We have a treat today!
Barry Druschel, spinning instructor extraordinaire at The San Francisco Bay Club has provided a recipe for us to enjoy. Barry teaches a killer class always has a smile on his face and cares a lot about nutrition. This recipe below is fantastic. Full of fresh ingredients, a ton of flavor and low in calories. You can add this to pasta, quinoa or another starch or add on top of a protein for added flavor. Thanks Barry!
Barry’s Roma Sauce…part one
As with any recipe, use the freshest ingredients possible. I typically do not follow a set recipe when I cook but rather alter and adjust depending on my taste and mood each time I cook. This recipe is no exception.
Ingredients:
1 large onion chopped medium fine (1/4 to half inch pieces)
1/2 head broccoli chopped fine (very small pieces)
2 stalks of celery chopped medium fine
3 large tomatoes chopped medium fine
1 clove of garlic (crushed)
1 tablespoon of fresh dill chopped fine
Olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
A fist full of fresh spinach, chopped
1 large carrot, grated
swirl of balsamic vinegar
dash of oregano leaves
The key to this recipe is to prepare the ingredients appropriately- chop fine where it is asked. This will help the ingredients blend and cook as they should to give the desired final product.
In a large stockpot, sauté the onions in olive oil for several minutes over a medium heat until the have softened. Add broccoli, tomatoes, GRATED carrot, spinach and celery. Bring to a low boil, stirring frequently. Cook for 10-15 minutes at this temp then lower heat.
NOTE: The tomatoes will disintegrate adding fluid to the sauce, keep an eye on the grated carrot- it will serve as a barometer of when the sauce is nearly finished. (The sauce will be fluid, not runny, with the carrot nearly indistinguishable.)
Add oregano, cayenne pepper, balsamic, dill, & black pepper to sauce and stir well.
NOTE: Adding the seasonings earlier in the process will intensify the role they play in the final product. Hence, add salt last to taste.
Cover the pot and stir sauce regularly on low heat for another 30 minutes. Covering recirculates the heat and moisture back into the sauce. The longer you cook the sauce, the more the individual ingredients will meld together, but since we are using fresh vegetables, take care not to boil or over cook the sauce as this will harm both the flavor and the nutritional yield of the ingredients.
Yum!