Classic Genovese Italian Pasta Sauce Recipe (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

Cook this delicious sauce low & slow...

Classic Genovese Pasta Sauce.

Genovese sauce served over pasta.

This is an hearty, meaty, onion-based pasta sauce that is famous in Campania Italy.

I used beef chuck, a good flavored, inexpensive cut of meat. The low and slow cooking process makes the beef very tender. The long cooking also softens the onions and brings out their flavor. This sauce is naturally low carb, gluten free, and sugar free.

This sauce reminds me of a hearty beef stew and French onion soup, combined. My family prefers this sauce over buttered rice. I also like it quite well over buttered pasta that has been cooked al dente. Bigger, chunkier pasta holds up best with this sauce, and it's fun to eat too. Serve over buttered pasta like Pacchieri, Candele, or Ziti. Choose gluten free pasta if desired.


Sauce Genovese Recipe:

1/4 pound bacon, diced small
2 pounds Beef chuck, cut into large cubes
4 pounds onions (4 or 5 onions), halved then quartered and sliced very thin
1 large carrot, peeled and diced small
2 ribs celery, with leaves, diced small
6 large cloves garlic, smashed
2 large bay leaves
2 to 3 sprigs fresh marjoram, optional
Sea salt, to taste
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 c. cooking white wine
Fresh minced parsley for garnishing
Parmesan cheese for garnishing
Diced fresh tomatoes for garnishing, optional


Method:

In a large dutch oven, over med-high heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside.
In the dutch oven with the bacon fat, brown the cubed beef in two batches. Brown well on all sides.
Remove the chuck from dutch oven and set aside.
Place the diced carrot, celery, and garlic into the dutch oven and cook 4 minutes, with stirring.
Put the chuck back into the dutch oven along with the bacon and bay leaves. Stir together.
Top with the fresh marjoram sprigs, if using.
Pack the finely slivered onions on top and season generously with salt and pepper.
Place the lid on the dutch oven and turn the heat down to a simmer.
Simmer at least 3 hours, or until the beef is fall-apart tender (you may instead bake in a low oven).
Add the cooking wine and continue cooking with the lid off about 30 more minutes, to reduce juices.
Break up and mash the meat well to make a thick saucy consistency. I like to use a potato masher.
Taste for salt and adjust as needed.
Serve over buttered brown rice, or buttered gluten-free large pasta.

If you choose to serve this over pasta, cook 1 pound of pasta in water that has been salted so that it tastes as salty as sea water. Save 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and place in a large serving bowl. Add 2-3 T butter to the cooked pasta and stir until melted. Add a couple cups of meat sauce and a little of the starchy pasta water to bind the sauce and stir. Serve topped with more meat sauce.

Photos of the process:

Cook the bacon until crisp.

Cut the beef chuck into large cubes.

Brown the chuck in the bacon fat and then set aside.

Prep the vegetables while the beef is browning.

Add the vegetables to the dutch oven.

Cook the vegetables a few minutes to soften.

Add the bacon and bay leaves and stir.

Add the browned chuck to the vegetables.

Stir the meat and the vegetables together.

Top with the slivered onions.

Season with salt and pepper.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and place the lid on the dutch oven.

Simmer about 3 hours (low & slow).

Add wine and mash the mixture well.

The mashed beef mixture.

Taste for salt.

Serve over hot buttered pasta or buttered rice, garnish with parsley and serve.

Enjoy,

Leila.

The PERFECT Burger! Plus how we do Oven Fries

I'm not kidding

This is the best grilled burger ever!

A perfect grilled burger with crispy oven fries...and topped with a sesame seed bun :)

Perfect oven fries.

My husband is the real Burger King. Just sayin'

This is a simple but amazingly delicious all-american dinner. But you know that already.

One of my husband's secrets is to put a hole in the center of each raw hamburger patty. This helps it cook quicker and more evenly. As a result, the meat does not shrink and mound up as much while cooking. He also seasons the meat generously, so they have great flavor too. We get juicy burgers that are not overdone on the edges and then raw in the center, so they are safer to eat as well.

You can easily make this a gluten-free dinner by using crunchy romaine lettuce leaves as lettuce wraps. You may also enjoy shaping the burgers into oblong shapes to better fit into the longer lettuce wraps, you know, like a fat hot-dog shaped hamburger patty. We don't put holes in the center of the oblong patties. they cook fast enough because they are narrow.

I start baking the oven fries about 40 minutes before he starts grilling the meat. Our daughter prepares the other hamburger toppings and sets the table.

You can make fry sauce by mixing ketchup and mayonnaise together. Go heavier on the ketchup. You can add a touch of seasoned salt to the fry sauce if you want. A bit of smoked paprika added is nice too. I think McD's adds sweet pickle relish to their "Special Sauce". 

Crispy Oven Fries:

1 potato per person (I used Yukon Golds)

Deodorized coconut oil

Seasoned salt, to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Generously oil a baking sheet with coconut oil.

