Pasta Sauce

I'm making baked mostaccioli today. No pics cause it's not ready yet. Here is my basic pasta sauce recipe. I use ground beef or italian sausage depending on what dish I am making. I also tweak it for shrimp and grits. The house smells yummy!

Ingredients:

• 1 # of beef or italian sausage
• 1/2 vidalia [or yellow] onion, diced
• 2 TBS minced garlic [jar]
• 2 large cans of crushed tomatoes
• 1 regular can of diced tomatoes [no salt]
• 2 TBS basil [dried]
• 2 TBS oregano [dried]
• 1/2 TSP black pepper
• 1 TSP onion powder
• 3 TBS sugar
• 2 TBS tomato paste

Cook the beef [or sausage] with the onion and garlic.
Drain fat.
Add the tomatoes, paste and spices.
Simmer on low for an hour or two.

Canned tomatoes may differ in acidity, adjust sugar to taste.
Dried spices differ by brand and age, adjust to taste.

Bama White Sauce

I love sauces!

Southern bbq sauces are mustard based. This is a mayo based sauce, often called white bbq sauce, in parts of Alabama. It is tangy and tart and great on grilled chicken. Adjust the vinegar level to your liking. You may want to start with just a little less than 1 ounce and see if you like it before adding all of it.

Cider Vinegar - 1 ounce [= 2T] or 2 1/2 T for more tart

Water - 2 ounces [=4T]

Mayo - 1 1/2 cups

1 t - Black Pepper

1/2 t - Garlic Powder

1/2 t - Onion Powder

1/4 t - Cayenne Pepper or 1/2 for more kick

1/2 t - Dry Mustard
1 t- Lemon Juice

Pour vinegar into a pint jar. Add other ingredients and shake well. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

I like to give a jar with the recipe card tied to it as a gift. You can buy white plastic jar lids to use in place of the ones that come with the canning jars.