Spaghetti Sauce

I got this recipe years ago from my friend Joan.  We got to know each other when our husbands were getting their graduate degrees at the same university and we lived near each other.  We have stayed in touch ever since, and she served this to us one time when we went to visit them.  Up until then, I had used one of those seasoning packets to make spaghetti sauce, which isn't too bad if you jazz it up a little with meat and veggies.  But this tasted so much better and she said it was easy, so I got the recipe and have used it ever since.  The original recipe calls for regular flour, of course, but rice flour works exactly the same.  It makes a little over 2 quarts of spaghetti sauce and freezes well, so if you have any left over, put what you need for a meal into a quart jar or tightly lidded container and freeze it for a quick and easy meal when you're pressed for time.  Also, you don't have to simmer it for an hour if you're in a hurry, but it tastes better if you do.   

Spaghetti Sauce

1-1/2 to 2 lbs lean hamburger
1 chopped onion
chopped celery, if desired
Brown together in large pan;  drain off fat.  Put meat mixture back into pan.

1 Tbsp rice flour for each lb of meat used -- stir into drained meat mixture.  Then add:

2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes or 1 quart home canned tomatoes
3 cans (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
pepper to taste
3 Tbsp catsup
sliced mushrooms (optional)
Simmer together for an hour.

Serve over prepared brown rice spaghetti pasta.  Sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese if desired.

If you add the mushrooms, you can used canned ones if you like, or fresh ones sliced up.  If you use fresh mushrooms and they have soil clinging to them, just use a dry paper towel to rub it off before slicing.  If you put them in water to wash it off and leave them too long, they'll absorb the water and get soggy.  Yuck!  Some nice hot bread or biscuits goes well with this.  See March 6 post for biscuit recipe.