SOULFUL COOKING with Lynda Canaday
Italian Soul Food Spaghetti
Ingredients: Meat Sauce
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- Lawrys Seasoned Salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 3 or 4 celery ribs, chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, pressed, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes
- 1 8-ounce package button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 6-ounce can whole pitted ripe olives
- 1 16-ounce package spaghetti noodles
- Parmesan, Romano or Asiago cheese, grated
Meat Sauce: Brown the ground beef and Italian sausage in a large saucepan or a Dutch oven. Season the meat with Lawrys Seasoned Salt and black pepper. Drain off excess fat. Add the onion, green pepper and celery and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender crisp. Add the garlic, oregano, basil and tomato paste. Stir in 1 cup of water until the tomato paste is thoroughly incorporated. Stir in the tomato sauce and chopped tomatoes. Cover and simmer the meat sauce over medium-low heat for at least 30 minutes, or longer for the best flavor. Add the mushrooms and black olives during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
When the meat sauce is ready to serve, cook the spaghetti in a pot of boiling, salted water until tender, but firm to the bite. Drain the noodles and add them to the sauce, stirring to combine, or divide the noodles among pasta bowls and ladle the sauce over top. Serve the spaghetti and meat sauce topped with grated cheese. Serves 6 to 8.
Toasted French Bread with Garlic Spread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large loaf French or Italian bread
In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic powder, oregano and Parmesan cheese, mixing well. Split the bread in half lengthwise and spread the mixture on the bread.
Put the bread on a baking sheet and place under the oven-broiler. Broil until the spread is melted and the bread is lightly browned and slightly crisp. Cut the bread into slices and serve hot. Serves 6 to 8.
Romaine Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette
Ingredients: Garlic Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1/8 teaspoon each salt & black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Ingredients
- 1 large head romaine lettuce, rinsed and drained
- 1 roasted red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 cup giardiniera (mixed vegetables in vinegar marinade), rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup Greek olives, pitted and halved
- 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
- 1 cup croutons
Garlic Vinaigrette: Combine the red wine vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Let the vinaigrette stand for about 20 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
Chop or tear the romaine lettuce leaves and place them in a large salad bowl. Add the roasted red pepper, giardiniera and olives. Whisk the vinaigrette and drizzle as much as desired over the salad. Toss to coat. Add the grated cheese and croutons and toss again. Serves 6 to 8.
Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
- 4 large sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground clove
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 8 or 9-inch unbaked pie shells
- whipped cream (optional)
Peel and dice the sweet potatoes. Place the potatoes in a large pot or a Dutch oven with enough water to completely cover them. Cover and boil over high heat until very tender.
Drain the potatoes and place them in a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher until no lumps remain. Using an electric mixer, beat in the butter and sugar. Add the condensed milk, cinnamon, clove, allspice and nutmeg and mix well. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until the filling is smooth.
Pour the filling into 3 unbaked pie shells. Place the pies on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven until set, about 1 hour. The filling will rise during cooking but will settle during the cooling process. Serve warm or chilled with whipped cream, if desired. Makes 3 pies.
Recipes by Lynda Canaday.
