Bev’s Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs

1 28 oz. can tomato puree plus 1 28 oz can water
1 18 oz. can tomato paste plus 2 18 oz cans water
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
3 tsp. sugar
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese

Place the puree, paste and 3 cans of water in a Dutch oven and cook on medium high heat until a slow boil starts. Reduce heat to low and place remaining ingredients in sauce mixture. Do not put a lid on pot, because the water has to evaporate a bit to thicken the sauce. Cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Now, if you like meatballs with your spaghetti, then while the sauce comes to a slow boil, mix all of the below ingredients together. Form into 1 1/2 inch size meatballs and drop into the hot sauce as you form them. Do not cook the meatballs in any way before you add them to the sauce (Look below for the story and the reasoning behind this tip).

Meatballs:
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1 C. seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/4 C. milk
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese

The first time I ever made homemade sauce and meatballs for my husband (then my fiancee) was in my first apartment. When I combined all the meatball ingredients, I fried the meatballs in a skillet before putting them in the sauce. At dinner, he was gracious enough to compliment my cooking. The only comment was that the meatballs tasted like meatloaf instead of the meatball taste he was used to as a child. When I told him I fried them, he told me then that the meat should cook right in the sauce for over 3 hours, making them soft and tasty. While I was upset at the time after all the hard work I went through, I’ve since realized that cooking them in the sauce is the only way to go. In the 3 hours it takes for the sauce to get done, the meatballs absorb all the sauce's flavors. Now, he swears that this is the best sauce and meatball recipe he’s ever tasted. And, I agree.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Homemade Pasta (Aunt Carm)

2 1/4 cups flour
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water

Mix all the above ingredients in a food processor. Mix until dough pulls away from the sides of the processor.

This recipe makes about 1 pound of fresh noodles. Cut them anyway you like and with any method you prefer. (For spaghetti, homemade soup, halushki, you decide). They are oh so easy. Better yet , they are oh so delicious.

I usually make several batches of these at any given time. I cut them up several different ways and I prefer to freeze them rather than dry them. I place the cut noodles on a floured cookie sheet and freeze for about an hour on the pan. Then I bag then up in freezer bags to use whenever my heart desires.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

The BEST Ever Chili

1 lb. ground beef 

3 stalks celery, chopped 

1 green pepper, chopped 

2 medium onions, chopped 

1 28 oz. can crushed Italian style tomatoes (or any can of crushed tomatoes) 

1 (28 oz.) can of water (fill the tomato can with water to measure) 

1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans, undrained 

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste 

1 Tbsp. chili powder 

2 tsp. salt 

1/2 tsp. pepper 

2 tsp. sugar 

***(optional pinch of cayenne)

Cook the ground beef in a Dutch oven until browned. Drain off pan drippings. 

Stir in the celery, peppers and onions and cook for 5 minutes. 

Add the next 8 ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmering low and cook chili for 1 1/2 hours, uncovered. Stir occasionally during the 1 1/2 hours. 

Excellent alone or served at a Baked Potato Bar. This is definitely the greatest ever. I make this and serve it in a bowl with homemade bread. It’s also excellent when we have a baked potato buffet bar. We serve baked potatoes with all the toppings available, such as sour cream, butter, chives, green pepper, cheddar cheese, bacon, onions, chili and ham toppings. The choice is yours as to how you want your potato topped. The men in our home like to have their chili served over a nice, piping hot serving of buttered pasta. (I believe this is called Cincinnati Style Chili, but don’t quote me, for I don’t know anything about Cincinnati, but am willing to learn). When my husband Duke ran a December Road race years ago, the restaurant sponsor treated the entrants to a chili lunch afterwards. The whole family indulged in helpings of spaghetti with chili and all the toppings. We were told it was Cincinnati style chili, so we went along with it. What a tasty treat! We repeated that race several times, just for the chili.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!