Easy Spaghetti Sauce

Anyone who knows me knows I can't stand spaghetti, mostly because I find jarred sauce the equivalent of swill. So when I actually sat down and decided to make my own, I discovered I like spaghetti. Takes a little longer than most of my recipes but it typically disappears just as fast.

2 cans of plain tomato sauce
2 whole fresh tomatoes peeled and chopped
6 leaves of fresh Basil
6 branches of fresh Thyme
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1/4 cup of red wine
2 teaspoons of sugar
1 tablespoon of dry italian seasoning
A few dashes of hot sauce

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan bring to a boil then simmer for about an hour.

I typically don't make the sauce without meatballs, which adds to the flavor. Use the same recipe for Italian meatballs from a previous blog. Add the fresh thyme and basil to the meatball mixture. Once the meatballs are almost cooked through add to the spaghetti sauce with the pan drippings. Pour over angel hair pasta.

Dry Rub

This rub was modified from a recipe I found online. It's great on beef: steak, ribs, hamburgers (according to my dad), pork ribs it's delicious, even on shrimp when you broil them. It's leaves a crisp layer on the outside and a hint of spiciness because of the cayenne pepper.

3 tablespoons of white sugar
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
3 tablespoons of chili powder
3 tablespoons of ground cumin
1 tablespoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients together in an airtight container. Rub generously into raw meat before preparation.

Chinese Shrimp Noodle soup

Wonderful cold weather, I don't feel good, leave me alone, soup.

1 Small bunch of Chinese Cabbage
1 hand full of Bean Sprouts
2 Dried chili peppers
2 large clove of garlic chopped
1/2 inch of fresh ginger chopped
1 package of ramen noodles
30 raw peeled deveined shrimp
4 cans of chicken broth
Soy sauce - optional

Heat the chicken broth in a medium sauce pan. Add the chili peppers, garlic and ginger to the broth. Allow to come to a boil and simmer for a few minutes. Add the raw shrimp to the broth. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the shrimp is cooked through. Divide the bean sprouts and chinese cabbage between 4 bowls. Pour the boiling hot soup over the fresh vegetables. Add soy sauce.