Meat Sauce

<< Meat Sauce is easy to prepare, relatively low in fat, freezes well and can stay for days in the refrigerator. Serve over your favorite noodles, rice or roasted vegetables. One way to cut back on carb intake is to mix sauce with your favorite cooked/roasted vegetables and to stuff the mixture into large cooked pasta shells. A serving of a few stuffed shells contains less pasta than traditional spaghetti and meat sauce. The sauce recipe is also delicious spooned over hot dogs in buns - Michigan Red Hots, I believe. I like it plain, spooned over cooked zucchini and mushrooms. Versatile, for sure.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced (or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder), to taste
• 2 lbs. ground meat (lean beef, veal, chicken or turkey for lower fat content)
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 cup of mushrooms, chopped or sliced, if desired
• 1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes, drained
• 4 - 6 cups tomato sauce (your favorite brand)*
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red peppers, if desired
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp. sugar (add only at end)

Transfer meat and onions to large saucepan on stove. Heat to medium and add celery and mushrooms. Add rest of ingredients (except for sugar) one at a time, stirring after each addition. Bring mixture to a low boil and turn down heat to low.

Cover partially, allowing for some steam to escape and simmer for two hours on low heat. Stir often and add sugar in final 15 minutes of cooking. Adjust amount of sugar to taste. Try a bit of sauce and season as desired with additional salt, pepper, garlic powder or herbs. Remove bay leaf before serving. Freeze sauce, if desired.

*Add enough tomato sauce to reach the desired consistency - thick or more liquidy - it's your choice.

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