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Appetizers Antipasto Asparagus Mushroom Tarts Bobby's Mediterranean Salsa Bruschetta Caprese Calamari Deviled Eggs Goat Cheese with Marinara Green Olive and Artichoke Tapenade Green Olive and Basil Tapenade Italian Quesadillas Prosciutto Wrapped Scampi Quesadillas Roasted Red Pepper Dip Sausage Balls Seven Layer Dip Stuffed Mushrooms
Meats Beef Stroganoff Bistro Steaks with Pan Sauce Cantonese Red Roast Pork Chili Cuban Sandwich Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce Iris Tsai's Pork Shumai Jerk Pork Spareribs Kim's Meatloaf Lamb Chops with Olive Salsa Marinated London Broil Mom's Meatballs Moroccan Lamb Burgers New Orleans Muffuletta Nonnie's Sauce Pastitsio Polpette (torpedo meatballs) Pork Chops with Caper Sauce Red Beans and Rice Shepherd's Pie Short Ribs Provencal Sloppy Joes (Manwich style) Stuffed Pork Chops Sweet and Sour Pork Veal Milanese Veal Pestata Veal Piccata Veal Saltimbocca
Pasta Capellini del Mare Farfalle with Asparagus and Prosciutto Fettuccini with Portabella and Asparagus Lasagna Linguini with White Clam Sauce Marinara Sauce Mediterranean Pasta Orecchiette and Ground Veal Penne with Cabbage and Sausage Pesto Ravioli Three Cheese Seafood Pasta Stuffed Shells Tortellini with Porcini Mushroom Sauce Tuscan Ragu Sauce
Pizza Pizza, The Big Toad Pizza Dough, Thin and Crispy Pizza, Greek Style Pizza, Mediterranean Chicken Style Pizza, Mediterranean Vegetable Style Pizza Sauce Pizza, Seafood Scampi Style Pizza, Spanish Style
Poultry Brunswick Stew Chamorro Marinade Chicken Casserole Chicken Cordon Blue Chicken Lucia Chicken Paprika Citrus Tarragon Chicken Coq au Vin Cornish Hens a l'Orange Duck Breast with Pinot Noir Sauce Fried Chicken Greek Marinade for Chicken Italian Chicken Stew Jambalaya Kelaguen Lemon Chicken Rice-A-Roni Mediterranean Pasta Nanny's Baked Chicken Oriental Chicken Salad Roasted Rosemary Chicken Sesame Chicken Warm Chicken Salad
Salads Sauces Marinades Bearnaise Sauce Blue Cheese Dressing Caesar Dressing Chamorro Marinade Chopped Salad Cole Slaw Creamy Style Cole Slaw NC BBQ Style Crab Salad French Dressing Goat Cheese and Walnut Salad Greek Pasta Salad Hearts of Palm Salad Hollandaise Sauce Jerk Sauce Oriental Chicken Salad Panzanella Potato Salad with Cucumber Remoulade Taco Sauce Tartar Sauce Teriyaki Marinade Thousand Island Dressing
Seafood Cajun B-B-Q Shrimp Cajun Popcorn (fried crawfish) Calamari Capellini del Mare Crab Salad Crab Salad in a Pita Crab Stuffed Flounder Crawfish Etouffee Egg Rolls with Shrimp Fish and Chips Fresh Fish with Citrus Bagna Cauda Greek Baked Fish Grilled Fish Grilled Tuna with Olive Salad Jambalaya Linguini with White Clam Sauce Lobster Tails Nanny's Baked Fish Paella of Seafood Poached Fish Porcini Crusted Scallops in Beurre Blanc Prosciutto Wrapped Scampi Salmon Patties Salmon Salad Nicoise Seafood Pasta Shrimp and Grits Shrimp Creole Shrimp Scampi Shrimp with Spanish Rice Shrimp with Feta Cheese Shrimp with Prosciutto and Basil Steamed Mussels Steamed Shrimp Thai Shrimp with Asparagus uneke Maryland Crab Cakes
Sides Etc. Baked Macaroni and Cheese Beer Batter Onion Rings Biscuits Black Pepper and Thyme Popovers Bruschetta Caprese Cheese Grits with Sausage Cornbread Cornbread Dressing (stuffing) Cornbread Muffins Creole Seasoning Crispy Waffles Guam Fried Rice Pain Perdue (french toast) Pancakes Pancit Pommes Frites (real french fries) Risotto with Porcini Steph's Potatoes Thai Garlic-Basil Rice Twice Baked Potatoes
Sweets Apple Crisp Apple Pie Baklava Banana Nut Muffins Banana Pudding Blueberry Muffins Buckeyes Chocolate Chip Cookies Chocolate Chocolate Cookies Chocolate Mousse Chocolate Pound Cake Chocolate Pudding Coffee Cake Cream Cheese Pound Cake German Chocolate Cupcakes Lemon Meringue Pie Mini Crumb CoffeeCakes Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies Orange Peel Candy Peach Cobbler Peanut Butter Cookies Pumpkin Pie Russian Teacakes Sugar Cookies Sweet Potato Pie
Vegetables Braised Leeks Broccoli Casserole Broccoli Rabe (rapini) Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta Candied Sweet Potatoes Creole Succotash Green Bean Casserole Grilled Vegetables Hollandaise Sauce Potatoes au Gratin Potatoes Lyonnaise Red Beans and Rice Roasted Potatoes Spinach and Cannellini Beans Steph's Potatoes Twice Baked Potatoes

