Yummy Spaghetti

Tonight I didn't feel like cooking. Nothing new really, some days I do some days I don't. So I turned to my go to dish for nights when I want something quick and easy...spaghetti.

So here we have the spaghetti with meat sauce I made, cheesy garlic bread and wilted lettuce. The garlic bread wasn't anything special. Just store bought french bread, sliced, sprinkled with garlic salt and Italian seasoning mix and a pinch of shredded cheese. The wilted lettuce was a experiment and a bit of a fail. With some tweaking it may work. I wilted it with a bit olive oil, some garlic salt and put it in the oven. It had a very strong lettuce flavor. The Hubby said it may be good with some vinegar sprinkled on it.

The family gave me mixed reviews on the spaghetti. I thought it was great, others thought it was okay, and a couple thought the flavor was a bit odd...but okay.

I made the noodles the usual way...boil in salty water. I browned the meat and while that was all going I made the tomato sauce.  Since I liked it I thought I would post the recipe here. Just a warning, I guessed on the seasoning amounts, so all seasoning amounts are pretty much to taste. Bad Jackie for not measuring.

Spaghetti Sauce with a twist
3 cans diced tomatoes (low sodium preferred)
1 can navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 small can tomato paste
1 lb lean ground chuck
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp Mrs dash
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp turmeric

1. Brown meat in large skillet.
2. Puree two cans of tomatoes, the beans, and tomato paste together.
3. Add seasonings to tomato sauce.
4. After meat has browned, add tomato sauce and last can of tomatoes.
5. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.



Nutrient data for 8 servings (based on calculator on caloriecount.about.com)
Calories 192, Total Fat 4.2g, Cholesterol 51mg, Sodium 289mg, Total Carbohydrates 16.6g, Dietary Fiber 4.1g, Sugars 4.2g, Protein 22.4g, Vitamin A 16% • Vitamin C 19% Calcium 3% • Iron 73%

Ground Beef Stir Fry

This is just a quick and easy dinner I made the other night. It was too hot to spend too much time in the kitchen. I had a couple bags of mixed stir fry veggies and 1 1/2 lbs of ground chuck so I decided to make this.

Ground Beef Stir Fry

sorry not a better picture, having to use my phone's camera.

Ground Beef Stir Fry

serves 6. I didn't figure out the nutrition data on this one.

• 1 1/2 to 2 lbs of Ground Chuck (the leaner the better, ours is lean enough that there is no grease left over to drain.)
• 2 packages of mixed veggies (I used a package of asparagus stir fry and a package of sweet snap stir fry veggies)
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce (approx.)
• 1 tsp of garlic powder (approx.)
• 2 tsp of black pepper (approx.)
• 1 tsp salt (approx.)
• 1 tablespoon of dried onion flakes (approx.)
• 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce (approx.)
• 1 tsp of Cumin seeds (approx.)
• 1 tsp of red pepper flakes (approx.)
• 1 cup dry pearled barley (cook barley to package directions)

This meal couldn't be easier to fix. In a large skillet (I used a large cast iron) you cook the beef till all brown and crumbly. You add the frozen veggies and the seasonings/sauces(all my amounts are approximate because I just threw stuff in, so just go to taste on everything). I also put about 1/4-1/2 cup of water in when I put in the veggies to steam everything a bit. Cook till veggies are hot. Serve over barley (or brown rice, whole wheat egg noodles or whatever you like). We had some leftovers so I froze that for a soup/stew later.