allow the steam to help it wilt.

Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Fill each tortilla with stuffing and roll up, placing in your baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine crushed tomatoes and taco seasoning, mix together well then pour over top of the tortillas. 

Shred cheese over top and bake for 20 minutes.

Co-hosting with the Bread and Wine Project today! Join us by linking up your recipe below! 

An InLinkz Link-up

Creamy Pumpkin Apple Pasta

Ever wonder what the heck you're going to make for Thanksgiving?! Maybe you're not hosting the whole shibang, but you've been asked to bring a side dish. 

With lots of fun holiday parties coming up, I've shared a perfect Thanksgiving side (or fall inspired dinner!) on My Cooking Spot this morning! Find the recipe here and make sure to check back in on My Cooking Spot for more Thanksgiving inspired recipes this week! 

BLT Orecchiette Pasta

Bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Such a classic all-American sandwich staple. To be honest I never really got into this sandwich. Anyone else out there just hunger for something more in a sandwich? It always felt a little lacking to me. But then I had a brilliant thought to create something similar in pasta form! This dish is so simple to make, and delicious! The orecchiette pasta is shaped like little cups, which scoop up the melty and flavorful ingredients perfectly. Each bite is packed with flavor. 

Aren't these colors gorgeous? It's my absolute favorite to cook with beautiful colors! It's truly an art form for me. 

We served ours with some chopped hearts of romaine and a quick homemade Caesar dressing. Simple, simple simple. Go for it and love dinner time this week. 

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

4 slices of bacon

1 large red onion, sliced thinly

1 cup (or one small package) of baby tomatoes

two heaping cups of arugula 

1 (15 ounce) can full fat coconut milk

1 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound orecchiette pasta

Heat up a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add four slices of bacon and allow to sizzle on both sides until crispy. Remove and let rest on a paper towel to absorb excess grease.

Lower the heat on the same pan, adding onions and letting them caramelize slowly. I like to add a bit of salt and pepper to aid this process. When the onions start to become translucent and soft, add tomatoes. Cover the pan with a lid and allow everything to steam over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes. Add arugula and return lid to the pan, letting the arugula wilt. 

When the tomatoes start to break open on their own, you're ready for the next step. Shake the coconut milk before opening the can, then pour into the pan along with the juice from one lemon. Season with salt and pepper to taste and allow to simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. The coconut milk will bubble and reduce into a creamy sauce. While this is simmering, chop bacon into tiny pieces and throw into the pan. 

Heat a large pot full of water and bring to a boil. Season liberally with salt and add pasta. Cook according to package time instructions. Drain pasta and combine pasta and vegetables in the large pot, along with the fresh garlic, stirring to combine all the flavors. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

Few things are better than a homemade dinner, particularly one that you know is wholesome and can be counted on for leftovers. Roasted chicken with vegetables is one of my favorite meals to make because I know I can stretch it. Call me a dinner time hacker but I love it when I can make meals go further, stretching my dollars and my time. Chicken enchiladas with the leftover chicken meat, topping salads with leftover veggies, and creating a sort of liquid gold known as bone broth (or homemade chicken stock) are some of favorite ways to use leftovers from this meal. My favorite bone broth recipe can be found here.

Can we also just admit that roasted chicken seems incredibly fancy yet it’s easy as punch to throw together? The first time I ever made it I was shocked by this and utterly amazed. Are you a lazy (or tired mom at the end of a long day) person who wants your family to think you’re fancy? Try this dish — I promise you’ll wow everyone involved.

See the full recipe over at My Cooking Spot. 

Photography by Joshua & Kimberly Barnes

Puerto Rican Garbanzos with Sausage + Rice

Oh hey, so I've been gone for a little while. For one I went to The Influence Conference, then I came back and in the middle of intense processing of what I learned at the conference, laundry, cleaning, unpacking, trying to rest -- this crazy virus hit our house. Jordan and I were dead to the world for about 48 hours. That left me needing to catch up on work and other household things before we leave town AGAIN tomorrow! 

