Sunday Dinner – Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Growing up, my mom always made homemade spaghetti sauce from scratch. That’s partly because we didn’t have jarred sauce when I was a kid. With the fast pace of the 1990’s & early 2000’s, it seemed as if everyone started buying jarred sauce due to its’ convenience. I certainly did. Now, many retailers including Safeway and Whole Foods have a huge variety of jarred sauces.
However, over time, I started to notice that most of the jarred sauces lacked true flavor and in fact, were packed with sugar. That’s when I started making my own sauce and freezing batches of it. Instead of using sugar, I use a stevia sweetener from Pyure Organics.
You can certainly make homemade spaghetti sauce on a boat, as you just need one pot. Give yourself a few hours though, because it is best after it’s been cooking all day. What’s great about this recipe, is you can tweak it anyway you want. If you want it spicy, add some crushed red pepper. Want more zip? Add some more vinegar. Less tangy? Add some sugar.
When I make my sauce, I try it every half hour or so, to ensure I’m getting the final flavor I am looking for. This is a hearty dish that will satisfy any hungry boater or crowd! Please share with us your favorite homemade sauces. Enjoy!
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Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
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Give yourself a few hours to allow the flavors to blend together. This is a very hearty sauce that everyone in your family will love.
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven on medium high heat and add beef and sausage, breaking up the chunks. Brown meat all over.
Lower heat to medium. Add celery, carrots, onion, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender, but do not caramelize. Add tomato paste and red wine and cook for about 2-4 minutes, until slightly reduced.
Add whole tomatoes and break up with a wooden spoon to desired thickness & texture. Add vinegar and stevia & blend well. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Be sure to taste the sauce every half hour to ensure you get the flavor you want.
Serve with your favorite pasta noodles and top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Caribbean Pork Roast Recipe
This Caribbean pork roast recipe is perfect for your next tropical themed dinner party or for entertaining on your boat. We use an oven in this recipe, but if you don’t have an oven on your boat, you can easily make it in a slow cooker. If you were at home, you could also use a Dutch Oven, but because it has to cook on the stovetop for at least three hours, I wouldn’t recommend doing that on a boat (at least a small boat like ours).
The Love of Caribbean Food
Since our honeymoon in Antigua back in 2003, Scott and I have visited the Caribbean annually. We love everything about the islands, including their food. That’s why I make it as often as I do Italian food. One of my favorite Caribbean cookbooks is At Blanchard’s Table: A Trip to the Beach Cookbook
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Their first book, A Trip to the Beach: Living on Island Time in the Caribbean
was about how they opened a restaurant in Anguilla moving from the East Coast. I recommend both of them! Of course, if it’s about sailing and the Caribbean, I recommend a ton of books!
Back to the Pork Roast
This pork roast recipe can be used on a Pork Loin, Pork Tenderloin or Pork Shoulder Roast. It’s best to make the marinade the night before and let it marinate overnight.
I pair this recipe with my Grilled Sweet Potatoes and Caribbean Slaw for the perfect meal!
Be sure to let us know what your favorite Caribbean recipes are and share wit us. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for more great ideas! Cheers, Scott & Ally
#BoatingJourney #GalleyRecipes
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Caribbean Pork Roast
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This Caribbean Pork Roast recipe can be modified in many ways, adding your favorite ingredients. It works great on all types of pork roasts, including pork chops. It's best when you marinate it over night or at least for six hours. Enjoy!
Instructions
Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.
Place pork roast in a large ziplock bag and pour marinade into the bag. Be sure to let all of the air out and seal it tightly. Place bag in bowl or casserole dish (in case it leaks) and refrigerate overnight.
Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove pork from marinade and wipe of some of the excess. Place the pork roast on a grill rack with the fat size up and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and cook for another 1.5 to 2 hours until tender. The roast will develop a "bark" on the outside as it cooks. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Slice into 1" slices and serve immediately. (yes, I forgot to take a photo of the entire roast before we started eating!)
An Elegant Hors d’oeuvres – Onion Tartlets
Tis the holiday season and this onion tartlet hors d’oeuvres recipe is classy & delicious. Our marina is having a holiday party and all of the boats will be dressed up. This is a great occasion to meet other boaters and enjoy tasty treats and cocktails. This recipe is one I can easily prepare and share at the holiday party. Recently, I served these onion tartlets along with baby potatoes with caviar and potato chips with smoked salmon as appetizers. They were a hit!
One of the challenges of serving appetizers is keeping them warm. Which is why I like to stick with those that can be enjoyed at room temperature. You can make the onion tartlets ahead of time and bring them up to room temperature when ready to serve. At home, we bake them in our oven. On a boat, you can easily use a toaster oven.
Toaster Ovens
Speaking of toaster ovens, we found this awesome one from Cuisinart and now it’s on our wish list! It has 7 cooking functions, including an AirFryer! This will definitely go on our live-aboard.
Happy Holidays and enjoy!
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Onion Tartlets
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These onion tartlets are perfect for any cocktail party and they are very easy to make! Serve them warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Instructions
Heat oven to 350º. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium high and add onions. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring often. Make sure that the heat is not too high, as you don't want to scorch the onions. Add oregano, thyme crushed red pepper and brandy. Cook the onions until they are tender and caramel in color.
Remove from heat and add cream cheese, egg and parmesan cheese. Place fillo shells on a cookie sheet and fill each one with the onion mixture. Bake for about 10-15 minutes until cooked thoroughly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Sausage & Potato Foil Pack – Great Meals on a Boat!
A very easy meal to prepare on a boat is a foil pack. These are so versatile with a variety of ingredients & easy cleanup. One of our favorite combinations is sausage, potato and beans. You can either cook the packs on your grill or if your boat has an oven, they are great baked as well.
Check out our recipe below!
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Sausage & Potato Foil Packs
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This combination of sausage, potatoes, onions and beans are the perfect all in one meal!
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine olive oil with spices. Make four foil packs with heavy duty foil, double thickness about 12" x 12".
In a large bowl, toss all ingredients with olive oil mixture to blend well. Divide sliced sausage and chopped vegetables equally and place in the center of each foil pack. Seal each pack tightly. Grill on med high to high for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Recipe Notes
If baking the foil packs, bake at 425º for about 20 minutes.
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