Submitted by Gail Pearce

About the cook: I am a passionate home cook who has a love for food, cooking and bringing others together to share a delicious meal. I am inspired by healthy, whole foods and I create recipes that celebrate these ingredients. I believe eating is a rich experience and love to set a beautiful table in anticipation of what is about to come. I love to inspire others to cook at home with delicious, easy to follow recipes.

About the dish: I love to Roast or BBQ a whole chicken for Sunday’s dinner and then use the leftovers for delicious weeknight dinners and lunches. I often use my left over chicken to be included in a big pot of pasta sauce. This sauce is very versatile and can be served over pasta, zucchini spaghetti, squash or even rice. The sauce is delicious, jam packed with vegetables and it freezes well. Enjoy!

National Origin: Canadian

Serves: 10

Estimated Time: 30 to 60 Minutes

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons grape-seed or canola oil
1 large onion – diced finely
1 -2 cloves of garlic – diced finely
2 Tablespoon herb de provence dry spice
1 Tablespoon oregano dry spice
4 carrots – diced finely
4 celery ribs – diced finely
1 large green pepper – diced finely
1 medium size zucchini -diced finely
1-2 jalapeño peppers – diced finely
3-4 cups chopped roast chicken (white and dark meat)
1 28 oz. large can tomatoes (plus one can filtered water to rinse out the can)
1 Tablespoon tomatoes paste (mix in one cup of filtered water)
Splash of white wine vinegar (optional)
Salt and pepper
Shaved cheese for garnish
Chopped parsley for garnish
Drizzle of olive oil to garnish

Preparation:

Note: Chop your vegetables and chicken into similar size dices. This will ensure that everything cooks evenly and each bite of your sauce has a taste of everything. Also, your sauce looks “So Professional”!

1. Sauté oil, onion, garlic, herb de Provence and oregano dry spices for five minutes in a large pot.

2. Add diced carrots, celery, green pepper, zucchini, jalapeño and sauté for additional ten minutes. Stir occasionally.

3. Add tomatoes, water, tomato paste and roast chicken. Add salt and pepper and a splash of vinegar to taste. Simmer on low heat for an hour.

4. Season to taste with salt and pepper and then serve over your favourite pasta or zucchini noodles. I love using gluten free quinoa spaghetti noodles like in my photo.

4. Top with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped parsley and shaved cheese (whatever you love – I used Jalapeño Jack).

Note:
If you are vegetarian – you can omit the chicken – this sauce is super delicious and jam-packed with veggies! The sauce freezes well.

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