Sunday Sauce

This morning I carried on a ritual that has been passed down in my family for (at least) three generations. Before I ate breakfast, or even made coffee I smashed some garlic and opened several cans of tomato paste. This is the SanGeorge Sunday tomato sauce ritual. According to my dad, his father made a big pot of sauce every Sunday and he learned how to make it by watching his father make it. I assume that this tradition was carried over from Italy when my great-grandfather came to the United States one hundred years ago.

This may be the last time I make sauce this winter. Sauce season coincides almost directly with football season, the two are linked in my mind, as is the phrase, "somebody stir the sauce!", repeated every 20 minutes throughout the 6-8 hour duration of cooking time. I remember when I was little my dad would start the sauce and the meatballs around 8am. He would bring the sauce to a simmer and let it cook while we went to church. When we returned home the house would be full of the rich aroma of tomatoes, tantalizing us. But, we would have to wait another three or four hours until the sauce "turned", or matured to have the full rich flavor that makes it so good. My dad would have two spoons on the stove next to the pot; one for stirring and one for tasting. When my father was engrossed in the Buffalo Bills game on the TV, I would often use the latter spoon to sneak a meatball, sometimes having to shove the whole (and very hot) thing in my mouth to avoid detection.

Sadly now my father can no longer eat the sauce that he loved to make. Being a survivor of throat cancer, with radiation and multiple surgeries, he hasn't been able to eat solid food for some time. Recently the doctors have told him that he is to have "nothing by mouth". All of his nutrition is fed through a tube in his stomach, mostly while he sleeps. So when I sometimes get frustrated about not being able to eat things because of gluten, I contrast it to my father who can't eat anything at all. So what if I can't eat semolina pasta, rice pasta isn't that bad. So what if I can't eat doughnuts or pizza, there are hundreds (or thousands) of foods and flavors that I can eat. It's times like this that I remember that life really is good without gluten!
This meatball's for you dad.

Oh, what? You want the recipe for the sauce? Sorry, but there are some things that even I have to keep secret! I will suggest a great Italian dish for a cold day; try my Chicken Cacciatore recipe, I made this last week and it's hard to go wrong with it.

Sunday Sauce

Sauteed Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes

It is somewhat frustrating for me to live in a condo where there is no grills allowed. No charcoal, no propane, not to mention that we have an electric stove, in short, no fire! For the past five years I've had access to a gas stove and a charcoal grill, which I used year round, so I'm having a hard time adjusting to a fireless kitchen. Tonight I had a strong urge to roast tomatoes. I really can't say why, but I started having visions of roasting big pans of tomatoes along with zucchini and peppers and whatever other vegetables I could get my hands on. I reminded myself that I still have a a broiler, even if it's electric.
One thing lead to another tonight, the kids were sick, the house had to be picked up, etc, so by the time I had a few minutes to get into the kitchen my visions of roasting huge pans of food just wasn't going to work out. So I scaled down my visions, way down. I ended up roasting two tomatoes in my toaster oven. And the good news is they still tasted great! I cooked a bit of polenta with olive oil garlic and some zucchini and put the tomato over top and had a light , but satisfying meal. This dish would make a great light lunch. I used the quick and easy pre-cooked polenta from Trader Joe's.



Sauteed Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes
serves 1-2

2 roma tomatoes
3 Tbsp olive oil
9 oz pre-cooked Polenta- sliced in 1/2 inch thick pieces
4 cloves garlic-minced
1 tbsp dried sage
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 zucchini- chopped

parmesan cheese
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• Heat a frying pan to medium high with 2 Tbsp of the olive oil
• saute the garlic in the pan for about one minute then add the polenta slices
• Sprinkle the polenta with half of the dried sage and oregano, salt and pepper
• cook for three to four minutes, using a spatula to keep the polenta from sticking to the pan
• Flip the polenta over, add the zucchini to the pan and sprinkle the other half of the sage and oregano, salt and pepper over everything
• Keep stirring the zucchini and polenta, for about 3-4 more minutes, add a bit more olive oil if the pan gets too dry, once cooked through. Cover and set-aside
• Cut the tomatoes in half legnth-wise, place in a pan, sprinkle with oilve oil salt and pepper
• Place the tomatoes in the broiler for about 5 minutes, then flip over and broil on the other side for another 5 minutes
• Serve the polenta on a plate and cover with the sauteed garlic, zucchini and roasted tomatoes, splash a little oilve oil over top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, enjoy!

Sauteed Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes

Chicken and Sausage Cacciatore

It's April here in North Carolina, the Cherry trees are in full blossom, The dog wood trees and Azalea bushes are just beginning to bloom, but it's still cold! We've definitely had some warm, and even hot days, but today it's just 40 degrees. One good thing about the lingering cool weather, it gives me an excuse to continue cooking winter soups and stews, and my all-time favorite stew is Chicken Cacciatore! Translated from Italian cacciatore means "hunter's stew", or "the catch of the day". I can just picture cacciatore stew being slow cooked in an Italian country villa with rabbit and Guinea fowl (like a pheasant).

Back here in the U.S, I went hunting at our local grocery store and stirred-up some chicken breast and Italian sausage, and I didn't even have to kill them! I've also made this recipe with boneless chicken thighs and legs and with pork, it's pretty versatile so you can add whatever type of meat you choose, or no meat at all.

The combination of fennel seed, rosemary and oregano, along with the mushrooms, give this dish a rich savory flavor that is really satisfying, especially on a cold day.

