Tasty Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

It's that time of year again, when the garden's are overrun with ripe bounties of fresh veggies. My favorite of all is the tomato. Good in sandwiches, salads, sasla and sauces or just sliced up, nothing beats tomatoes. But if you find yourself with too many all at once, you may need a speedy way to get rid of a pile of them. And here it is.

15-20 Ripe, firm tomatoes (Whattever kind) chopped

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 tsp jarred garlic (or more if you like)

2 tbsp fresh basil or 1 tbsp dried

1 tsp oregano

1 tbsp Olive Oil

fresh ground pepper and salt, to taste

**Note** The measurements for the herbs are approximate, as I never measure anything. Test the sauce often and add more as you need**

Spray a little cooking spray in a large sauce pain on medium low heat. Add the olive oil, herbs (do not burn) onions and garlic. Cook the onion for a few minutes, and then add the tomatoes reducing the heat to lowish. Cook, stirring often and making sure it doesn't burn, for about 15-20 minutes or so.

Serve hot with pasta, or cooled with bagel chips or use it as a bruschetta.

Zen Stir Fry: It will Feng Shui your Palette!

I love stir fry's. But, I got tired of the overly salted, bizarre bought bottled sauces that were flavors I couldn't identify. What is a girl to do? Make her own simple sauce of course! This stir fry is easy, and I mean EASY, and has a little bite for those of you who like the noodle house flare to thier veggies! (The sauce can be used with Ramen noodles as well for a spicy noodle treat. Yum!) It doesn't take a fortune cookie to tell you this is one meal you won't wok out on!! ;)

1 bag oriental frozen veggies (you know the peas, carrots, mini corn ones or your fav)

1 1/2 cups chicken, shrimp or beef (or omit for a yummy veggie one)

(Double the sauce amounts if adding a meat to it. The amounts given are for NO meat)

2 tsp honey

1 tsp ground red pepper flakes**

2 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp garlic powder or chopped or jarred

Add a little water to a pan you spray with Pam. Dump in the veggies and steam them. (Or, cheat like me and microwave them for three minutes to get the frost off, and then transfer to pan. What? So, I use short cuts? So what? ;)

Add all the sauce ingredients and simmer on lower-medium heat until the veggies are done.

For the Ramen version, make noodles and drain off liquid (you don't have to use the little sauce pak thingy) then add the saucde ingredeints and cook a few minuted to melt and mix flavors. Enjoy

**I use a mortar and pestle to grind it, but a coffee grinder would work well. Or, buy it pre-ground. It's all good :)

Lemon Sauce for Fish? Delish!

I find fish sort of boring sometimes. There. I said it. Don't throw a rolling pin at me! But, there are things that can be done to make it tastier such as this spiky fish sauce. And then you will have one fine kettle of fish indeed!! ;)

1 garlic clove, minced (or cheat like I do and buy the already chopped jar kind. Its still garlic!)

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup mayo (real kind, not fat free. FF Mayo is too sweet)

1/4 tsp milk

Touch of ground red pepper (to taste, or omit if you don't like spice. Or sub with horseradish)

salt and pepper to taste

Mix and refrigerate. Serve with batteref or breaded fish