Simple Tomato Sauce

I hadn't heard of this recipe before it appeared on Smitten Kitchen, but it's apparently kind of a big deal in the food blogosphere.

This is incredibly simple, and you probably have the ingredients sitting in your pantry already.  They are:  tomatoes, butter, and an onion.  That's it.  No chopping (although I ended up cheating and using a blender at the end.)  It makes a wonderfully rich, mellow sauce that reminded me a bit of vodka sauce, but without the bite. 

Cupcakes!

I decided to make some treats for Fat Tuesday... these fit the bill nicely.

I went back to my favorite cupcake recipe (adapted from the Magnolia Bakery Cupcake recipe).  This time, I made vanilla cupcakes with almond buttercream and a layer of jam between cake and icing.  

Roasted Broccoli

Surprisingly delicious.  Roasting gives broccoli a nutty flavor, and with the salt reminded me a little bit of the flavor of wasabi peas or some other bar snack.

Very simple; makes a great side dish for pretty much anything.

From the Well-Fed Newlyweds.

Ingredients:
5 c. broccoli florets (2 medium heads), rinsed and dried
2 T olive oil
1/4-1/2 tsp. kosher (or other coarse) salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Toss everything in a bowl to combine.

2.  Spread broccoli out on a cookie sheet or pan in a single layer; roast for 5 minues, then flip and continue roasting for another 10.

That's it!  Try not to finish off until you actually can get it onto plates. 

Split Pea Soup

Alas, there is no way to make split pea soup appetizing looking:

On the other hand, it has everything else in the world going for it:  it's delicious, low-calorie, satisfying, easy, and cheap (unless, like me, you purchase a 10-lb. ham just to have a leftover ham bone.)