I took a blogger break. You know how writers have writer's block? I had bloggers block. Not only that, but nothing I have cooked lately seemed to taste good. It could be that I'm trying not to eat gluten, wheat, eggs or dairy. I found out that I have some allergies to all of them. Not outwardly but who knows what kind of inflammation it creates on the inside.
Now I know there are a lot of good recipes out there that don't call for these ingredients but it seems like when you can't have something, it's hard to think of or find recipes that don't have them. It's a new challenge for me. It's definitely easier to make food taste good when you add cheese and butter to it but much more of a challenge when you don't.
This is a recipe that I got from a good friend about 20 years ago. She made it for me a few times and it was always delicious. We've lost touch but I always think of her when I make this sauce. It only takes a few ingredients that you probably have on hand. Not only that, but you control the ingredients and most importantly the sugar content. What's interesting is that the fennel seed gives the sauce a sausage like flavor. It's great because you don't have to have sausage in it for it to taste like sausage. I served it here with my favorite gluten free pasta called Jovial.
Enjoy and I'll be back soon.
Spaghetti Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seed
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 lb ground beef, turkey, sausage or a combination of these
1 can diced tomatoes
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 can small black olives, sliced or diced with juice (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and Pepper
Fresh basil and parsley, chopped (1 tablespoon each) garnish, (optional)
Combine first five ingredients in a sauté pan, salt and pepper, and cooked until meat is brown. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed before serving. Serve with parmesan cheese.
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