Pasta sauce with mushrooms and grilled peper

This is another sauce I made based on leftover veggies in my fridge :)

Pasta sauce with mushrooms and grilled pepper

Ingredients:
3 cups of canned tomatoes or  jar of tomato based pasta sauce
5-6 big garlic gloves chopped
1 onion copped
1 red, yellow or just green bell pepper -grilled and pilled
4 mushrooms- sliced
1Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
pinch of sugar
1 Tbsp dry basil
1Tsp dry thyme
salt and black paper

Cut the pepper into big pieces and set aside. Saute the garlic in oil. Add the onions and cook for some time.
Add the mushroom and saute with onions. Once they are ready add tomatoes, peeper, basil, thyme, salt and little crushed black paper as per your taste. Cook for about 5-6 mins and add the vinegar and sugar.
Taste and adjust salt if needed.
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TIPS:
You can use fresh tomatoes also. In that case you need to cook them little longer.
In case you don't have balsamic vinegar, don't substitute with any other vinegar and don't need to add sugar.
If the bell pepper is too small you can use 2. If you mix yellow and red the sauce turns even more appealing.
If you like your sauce to be more tomatoes, reduce the amount of veggies ;).
You can always use fresh herbs, remember to use more of them if they are fresh!!
Enjoy!

Pasta sauce with olives and spinach

This is a recipe I made up based on the available things in my fridge a while ago and we all loved it, especially my kids, who love olives !! When I cook, I don't have a habit to  measure and everything is "on eye" basis.So, here is aprox measurements of everything, just to make it easy for all of you there willing to try my recipes :)

Pasta sauce with olives and spinach

Ingredients:

1 med size onion
5 big garlic gloves chopped fine
3Tbsp olive oil
6 crapes
3 cup canned tomatoes or a tomato based pasta sauce
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1/2 cup black olives cut in half
1/3 cup milk ( you can use non fat or 2% as per your taste)
1Tbsp oregano
1/2 Tbsp basil
salt

 Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and onion. Cook on a med flame for about 4-5 mins. Next add crapes, tomatoes and spinach.Cook until it starts to boil and add the herbs and salt. Pour the milk and mix well. Cook again for about 5 mins, add the olives and turn the heat off.  Check the seasoning. As per your taste you can add more oregano or basil.
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TIPS:
In case you are not found of garlic reduce it to 2 gloves.
You can try making the sauce with 2 tbsp non fat or reduced fat cream cheese and skip the milk. Beat the cream cheese with fork  and mix well with little ( aprox 1/2 cup ) of the sauce that is cooking on the stove. .Add it to the pot and cook for some time.

Enjoy!