 

"A man seldom thinks with more earnestness of anything than he does of his dinner."

Samuel Johnson (1709-84), English author, lexicographer.

Italian simplicity at its finest. Although just fine as it is, marinara sauce is a base sauce that can be taken in any direction. Note that my marinara does not have carrots, onions or peppers. The perfect blending of fresh San Marazno tomatoes, lots of garlic and basil is all that is needed for the perfect sauce.

Preparation Time: 45 minutes    Serving Size: 4 cups

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 3 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded

    -or-

  • 35 ounces canned whole tomatoes in juice
  • crushed red peppers
  • 10 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced*
  • 1/4 cup dry red wine
  • sea salt
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If using fresh tomatoes, to peel them, bring water to boil in a large pot. Meanwhile, use a paring knife to core the very tops of the tomatoes. Now make an "X" at the bottom of the fruit, just enough to break the skin. Have a sanitized sink or very large bowl full of ice water ready. Drop tomatoes in boiling water for no more than 1 minute. Immediately remove to ice water for at least a minute. Use the "X" at the bottom of the tomatoes to help peel the skin off and discard. Halve tomatoes and scoop out the seeds. Crush tomatoes with your hands into a bowl, retaining as much of the natural juices as possible. Set aside. If using canned whole tomatoes, gently crush tomatoes into a bowl, reserving canned juice.

Heat oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add roughly chopped garlic and sauté until just starting to brown on the edges but DO NOT LET BURN, about 2 minutes. It's not too common to sauté garlic for this amount of time, but it is crucial to the overall flavor of the sauce.

Add crushed tomatoes, of either kind, to the heated garlic oil and stir well. If using fresh tomatoes, add all the juices; if using canned tomatoes, add most of the juice. When tomatoes come up to heat, stir in sea salt to taste and the crushed red peppers. Lower heat to allow a good simmer, but not a boil. Cook until it just starts to thicken and change to a darker color, at least 45 minutes. Stir in red wine. Continue cooking until thickness desired, usually 10-15 minutes longer. Five minutes before cooking is done, add fresh basil and stir. Adjust seasonings and use as you wish.

*Chiffonade is the French term for thinly sliced items. The easiest way to chiffonade basil is to stack leaves on top of each other. Then roll long ways, like a cigar, and cut thin slices across the roll.