Family Comfort Food

Although I love to experiment with all sorts of recipes, I tend to be the master of only a few recipes in the kitchen.  When I asked the family what they consider my masterpieces, they rattled off a few recipes but spaghetti sauce and stuffed shells topped the list.

Home-made Spaghetti Sauce
*Inspired by Chad's Dad Bill

INGREDIENTS:

Chopped:
1 cup celery
1 cup onion
5 cloves of garlic

1 1/2 pound quality ground beef
3 Italian Sausages - cooked
3 12 oz cans of tomato sauce (preferably made from your own tomatoes)
1 12 oz can of tomato paste
1 12 oz can of water
1 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 T oregano
1 T parsley
2 T sugar or 3 packets of Steevia
1 T Rosemary
1 cup of fresh mushrooms

Saute celery, onion and garlic in olive oil until tender.  Add ground beef and cook until brown.  Drain grease and add remaining ingredients and cook on low for 6 hours.  We cook ours on the top of our woodstove.

Spaghetti Sauce!  Out of no where, I found my Grandma's glasses in the garage.  Just when I needed them the most!

VEGETARIAN SPAGHETTI

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound Soba or whole wheat noodles
2 T. Olive Oil
3 cloves of garlic
1 can drained chick peas - smashed
2 tsp. crushed red pepper (more or less depending on taste)
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 8 ounce can of tomatoes
1/4 cup starchy hot water

Cook noodles as directed.  Heat olive oil and saute garlic and red pepper for 5 minutes.  Add chick peas with thyme, salt and pepper.  Add 1/2 cup dry white wine and 1/4 cup starchy hot water and cook for 3 minutes until dissolved.  Add tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.  Serve over noodles with Parmesan cheese.

Spaghetti El Cecci or Vegetarian Spaghetti

Mega Meat-Stuffed Shells

Salt

Box Jumbo Pasta Shells

2 T EVOO

1 lb. meat loaf mixture (ground beef, pork, and veal - can find at Marketplace)

3 garlic cloves

1 small onion, finely chopped

Black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 egg, beaten

¼ cup Italian-style bread crumbs

½ cup grated Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

A few fresh basil leaves, torn

Preheat the oven to 425 and, in a large covered pot, bring the water to a boil for the shells. Salt the boiling water and cook the shells for 8 minutes; they should be firm at the center. Drizzle them with EVOO and set aside in shallow baking dish.

While the pasta is working, brown the meat in EVOO. Add the chopped garlic and onions to the meat; season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg; and cook mixture for 5 minutes more. Transfer the meat to a bowl. Add egg, bread crumbs, and half the cheese and combine. Fill the shells with the meat mixture.  Add tomato sauce to the bottom of the pan and put shells on top.  Sprinkle cheese on top of shells and then add the remaining tomato sauce  Then bake for 11 to 12 minutes to set the filling in the shells and crisp the pasta at the edges.

 **As a vegetarian alternative, I stuff a shells with tofu.

Mega Meat Stuffed Shells

We've had a rough week, so comfort food seemed to be in order.  You know, unexpected bills, broken iPad, lost iPod Touch, temporary layoff in the family, etc.  But, when I came home from work yesterday, guess who was waiting for me like I was Princess Kate?   Nothing like kids to brighten your day :) 

Gus and Greta waited for 20 minutes for me to get home

What's your comfort food?

Thanks for reading,

Kristin