Living La Vida Holoka


11 Recipes You Can Make with Tomato Sauce

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Open up your kitchen cabinet, grab a can of tomato sauce, and make delicious small bites, Italian inspired main dishes, and so many other recipes!

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Growing up in an Italian family, tomato sauce was always a staple in our house. Mom would hit up the can-can sale at the grocery store multiple times – and I’m pretty sure she still does that – to pick up cases of sauce to store in the basement.  As long as we had a can of tomato sauce on hand, we could eat some pretty good meals!

Thanks to my parents, tomato sauce is now a major staple in our house, too!  Just like mom, I’ll buy a case of crushed tomatoes (just one case!) when they go on sale at the grocery store.  I also try to get a pouch of tomato sauce in all of my Hungryroot deliveries.

11 Recipes You Can Make with Tomato Sauce

 
One 28 ounce can of sauce can go a long way for the two of us!  I’ll make a big batch of homemade pasta sauce and freeze it for later.  Or I’ll season it with Italian spices and use it on our pizza.  It also makes a super easy dipping sauce to heat and eat!

Tomato sauce can go way beyond pasta, but there’s nothing more comforting than a plate of pasta and some homemade sauce.  If you’re looking for some new recipes to make using tomato sauce, I’m sharing 11 easy recipes that include pasta, small bites, Italian inspired main dishes, and even breakfast!

  1. Spicy Tomato Skillet Eggs
  2. Sausage & Pepper Stuffed Rolls
  3. Low-Carb Zucchini Lasagna
  4. Creamy & Spicy Tomato and Sausage Pasta
  5. Chicken Parmesan Poppers and Sliders
  6. Meatball Marinara Naan Flatbread
  7. Air Fryer Spiralized Zucchini Parmesan Cakes
  8. Easy Cauliflower Gnocchi with Marinara Sauce
  9. Chickpea Puttanesca
  10. Spicy Summer Mussels
  11. Chicken Cacciatore with Quinoa

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Did you make any of these tomato sauce recipes? Share your pics on Instagram using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

Air Fryer Everything Bagel Chips

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Don’t toss those old everything bagels! Slice them up and turn them into delicious, crunchy bagel chips in the air fryer without any oil!

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I’m not going to go into a big debate over whether New Jersey or New York has the best bagels.  Look, I’ve had them from Brooklyn, chewy and as big as your head.  And, of course, I’ve had my fair share of Jersey bagels from multiple establishments in the area.  Just like pizza, it’s apparently all about the water.  I don’t know.  What I do know is that I like my bagels chewy on the inside with a nice golden crust on the outside. 

But my bagel snobbery has gone downhill in recent years.  As long as the bagel’s got everything seasoning on it, I’ll eat it (toasted with cream cheese, please)! My husband takes his breakfast and lunch to work almost every single day.  So we usually have a package of store bought everything bagels on the counter and some kind of cream cheese in the fridge at all times. 

The truth is, those delicious, fresh bagels don’t always last too long.  But I’ll grab a few every once in a while just to remind myself of what a really good bagel tastes like!


I was eyeing up the bagel case at the grocery store a few weeks ago and decided to take a small bag of everything bagels home with me.  I had one for breakfast and then kind of forgot about the rest.  So before they went completely stale on me, I decided to turn them into crispy bagel chips.

It had been a long time since I had bagel chips.  But the carb cravings have been strong lately, so I gave in.  Instead of baking the bagel chips, I wanted to try making them in the air fryer.  The result was perfection!

Air Fryer Everything Bagel Chips

 
Our air fryer basket is small, so I worked in batches.  I lightly brushed olive oil on the first batch of bagel chips.  But after air frying, they still seemed oily.  So I ditched the olive oil for the next batch.  All they needed was 8-10 minutes in the air fryer with nothing on them.  I opened the basket to find crunchy, golden brown bagel chips! 

Once the bagel chips cooled down, I started breaking some of them into pieces to make them easier to eat.  You can eat them whole, but I find it easier to break them up.  Especially if you want to dip them! 

