Two For One

For weeks I’ve cooked dinner and thought about writing my food blog “Imagine the Food.” One such day I looked at Brian and said, “You know, I really need to get back to writing my blog.”  

As always he piped in, “What blog?  You’ve not written on it in months.”

Last night, after eating Quick and Taste Red Spaghetti dinner,  the pangs of writing started to stir deep inside of me as my mind dreamed of my fingers tap tap tapping on the keyboard. I heard my blog call my name, as it begged me to feed it’s daily need for recipe offerings.   In the past I desired to write a cook book that encouraging people to cook healthy food on a tight budget. Now it was time to returned to my old friend “Imagine the Food” and renew our culinary relationship.

  

Todays offering is a two for one: Quick and Tasty Red Spaghetti and Meatballs and Cream Spinach.  Both are Rabourn family tested and approved for the net.

 Quick and Tasty Red Spaghetti

1 lb ground burger browned

In a frying pan, place 1 tbsp butter, let it melt.  Add: slice small summer squash, 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped cloves of garlic, and 1 dice small green pepper.  Cook until lightly browned.  Do not stir too often.  

On top of veggies, add the browned burger, 2 sm cans of tomato sauce, 1 sm can tomato paste, 2 bay leaves, 1 cup red wine, 1 tbsp basil, 1tsp Italian spices, small shake of cinnamon, and 1 tbsp sugar.  Mix into veggies and let simmer on low for about 15 min covered.

Place over any type of noodle that you choose.  Enjoy!

Meatballs and Cream Spinach 

Meatballs:

In a bowl, place 1 lb of ground burger.  Add 1 cup oatmeal (chopped fine in food- processor), and one egg.  Mix well.

Chop fine: 1/2 onion, 1/2 green pepper and 2 cloves of garlic.  Mix thoroughly into the the meat mixture adding a 1/2 tsp of salt.

In a frying pan, heat up some cooking oil.  ( barley cover the bottom of the pan)

In a bowl, add: 1/2 flour, salt and sesame seeds.

Make meat balls out of the meat mixture, roll them into the flour mixture and place them into the heated oil to cook.  Cook until all the sides of the ball are browned.  Take out of the pan placing them on a plate with paper towel to absorb the extra oil.

Spinach Sauce:

Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a sauce pan. Add: 1 chopped red onion, 3 chopped cloves of garlic and 1 tsp of salt.  Cook until tender.  Add 3 tbsp flour and brown.  Add 3 cups of water and stir until all of the flour is blended in.  Add: 1 package of thawed frozen spinach, 1 cup Parisian cheese and 1/2 cup of milk.  Stir until  completely mixed together.  

Serve spinach sauce in a bowl with some gnocchi (about 10).  Cut up meat ball, 3 or 4 and place on top.