Not pictured:
Dried Minced Onion
1 Med Sweet Vidalia onion
Celery (I used 2 stalks)
Your choice of pasta-I like Angel Hair myself (cook to package directions-dunk in cold water-why? stops the cooking process)
Splenda (to take out the acidy taste)
Fresh ground Pepper
Pictured:
Olive Oil
Minced Garlic (I buy the BIG jar from Walmart)
1 can Hunt's Pasta Sauce (No Sugar Added)
1/2 jar Marinated Roasted Peppers
1 cans Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (these are killer!)
1 can Tomato Paste (only use if needed)
1 jar Sliced Mushrooms
If you don't already, you should really start paying attention to the nutritional content of your food. Especially sugar content in pre-prepared foods. Low Carb it and you'll lose it!! This I got at Save-a-lot for $.99 per can! And I do buy store brands...most of the time they taste just as good and cost less.
Check out the sugar in this...
Only 3 grams - AAAAAAwesome!
Parsley
Bay Leaves
Basil (dehydrated myself-from my garden)
1/2 tomato (left over in my fridge-waste not, want not!)
Sea Salt
and Fennel Seed (optional)
OK...on the Fennel Seed...this is a memory flavor for me. I loved the pizza I used to get at high school! And I've been trying to recreate that memory for a long time. Reading through some recipes I heard about Fennel Seed and WALA! FOOD MEMORY SUCCESS!
Oh and Yes, I use mason jars to store everything!! Even leftovers in my fridge. My mom calls me the mason jar Queen! When I told her I wanted to be cremated her response was..."and put into a mason jar right?!" LMBO...I said yes! (am I cheap or what? - Thanks PawPaw!!)
Ummm...where was I? Oh yea...
In a big pot with a lid on med to med high heat I put about 3 tbsp of Olive Oil along with the minced onion and Vidalia onion, cook until minced onion is a little brown. Like this...
Add mushrooms, about 2 tbsp of minced garlic (we love garlic-so add to your own taste), parsley, basil and fennel seed.
Add celery and peppers (I leave my celery whole because I take it out at the end). Cook 7-10 minues to mix those flavors up baby!!
Next add your tomato, roasted tomatoes, and Bay leaf (I used 2 because they were small)
Add pasta sauce.
Add salt and pepper to your taste!
Now...drum roll please...I'm going to share with you my "UULLTTIIMMAATTEE SSEECCRREETT"...you ready?!! OK...here we go...
Your not dreaming!! Whole nutmeg!! No, I don't put a whole one in my sauce...
I grade up about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp right into the sauce! It's all to taste ok! I add splenda to take the acidy taste out and have a little sweet tasting sauce...it's all according to your taste!
Now your ready for the lid!! Now how do you know when it's done you ask...well you do "The Spoon Test!" If your stiring spoon can stand up by itself...it's done and thick enough! So don't add the tomato paste to this one...OK?! Oh and I always use a wooden spoon!
Now for the meatballs....
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 lb ground turkey
Parmesan cheese
1/4 - 1/2 cup of evaporated milk
Italian bread crumbs
spice to taste...I use...
garlic powder
onion powder
parsley
I put it all in my mixer and use the dough attachment to stir it all up! We like our meatballs moist so I get it to the consitancy of sticky stiff mashed potatoes. I take an ice cream scooper with the little bar that is on the inside of the scoop, spray with Pam and I form the meatballs! (I said that with an Italian accent if you didn't notice)
Place them in my NuWave oven for 10 minutes on high, then turn them and another 10 minutes. Done!! I love my NuWave! It cuts the fat like nothing else!
Now if you don't have one of these you can use your oven (350 degrees for 15-20 mins) or you can fry them on the stove and add more fat!!
OK...now the salad! We like very simple salads. Easy-peazy!!
Lettuce, tomato, mozzarella cheese, bacon bits, lime juice, banana pepper(from my garden), olive oil and salt/pepper to taste...
I did this up earlier and kept cold in fridge!
And last but not least...garlic knots!!
2 tubes of cresent rolls, olive oil and minced garlic!!
Take your cresents and rollem like playdoe snakes!!
Tie in knot...
Place on baking pan...
Mix olive oil and minced garlic.
Put it ALL over the knots!!
Bake according to package directions! Just watch them to make sure they don't over cook...depends on your stove.
You'll get the whole neighborhood in an up roar!!