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Air Fryer Everything Bagel Chips

Air Fryer Everything Bagel Chips

Ingredients

  • Leftover everything bagels
  • Vegetable cream cheese, or other flavored cream cheese, for dipping

Instructions

  1. Carefully slice each bagel into thin slices.
  2. Place the bagel slices into the air fryer basket, working in small batches at a time.
  3. Air fry for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees, or until the bagel chips are golden brown and crispy.
  4. Allow the bagel chips to cool. Break the chips into pieces, if desired. Then, serve with vegetable cream for dipping.
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I used a bread knife to slice the bagels as thin as I could get them.  I’m definitely going to invest in a bagel slicer (I used to have one, but I don’t know what happened to it) to make cutting easier the next time I make these!  

Did you make these Air Fryer Everything Bagel Chips? Share your pics on Instagram using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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Air Fryer Tostones with Jackfruit and Guacamole

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These crispy air fryer tostones are a vegan appetizer, snack, or light lunch loaded with homemade guacamole and seasoned jackfruit!

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There was a lot of hype about jackfruit last year and for good reason!  The first time I tried it, I didn’t know there was a difference between the young unriped green fruit and the sweet, yellow, ripened fruit.  The first time I made vegan tacos, I ended up using ripened jackfruit.  Honestly, they weren’t that awful.  Sure, they were on the sweeter side.  But it was kind of like eating a mango salsa and I didn’t mind that.  

These days, I know better and grab cans of the young green fruit whenever I can.  Drain the brine, cut the jackfruit into smaller pieces, and cook until softened and easy to shred.  You’ll be surprised at how much jackfruit ends up looking like shredded pork or chicken!  Will the taste trick a meat eater?  Probably not.  But it does make an awesome meat substitute! 


My sister and I were trying to come up with new ways to use jackfruit in recipes.  She came up with the idea to top tostones with it.  So last week, I invited her over for lunch and whipped up some tostones topped with homemade guacamole and jackfruit.  It turned out to be a really delicious lunch!  And it was a good thing I ran to the store to get another plantain because we devoured every last tostone! 

How to make easy air fryer tostones

 

Tostones are twice fried plantains, fried in oil, then smashed to flatten, and fried once again.  I decided to try to make a healthier version by frying the plantains in my air fryer and it ended up working like a charm! 

They’re so easy to make, too!  Peel the plantain, slice, and toss with a little olive oil.  Then, pop them in the air fryer for 8 minutes.  When they’re done, take them out and give them a smash.  Then, return them to the air fryer one more time.  Add a little sprinkle of salt and you’ve got yourself crispy tostones!


You can stop there and have a tasty little side or snack.  But we decided to load our tostones with guacamole and jackfruit.  I whipped up a quick homemade guac with the usual – avocado, onion, lime juice, jalapeño, tomato, and spices.  Then, I heated olive oil in a pan and added my jackfruit.  

The jackfruit was seasoned with cumin, paprika, a pinch of cayenne, and cooked with lime juice and a little water.  Once it softened, I started breaking the jackfruit apart until it resembled shredded pork.  Then, I cooked it a few minutes longer until it started to brown.

All you have to do to put the loaded tostones together is top them with a spoonful of guacamole and jackfruit!  Serve them with some extra chopped cilantro and tomatoes.  And don’t forget the hot sauce!  

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Air Fryer Tostones with Jackfruit and Guacamole

Air Fryer Tostones with Jackfruit and Guacamole

Ingredients

    For the tostones:
  • 2 green plantains
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • Salt
    • For the guacamole:
  • 2 avocados
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 1/4 red onion, minced
  • 1/2 tomato, diced
  • 1/2 tsp. cumin
  • 1/2 jalapeño, seeds removed and minced
  • 2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, stems removed and chopped
    • For the jackfruit:
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 - 20 oz. can young green jackfruit in brine
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 1/4 cup water
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika

Instructions

    For the tostones:
  1. Cut the ends off the plantains. Then, cut a slit down the middle of the plantains.
  2. Peel the plantains and cut into inch slices.
  3. Toss the plantains with olive oil and place in the air fryer basket. Air fry for 8 minutes at 400 degrees.
  4. While the plantains are warm, smash them with the bottom of a glass or jar. Then, place them back in the air fryer basket and cook for 5 more minutes.
  5. Sprinkle with salt and keep warm.
    6. For the guacamole:
  6. Cut open the avocados, remove the pits, and mash in a bowl.
  7. Stir in the lime juice, onion, tomato, cumin, jalapeño, and cilantro.
  8. Set aside.
    9. For the jackfruit:
  9. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
  10. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
  11. Add the jackfruit, lime juice, and water. Stir in the seasonings.
  12. Cook about 10-15 minutes, until the jackfruit softens and can break apart easily.
  13. Continue to cook the jackfruit until it browns.
    14. To assemble the tostones:
  14. Top each tostone with a spoonful of guacamole. Then, top with a heaping spoonful of jackfruit.
  15. Serve with fresh cilantro, chopped tomato, and hot sauce, if desired.
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I kept the tostones in the oven to keep warm while I prepped the jackfruit, but you can give them a couple quick minutes in the air fryer before serving, if you wish.  Top them beforehand or serve everything separately.   

