Fresh (no-cooking needed) Spaghetti Sauce and Getting Back-to-the-Basics and Eating Right!

This is going to be your NEW favorite spaghetti sauce!  We all know, pasta always makes a great year-round side dish.  My fresh, no-cooking-needed, sauce is pareve, quick, easy, fresh and points-friendly and perfect for our still-hot-days-to-come!

Yochi's Fresh (no-cooking needed) Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

1.   Whole wheat spaghetti. Half a box of uncooked spaghetti makes four to six portions of cooked spaghetti.   

2.   Large pasta pot

3.   Hand-stick blender

4.   Tomatoes (either two large tomatoes or ten or more cherry tomatoes)

5.   1 medium onion

6.   2-3 fresh cloves of garlic, (depending on how "garlicky" you want the sauce)

7.   Mushrooms

8.   Garlic powder

9.   Freshly ground pepper

10.                Paprika

11.                Chopped fresh parsley

12.                Oregano (fresh or dried)

13.                Basil (fresh or dried)

14.                Thyme (fresh or dried)

15.                Water

16.                PAM

How to work:

1.   Preparing the spaghetti: I'm sure you've heard this a million times: to make good el dente spaghetti you need to start with good quality spaghetti (in our case, whole wheat spaghetti), a large pasta pot and lots of water.

2.   Fill the pot with water, a little bit less than three-quarters full.  This should be enough water to cook the spaghetti.

3.   Bring the water to boil.  I no longer add oil or salt to my boiling water to prevent the spaghetti rom sticking; I shpritz the water with PAM before adding the spaghetti. 

4.   Measure out half of the spaghetti from the box and add a quarter or half that amount to the boiling water at a time, to avoid sticking.  Stir and then add another quarter or the second half of the spaghetti.  Stir gently to avoid further sticking.

5.   Cook the spaghetti until it is el dente: pliable, but not soggy. 

6.   Once the spaghetti is cooked; immediately take it out of the cooking water and strain; so it will STOP cooking.  You can rinse the spaghetti with warm water if you wish or just leave it as it is. Try to prevent the spaghetti from cooling completely. If the spaghetti gets too dry, spritz with a bit of PAM or pour hot warm over it.

7.   Now begin to make your sauce.

8.   Clean the tomatoes, onions and garlic and blend to a semi-chunky-saucy consistency using a hand-stick blender.  The consistency depends on how you like your sauce.  Ask yourself: do you like a sauce with pieces of vegetables or a smooth sauce? Blend to the consistency you like.

9.   Working with the mushrooms: you can either slice them and add them to the sauce “as is” or gently sauté the mushrooms in a bit of PAM and then add them to the no-cook vegetables.

10.                Add all the spices to the sauce.  If you are using fresh spices, I warmly suggest you mince the spices by hand and then add them into the sauce. Mincing the spices with the stick blender may turn them into a paste.  The spices should add a fresh aroma and distinctive taste to the dish.

11.                Mix the sauce completely and pour over the warm pasta.  Gently toss and serve.

Remember that portion control is the name of the game – watch your portion and you’ll watch your weight!

Portion size:

Spaghetti is a tough dish to portion out as tablespoonfuls.  I suggest using the plate method: a quarter of a plate, NOT PILED HIGH, is a sufficient amount.

How to store:

Always store in a closed plastic container in the fridge. 

Be’Tay a’Von and Chag Sameach!

Getting Back-to-the-Basics and Eating Right

I was recently talking to a close friend who wanted to lose weight and had heard about and tried just about every diet program out there.  She heard how much Sid and I lost weight and she wanted to UNDERSTAND how we did it.  Not the points – but the how we did it.  I began by explaining the general idea to her; but that was not enough for her.  She wanted and needed to hear the exact details – the “hows” and the “whats”.  I knew with whom I was talking: I know her lifestyle, how she thought and how she felt.

I told her exactly what I ate for each main meal and then what I ate for the small meals.  Except for the Chagim, I eat just about the same foods/combination of foods every day (including similar Shabbas menus). 

Then I got down to the basics and the emes - it was simple - you must never be hungry.  Your mind and your body must know that it will never starve.  Once that lesson is internalized, your body will not store fat and you can lose weight!   As I said this statement out loud, I realized it really made sense TO ME and I had internalized the message:  three main meals and the two-three small middle meals keep me at an even keel and a good weight. 

I told her that I eat breakfast EVERYDAY.  I don’t “wait” to eat until I am starving.  I make the time to eat.  I eat lunch on Fridays!  Believe me, each of these little steps is a minor miracle. 

I shared with her another important step: portion size.  I explained to her that a tablespoon of food is one tablespoon – not two, not two and a half and not some kind of rough measurement. That you need to treat losing weight and changing your eating habits as a semi-religion where you set the rules and framework and you work within it.  Not following your framework – only hurts you.

Exercise is another big step.  I always exercised, but if you never did or do not at this moment, then it is time to introduce yourself to the concept.  Start moving.  Start walking up and down stairs.  Start walking around your neighborhood. 

I know that there is a common theory that walking/exercising with a partner is a great way to exercise and I say – maybe – it depends on your exercise buddy.  If you choose a friend who is - how should I put this – as exercised-challenged as yourself - you may never get into the “shvung”.

So listen to Tante Yochi: find an exercise that suits you, that is: it's reasonably easy to do on a long term basis.  I warmly recommend WALKING.   Walking suits everyone and every body shape, take music along as your exercise buddy and just get out there.  No excuses.  Your body will thank you!

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NEW! Want to change your eating habits and change your lifestyle? I now provide one-on-one weekly mentoring meetings and weekly group classes.  Learn to cook healthy meals, set your own goals and learn to love yourself! Contact me today!

yochi.eisner@gmail.com     052-3413249