Samosa with Cilantro Chutney

I promised you samosas so here we go. Samosas, which are basically stuffed pastries, are one of the best little snacks around. They can be made many different ways, either vegetarian with potatoes and peas or with ground beef or chicken. Either way, they are so satisfying and If you're new to Indian food I would suggest wetting your appetite with samosas. Although the recipe may seem a bit involved, they are fun to make (trust me) and you can adjust the seasonings from mild to spicy, spicy goodness. And then there's the cilantro chutney...I could eat this stuff all by itself. While I adore this chutney with samosas I can't help but wonder what else it would be good with. Any ideas?

Next we'll wrap up the dinner with lamb curry. Even if you think you don't like lamb, I encourage you to give this recipe a try. Or at the very least you can substitute beef, chicken, tofu or chickpeas. That's the beauty of Indian food, it's versatility.

I would recommend watching Manjula's video on samosa making. The video is about 13 minutes long but well worth the watch if you have time. Click here to watch:

Recipe from Manjula's Kitchen:

Dough:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon sooji (semolina flour)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup minus 2 tablespoon lukewarm water

1. Mix the flour, sooji, salt, oil and salt together to make a soft dough (add more water as needed). knead the dough for about 1 to 2 minutes to make the dough smooth and pliable.
2. Set the dough aside and cover it with damp cloth. Let the dough sit for at least 15 minutes.

Filling:
3 large boiled potatoes, peeled and chopped into very small cubes
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon amchur (mango powder) (can be found at Indian food stores, omit if can't find.)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup green peas (frozen)

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if it cracks right away oil is ready.
2. Add cumin seeds green chilies and coriander powder and stir for few seconds.
3. Next add green peas and turn heat to medium and stir until tender.
4. Add the potatoes and stir-fry for about 4 minutes. Stir in garam masala and amchur. Add more salt or amchur according to taste.
5. Let the filling cool to room temperature.

To Make Samosa:
1. Take 2 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour to make a paste and keep aside.
2. Knead the dough for a minute. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and make into balls.
3. Roll each ball into 6-inch diameter circles and cut each circle in half.
4. Spread the paste lightly all along the edge of one semicircle. Pick this semicircle up with both hands and fold it into a cone shape. Pinch the side of this cone so that it is completely sealed.
5. Fill the cone with 3 tablespoons of filling. Press this filling down with your fingers. Now close the top of this cone into a triangle shape, pinching the top edge so that it is completely sealed.
Continue filling the rest of the samosas.
6. Heat about 1 1/2" of the oil in a frying pan on medium heat. To check if oil is hot enough place a small piece of dough in oil and dough should sizzle and come to the surface slowly.
7. Place the samosas in the frying pan a few at a time.
8. After samosas are floating on top of the oil turn them slowly. Fry the samosas until the samosas turn a light golden-brown color on all sides. If you use a high heat, the samosa crust will be too soft and not crispy.

Cilantro Chutney:
1 big bunch of chopped Cilantro (green coriander)
1-3 green chopped chilies, start with one and adjust to taste
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/2 inch ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of asafetida (hing) (can be found at Indian food stores, omit if can't find.)

1. Blend all ingredients, except the cilantro, into a paste.
2. Add the cilantro, a little at a time, and blend. If needed, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water. The water will help in blending.
3. Blend well and add more salt, green chilies, or lemon juice to taste.

Vegetable Pakora with Tamarind Chutney

In continuing the rundown of my Indian dinner, one of the appetizers I made were pakoras. If you're not familiar with pakoras, they are an Indian appetizer of vegetables such as cauliflower, onion, eggplant, potato, anything really, that are fried in a chickpea flour (besan) batter. They can also be made with chicken, fish or an Indian cheese called paneer. Basically the Indian version of a Japanese Tempura. AKA, deep fried deliciousness.