Before we go, I wanted to share a quick recipe and join in on Oh Simple Thoughts' Bread & Wine Project! Each month we share recipes with each other and talk about something in particular relating to food. This month we're thinking about what it looks like to slow down in the kitchen while also balancing the reality that sometimes, dinner just needs to happen and get on the table quickly. With a baby, this tension is all too familiar to me. I still deeply enjoy cooking a long meal and get bored with the crock pot version of everything. With all the traveling we've been doing, these simpler meals have worked for us. Not to mention, the budget definitely does better when you're not buying every fresh herb, etc. to make a dish "complete." 

I've shared here before some ways I like to slow down our food by using our local co-op for produce and healthy meat. It's definitely a balance. On the nights when I save dinner until after bedtime, we eat late, but I find that it is more relaxing for me and I can really slow my breathing and enjoy the process. We've also been trying our hand at fermented veggies and are loving diving into more traditionally prepared foods. This definitely slows the process down for me and I love that. When we get back from our trip this weekend I'll be starting to sprout our grains and will be testing out a batch of homemade bread. With these homemade things always in the mix, I feel we strike a good balance in our home. 

This dish is easy but different, and was a staple in my home growing up. It is such a hearty, warm meal and is the perfect go-to during the colder months. I hope you enjoy it! 

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

Olive oil, for cooking

2 shallots, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 links sausage, any kind (we used kielbasa)*

2 (14 ounce) can garbanzo beans 

1 cup chicken broth 

1 tablespoon arrowroot powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Chili powder

brown rice*

Pour some olive oil into a pot over medium-low heat and add shallots and garlic. Sauté until translucent. We used kielbasa sausage because it does not come in a casing and is easier to cut. It's also the only sausage I've been able to find in a grocery store that doesn't have nitrates or added sugar. Cut sausage into coins and add to pot, increasing heat and letting them brown on each side. 

*note: if sausage is in casing, freeze and cut while frozen. Peel casing off once thawed and cook all the way through. 

*Cook brown rice according to package instructions, enough to feed four people. This recipe easily doubles or can be cut in half as well based on your desires :)

Add your garbanzo beans along with the water from the can plus a cup of chicken broth. Bring everything to a boil, stir a bit, then lower the heat and let simmer for 25-30 minutes. Add arrowroot powder, salt and pepper, and a few shakes of chili powder and stir until combined. Allow everything to simmer for a few more minutes to allow the arrowroot to thicken up the liquid. I choose to use arrowroot powder in my cooking now because it is a non-GMO healthier version of cornstarch and acts the same way as a thickening agent in stews, etc. 

Serve over brown rice and enjoy! 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I've never paid much attention to buying foods within the season that they are the freshest. Call me crazy, but I never even knew that was a thing. Actually, you can call me an American, because this is one part of the world where we have that type of convenience. Though I appreciate the ease American grocery stores bring, there really is something to cherishing food in it's time.

Lately I've been looking for ways to slow down the food we eat at home. I wrote about that a couple of weeks ago. As I dive into new food co-op's and get to know local farms where our food comes from, I've noticed a deeper sense of gratitude for the meals we make. When staples become treats, doesn't it push you to savor them even more when you do get the chance to enjoy them?

The same can be said for seasons. Here in Texas the weather doesn't know which way it wants to go. The cool breeze grazes our cheeks, only to return to 90 degree temperatures and 80% humidity the very next day. Monday marks the first official day of fall, and while Texas may not know how it feels about that, many other parts of the country do. So, let's savor the last days of the sun beating on our backs and celebrate the freedom of wearing flip flops just a little bit longer so that when the cool comes and the leaves change, we will receive it with joy. 

For those of you who have been blessed by fall weather already, I encourage you to warm up with a bowl of this savory soup and basque in the newness of the season. 

Find the recipe at My Cooking Spot today! What's your favorite seasonal meal? 

Mom's Baked Shrimp // Paleo + Gluten Free

Growing up my dad was always the one to cook. I remember my mom stepping in every now and again with rice stuffed baked chicken (ah-mazing) or Puerto Rican fare, but by and large my dad was in charge of dinner. Now that I've left their little nest, I think they really enjoy working together in the kitchen and my mom has wowed us with some pretty awesome meals lately. This is one she created and wanted me to try -- and we loved it! I did tweak the recipe a bit. She used Panko bread crumbs which I subbed for almond meal. They of course wont have the same crunch but are still just as fabulous. She also adds a little grated parmesan cheese to her bread crumbs, which you are welcome to try, we just opted to leave it out!

