Nana's Spaghetti Sauce

This past Thursday I hosted quite a distinguished guest at my home: my mother!  And, knowing that the next item on my crockpot recipe list was my Nana's (her mother's) spaghetti sauce, she offered to put her expertise in that area to work.  She showed up at my home while I was at work and made the sauce in my crockpot during the day!  And, as a wonderful surprise, I arrived home from work to an absolutely delicious, homecooked supper.  I love you, Mom!

I'm most excited to share this recipe because it is one of my direct ties to my Nana, who unfortunately passed away before I was born.  When my Mom makes this sauce, it brings back her own memories of her mom making it -- even though she tells me it's really her sister who taught her how to make it (thanks Aunt D!) -- and I feel like I can share them with her.  It really feels like it brings us all together.  It's amazing and wonderful how food can do that for us, isn't it?

Nana's Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:
2 29-oz cans of tomato puree
3 15-oz cans of tomato sauce
2 18-oz cans of tomato paste
1 12-oz can of tomato paste
1 12-oz can of water
1+ tablespoon parmesan cheese (i.e., a heaping tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (add more for a real kick)
1 teaspoon minced onions
Salt & pepper
4 Splenda packets (can use Sweet'n'Low or Equal instead)

1. Heat 5- or 6-qt crockpot on HIGH.

2. Put all ingredients in the crockpot in the order listed above.  The dry ingredients should be spread over the top of the combination of sauce/puree/paste.  When you get to salt and pepper, sprinkle over the top to taste.  Put the Splenda (i.e., artificial sweetener) on top last.

3. Mix well initially so all the ingredients blend together thoroughly.  Cook on HIGH for 4 hours.  The sauce will bubble so keep it covered!  (My Mom left the top off for much of the cooking -- which doesn't make a difference cooking-wise -- but which created quite a mess on my counter tops and cabinet doors!  Thanks for that, Mom. :)  Stir occasionally as the sauce is cooking so it doesn't get stuck to the bottom.

That's it!  Super easy and super yummy.  It has a little bit of a kick to it with the 3/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper, but we in my family have fairly weak abilities to stomach heat.  So for you spice-lovers, I recommend upping the amount of crushed red pepper flakes you add.  Try not to use crushed or diced or stewed tomatoes -- the sauce is intended to be smooth, not chunky.  If you like chunky sauce, though, I imagine that you could alter the tomato types added that create the base of the sauce.  There is a lot of room for flexibility with this recipe!  Finally, if you don't have the time or opportunity to stir the sauce occasionally while it's cooking, you should be able to cook it on LOW for 6-7 hours instead.  This should hopefully help take care of the sticking problem.


We ate the sauce with cooked spiraled pasta and homemade meatballs.  It really goes well with all kinds of pasta (I have memories growing up of eating it with spaghetti and ziti, in particular), and -- in my mind -- it pairs wonderfully with meat such as meatballs, Italian sweet or hot sausage, and pork.  I always add a little extra parmesan cheese to my dish, but my Mom is always quick to remind me that there is already parmesan cheese in the sauce.  (It tastes good either way, if you ask me!) :)

I hope you enjoy this sauce as much as my family does.  Who knows, maybe you can add your own twist to it and pass it on to future generations in your family one day!  Enjoy!

Beef Stew . . . So Meaty!

Thank you, Joel McHale, for keeping me entertained on The Soup and for just plain being awesome.  Because I am watching DVR'd episodes of The Soup as I write this entry, I officially dedicate it to you!

Today I tried out my first beef stew recipe in my crockpot and I must admit, it was pretty darn tasty!  Not the easiest recipe (unfortunately it's not one of those simple "chop and drop" recipes), but I would venture to say that it's worth the extra effort.  And it's perfect for days like today -- where the snow and the ice just won't stay away!  (I did not mean for that to rhyme and as I realize it rhymed I can't help but think about how Joel would tear me apart for it!)

Speaking of which, I just got to the Brad Womack cameo on last week's episode.  "I'm the Bachelor, bitch!"  "Damn you, Brad Womack! Damn you!"  LOVE.

Okay, so, to the recipe, courtesy of my lovely crockpot cookbook gifted to me by the lovely R&E!

Beef Stew with Bacon, Onion and Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 can (about 14 ounces) beef broth
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch chunks
(**You can substitute 12 to 13 ounces of carrots or white potatoes, cut into 2-inch chunks**)
1 large onion, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
2 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
2 handfuls of baby carrots (this was my own personal addition to the recipe)

1. Coat 4.5-quart crockpot with nonstick cooking spray.  My crockpot is 5 quarts and I had no problems.  Combine beef, broth, potatoes (I used small red potatoes, which I washed and halved), onion, bacon, thyme, salt and pepper in crockpot.  I omitted the thyme because I couldn't find any in my pantry.  I put the meat -- both the beef and the bacon -- into the pot uncooked.  I know this is kind of a faux pas, as the fat from the meat thus cooks into the food, but it really made everything delicious and hey, you only live once!  Also, I used 3 pieces of thick-cut bacon instead of 2; the package in the fridge had 3 pieces left and I couldn't bare to see that lone piece of bacon sitting in the fridge all by itself. :)  Cover; cook on LOW 7 to 8 hours or on HIGH 4 to 5 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender.

2. Transfer beef and vegetables with slotted spoon to serving bowl.  Cover with foil to keep warm.

3. Turn crockpot to HIGH.  Mine was already on HIGH so I assume this instruction is for people who cooked everything on LOW.  Combine cornstarch and water until smooth.  I did so in a separate small bowl.  You have to stir it thoroughly or else the cornstarch will clump on the bottom.  Stir into juices.  Cook, uncovered, 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.  I cooked it for about 20-25 minutes.  Return beef and vegetables to crockpot.  Heat 15 minutes or until warm.

That's it!  I made drop biscuits to go with the stew and they were quite delicious.  I used the recipe on the Reduced Fat Bisquick box -- 1 1/2 cups of Reduced Fat Bisquick plus 1/2 cup skim milk.  Combine and drop the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Cook at 450 degrees (preheat your oven) for 7 to 9 minutes or until golden brown.

Overall, I would definitely make this stew again.  I found that the red potatoes worked well as a stand-in for the sweet potatoes.  The broth of the stew had a bit of a bacon flavor, but that could be because of the extra piece of bacon I added.  I imagine that adding the thyme next time around will only make things better.  The only thing with this recipe is that you have to be around and actively watching the pot during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking time.  So it's not one of those "ready when you get home from work" recipes.

Next up: my mom's spaghetti sauce with meatballs!  A family recipe like no other.  Can't wait!