Comfort Foods Continued- Hearty Spaghetti Sauce

Comfort Foods Continued- Hearty Spaghetti Sauce


 

 I am a carb fanatic- I could eat pasta daily so when I find a good sauce, I am hooked.  This one is great.  I tweek it based on what I have on hand.  If I have a bunch of fresh basil or oregano from the garden, I use fresh and just kinda estimate how much I put into the sauce.  I like a really flavorful sauce, so I tend to be heavy handed.  If that is not you, add less. I also, love to add the wine, but if I don't have any around, I use chicken stock- still flavorful or water- no additional flavor.  The meats and mushrooms really take this over the top and satisfies everyone.  Again, if there is an ingredient you don't care for, omit it and add something you like if you care to.  It's all about having a basic recipe and making it fit your family's needs.  Enjoy!



Ingredients:
1.5 lbs ground beef (or turkey)
1 lb hot Italian sausage
20 oz sliced mushrooms
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1.5 tbsp olive oil
1 28-oz can tomato puree
1 12-oz can tomato paste
24 oz tomato sauce
!/2 cup to 1 cup red or white wine (optional)- Chicken stock or water would work as well
6 oz freshly grated Romano cheese
1 tbsp dried oregano- can use fresh- I just chop up a 1/4 cup and throw it in- I like a lot of flavor
1 tbsp dried basil- can use fresh as well- to taste
1 bay leaf
1-2 tbsp sugar

spaghetti noodles + additional grated cheese for serving

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, garlic, bell peppers and sliced mushrooms. Saute for about six – eight minutes, until mushrooms are soft. Add ground beef and sausage meat. Cook until meat browns, stirring frequently.
Add tomato puree, tomato sauce and tomato paste to the pot. Stir well. Then, add the bay leaf, wine, spices, sugar and cheese. Stir well and bring sauce to a simmer.
Simmer sauce for an hour and a half over low heat, stirring occasionally. Taste it as you cook, adding more wine, spices or garlic salt to suite your taste buds. The longer the sauce cooks, the better it will taste!
Serve sauce over hot spaghetti noodles with extra cheese. Sauce can be refrigerated for up to five days or frozen for up to three months. Sauce will taste better the next day, after flavors have time to meld. Enjoy!

Thai Peanut Sauce

 

 

 

 

 

Thai Peanut Sauce

One 13.5 ounce can of coconut milk
2 ounces (approx 1/4 cup) of Thai red curry paste
3/4 cup unsweetened (natural) peanut butter — the kind that has a layer of oil on the top.  I use Adam’s.
1/2 Tablespoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar (Do not use any other type of vinegar, including rice vinegar)
1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a very gentle boil over medium heat, whisking constantly.  Reduce the heat to low, and let the mixture simmer for 3-5 minutes, again whisking constantly. Be careful not to let the mixture scorch at the bottom of the pot.  Remove from heat and let the sauce cool to room temperature or slightly warmer before serving.

Recipe Source: Adapted from SheSimmers

Hot Fudge Sauce

Hot Fudge Sauce
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 12-oz can evaporated milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

In a medium saucepan, melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat. Gradually add evaporated milk and powdered sugar. Blend well and bring to a boil. Boil for 8 minutes, stirring constantly. Serve warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Homemade Restaurant Style Salsa

Homemade Restaurant Style Salsa
Yield: About 6 cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes
28-ounce can whole tomatoes (peeled) with juice
2 10-ounce cans Rotel
¼ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 jalepeño, quartered and sliced thin
½ cup cilantro
Juice from ½ a fresh lime
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Add all ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until you get desired consistency (was about 10 pulses for me). Refrigerate for at least one hour, and then serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

 If you prefer a milder salsa, remove the seeds and membrane from the jalapeno before adding it to the food processor.
(Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

DIY Chocolate Syrup

DIY Chocolate Syrup
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Ingredients:
1¼ cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup water
¼ tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and cocoa powder and whisk briefly to break up any clumps. Stir in the water and salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Once the mixture reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Store in the refrigerator.

Source: 52 Kitchen Adventures

Salted Butter Caramel sauce

Salted Butter Caramel Sauce







Source: Smitten Kitchen
Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 6 tbsp. salted butter (in tbsp.-sized slices)
• 1/2 cup + two tbsp. heavy cream, at room temperature

Directions:

1. Melt the sugar over medium to medium high heat in a larger pot than you think you’ll need, at least 2-3 qts. As the sugar heats, whisk or stir to ensure that it heats evenly.
2. Cook the sugar until it liquifies to a nice, dark copper color. Add the butter all at once and stir it in. Then, pour in the heavy cream (The sauce will foam up quite a bit when you add it; this is why you want the larger pot.). Remove the pot immediately from heat and whisk it until you get a smooth sauce.Note: You use it right away or pour it into a jar and store it in the fridge for up to two weeks. When you take it out of the fridge, it will be thicker, but 60 seconds in the microwave brings it right back to its original consistency

Red Sauce

Sauce
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
Olive oil
2 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
16 oz. tomato sauce
1-2 Tbsp. sugar (to taste)
2 tsp. basil
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of baking soda (to help neutralize the acid)
Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant. Add remaining sauce ingredients and combine well. Bring to a simmer and add meatballs. Simmer on low, uncovered, until desired consistency is reached–about 25-30 minutes for a sauce that’s of medium consistency .

