Simple Spaghetti Sauce from Scratch

I "invented" this because no matter how many jars of the stuff I buy, I always seem to run out of spaghetti sauce at the worst times, and peppers and tomatoes are usually a staple in my kitchen. 


I made it this week for my grandmother, in an attempt to convince her that marinara sauces don't have to consist of only pureed tomatoes and a little garlic powder.  It went over well, and I'm about to miss my self imposed posting deadline, so I figured I'd put it up.  


2 bell peppers, one red and one green, diced
4 chopped tomatoes, or one can of stewed tomatoes
5 tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic
black pepper and basil flakes or pesto to taste

Heat up five tablespoons of olive oil in one large skillet.  Sauté the garlic, bell peppers, black pepper, and basil flakes / pesto until the peppers begin to soften.  Add the tomatoes and let simmer for at least twenty minutes.  Goes well with just about any kind of pasta.

Sauteed Mushrooms on Toast, Rice, or Mashed Potatoes

Inspired by The Vegetarian Epicure, Book Two. Mutilated because I have no money.

10-15 mushrooms
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 stick butter
2 cloves garlic
red pepper flakes, pepper, cilantro to taste
peas, if you'd like

Brown mushrooms in the butter and garlic. Add the apple juice, spices, and vinegar and let cook down. Add peas. (I add them this late in the game because I don't want them to taste exactly like the mushrooms.)

Winter Pesto

adapted from the always useful Clare's Corner Copia Cookbook.

3 tbsps of Classico Basil Pesto (you're supposed to use fresh basil, but I am broke and this is the closest commerical pesto I can find)
1 package frozen spinach*
4 tbsps olive oil
1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4th cup Romano Cheese
1 cup water

Defrost spinach. Combine spinach, pesto, black pepper, water and Romano in a blender. Hit grate for about a minute, then hit liquify until spinach is completely pureed.

Boil angel hair pasta, then drain it and mix it with the olive oil, add the spinach puree to the pasta. Heat pasta and pureed spinach together. Add other spices (curry powder, chili flakes, more pepper) to taste.

*you could use fresh, but I find frozen purees better