Super simple tomato sauce

As a college student with limited funds and limited time, I am all about quick and easy meals! I would love to spend hours in the kitchen trying out new recipes, cooking the day away, but I, just like any other college student, have a jam-packed schedule. I typically do all of my recipe testing and experimenting with flavors while making my own meals, so sometimes I end up with some pretty interesting tasting dinners, to say the least! However, this sauce is perfect for college students, better yet, anyone really. It is really super simple and adds the perfect amount of flavor to veggies and whole grains.

In the top picture, I made the sauce, and tossed it with some quinoa and black beans, served on a bed of sauteed kale, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers. In the bottom picture, I sauteed veggies and chicken and let them cook in the sauce for a while and served it over zoodles!

 

Recipe:

 Splash olive oil

1 can diced tomatoes (no salt added/reduced sodium)

2 cloves of garlic minced

1/8 of a cup of coconut milk

 2 tsp basil 

2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

pinch of salt

Directions:

Add a splash of olive oil to small sauce pan on medium heat. Open can of diced tomatoes and drain slightly, place in sauce pan with minced garlic. Add in the basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Pour contents of sauce pan into a large blender or food processor. Pulse a few times, until the mixture is slightly creamy but still has some chunks of tomato. Pour sauce back into saucepan and simmer to allow the flavors to emulsify. Allow some of the water to cook out and add in the coconut milk, this step helps make it creamy and less tangy. Toss this sauce with quinoa, whole grain pasta, or jazz up some veggies with it! Bon Appétit! 

xoxo

Samantha

Lemon Poppy Blueberry Cake

Horray for my first recipe on Rose in the Kitchen! I made this delicious Lemon Poppy Blueberry cake for Easter dessert and it was one of my first times making a healthy, refined sugar and flour free dessert! I typically make quick deserts or have some organic yogurt with fruit and dark chocolate, but this was beyond my expectations. It was a perfect dessert for Easter and conveniently stifled my craving I had been having for a lemon poppy seed muffin for the past few weeks! I love the combination of lemons, poppy seeds, and blueberries. Something about it tastes just like spring, so fresh and airy. This is something that everyone could make, it is super easy and doesn't involve a lot of ingredients! This recipe also serves 8-10.

Recipe: 

4 cups ground almond flour

3 tbsp poppy seeds

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 c coconut oil (softened but not melted)

1/2 c organic honey

2 lemons

3 eggs

About 2 cups of blueberries

Frosting: 

1/4 c plus 3 tbsp Go Veggie plain vegan cream cheese

1/4 c plus two tbsp vanilla greek yogurt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 packet or 1 tsp stevia

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350°. then place almond flour, poppy seeds, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl and mix until combined and then put to the side. Measure out the honey and coconut oil and heat on low in a sauce pan until the mixture combines. Turn off heat and zest the two lemons, cut both in half and squeeze the juice of the lemons into the mixture, mix together, and pour this mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Beat the three eggs together and fold them into the mixture. Then add one cup of the blueberries and gently fold them into the batter. Pour batter into a greased spring form cake pan. 

Proceed to bake for typically 40 to 50 minutes but it may vary depending on the strength of your oven. The cake should look golden brown on top and if stuck with a tooth-pick, it should come out clean. Remove from oven and place in fridge to let cool before taking it out of the pan. 

(Mine was a little well done on top but I like a little bit of a crust!)

While it is cooling, it is time to make the frosting! Yum! Take a small bowl and place all ingredients together and combine until creamy and distributed. Place frosting in the fridge to chill and when the cake has cooled, using a rubber spatula, frost the top of the cake and top with the remaining cup of blueberries. 

There you have it! My first recipe! Let me know if you try it out and email me for anything or any topics you think I should post about, or any recipes I should try! 

xoxo

Samantha