Scrub the potatoes and cut in the middle lengthwise. Then cut into strips almost 1/2-inch wide.

Arrange the cut potatoes in 1 layer on the oiled baking sheet and bake about 20 to 30 minutes.

Turn the potatoes and bake another 15 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Serve hot.

The Perfect Grilled Burger:

Organic ground beef or buffalo

Seasoned salt

Garlic seasoning, optional

Cheese, optional

Recommended Hamburger Toppings:

Mayonnaise

Mustard

Romaine lettuce

Sliced ripe tomatoes

Crisp bacon strips

Pickles

Onion slices

Avocado slices

Whatever else you can think of...

Method:

Preheat your outdoor grill.

Shape the burger into patties the size you want.

Season both sides of the patties with seasoned salt and garlic seasoning.

Poke a hole in the center of each patty.

Grill on your grill about 5 minutes, depending on the size of your burgers.

flip burgers and top with cheese if desired. 

Grill a couple minutes more and serve hot.

Top with your desired hamburger toppings.

You can choose a gluten-free option and make into a lettuce wrap.

The Yukon Golds are baking in coconut oil before the hamburgers are started. So far they have baked 30 minutes.

3 hamburger patties were made and seasoned from 1 lb organic ground beef.

Poke a hole in the center of the hamburger patties.

            

The grilling burgers are ready to be topped with cheese. See how the holes have closed up?

This burger is ready to get dressed.

The oven fries have been seasoned with season salt.

That's a nice looking plate of food.

This baby is wrapped in saran wrap or it will drip to my elbows!

CHOMP!

Enjoy!

Leila.

My Favorite Seared Fajitas - Plus a Tortilla Review

My Favorite Fajitas

These have been made in my home for many years, and we never tire of them. They are easy to make and very flavorful. The fresh lemon juice in the marinade is perfect. I have even let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for 3 days before making. I did not do that on purpose, life just got busy. I imagine you could marinate the meat and freeze in serving-size packets for make ahead meals.

You can use any type of tortilla you want to. For this particular dinner we tried a new organic whole wheat flour tortilla. They are thinner than most tortillas, which I like. See the review for these tortillas at the end of this post.

For a gluten-free meal, make this a chicken fajita salad or use gluten-free tortillas (usually yucky though, I'm afraid). If you ever find a delicious GF tortilla, let me know.

Use vegan sour cream and cheese, if you are into that.

Of course you can vary your toppings too. Your favorite bottled salsa will do when tomatoes are not in season.

Oh Yeah. I ate 2 of these babies for dinner!

My Favorite Fajitas Recipe:

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts or beef

Marinade:

1 to 2 cloves garlic, smashed well
1 1/2 t.gluten-free seasoned salt (recipe on our blog)
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. gluten-free chili powder
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
2 T. rice bran oil or light olive oil
2 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice

Fajita:

3 to 4 T. deodorized coconut oil
1 c. sliced onion
1 c. red bell pepper
1 c. yellow bell pepper
8 flour tortillas, of choice, warmed
2 avocados, sliced or mashed with onion salt, garlic powder, and lemon juice
1/2 c. chopped scallions
sour cream of choice (Reduced Fat Sour Cream Blend - recipe on this blog)
shredded cheese of choice
fresh salsa
fresh cilantro, minced


Method:

Cut the meat into thin strips (you may partially freeze for easier cutting).
Marinate the sliced meat in the combined marinade for 2 hours (even up to 3 days in fridge is o.k.)
Quickly saute the vegetables in coconut oil until lightly browned (sear them over med-high heat).
Remove vegetables from pan.
Saute the meat in coconut oil about 4 minutes.
Toss the meat with the vegetables and serve.
Spoon meat & veggie mixture into flour tortillas.
Garnish with avocado, sour sream, scallions, cheese, salsa, and cilantro as desired.


Tip:

I like the way restaurants serve fajitas seared and sizzling. Without having to grill the meat on an outdoor grill, this is what I do in my home kitchen:

I will often cook the meat in a large non-stick skillet while I am searing the vegetables in a well-oiled cast iron pan. I remove the vegetables and set aside. I drain the barely cooked meat, reserving the juices. I add the barely cooked meat to the well-oiled cast iron skillet and toss, to quickly sear it a minute or so. I then add the vegetables back to the skillet with the meat and toss to warm through. To finish the fajitas off, I pour the reserved juices over top. toss and serve.






Here are some photos of the fajita making process:

Thinly slice the partially frozen meat.

Meat and marinade ingredients before being well mixed together.

Vegetables being prepped.

Searing the peppers in a cast iron skillet.

Cooking the meat and vegetables separately to save time.

The onions are looking nicely seared.

Tossing the meat and vegetables together before serving.

My husband about to dig in!