These go so well with a little honey mustard, so I've included a simple recipe below. We had some fermented ketchup leftover from a couple weeks ago, so I went ahead and dipped away in that. I love this recipe for fermented ketchup or this recipe for homemade ketchup if you're interested. 

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

14 jumbo size shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 egg

1-2 teaspoons water

1/2 cup almond meal 

Garlic powder

Old Bay Seasoning

Chili powder

Salt and pepper

Cooking spray

Honey mustard dipping sauce:

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon raw honey

Prepare your shrimp by peeling and deveining them. To devein, take a paring knife and run along the inside where the black line is showing. Once opened, you can wipe out the vein with your finger. I like to have the water running in the faucet just a bit to wash the vein away as I'm peeling and deveining the shrimp. Throw shrimp in a large bowl and season with a bit of Old Bay, set aside until ready to cook. This can be done ahead of time, up to 24 hours in advance. If done ahead, simply cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator. 

Preheat oven to 425 f

Prepare an egg wash of one egg and a splash of water (about 1-2 teaspoons worth). Add some salt and pepper and whisk well.  

In a shallow dish combine almond meal, garlic powder, Old Bay seasoning, chili powder, and some salt and pepper and mix well with the back of a fork. (My mom likes to stick her finger into the mixture to taste, adding more seasoning as needed).

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray a broiling rack (can also use a cooling rack) with cooking spray and place it on top of the baking dish.

Use a fork to dredge shrimp in the egg wash, then the almond meal mixture so they are well coated on all sides. Place on top of the broiling rack and spray and with cooking spray to give them more of a crunch while they bake.  

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  

While the shrimp are baking, whisk together Dijon mustard and honey in a small bowl and set aside for dipping!

Serve with a side of oven roasted sweet potatoes or tangy coleslaw. Hmmm...I think I need to come up with a healthier coleslaw recipes soon. Enjoy!

Pineapple Chicken Skewers with Sherry Reduction

Skewers are really one of the most versatile meals out there. It's perfect to pack in a summer picnic. Since the temps are getting a little bit cooler in the evenings here in Texas, I think we'll take these to our picnic this weekend with friends! They pack well and are simple to make. 

Feel free to change up the combination to whatever suits your taste! Have some bell peppers on hand? Chop them up and stick them on! I would have done the same if I currently had them in my kitchen ;) 

Serves: 2 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sherry cooking wine
4 tablespoons worcestershire
1/3 cup bbq sauce 
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and pepper
1/2 a pineapple, chopped
1 onion, quartered
1 pound chicken tenders
Olive oil

Start by chopping your pineapple. I am not a pro at cutting them (so if you have tips, leave them in the comments!) so I always seem to have a little bit of flesh left on the skin when I slice it off with my large chef knife. Since I hate wasting anything in the kitchen, I use 'em up, like in this here recipe. Continue to slice pineapple down into bite sized pieces. Keep in a bowl and set aside. 

Alternatively, if you're lazy (like I usually am) you could buy the already chopped up pineapple that come in little containers at the grocery store. In that case, buy 1 cups worth and use a few in the marinade. 

To make your marinade, combine sherry wine, worcestershire, bbq sauce, garlic and some salt and pepper in a zip-loc bag. Swish it around with your hands from the outside of the bag, and drop your pineapple skins along with chicken tenders in the bag. Seal it up and place in the refrigerator for 10 hours. This could be something you do before you head off to work in the morning (maybe chop that pineapple the night before) and you'll be set to go when you get home for dinner. 

When you're ready to grill, peel the skin off your onion and quarter it. Remove chicken tenders from the marinade and slice in half on a cutting board. Sprinkle evenly with more salt and pepper. 

Next, get a little station going with your skewers, chicken, pineapple chunks, and onion. Heat up a grill pan to medium-high heat, pour some olive oil over the pan and let it get hot, but not smoking. While you're letting your pan heat up, start assembling your skewers -- a slice or two of onion, pineapple chunk, chicken, repeat. Place on the grill and rotate evenly until you see grill marks on all sides. 