Pakoras are one of my favorite Indian dishes in particular onion and cauliflower but one of the best things about Indian food are the chutneys. There are many different varieties of chutney but my favorites are this tamarind chutney and cilantro chutney. I prefer the tamarind with pakoras and the cilantro with samosas. And you guessed it, look forward to samosas with cilantro chutney. But for today, go with the pakoras, you'll be happy you did.

Pakora recipe from Manjula's Kitchen:
1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
3 tablespoons rice flour
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 chopped green chilies
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
3/4 cup of water (Use water as needed)
Oil to fry
8 thin slices of cauliflower
1/2 of white onion, sliced into 1/2" pieces

1. Mix the dry ingredients together
2. Add the water slowly to make a smooth batter the consistency of pancake batter. You may need to add more or less water to achieve this.
3. Add the green chilies and cilantro. Mix well.
4. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed deep skillet to medium heat or about 375 degrees. The skillet should have at least 11/2" of oil. To check if the oil is ready, put one drop of batter in the hot oil. The batter should come up but not change color right away. If oil is too hot the pakoras will not be crispy or if oil is not hot enough pakoras will be greasy.
5. Dip the vegetable slices in the batter one at a time and carefully drop in the skillet.
6. Fry the pakoras in small batches, turning occasionally, for about 8 minutes or until they reach a nice golden brown.
7. Remove the pakoras from the oil, drain on paper towel and serve hot. Note that pakoras are best served right away but can be made ahead and reheated on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.

Tamarind Chutney recipe from All Recipes:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida powder (can substitute onion powder)
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
2 cups water
1/2-1 cup white sugar, start with less and adjust to taste
3 tablespoons tamarind paste

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan with the cumin seeds, ginger, cayenne pepper, fennel seeds, asafoetida powder, and garam masala. cook and stir over medium heat for about 1-2 minutes to release the flavors.
2. Stir the water into the pan with the spices along with the sugar and tamarind paste.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer and simmer the mixture until it turns a deep chocolaty brown and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This should take 20 to 30 minutes. The sauce will be thin, but it will thicken upon cooling.

Makes 1 1/4 cups

Mango Lassi

We had a great Halloween this year. It was the first Halloween in our new house and I was so excited to see all of the little trick or treaters. Unfortunately, much like many others I've heard from, the trick or treaters were few and far between. We had a handful of kids (and a few questionable young adults) but certainly not as many as I expected especially since our neighbourhood has two Elementary schools and therefore lots of kids. Oh well, we did have our good friends come over for dinner with their little guy who had a blast trick or treating and it was fun to see the kids who did come around all dressed up.

I made an Indian inspired dinner complete with dosas, lamb curry, samosas, pakoras, a few different chutneys and these mango lassis. Mango lassis are very popular in Indian cuisine and are basically smoothies made with yogurt, spices and often ground pistachios. The cooling aspect of the yogurt is a perfect accompaniment to the spiciness of Indian food. Not to mention lassis are just plain good.

This week I'll go through a series of the dinner we had on the weekend. So here we start with the drinks.

Coming up next are pakoras. Stay tuned...

Recipe from Simply Recipes:
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped mango (peeled and stone removed)
4 teaspoons sugar, to taste
A dash of ground cardamom (optional)
ground pistachios (optional)

Blend all of the ingredients except for the pistachios in a blender. Puree until smooth. Serve the lassis in a tall glass sprinkled with a little cardamom and ground pistachios if you wish.

Makes about 2 cups.

Maple Glazed Baked Ham

Our Canadian Thanksgiving has come and gone and once again I am all turkeyed out. I'm so over turkey at the moment that I can't even imagine having to eat it again in just a few short months at Christmas. Nevermind again at American Thanksgiving. Yes, that's right we celebrate both. My Husband's Father is American so I feel it's my duty to celebrate both Canadian and American Thanksgiving. Okay actually it's just my lame excuse to throw a party and overindulge twice without feeling guilty. Trust me, without rationalizing I wouldn't be able to get through life. But back to the turkey, I just can't go there again so soon so we'll be going with ham. Not that I mind at all.

