Lentil Mushroom Ragu Sauce

Delicious tomato-lentil-mushroom sauce. Quite like the gritty texture of ground beef-tomato sauce. This makes a good large batch, stores well, and is great for packed lunches. Can be served onto of anything; spaghetti squash, spaghetti, potatoes, eaten directly from a bowl.... I choose to put it over baked spaghetti squash.

Lentil Mushroom Ragu Sauce
adapted from Fox Loves Lemons
serves 6 - 8

Ingredients:
2 lbs. tomatoes
2 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion, diced small
16 oz mushrooms, cubed small
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium carrots, cubed small
1 large bell pepper, diced small
2 cups lentils, rinsed and picked through
2 cups water (or as needed)
1/2 cup red wine
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbs cumin
1 Tbs tumeric
2 Tbs fresh basil, minced
herbs to garnish (optional)

Instructions:
1. Core tomatoes and put into a frying pan on high heat, and cover with a lid. Every 5 minutes smash them down a bit until they're crushed.
2. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pot, and add onion and carrot and cook over medium-high heat until are starting to brown, stirring often. Add in bell pepper and mushrooms, and cook until both have softened.
3. Add in garlic, cook for 30 seconds more. Combine rest of ingredients (crushed tomatoes, lentils,  water, red wine, and all spices EXCEPT basil). Cover, and simmer on medium heat until lentils are tender, 30 minutes or more. Add more water as needed.

Creme de Cassis

This turned out way better than expected! I doubled the recipe. so I have a ton of this stuff. I'm going to give the university farmers a bottle today at the farmer's market because they're awesome and who I got the black currants (aka cassis) from. Things to come: creme de cassis cream and kir!

Creme de Cassis
from food.com

Ingredients:
1 lb. black currants, mashed
2.5 cups red wine
4 - 5 cups sugar
2 - 2.5 cups vodka or brandy

Instructions:
1. Combine currants and red wine in a ceramic or glass bowl (non-reactive) and leave for 24 - 48 hours.
2. Puree mixture in blender and strain through cheesecloth-lined sieve into a large sauce pan.
3. For every cup of liquid, add 1 cup of sugar.
4. Heat gently, stirring frequently until the sugar has dissolved.
5. Leave mixture on stove for an hour or more, stirring occasionally, until the liquid had reduced a little and become slightly syrupy. Do not let the liquid come to a simmer to avoid boiling off the alcohol.
6. Allow liquid to cool.
7. Once liquid is cool, mix 1 part vodka or brandy with 3 parts syrup and funnel into clean, dry bottles. Store in a cool place for at least 2 weeks before drinking.

Vin Chaud (Mulled wine)

So delicious!! And French-person approved ^_^

Vin Chaud (Mulled wine)
from the Framed Table

Ingredients:
1 bottle (750 mL) red wine
4 cups (9.5 dL) apple juice
1 orange, juiced and zested
2 cinnamon sticks
4 star anises
3 whole cloves
1/2 cup cognac
1 orange cut into half-moons for decor (optional)

Instructions:
1. Combine everything, except the half-moon decor oranges into a pot on the stove, turn to high heat until it boils, then turn down head and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve.

Optional: If you'd like yours a little sweeter, add an additional 1/2 cup of Grand Marnier/Cointreau/Triple Sec