This recipe also adapts well to a slow cooker or crock-pot. Just brown the meat, saute the onions, garlic, celery along with the herbs in a pan, then add everything else and let cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Cacciatore with Chicken and Italian Sausage

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb. Italian Sausage (sweet or hot)
1 Lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 medium onion
1 stalk of celery, cut up
4 cloves garlic
1 large bell pepper, cut up to bite sized
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp dried Oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tsp fennel seed
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp crushed red pepper(optional)
1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup red wine
6-8 crimini mushrooms (or white button mushrooms), sliced


Fresh basil for garnish (optional)
Grated parmesan cheese

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• Heat a large stock pot to medium high heat with the olive oil
• Place the chicken breast and the Italian Sausage into the pot, cook each for about 1 minute on each side, browning them, working in batches if you need to. Set aside.
• Using the same heated pot, stir in the onion, garlic, celery, and bell pepper, let them cook about a minute or so, using a fork to scrape off and stir in the browned pieces on the bottom of the pot
• Mix in the Oregano, basil, fennel seed, rosemary, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper
• Next stir in the tomatoes, chicken stock, red wine and mushrooms, mix all together well and bring to a slight boil
• Add the meat and return to boiling, once it boils again reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes, loosely covered
• Remove the bayleaf and romsemary sprig. Serve over GF pasta or rice, garnish with fresh basil (optional) and grated parmesan cheese, Mangia!

Chicken and Sausage Cacciatore

Tomato Sauce with Eggplant and Spinach

This is one of my favorite weeknight meals to make, it's quick, healthy, filling and delicious! I've made this dish with just spinach as well as just eggplant (it's also great with zucchini, or broccoli) but there's something Mediterraneanly pleasing to me about the taste and color of eggplant and spinach.

For those of you who are (or cook for) spinach haters, this is a dish that offers the healthy benefits of the green without an obtrusive, or bitter taste. I've served this dish to a spinach-phobic friend who told me that he, "actually didn't mind the spinach", a big step for him!

Like all pasta dishes, adding fresh basil at the end takes it to a new level, but if you don't have fresh basil on hand, (and just how many of us do on a weeknight in winter time?) just substitute 1 tablespoon of dried basil added with the other spices.


Tomato Sauce with Eggplant and Spinach
Serves 2-3

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion- chopped
4 cloves of Garlic-minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tsp sugar
Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
1/2 of a medium to large eggplant (@ two cups)
1 cup of frozen spinach- thawed and drained
1/2 cup red wine
1-15 oz can of diced tomatoes
@ 3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
grated parmesan cheese to taste

Cooked Pasta (gluten-free)
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• Wash the eggplant, discard the top and bottom. Lay it on it's side and slice it in about 1/2 inch round pieces
• Sprinkle all of the pieces liberally with salt on both sides, and drain for about 1/2 hour standing up, leaning against the sides of a colander
• Using a paper towel, dab away the moisture and salt from the eggplant slices
• Chop the eggplant into bite-sized (@1/2") cubes
• Heat a frying pan with the olive oil to medium high
• Add the onion, saute until translucent, then add the garlic, cook for another minute or two
• Next add the oregano, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes (optional), mixing all together well
• Add in the chopped eggplant, stirring frequently to coat the pieces with the spices and olive oil
• Next add the spinach, mixing it in well
• Add the red wine, tomatoes and sugar, stir and bring to a boil
• Once boiling reduce heat to simmer and cook, uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Serve over cooked pasta, sprinkle with the fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese, and enjoy!

Tomato Sauce with Eggplant and Spinach

Sicilian Style Fava Beans

When I began my gluten free diet, I started exploring food sources I hadn't used before, one of those was beans. There was a time when the only beans I cooked were in a pot of chili. Now I use them for soups, stews, salsas, salads, dips, and more! I like beans for several reasons; they are high in fiber and minerals, a great substitute for meat in a dish, provide great texture in dishes, they are really versatile and work well with many different flavor palates, not to mention that they are inexpensive!

I've got to admit that fava beans are one of the beans that I've had the least experience cooking with. While researching about them the other day I ran across a year old article on NPR.com: Fava Beans: A little Spring on your Plate the article talks about how fava beans (also called broad beans) are perhaps the oldest cultivated bean but is just beginning to become popular in the U.S. One reason that they haven't really caught on here may be the time-intensiveness of preparing them. For this reason I suggest buying shelled and split fava beans. There is nothing quite so tedious as shelling beans. The one exception to this would be if you can procure some fresh beans, then the shelling will be worth the effort.

The very first time I cooked fava beans was when I found them at the incredible International Farmer's Market in Decatur, GA. I brought them home and wasn't sure what to do with them. I thought of making falafel, but it seemed too involved at the time. Thinking of this bean being used in Sicilian kitchens inspired this recipe, which is basically cooking them in a tomato sauce until they become so soft, that they absorb all of the rich tomato flavors.


Sicilian Style Fava Beans

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion- diced
4 cloves if garlic- minced
1 stalk of celery- diced
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
1 bay leaf
2 cups (before soaking) split and shelled dried fava beans, pre-soaked
1-15 oz can of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
1 tsp sugar
2 cups beef stock (or chicken stock)
2 cups water
Salt to taste
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• Heat a large sauce pan to medium-high, add the olive oil
• Saute the onion for a minute or two until it becomes translucent
• Stir in the garlic and celery, cook for another minute
• Add the basil, fennel seed, bay leaf, black pepper and crushed red pepper (optional), stir all together
• Mix in the pre-soaked beans, stir all together well
• Stir in the diced tomatoes red wine and sugar
• Add the beef stock and water, stir and bring to a boil-uncovered
• Once boiling reduce to simmer and cook uncovered for @ 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• If all of the water evaporates add a bit more until done cooking
• The beans are done once they are no longer crunchy, but soft.
• Serve over rice or pasta and a main course, or as a side dish. Enjoy!

Sicilian Style Fava Beans