2013 is off to a rocky start here on Planet Byn. Whether it’s travel issues (two cancelled flights + almost missed connection), dental issues (cracked tooth + root canal + crown) or health issues (two colds + copious amounts of snot + clogged ear), it’s been hard to stay positive and just generally make it to Spring in one piece. I truly cannot wait for sunshine, trench coats, flats, sunglasses, walks at lunch, tulips, rhubarb and just that fresh start that comes with Spring.

Before we get to that though, this week I’ll share a few recipes for some comfort food I’ve made over the last few months. This first recipe I made on New Year’s Day, and it’s just phenomenal. I’m sure not everyone needs a recipe for meat sauce (which P.S. I just couldn’t bring myself to name this post Meat Sauce…it does not do it justice), but as we all know, I don’t do well without recipes, so this one was a great guide for me. I generally prefer Spaghetti & Meatballs, but something about this was calling my name. It’s a thick, rich tomato sauce fortified with red wine, and full of beef, peppers, mushrooms and onions.

The recipe as written makes a HUGE pot of sauce, which will only get better as it sits in your fridge, or in my case, in little tupperware containers in the freezer. When I finally got home from the airport on that cursed trip, I pulled one out, defrosted it in a saucepan, boiled some pasta, and seriously savoured every single bite. Make this. You won’t regret it!

Thick, Rich Tomato Sauce with Beef & Veggies

Source: Eat, Live, Run

Ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

20 oz sliced mushrooms (I used cremini, which are baby portabello mushrooms)

2 lbs ground beef (original recipe used 1 lb ground beef + 1 lb spicy Italian sausage)

28oz crushed tomatoes

24oz tomato sauce (like plain, basic, no-name brand tomato sauce)

12oz tomato paste

1/2 cup – 2 cups red wine (I used 2 cups)

6 oz freshly grated romano or parmesan cheese

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried basil

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp garlic salt

1 – 2 tbsp sugar

+ salt & pepper

Directions

1. In your biggest pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, peppers and mushrooms, and saute for about 6-8 minutes until vegetables are softened. Add ground beef and saute until browned and cooked through.
2. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste and stir well. Add wine, cheese, spices and sugar, and stir again until sauce comes to a simmer.
3. Simmer over low heat for two hours, stirring occasionally. Taste periodically and add salt and pepper as you see fit. You can keep it in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for 3 months.