Fresh Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce

This recipe in not the traditional way to make pasta sauce using fresh tomatoes. I take the easy and fast route. I just don't have time to remove the skins and seeds from 20 pounds of tomatoes each time I make sauce! Place fresh tomatoes in a blender and blend the seeds, skin, and all. Plus, this way we use the *whole food* -- the whole tomato. Once you begin to make your own you'll never want to go back to store-bought pasta sauce!

I have been buying cases of fresh, organic tomatoes from Smallwood Farms in Eastern Washington. If you grown your own tomatoes, this recipe is a great way to make use of them. The sauce can be canned in mason jars or stored in your freezer for later use. The other day I asked Facebook fans what everyone was doing with the tomato harvest this season. There are so many great comments. Be sure to head over there and check them out if you need more ideas!

15-Minute Poached Salmon

The other day, while Tom was out of town, I got home from running a few errands at 5pm. The kids were all hungry and ready for dinner….like now! I had a beautiful fillet of wild Coho salmon which I had bought the previous day, ready to be seasoned and baked. My friend who was helping out with the kids thought I should use some of the blueberries we still had sitting on the counter waiting to be processed and frozen. Mashed blueberries with ginger to top the salmon was her idea. I thought yum, but I don’t have time for that right now.

I mean, I had two crying 1-year olds pulling on my legs. Poached salmon came to mind. With a thin fillet like I had, 10 minutes cooking time is all that is needed. Add five minutes of prep time and you get 15-minute Poached Salmon.

Serve it over brown rice noodles with a green salad for a 15 minute meal! How is that for healthy and quick? Grain-free? Try serving this over a bed of sautéed dark leafy greens like kale or collards, or try serving it with zucchini noodles.

Start a pot of water to boil before you prep the salmon. Add the noodles, place the salmon on the stove to cook, prep a salad or steam green beans. Dinner is done, kids in the bath, bedtime early…..ahhhh take a breath, relax.