Marinara Pasta Sauce dedicated to lovely carol karendi amazing super dinner for her

 

How To Make Marinara Pasta Sauce

Serves 4 to 6

What You Need

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon salt
Fresh thyme, basil, oregano, or other herbs
Parmesan cheese, to garnish, optional
Cooked pasta, to serve
Equipment
Sauce pot or high-sided skillet
Spatula

Instructions

1. Sauté the onions and garlic: Warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Crush the tomatoes and add to the pan: Add the tomatoes and their juices to the pan with the onions. Crush the tomatoes in your hand as you add them, or smash them against the sides of the pan with your spatula. Alternatively, you can cut the tomatoes with kitchen shears while they're still in the pan.
3. Add the bay leaf and fresh herbs: Add the bay leaf, salt, and fresh herbs like thyme and oregano to the pan with the sauce. If you're adding basil, wait to add it until the end of cooking.
4. Simmer for about 20 minutes: Bring the sauce to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Continue simmering until the sauce is slightly reduced and thickened, about 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta: While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta, toss together a salad, or finish any other meal components.
6. Serve the sauce: Remove the bay leaf and any herb stems. Serve the sauce immediately over pasta with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Leftovers will keep refrigerated for about a week or can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe Notes

• Dress it up! Dress up this simple sauce with a splash of red wine or balsamic vinegar, throw a few more veggies in with the onions, or cook up some ground beef or mushrooms for a more substantive sauce.

How To Cook Pork Chops in the Slow Cooker

 

How To Cook Pork Chops in the Slow Cooker

Makes 3 to 6 chops

What You Need

Ingredients
3 to 6 bone-in pork chops (3/4- to 1-inch thick, around 1/2 pound each) — preferably blade, shoulder, or sirloin chops; rib chops are second best
For the brine, optional:
1/2 cup kosher salt
8 cups water
Aromatics like bay leaf, whole peppercorns, and other spices
For the slow-cooker dish:
Chopped vegetables and fruits, enough to form a layer on the bottom of the slow cooker — like apples, Asian pears, onions, carrots, celery, fennel, potatoes, sauerkraut
1/4 cup cooking liquid, like broth, cider, hard cider, white wine, or water
Equipment
Shallow dish, if brining
Paper towels
Skillet, if searing your chops
Cooking utensils
6-quart or larger slow cooker

Instructions

1. Brine your pork chops, optional: Brining seasons the meat throughout and provides some insurance against overcooking. Stir together the salt and the water until the salt dissolves. (You can also warm the water in the microwave to make this easier, but wait for the water to cool before continuing.) Place the chops in a shallow dish and pour the brine over them. The chops should be submerged; if not, make additional brine solution. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 4 hours.
2. Season with salt and pepper: If you brined your pork chops, rinse them under running water, then pat them dry with paper towels. If you didn't, just remove from their package and pat dry. Either way, season both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Sear your chops, optional: Searing adds good flavor to the overall dish, but if you're in a rush, you can skip this step. If you do sear the meat, you can also quickly sauté the onions or other vegetables going into the dish and then deglaze the pan with the cooking liquid. Add an extra splash of the cooking liquid to the pot to compensate for the liquid that evaporated during deglazing.
4. Add a layer of vegetables to the slow cooker: Scatter the vegetables or fruits you've chosen over the bottom of the slow cooker. They should form a single layer.
5. Layer the chops on top: It's OK to overlap the chops slightly, but don't stack them on top of each other.
6. Pour the cooking liquid over top: Pour the cooking liquid, or the liquid left from deglazing your pan, over the chops. If you sautéed any vegetables, tuck some of them below the chops and scatter the rest on top.
7. Cook for 2 to 6 hours on LOW: At around 2 hours, your pork chops will be cooked through (145°F) and have a texture similar to chicken breast — tender, but firm. Between 3 to 6 hours, the chops will have a texture closer to pulled pork; it will be easy to cut with a fork and will pull easily from the bone. (The first time you make slow cooker pork chops, check the chops every so often to see how they're cooking; after this first batch, you'll know exactly how much cooking time to plan for going forward to make your ideal pork chops.)
8. Serve with the vegetables and cooking liquid: Serve straight from the slow cooker or transfer everything to a serving dish. Spoon the cooking liquid over top of everything.

Recipe Notes

• Leftovers: These are not my favorite chops to reheat and serve the next day; I find that they're just a bit too dry and tough at that point. If you do end up with leftovers, I recommend pulling them into shreds and using them in burritos, tacos, soups, and the like.

Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Chops

 

Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Chops

Serves 4 to 6

4 boneless pork chops, about 1/2-inch thick (2 to 3 pounds total)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped onion, from 1 small onion
1/4 cup chopped celery, from 1 large celery rib
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth, or white wine — added to the slow cooker
* Optional Step: Heat a large skillet over high heat and sear the pork chops for 2 minutes on each side. Immediately place them in the fridge or freezer to cool completely. (See Recipe Note and Tester's Notes for thoughts on food safety and searing ahead.)
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with the salt as it cooks. Set the mixture aside to cool completely.
Place the cooled sautéed vegetables, cranberries, pork chops, pepper, thyme, and brown sugar Seal the bag, squeezing out as much air as possible. Massage the bag to distribute the ingredients evenly.

Freezing Instructions

Freeze the bag flat in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Thawing & Cooking Instructions

Thaw the pork chops on a tray or dish in the refrigerator. On the morning of the day you plan to serve this dish, empty the contents of the bag into a 4-quart slow cooker and add 1/4 cup broth or wine. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or until the pork chops are cooked through.

Recipe Notes

• The step of searing the pork chops is optional, as some cooks are not comfortable freezing browned meat.