Doctor's Kitchen Monday: Glenna's All Day Spaghetti 3-Meat Sauce (Low & Slow w/Lots of Veggies)

 

In keeping with the goals I've mentioned before of dieting and reining things back in my life, I've been thinking I'm going to start posting more of my daily menus, of course hoping it will inspire me more and more to keep fighting the good fight when it comes to food. As in REAL food, not processed crap.  Sure, there will be days when I eat out or drive through a "thru" or screw up (translation: soda!)  but all in all I'm feeling pretty rejuvinated. It's amazing to me how many of our choices in life, bad choices in life, are made because we feel bad.  Do you know what I mean? I'm finally, after months of respiratory infections and fighting my asthma, starting to feel like myself again.  The odd thing to me is how much feeling better has perked me back up in terms of not only my attitude but in my food choices and what I'm physically able to do.  I'm not "living" on sugar and caffeine anymore.  Isn't it the ultimate irony that when the body feels crummy we tend to take the easiest way out and feed it crap from a box or a window when that's the most important time we should be concentrating on healthy, vibrant, nutritious foods?  Crazy but human. It's just too easy these days to grab bad food when we feel bad and save cooking for when we feel better.  Sad, but true.

But hey, I'm back, and today I made my new favorite all day spaghetti sauce that's actually packed with, yes three meats, but also tons of fresh veggies and isn't overloaded with fat.  This sauce is not your average hamburger and tomato sauce sauce. It has three meats:  sirloin (chunks and ground), pork chops, and Italian sausage.  It's finished out with five vegetables and a host of seasonings. Normally, I'm not a huge meat eater, not because I don't like the taste but because I don't like the texture. This one is different.  From being simmered so long, the meat has the softer texture of a really good slow-cooked chili or vegetable beef soup.  With about a 40 minute prep, if you can handle two pots at once, it's a great recipe to throw into the crockpot to finish simmering while you work during the day, or sleep to us nightshifters.

This is my entry for this week's Presto Pasta Nights, created by the very cool Ruth of Once Upon a Feast, and hosted this week by Patsy of Family, Friends, and Food.  Check out both blogs on Friday to see the round-up of great pasta dishes across the blogs this week.

Glenna's All Day Spaghetti 3-Meat Sauce

recipe by Glenna Anderson Muse

This is made with a 2 pot method, working back and forth between the two pots, ending by simmering the sum total all afternoon in the bigger 8 quart Stock Pot.

Veggie Pot:

Olive Oil

2 large onions, diced

3 large carrots, diced

1 large green pepper, diced

1/2 head of celery, diced (use the top half with all the leaves)

6 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

3 whole chili peppers, minced

Meat Pot:

Olive Oil

1 lb Sirloin steak medallions

1 lb Boneless pork chops

1 lb Sweet Italian Sausage, casings removed

1 lb Ground beef, extra lean

1 lb Country Pork Sausage

Final Additions:

1- 28 oz can peeled stewed tomatoes (or 6 large fresh tomatoes + 1 cups tomato juice) buzzed through food processor or blender

4 6 oz cans tomato paste

2 cups Chicken broth

2 cups full bodied red wine

1 handful each: fresh chopped parsley, basil, and oregano

2 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp each kosher salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

To prep: clean and prepare all of the fresh vegetables and herbs, separate as needed.  Pulse tomatoes and set aside.

Either one pot at a time or working the two pots simultaneously going back and forth, cover the bottom of each pan with olive oil, using the largest 8-qt for the meat:

Meat pot:  Add large meats and brown thoroughly.  Remove from pot. Add ground meats and cook through. Drain fat. Cut large pieces of meat into bite-sized chunks and put back into pot.

Veggie pot:  Add onion and saute until translucent. Add rest of vegetables, chilis, and garlic and saute until tender.  Add this mixture to large meat pot.

Add rest of ingredients, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 5-6 hours, skimming off any fat that rises to the surface several times during simmer.  Sauce could also be placed into 8 qt crockpot to simmer for 10-12 hours.

Cooks down to 4 qts.

Serve over pasta or polenta.

Nutrition per 1 cup (sauce only): Calories: 242   Protein: 22   Carbs:  11    Fat:  8   Fiber:  2

Weight Watchers points per 1 cup:  5

Comments

[Ruth]

I'm glad you're back, and glad you're feeling better. And I'm also very glad you're sharing this great dish with Presto Pasta Nights. After all, pasta can certainly be a healthy choice.

[jennifer]

It's good that you are feeling more like yourself. This look like a great recipe. I was wondering if you might know of a good stroganoff recipe for the crock pot? Hope you have a fantastic week.

[patsyk]

What a great recipe! I love that it cooks low and slow all day and is packed with veggies, too! Thanks for sending over for PPN this week!

[Treehouse Chef]

I love this recipe. The photo looks delicious. I am so glad you will be posting your daily recipes because that is what I enjoy reading the most. I want to know what real people eat on a daily basis. There was a great story in this months issue of Food Network Magazine that talked about a woman who worked on a food show and was able to loose weight by changing her food choices. I learned that keeping nuts around and eating a few every two hours keeps you metabolism up.

[lesley]

Hi Glenna
I'm sorry to hear you've not been well.
I ended up in hospital on Sunday, but feeling better now. I've joined Slimming World & have a weigh in tonight....be interesting to see if any weight loss..I love the sound of this meal..i need to lower my cholestral, so I'll be on a mission now! x

[MyKitchenInHalfCups]

Way to go Glenna! Wow that sauce looks grand.

[Glenna]

Ruth--Glad to be back! I love PPN, we just don't eat pasta every week.

Jennifer--I don't at the moment but you've got me thinking...I'll put that on my list of recipes to find.

Thanks for including me, Patsy!

TC--Yes! And I enjoy ppl's daily menu's too. I think that's what gave me the idea. I can't post every single day but I'm going to try to post several days a week.

Lesley--Sorry you were in the hospital but glad you're home now! I'm on a mission too. This has got to the be the summer I get this under control. I'm getting older and I've got to get some of this weight off.

Tanna--Thanks!

[kimberly]

That looks absolutely wonderful!

[The Food Hunter]

Sauce looks great.

[Glenna]

Thanks Kimberly and Food Hunter!