tomato-sauce-with-mushrooms.md

Tomato Sauce with Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 cups sliced cremini mushrooms (about 8oz)
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil, chopped
• 1 (28oz) can whole or diced tomatoes, with their juices
• 6 to 8 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 to 1 tsp fine-grain sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
• 1 cup cooked lentils (optional)
• Cooked ground beef (optional)

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and stir to combine. Saute for 5 to 6 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Stir in the mushrooms and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until much of the liquid released by the mushrooms has cooked off.
3. Add the basil, whole peeled tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, salt, oregano and thyme. Stir to combine. With a wooden spoon, break up the whole tomatoes into chunks, bigger or smaller depending on how chunky you like your sauce. Skip this process if using diced tomatoes. Add the red pepper flakes, the chia seeds and lentils, if desired and stir to combine.
4. Reduce the heat to medium. Simmer the sauce, stirring every so often, for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. (Optional) Blend in a vitamix and then add cooked ground beef.