Loaded Tomato Sauce + Pasta

An ambrosial entree for dinner (and super healthy too) that will satisfy all pasta lovers.

...which means it must pass my standards - and it 100% does!

Let's start with the few basics:

Dice up an onion or two, some sweet peppers, and mince a bunch of garlic.

Put a knife to some portabella mushrooms and eggplant, and any other hearty vegetable desired. Your sauces will include tomato and marinara, along with a can of fire-roasted tomatoes.

Saute all of the above with a bit of olive oil and simmer for two hours. Since canned items were used, no salt was added whatsoever.

By this time, the kitchen and house will have an intoxicating savory aroma, and will most definitely attract some hungry inquisitors.

 But certain family members are not allowed such scrumptious eats! So prepare for some sad faces. Poor Harlee places himself halfway into the kitchen, always hoping.

The longer the pasta sauce simmers, the richer the flavor.

Towards the end of the two hours, boil your favorite whole wheat pasta until it is nearly al dente. 

Drain, mix the pasta into the sauce, and simmer for a few more minutes so the pasta absorbs that saucy tastiness and becomes done to your liking. Don't forget to taste.

As a side note, for those who truly don't prefer all those veggies and for those who have a deadly craving for garlic, I've prepared a little sauce of my own liking. I've blended marinara sauce, cloves of garlic, black pepper, oregano, and parsley for a super delicious alternative.

Wa-la! This is my, not-as-healthy-but-just-as-tasty, pasta preference.

For an even healthier dinner, add an additional side of vegetables. Try asparagus: boil in water for 3-4 minutes, then immediately rinse with cold water. Toss with olive oil, garlic powder, and Italian spices.

Spoon out a cupful of pasta for measuring/dieting purposes.

It's super hearty and undeniably delicious! All finished.

Enjoy~!

Edit // After eating, reduce how ever many garlic cloves you put if you make my sauce, because boy is it SPICY! And the veggie sauce is extremely tastier/better/more robust than mine too.

70%

There goes a Chinese saying: "七分飽"

"Eat until you are 70% full." 

Healthiest for your tummy and diet!

Tea for Two

Tea is one of our world's best natural antioxidant. My personal favorite is Chai and Black tea.

However, these two new purchases have grown quite a fan base in losing weight/healthy dieting. Both are from China.

Check out the benefits of White tea. Bought at Sprouts.

Second is Jasmine tea - soothing and pairs perfectly with pretty much any hot cuisine. Check out the benefits here. Bought at the local Chinese supermarket.

See if you enjoy these flavors!

Creamy Tuna Fish on Rye

This extremely savory lunch begins with your own favorites. The basic ingredient is canned tuna fish. From there you can include celery, radish, onion, even an hard-boiled egg or avocado. 

I've selected: two dill pickles + a splash of pickle juice, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, a teaspoon of Greek yogurt (or lite mayo) for creaminess, and a dash of ground pepper.

For the grain portion, rye wholewheat crackers do the trick very nicely.

I combined the ingredients into a small glass jar that fit over the blender.

Once blended (I like my pickle chunks a little larger for crunch!), you may blissfully spread over two rye crackers.

It's so utterly delicious I'd devour this wholeheartedly even when not on a "diet." All finished.

Enjoy~!