Pineapple Salsa

Pineapple Salsa
2 cups chopped fresh pineapple (1/4-inch dice)
juice of 1 lime
1 handful cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
Salt
Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse 2 or 3 times. This will give you the crushed pineapple texture. For a chunkier salsa, stir all ingredients together and salt to taste. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride
Yields ~2 cups

Pistachio Pesto

Pistachio Pesto with Pasta (Makes 1 Cup)
1 Cup Spinach, packed
1/4 Cup Pistachio, shelled, unsalted & toasted
1/4 Cup Parmesan, grated
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Garlic Clove
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1 lb Pasta, cooked
1. Place all the ingredients (except for the pasta) in a food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Mix with pasta and serve.
* Pesto can be placed in containers (or even ice cube trays) and frozen for up to 3 months.

Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients

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• 2 T. butter
• 2 T. flour
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 C. water
• 1/2 t. cumin
• 1/2 t. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 t. brown sugar
• 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1/2 t. garlic powder
• 2 T. chili powder (part of this was chipotle chili powder)
• 1/8 t. cinnamon

How to make it

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• In a small bowl mix together chili powder, cumin, flour, and cocoa powder. Heat butter and oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Add flour mix and cook and stir for about a minute. Then whisk in 2 cups of water and tomato sauce, ensuring there are no lumps.
• Add garlic powder, salt, brown sugar and cinnamon and cook, stirring continually, until thickened. Taste and correct seasonings as desired.
• To make the "whole enchilada" just dip the tortillas in the sauce, fill with cheese and put into baking dish. Do this until the baking dish is filled. Once filled, put on some extra sauce, and sprinkle a little cheese and olives ontop. You can also drop in any meat in there too.

Ridiculously Easy Butterscotch Sauce

Ridiculously Easy Butterscotch Sauce
Adapted loosely from The Washington Post, who adapted it from The Perfect Cake
Yield: About 2/3 to 3/4 cup sauce
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons, 2 ounces or 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed dark or light brown sugar (I used dark)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt (or 1/4 teaspoon regular salt), plus more to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, plus more to taste
Melt butter in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar, cream and salt and whisk until well blended. [A flat whisk works great here.] Bring to a very gentle boil and cook for about five minutes, whisking occasionally.
Remove from heat and add one teaspoon of the vanilla extract, stirring to combine and this is where, despite the simplicity of the recipe, you get to feel all “chef-y”. Dip a spoon in the sauce and carefully taste the sauce (without burning your tongue!) to see if you want to add additional pinches or salt or splashes of vanilla. Tweak it to your taste, whisking well after each addition. I ended up using a full teaspoon of flaky salt and the listed amount of vanilla to get a butterscotch sauce with a very loud, impressive butterscotch flavor but the strength of your vanilla and intensity of your salt may vary.
Serve cold or warm over vanilla ice cream, roasted pears or pound cake. The sauce will thicken as it cools. It can be refrigerated in an airtight container and reheated in a microwave or small saucepan.
To do ahead: This sauce will keep at least two weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.

Hot Fudge sauce

Yield: Makes 3 1/4 cups

Ingredients

• 1  (8-ounce) package unsweetened chocolate baking squares
• 1/2  cup  butter or margarine
• 2  cups  sugar
• 1  cup  milk
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt

Preparation

Melt chocolate and butter in a large, heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add milk, and cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. (Do not boil.) Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract and salt. Cover and chill leftover sauce up to 2 weeks.
To reheat: Microwave sauce in a glass bowl at HIGH 1 minute. Stir and microwave at HIGH 1 more minute or until sauce is thoroughly heated.

Louise Mayer, Richmond, Virginia, Southern Living, AUGUST 2005

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Raspberry Sauce

Raspberry Sauce (Makes 1 1/2 Cups)
1 Bag Frozen Raspberries (about 12 oz)
1/4 Cup Water
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
2 Tbsp Honey or Agave Nectar
1. Add one bag of raspberries and 2 tbsp of honey (or agave) to a pot, stirring to combine and smashing raspberries with the back of a spoon.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
3. Whisk 1 tbsp of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water in a separate bowl.
4. Add the cornstarch mixture to the raspberries and stir until the sauce thickens (about 2 minutes).
5. Cool and serve over yogurt, ice cream, pancakes and more!
** Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks

Spicy Fruit sauce for Pork or Chicken

Love to use this sauce for my Perfect Fall Pork Roast.  In the Summer, I use pineapple, but I mix it up in the fall and winter by using cherries, cranberries, whatever I like.  You can put in any fruit you like.
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1c Pineapple , crushed and canned                      1c chicken stock
1 TBSP butter                                                     1/3 c Triple Sec
2 TBSP chopped onion                                       1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 TBSP chopped shallot                                     1/4 tsp  Hot Pepper Flakes
1/4 tsp sea salt                                                     1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder                                 1/2 tsp arrowroot ( corn starch)

Pour olive oil in saute pan. Add onions,shallot, and hot pepper flakes in at medium heat.  Saute and stir and add the spices and butter.  After about 4 minutes, add triple sec.  Let saute until alcohol has evaporated.  About 3 minutes.  Then add chicken stock and pineapple. Turn down to a simmer.  While simmering, take arrowroot and add it to 1/2 a teaspoon of stock from the saute pan. Mix and make a paste.  After about 10 minutes, turn heat up to medium high and add arrowroot mixture.  Keep stirring until thickened. You can vary the heat by using more or less hot pepper flakes.

             Enjoy!
                   Cynthia