Now that my friend is home from the hospital, I’ve been on a cooking spree for her and her (hungry!) family. Nothing like a little homemade love to get those stitches healing, right? Off we go to the kitchen for a bird’s-eye view of what’s been on the agenda.
First up, 12-Minute Homemade Marinara to go with the Baked Chicken Parmesan Bites from Jen at The Scrumptious Pumpkin. With homemade marinara this easy, why buy bottled or jarred at the grocery store? My friend LOVES to use this as a dipping sauce for pretty much anything that can be dipped in it – if that makes her feel better, then let’s cook!
Let me show you how to whip this 12 Minute Marinara together, OK? Set the timer for 12 minutes and the race is on……
First up – assemble the ingredients. (That doesn’t count for the time, ok?)
Next, a simple wash – peel – chop and voila! In the pan with olive oil the veggies go, with a little salt and cracked black pepper.
Once sautéed, add the tomatoes, herbs, garlic powder, and stir.
Simmer for 5 minutes and you’ll have a thick, reduced pan of love, just waiting for the immersion blender to puree it all to a smooth consistency.
Only thing left to do? Deliver to my friend so she can dig in!
Oh, one more thing. For the Chicken Bites, I use chicken breast tenders, and leave them like “chicken fingers” for this dish. My friend’s girls like them better than Mc-D-You-Know-Who’s recipe…that’s success, right!
Our Kitchen Inventions 
What a beautiful sauce and I’m betting that your friend appreciates this and you for being such a thoughtful friend. The wonderful thing about the sauce is that you can do so much with it and stretch it out for multiple meals. I’m guessing she’ll have a speedy recovery thanks to your good cooking.
LikeLike
That sauce is so versatile, it makes my heart sing – LOL! My friend is home, doing better, and trying to be patient for her recovery. You are sweet to say it’s my cooking….grazie mille, my friend!
LikeLike
I’m sure your friend was thrilled with your kindness. I agree with you, it doesn’t take long to make something that is far better than what comes in a jar and without lots of additives.
LikeLike
I am so glad that we delivered 3 dinners to them yesterday…as it is snowing here today (so the entire city of Atlanta is closed! LOL!). It’s good knowing they have lots of food in the ‘fridge. Always glad to cook for friends!
LikeLike