Flour Tortilla Review:

Los Fortunitas Organic Flour Tortillas

My husband and I were on our regular Costco date, when we saw these being sampled. Of course we tried them. We bought them because they were organic whole wheat tortillas, and mostly because they are thin. I hate the thick, pasty white flour ones sold in stores. These actually resemble my favorite uncooked tortilla also sold at Costco, called Tortilla Land All Natural Fresh Uncooked Tortillas (Restaurant authentic). They are yum, but made with white flour, so we don't eat them very often.

I recommend gently warming these up before eating them, do not let them dry out. They are easier to use than the uncooked ones, which is nice. I like that they are healthier too. The texture of these tortillas is excellent. Finally, a whole wheat tortilla that doesn't taste like cardboard.

If I were to go on taste alone, these rank as my 2nd favorite tortilla that's sold in stores. If I were to consider nutrition too, this is my first choice.

Honestly, my mom's gluten-free tortillas rule, but they aren't sold in stores. Booo.

So there you go, my review is complete.

Enjoy!

Leila

Better Than Lasagna Soup - Featuring Buffalo (Gluten-Free & Low-Carb option)

Better than Lasagna Soup

Who doesn't like lasagna? But who likes to take the time to make the lasagna? Not I (usually). Lasagna soup is a good idea. It's fast and yummy if you season it right. It is a leaner dish than calorie-laden lasagna and you can easily make it gluten-free and low carb.

There are a few key ingredients that make the difference in this delicious soup. Balsamic vinegar adds some brightness and depth. The Brown sugar substitute curbs the acidity of the tomatoes, balancing out the flavors. A touch of hot pepper flakes adds a little warmth, and the whole fennel seeds give a nice exotic sweetness.

A trick is to salt the soup after it has cooked. The ingredients absorb a lot of the salt if it's added at the beginning of cooking time, leading to increased salt usage. Add the sweetener at the end too.

This hearty soup makes a nice family friendly meal and the leftovers taste great. You can serve this lasagna soup with a nice salad for a low-carb meal.


BETTER THAN LASAGNA SOUP Recipe:

1 pound ground buffalo meat (and/or organic ground beef chuck, or Italian sausage, or ground turkey)
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, smashed in a mortar & pestle (or more garlic, to taste)
1 large yellow sweet bell pepper, diced
2 t. Italian herb seasoning
1 t. dried basil
1 t. fennel seeds (omit if using Italian sausage)
1/8 to 1/4 t. hot red pepper flakes, optional
50 grinds freshly ground black pepper
1 large bay leaf
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 (32-ounce) box organic chicken stock or broth
1 c. purified water
2 c. (6 ounces) broken lasagna noodles (gluten-free), about 8 noodles
2 t. balsamic vinegar
1 T. Brown Just Like Sugar (brown sugar replacement), up to 2 T., to taste (or Golden Lakanto)
1 T. BioSalt or sea salt (recipe on this blog), to taste
6 ounces organic raw spinach leaves, roughly chopped

Garnish: mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese, and possibly a drizzle of high quality olive oil.


Method:

In a large soup pot, brown the meat of choice with the onions, garlic, and yellow bell pepper, over medium-high heat, until the meat is browned and crumbly.

Drain the fat if needed. Buffalo is so lean that you won't need to. I use lean organic beef, so I don't drain that either.Turkey is extra lean too. The only meat that may need to be drained is high-fat sausage. B-T-W, turkey Italian sausage is good too!

Add the spices and saute with the meat for a minute (to bloom the flavors of the spices).

Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth, and the 1 cup water. I use the water to first rinse out all the cans, which easily removes all the stuck-in-the-can tomato sauce.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn down the heat and let simmer, covered for 15 minutes.

Add the pasta of choice, and cook until the pasta is tender, but not mushy.

Add  2 t. balsamic vinegar.

Season with salt and sugar substitute, to taste.

Right before serving, add the chopped spinach. Stir in to wilt the spinach and serve.

Garnish with cheeses if desired.



Tips: 

You may substitute the broken lasagna noodles for campanelle, bow tie pasta, or medium shells.

To make paleo or low-carb: Omit pasta and serve over barely steamed zucchini "noodles" (thinly sliced zucchini).


 

Note: 

Just Like Sugar is a sugar-free substitute for brown sugar. It is all-natural, gluten-free, 0 carbs, 0 calories, no aftertaste, diabetic and celiac safe.

It's ingredient list:

Chicory root dietary fiber
Calcium
Vitamin C
Natural flavors from the peel of an orange
Natural molasses type flavor

Looks pretty good right?


Photos of the lasagna soup in progress:

Saute the onion, garlic and bell pepper with the buffalo meat.

Broken lasagna noodles in bite-sized pieces.

The chicken broth and fire roasted tomatoes have been added to the soup pot.

The soup has simmered 15 minutes.

The pasta has finished simmering in the soup and the seasonings have been adjusted.

The raw chopped spinach has been stirred into the finished soup.

A garnished bowl of Better Than Lasagna Soup!

Dig in!

Leila