I know American Thanksgiving is still weeks away but due to my dancin' days, I always have a dress rehearsal. I'm not one to wing a new recipe where company is concerned. Of course I had to do a little fusion type thing and throw my Canadian maple syrup spin on this dish but you could easily substitute honey. Either way this ham is delicious. Perhaps the best thing about baking a ham are the leftovers. And just like turkey, no matter how many guests you have, there are always leftovers. I look forward to a week of eggs benedict, grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, ham casserole and chef's salad. By next week I'll probably be so over ham that we'll be back to the turkey.

Recipe:

1 10 lb smoked ham (let the ham come to room temperature before baking)
whole cloves, about 20

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Prepare the ham by making diagonal slits on the fatty side of the ham in one direction and then again in the opposite direction creating a criss cross pattern.
3. Place individual cloves in the slits of the ham.
4. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil (optional) and place the ham, fat side up, in the pan. Cover with aluminum foil and place the ham in the oven for 30 minutes.
5. Remove the ham from the oven and remove the foil.
6. Brush the ham with the glaze on all sides making sure to get the glaze in the grooves of the slits.
7. Return the ham to the oven, uncovered, and cook for 1 1/2 hours, basting with the glaze every 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the ham reaches 130 F.
8. Turn the oven to broil and bake the ham another 5-10 minutes just to brown the outside.
9. Remove the ham from the oven, baste once again and let the ham rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Glaze:
1/3 cup light maple syrup (can substitute honey if you don't have maple syrup)
2 tablespoons stoneground mustard
1/3 cup pineapple juice
pinch nutmeg
pinch ground ginger
pinch cinnamon

1. Whisk all of the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan.
2. Bring to a high simmer.
3. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and simmer for 8-10 minutes or just until the glaze has thickened slightly.

Daring Cooks October Challenge: Pho

October's Daring Cooks challenge just happened to be one of my favorite foods, hosted by one of my favorite food bloggers. Chicken Pho was on the menu courtesy of Jaden from Steamy Kitchen. Jaden's new cookbook came out this month and it is stunning. Last year I was one of the recipe testers for her book and every single recipe I tried was delicious. This Pho is no exception. Pho, which is pronounced "fuh" is a Vietnamese soup that can be made with chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu. It's really the broth and the accompaniments that are the stars of this dish, they are the definition of flavor explosion. If you're feeling under the weather, Pho will surely bring you out of your funk. It is so warm and comforting. You'll notice the complexity of the dish when you read the broth ingredients below. I wasn't kidding about the abundance of flavor.


This month there was a second optional challenge which was chocolate wontons. But in an attempt to hold on to Thanksgiving glory just a little longer, I decided to try a pumpkin pie filling. The wontons were fantastic and I may just substitute them next time for the usual pumpkin pie. Okay, maybe not but I will be making them again very, very soon.

Check Jaden's original recipe here.



Here's my recipe for Shrimp Pho with the pumpkin wonton recipe to follow:
2 quarts shellfish stock, see recipe below
1 lb dried rice noodles (about 1/4″ wide)
1/2 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1. Cook the noodles according to package directions.
2. bring the stock to a boil.
3. Add the shrimp to boiling stock and cook for 2-3 minutes, or just until the shrimp have turned pink.
4. Ladle the stock into bowls, add the cooked noodles and shrimp and serve with the accompaniments below.

Accompaniments:
2 cups bean sprouts, washed & tails pinched off
cilantro leaves
1/2 cup shaved red onions
lime wedges
Sriracha hot sauce
Hoisin sauce
sliced chili

Garnish the soup to your taste with all of the above ingredients.