For the reduction, take the marinade and pour it into a large pan. Remove pineapple skins and discard. Bring it up to a boil, add a 1/2 cup of warm water and let it boil for at least 5 minutes. This will kill any of the germs from the chicken, but make sure to let it boil completely! Lower the heat and let it simmer for another 10 minutes until it starts to thicken up. 

 

Pour over skewers before serving and enjoy!

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Dinner: A Love Story

I have a love affair with Dinner: A Love Story. Last summer I was on Summer Project in Breckenridge, CO with a $30 gift card and a newly pregnant belly. As I browsed this quaint and eclectic store on Breck's Main Street, I tossed around the idea of a new scarf, an iPhone case, or anything from their adorable handmade children's section. Then I found, tucked away in the corner, a stack of about 10 cookbooks. My heart peeked up a little, kind of like a dog's ears do when they hear something interesting, and I started browsing. 

I immediately fell in love when I read the words "Dinner: A Love Story." Um, YES and Amen. An internal happy dialogue with the book begins: "Dinner. A love story? You're describing my life right now, book!" I thumbed through the pages and fell more and more in love. A gift card well spent, my friends.

Jenny Rosenstrach's NEW book "Dinner: The Playbook" comes out TODAY (!!!!) so in honor of this amazing day in history, here are my thoughts. For every friend who left a comment on insta inquiring about this book and who complimented the yummy food when you joined us for dinner, here it is.

Because I'm a lover of videos, here's Jenny's video explanation of the book //

Isn't she romantic about family dinner? Yet realistic and helpful all at the same time? In a world where you can download any recipe, I still appreciate the written word and see a huge amount of benefit in having a book to hold. You can write in it and take notes on each recipe, as I did, and it is something tangible to be passed down to the next generation. That's something you just can't do with a Pinterest board. 

Great Grandma Turano’s Meatballs

Jenny Rosenstrach wants to make family dinner a ritual in your home, and she does an incredible job both inspiring you to do it and giving you the practicals on how to get it done. It's definitely worth reading cover to cover. I first dug into it as if it were a novel, lusting over her scrumptious colored photography and relishing the peek into new motherhood I was about to embark on. I then went back through and cooked meal after meal, page after page, all the way through. I'll be honest, more traditional cookbooks turn me off. I really am only interested in a few things: breakfast, dessert and most importantly: dinner. When I want a recipe, it's almost always for dinner. Are you the same way? Where other cookbooks leave me lacking, Dinner: A Love Story delivers simple and authentic recipes that could happen in anyone's kitchen from the beginner to the pro. She also throws a few cocktails in there as well as tips and recipes for entertaining. 

Chicken Pot Pie.....one of our household staples

I felt challenged by Jenny to stock my pantry with spices I had never used before. She admonishes her readers to take the risk of buying those ingredients that would usually be a "page-turner" for you. You know we all have them, the ingredients we see that make us turn the page or click away from a recipe. I used to be just as guilty of this (and sometimes still am) when I see ingredients that just don't seem to fit into our daily cooking profile. I loved that she asserts that if we have these ingredients in our kitchen, we are more likely to use them, making our cooking more adventurous and allowing us the joy of the experience. This has been so true for me as I grow as a cook and expand the flavors we know and like!

For a good portion of 2013, this book was my dinner time inspiration, my reading material by the pool, and my guide for "nesting recipes" when my little one was born. I flipped through it's pages multiple times as I read it like a novel, cooked through it like a manual, and referenced it like a dinner encyclopedia. In fact I've used it so much the binding fell apart! It's safely bunched together on my kitchen recipe stand, as we just made Chicken Curry with Apples last week. 

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is learning the beauty of sharing a meal with the ones they love. Maybe you're new to cooking your own meals. Maybe you just ventured into preparing healthier options, or maybe you just want a book full of tried and true, real life recipes you can enjoy. Either way, this cookbook is for you. 