Did you make this Air Fryer Tostones with Jackfruit and Guacamole recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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Chili Lime Air Fryer Chickpeas

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These Chili Lime Air Fryer Chickpeas are a crunchy and flavor-loaded snack that’s cheap, easy, guilt-free and so addictive!


So you know how I’ve been doing this whole “eating better, feeling better” thing?  Well, I’ve been on the struggle bus about snacks.  I’m a girl who likes a big bowl of ice cream in the summer, the irresistible allure of salty tortilla chips and salsa, or a fancy pants cheese plate to nosh on.  But I’ve swapped all of those snacks for better choices like fresh fruit, veggies (which I can still have with salsa), turkey jerky, and all sorts of healthy stuff.

There seems to be a common theme with some of the healthy snacks I eat lately – chili lime avocado, chili lime mango, chili lime watermelon.  See a pattern?  This past weekend, I got a major craving for something chili lime flavored with the added bonus of a crunch.  So I decided it was finally time to give crispy chickpeas a try in our air fryer!


I have become such a fan of chickpeas that we need to have at least one can in the house at all times!  They’re so great in salads, make the most delicious homemade hummus, and I’ve just discovered how much I love them all crisped up for snacking!  Plus, one 15 ounce can will usually run you under a dollar!  You can’t go wrong with this protein-packed, little, legume!

Turns out, they’re pretty amazing when you pop them in the air fryer, too.  It’s like they hardly had a chance to cool off completely because every time I walked into the kitchen, I ended up grabbing a small handful! 


So let’s talk about that chili lime seasoning. My lazy version of chili lime is usually a squeeze of lime juice and chili powder.  I figured these chickpeas deserved better than that.  So I made a homemade chili lime seasoning that I’m definitely putting on everything now!

This seasoning makes more than is needed for these chickpeas.  Keep the rest in an airtight container and use it on other recipes.  I plan to sprinkle it on chicken, avocado toast, popcorn, and all sorts of yummy things!

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Chili Lime Air Fryer Chickpeas

Chili Lime Air Fryer Chickpeas

Ingredients

    For the chili lime seasoning:
  • 1 tbsp. paprika
  • 1/2 tsp. cumin
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. cilantro
  • 1/4 tsp. or less cayenne pepper
  • Zest of 1/2 small lime
    • For the chickpeas:
  • 15 oz. can chickpeas
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • Sea salt, to taste

Instructions

    For the chili lime seasoning:
  1. In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients together.
  2. Set aside while preparing the chickpeas.
    3. For the chickpeas:
  3. Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Then, pat them dry and place in a bowl.
  4. Squeeze the lime juice onto the chickpeas and toss.
  5. Add 1 1/2 tbsp. of the chili lime seasoning to the chickpeas. Toss again to evenly coat them.
  6. Place the chickpeas in the basket of an air fryer, evenly spreading them out into one layer. Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, you may have to work in batches.
  7. Cook the chickpeas for 18-20 minutes at 400 degrees, shaking the basket halfway through.
  8. Season the air fried chickpeas with sea salt, to taste. Then, stir up the chickpeas one last time to coat them with any seasoning that may have dropped to the bottom of the air fryer basket.
  9. Cool the chickpeas completely before storing them in an airtight container.

Notes

Store extra chili lime seasoning in an airtight container to use in other recipes.

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THEY’RE SO GOOD!  I’m not even kidding you right now. These chickpeas are seasoned perfectly and there’s plenty of chili lime flavor in every little bite. 

The cayenne pepper in the seasoning isn’t too spicy either.  But if you’re not keen on the heat, go ahead and leave it out.  There will be plenty of flavor left over! 


Show me what you’re snacking on and share your pics of this Chili Lime Air Fryer Chickpeas recipe on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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