Shellfish Stock:
3 lbs seafood shells, such as shrimp, crab and/or lobster
3 quarts cold water
1 lemon, halved
handful of fresh parsley
a couple of sprigs fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
10-15 black peppercorns
1 large onion, unpeeled and cut in half
3" chunk of ginger, unpeeled
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
4 whole cloves
2 whole star anise
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
small bunch of cilantro stems only, tied in bunch with twine

1. Place ginger and onion on a small baking sheet. The top of the onion should be about 4″ from the oven’s heating element. Set to broil on high for 15 minutes. Turn the onion and ginger occasionally, to get an even char. The skin should get dark and the onion/ginger should get soft. After cooling, rub to get the charred skin off the onion and use a butter knife to scrape the skin off the ginger. Slice ginger into thick slices.
2. Place all of the ingredients in a large stock pot and fill the pot with enough cold water to cover the shells. Bring to a boil
3. Reduce the heat to a simmer, partially cover the pot and simmer the stock for 1 1/2-2 hours, skimming off any foam that comes to the surface of the liquid.
4. Strain the stock through a fine colander or cheesecloth. You may have to strain the liquid a few times to ensure all of the solids are removed.
5. Taste and adjust the broth seasoning with more fish sauce and or sugar.

*You can freeze any unused stock.

Pumpkin Wonton Recipe:
wonton wrappers
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup toasted walnuts* roughly chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch ground ginger
pinch allspice
oil for frying, such as grapeseed, peanut or vegetable

1. Mix the pumpkin puree, sugar, spices and walnuts together.
2. Place 1 teaspoon of filling on each wonton wrapper.
3. Lightly moisten the edges of the wrapper with water.
4. Fold the edges of the wrapper together and pinch the edges to seal.
5. Preheat oil in a deep, heavy bottomed skillet to 350 degrees.
6. Place the prepared wontons in the hot oil and fry for 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally or until golden brown.
7. Remove the wontons and drain on paper towel.
8. Sprinkle the wontons with cinnamon and icing sugar.

*To toast the nuts, place them in a frying pan over low heat. Toast the nuts, stirring frequently for about 8-10 minutes or until the nuts become fragrant. The nuts will burn very easily so keep an eye on them.

Ribeye with Onion Blue Cheese Sauce

What can I tell you about this recipe...Well, it's about one of the best darn things I've ever tasted. And I do mean the best. Ever. If you don't make anything else in your whole life, just be sure to make this. Seriously, you will most certainly kick yourself for a long, long time if you don't. Please trust me on this one even if you think you don't like blue cheese, this sauce is sure to change your mind. It's insane (in a good insane way, of course). Now that I've convinced you, enjoy like you've never enjoyed before.


Recipe from The Pioneer Woman:
2 ribeye steaks, seasoned with salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, sliced thinly
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Cook your ribeye according to your preference. Two of my favorite ways to cook steak are either on a pre-heated hot grill for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until medium rare or by heating oil in a cast iron skillet to medium-high and frying the steak for 4-5 minutes on each side. Let your steak rest after cooking for 8-10 minutes before serving.
2. To make the sauce, melt the butter over medium heat in a skillet.
3. Add the onions to the melted butter and cook the onions for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until caramelized. You want the onions a caramel brown color, not dark brown.
4. Add the cream to the caramelized onions and bring to a simmer.
5. Add the blue cheese to the cream and onions and stir until the cheese is melted.
6. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to your taste noting that the cheese will add it's own salt so start with a small amount of salt.
7. Serve the sauce over your ribeye and be prepared to swoon :)

Sesame Noodles

For the most part in life I prefer the simple things. I am definitely a no mama drama kinda girl. I'm not even sure what that means but I've heard it on several tv shows which just goes to show that I likely live drama through television and not through my own personal life. Accepted. Okay, apparently I needed to get something off my chest here. I don't even know where that came from but I feel better, don't you? No? well thanks for listening anyway.

So what should have been the shortest post EVER and was meant to go a little like this: "Looking for the simplest, most delicious sesame noodles around? Look no further. Period." has apparently turned into a slight therapy session revealing the facts that I clearly watch too much trashy tv, I often avoid confrontation and I appreciate the simple things in life. Could be worse. Now please excuse my vulnerable self while I go into hiding for at least a week. Oh but before I go, did I mention that I regularly eat two bowls of these noodles. Yes, TWO, fine THREE. They are that good. I know, I know, too much information. And with that, I'm outta here.