I purchased this cookbook on my own, and was not compensated for this post. These are simply my honest thoughts in hopes that you too can benefit. *All photos taken from http://www.dinneralovestory.com/

Sweet & Citrus Baked Acorn Squash

To me, summer is personified in foods that are sweet and citrusy. When I think of soaking up these last days of summer, my mind drifts to pool side book reading enjoying a strawberry popsicle. A hint of sweet, and a splash of tart. Although often times we attribute these flavors to dessert, I wanted to recreate them in a summer inspired and filling main course.....

I'm over at My Cooking Spot today sharing a savory summer dish. Read the full recipe here. 

Happy Friday! 

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Photos by Josh & Kimberly Barnes

Dad's Spaghetti Sauce + Kitchen Essentials Giveaway!

If you're just stopping by, it's Italy week at Gather Around Our Table and I'm sharing some of my favorite Italian recipes with you! Let me tell you, we had this meal for dinner a couple of nights ago and my mouth is watering just re-typing the recipe. 

A couple weeks ago a friend sent me a text with a request that I post a spaghetti sauce recipe on the blog. I haven't really attempted my own, and to be quite honest I have no reason to. 

At my dad's 80th birthday party (yup, you read that right) all his sweet friends and family stood up and read letters to him recounting all the fun they had through the years over a few beers and most importantly surrounding my dad's cooking. I can't stress enough how sought after this man is for his cooking! Requests come in from all over the country for this guy's corned beef and cabbage, baked ravioli, and of course this famous spaghetti sauce. 

You guys, the recipe's not even hard. If we were really living in Italy, maybe he would have grown his own tomatoes and canned them all then made a fresh pot of sauce. But we don't, so I'll let you in on a little secret, he cheats with the canned stuff...gasp... And it's freaking delicious. 

I wouldn't lie to you. The old man has paid good money to ship this sauce all frozen up in packages to family across the country. It's crazy talk. Okay, here's the recipe before you faint in anticipation. 

This recipe makes a huge batch, enough to serve 12, so invite your entire family like a good Italian or just freeze the rest for future meals. It makes a great go-to dinner in a pinch.

Ingredients:

Olive oil 

1 medium white onion, diced

5 cloves of garlic, minced

Small box of sliced mushrooms

1 pound  ground beef

1 pound mild italian pork sausage 

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 (28 ounce) can tomato purée 

1 (15 ounce) can diced whole tomatoes

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1/4 bottle of Chianti wine (Ruffino is a good brand)

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon sugar

Pour a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot, set to medium low heat. Add onion, garlic and sliced mushrooms and sauté until soft.

Add ground beef to the same pot, breaking into small pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Remove pork sausage from the casing and chop into 1 inch pieces. Add chili powder, stirring to combine with everything, and continue to cook until browned.  

Pour in tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and tomato paste.

Take 1/4 of a bottle of good Chianti wine and use it to wash out the remaining tomato purée from the can. Add to the mix.

If using fresh herbs, rinse and dry them, remove the leaves from stems and chop them up finely. Add to the sauce. If you are using dried herbs, rub between your hands to bring out the flavors of the spices before placing in the sauce.

Add the sugar and salt and pepper to taste, and bring heat to a medium simmer. Check to make sure the heat is not too high so the sauce wont scorch. Continue simmering for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. 

Check for taste and add seasonings as desired. 

We served ours over a bed of spaghetti squash, but this sauce is delicious over your favorite pasta, in a baked lasagna dish, with ravioli and sopped up by warm french bread. 

Giveaway time! I'm a brand new contributor for My Cooking Spot, along with some other amazing women. We all got together and wanted to share our love for cooking by giving away a 51-piece Kitchen Gadget Set! 

I am so honored and excited to be sharing recipes with them each month. Hop on over to MCS for my twist on teriyaki chicken legs and don't forget to enter below for these kitchen essentials. 

Below are the contributors who helped put this giveaway together. Check out their inspiring blogs and see all the amazing recipes these ladies have to share.

Contributors - Clockwise

Jana: Life Could Be a Dream Blog - Rachel: Oh Simple Thoughts - Marcella: Marcella Roses

Erin: My Cooking Spot - Natasha: Gather Around Our Table - Madison: Wetherill Say I Do

Jen: Jen's Favorite Cookies - Nathalia: Creatively Conscious - Meme: Meme Inge - Erin: The Speckled Palate

a Rafflecopter giveaway