Recipe from the Pioneer Woman:
12 ounces thin noodles, such as soba, spaghetti or angel hair.
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons pure sesame oil
1/2-1 teaspoon hot chile oil, start with half and add more depending on your taste
4 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons hot water
4 green onions, thinly sliced

1. Prepare the dressing by whisking all of the ingredients together.
2. Cook the noodles according to package directions.
3. When the noodles are cooked, drain and pour the dressing over warm noodles. Toss to coat.
4. Sprinkle chopped scallions over the noodles and mix together.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Egg Rolls

Some of my favorite times in the kitchen are when I have no idea what to make and I have to be crafty. A perfect example of this situation are these egg rolls. The clock was ticking down to dinner time and I didn't have any ideas and even less ingredients to work with. One of the items I did have on hand was ground pork. Seriously, ground pork? What on earth do you make with ground pork? Sure if I had some ground beef to go along with it I could have busted out a meatloaf or some meatballs but just ground pork? Yeesh. But wait-ground pork, cabbage and carrots...I believe Egg Rolls were my only hope. Except I didn't have egg roll wrappers.

Had I not participated in the Daring Cooks Potstickers challenge perhaps I would have been somewhat terrified of making my own egg roll wrappers but during that challenge I must have made about a hundred wonton wrappers so I felt fairly confident that I could make egg roll wrappers. Besides it's not like I had a choice. And I am really happy about that because not only are they very easy to make, much like homemade wonton wrappers, these egg roll wrappers are so much better than store bought. So in conclusion, sometimes an inability to run to the store last minute, a hungry husband on the way home and being forced to be a little creative can result in something pretty cool and very satisfying all around.

Recipe:

Egg Roll Wrappers recipe from Life 123:
2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
½ cup cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water to make a paste
1 quart oil for frying, such as peanut, grapeseed or vegetable

1. Mix the flour and salt together.
2. Make a well in the middle and pour in the eggs and water. Using your fingers, gently combine the ingredients to make a dough. If the dough seems a bit too dry, add cold water (a tablespoon at a time).
3. When the dough comes together, knead it for 2 minutes. The dough should be smooth and soft.
4. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
5. Divide the dough in half. Keep half covered while you are working with the first half.
6. Roll the dough out on a floured surface. You will need to form a very thin sheet that is 36 x 12 inches.
7. Cut six inch squares. Stack the squares on a plate dusted with flour. Dust the top of each square with flour to keep them from sticking to each other. You can also use parchment paper between the squares.
8. Follow the same instructions for the second half of the dough. You can either freeze them for later use or use them as they are.

Filling:
1/2 lb ground pork
1 cup cabbage, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, julliened
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small red chili, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar, if using unseasoned add 1/2 teaspoon sugar to the pork mixture

1. In a large skillet, cook pork until it's no longer pink.
2. Add the ginger, garlic, chili and rice vinegar and continue to cook another 5 minutes over low-medium heat.
3. Remove the pork mixture from the pan and set aside to cool slightly.
4. Add a little oil to the same pan and add the cabbage and carrots to the pan. Cook over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes.
5. Set the cabbage and carrots aside to cool slightly.


Dipping Sauce:
2 tablespoons chili sauce, such as sambal
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together.

Assembly:
1. Preheat oil to 375 degrees In a large heavy bottomed skillet.
2. Place 2 tablespoons of the cabbage and carrot mixture in the center of the wrapper followed by 2 tablespoons of the pork mixture on top of the cabbage.
3. Sprinkle a few of the chopped scallion and cilantro over the pork.
4. lightly brush the edges of the wrapper with the cornstarch mixture, wetting all of the edges.
5. Fold one corner over the filling. Fold the left and right corners towards the center and roll up towards the last corner. Continue rolling the remaining egg rolls.
6. Carefully place the egg rolls into the hot oil. Fry about 5 minutes or until golden brown turning occasionally.
7. Drain the egg rolls on paper towel and serve with dipping sauce.

Potato Latkes

I don't really know what to say about these except to tell you I love these Latkes. I've always really liked latkes and even have a recipe here for a beet and carrot variety but potato has always been my preferred latke choice. There are some bad recipes out there however, and I have been on the receiving end of them more than once. It's not pretty. If you don't squeeze that water out of the potatoes sufficiently it's game over. Or more so it's greasy, boiled potato mounds. See? Not pretty. These latkes though, are fantastic. Not too eggy and nice and crisp. Serve these babies with sour cream or applesauce and you'll be one happy camper.

Recipe adapted from All Recipes:
2 cups potatoes, peeled (russet or yukon golds work best)
2 tablespoons yellow onion, finely grated
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
pinch nutmeg
1/2 cup oil, such as grapeseed or peanut or vegetable

1. place whole peeled potatoes in ice water for 1 hour.
2. remove the potatoes from the water and using a cheese grater, grate the potatoes (large grate.)
3. Place the potatoes in a cheesecloth or clean tea towel and wring, extracting as much moisture as possible.
4. In a medium bowl stir the potatoes, onion, eggs, flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg together.
5. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet heat the oil until around 350 degrees. Place large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them to form 1/4 inch thick patties. Fry on one side about 5 minutes or just until golden brown, turn and brown on the other. Let drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

*Keep the latkes warm in a 300 degree oven until you are ready to serve. Also, you can make a batch and freeze them by placing the cooked latkes in a single layer on a baking sheet in the freezer. Once the latkes are frozen, store them in a freezer bag. Reheat the frozen latkes in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

Dad's Spaghetti

My Dad was a great guy. He was always there for my Sisters and I whether it be at sporting events, dance recitals or just to be there. He was a proud Dad and never missed an opportunity to let us know that. I was a pretty serious dancer growing up with dancing taking up the majority of my time. It's inevitable when your Mom is a dance teacher, you are a dancer, you don't have a choice. I had dance classes five nights a week and ALL DAY SATURDAY. While I loved dancing, I hated Saturdays. it was a lot of work and subsequently I have no reference when people my age speak of Saturday morning cartoons.

There were two things I did love about Saturdays though, every Saturday after classes my Dad picked me up and took me to our favorite Doughnut Shop for my favorite maple dipped doughnut. We would hang out at the shop chit chatting, catching up and enjoying each other's time. After our doughnut date my Dad and I would go home and make his spaghetti together. I got to do the chopping, perched on a chair of course, because I couldn't reach the counter. As the years went on the spaghetti making remained but the chairs got smaller and smaller until I could finally reach the counter all by myself. He loved this recipe and so do I.

The Doughnut Shop and spaghetti making are two of so many fond memories I have with my Dad. It's been years since his passing but every time I make this sauce it brings me back to some wonderful times. I cherish the fact that my Dad took the time out to make a special tradition for just the two of us. Despite the fact that I dreaded the Saturday 8 hour dance intensive, at least I had a couple of things to look forward to when it was over. And for that, I will always love maple dipped doughnuts, this delicious spaghetti sauce and most importantly, my Dad.

Recipe:
1 lb spaghetti
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large bell pepper, diced (green, red or yellow)
1 large yellow onion, diced
1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 cup water + more to thin to desired consistency
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 small dried bay leaf
pinch red pepper flakes, optional
salt and pepper to taste


Brown the ground beef and sausage in a large skillet. Drain the fat and set the meat aside. Add a little oil to the pan and add the onion, mushrooms and bell pepper. Saute over low-medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and continue sauteing for 5 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, sugar, basil, oregano and bay leaf and stir everything together. Bring the sauce to a high simmer. Reduce the heat to a low simmer. Being careful not to burn your tongue, taste the sauce and season to your liking with salt and pepper. Partially cover and simmer the sauce on low heat for 2 hours, stirring often. You may have to add a little more water throughout the cooking process to thin to your desired consistency.

Cook your spaghetti just until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl. Pour the sauce over the pasta and serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Serves 8.