I have been making my homemade meat sauce with meatballs  for the last 3o years, and it remains a family favorite.  But recently, my children have been requesting that I make marinara sauce with meatballs as a lighter and healthier alternative.  So my challenge was to make sure my meatballs would be just as delicious even though they wouldn’t be cooking in my meat sauce.  Well, I did it!  My inspiration to develop the recipe came from my daughter Randi, who thought her baby, Noah, would love the meatballs.  Randi and her husband Dan have been vegetarians for the last 10 years, but have started eating meat again, but they still don’t want a meat overload.  So the perfect compromise is a great marinara sauce with my incredible meatballs.  As a bonus to health, I found fabulous organic ground beef at Costco.  It comes in vacuum sealed 1 pound packages which can be easily frozen, and easily defrosted.  The meat was absolutely beautiful, and had the freshest smell when  I opened it.  What a find!  This is a delicious and economical recipe that you are sure to enjoy.

for the meatballs:

3 pounds organic chopped meat (or ground turkey)

3  extra large eggs

about 3/4 cup ketchup

about 3/4 cup plain  bread crumbs ( I once substituted about 1/4 cup of organic oats and 2 tablespoons wheat germ for some of the bread crumbs, and the meatballs were just as good as when I use all breadcrumbs.)

kosher salt, garlic powder, and ground pepper to taste

Mix with clean hands gently; do not overmix.

Form into meatballs with a diameter of about 1 1/2 inches.

In a very large nonstick frying pan, put a drop of canola or olive oil.  Heat, then put meatballs in over low-medium flame, and brown for just a few minutes over a medium heat.  Turn meatballs and then COVER pan.  You do not want to really brown them all over, because they can become tough.  It is almost as if you are steaming them.  Take cover off a few times and turn meatballs.  This should be a gentle process.  Discard fat as you cook meatballs.  When meatballs seem pretty cooked, transfer them with slotted spoon into your pot of marinara sauce being careful to drain as much fat as possible before putting meatballs in sauce.  The meatballs don’t have to be fully cooked when they go in the sauce, because they will finish cooking in the sauce.  Simmer the meatballs in the marinara sauce over a low heat for at least another hour with cover on over a very low flame.  Recipe for marinara sauce is below.

for the marinara sauce:

about 1/3 cup olive oil

4 or 5 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes (best brand is Sclafani- found at Pathmark on Route 1 in Edison and Top Tomato)

1 small can tomato paste

6-8  garlic cloves, crushed or minced

2 medium or 1 large onion, chopped very fine (I use the metal blade of the food processor and I pulse the onion until it is the consistency of chunky apple sauce)

kosher salt, freshly cracked pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste

1 tablespoon fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or dried herbes de provence

1 teaspoon of sugar, if you like

Pour about 1/3 cup of olive oil in a very large saucepan.  Add crushed red pepper flakes to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon.  Then saute the onion till translucent, add the chopped or crushed garlic cloves, and saute with the onion till soft.  Add all  the tomato product, about 8 - 12 oz. of water if you think the sauce is too thick, about 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and some freshly cracked pepper to taste.  Cover and simmer over low flame mixing every 10 or 15 minutes.

After the marinara has been cooking for about 45 minutes, add the meatballs which you have prepared and par-cooked as instructed above.  Then simmer meatballs in sauce over lowest flame for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours with cover on.

Add more seasonings as needed.  Serve over pasta of your choice.  Or you can let the sauce cool and freeze it in quart containers with the meatballs.

I adapted this recipe from my Aunt Florence Fried’s recipe for the filling of her stuffed cabbage.  When I used to make stuffed cabbage, I would make extra meatballs for my children.  My son Danny was the one who really loved these.  My mother loved when I made this, but my father especially loved when I made the stuffed cabbage.

for the meatballs or the filling of the stuffed cabbage:

• 4 pounds chop meat (85% or 90% lean)
• 4 eggs
• about 1 cup of plain bread crumbs (or matzah meal for Passover)
• 1 cup ketchup
• salt and pepper to taste

for the sauce for the sweet and sour meatballs or the stuffed cabbage:

• 4- 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
• 4- 6 oz. cans tomato paste (I use Contadina)
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon sour salt (or substitute 1 more lemon for sour salt 9/11)
• juice of a lemon
• 2 cups packed dark brown sugar

if you are making stuffed cabbage:

• 1 large head of new cabbage

for making the sweet and sour meatballs:

Put all the sauce ingredients in a large pot.  Put over low flame and whisk till blended.  Then form meat mixture into meatballs about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Gently drop meatballs into pot.  Simmer covered over a low flame about 2 1/2 hours.    Do not stir until your meatballs have set after about 1/2 hour or so.  If you mix while they are still raw, they will not retain their shape.

for stuffed cabbage:

Core and put 1 large head of new cabbage in a very large pot.  Pour cold water in to cover.  Simmer covered until the leaves are soft enough to separate.  Lay out one leaf of cabbage at a time.  Put about one tablespoon of meat mixture in center but towards the bottom of the leaf, then begin to roll up, then fold both sides over, and continue to roll.  Do with each leaf until you have used all the leaves.  Put half of your sauce mixture in bottom of a very large pot.  Then put all of the cabbage rolls, then the rest of the sauce on top.  If you have any leftover meat, make meatballs out of them and add to the top of the pot.  Simmer with the top on about 2 1/2 hours.

Note:  This freezes very well.

Like every family, we have our favorite Chinese restaurants. Ours is Hunan Gourmet in Manalapan, New Jersey.  As far as I’m concerned their Chinese food is as good or better than any other, including New York City restaurants.  Recently, my children have developed a passion for P.F. Chang’s, and we go there as often as possible.  I got tired of having to go out for Chinese food, so I developed this recipe, and thrilled (and amazed) my kids with it.  My daughter Randi has just started eating meat after more than 10 years, and I made this for her.  She went crazy for it.  I will make it for her again very soon.  Better yet, I will teach her how to make it for herself.  This dish looks beautiful too, so get ready to really impress your family, your friends, and yourself with it. 

•  1 1/2 pounds thin sliced chicken cutlets - either sliced into thin strips or cut into 1 inch cubes (I use Purdue thin sliced cutlets)
• 2 large red peppers, cut into bite size chunks
• 1/2 -3/4 pound string beans (I usually buy the string beans you find in the ready to microwave bag in the produce section of the supermarket- the string beans are already trimmed and washed- so you won’t have any prep work to do)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 3/4 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (depending on how hot you like your Chinese food)
• 2 tablespoons oil (I use light olive oil)
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced or chopped fine
• 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts separated, each cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 5 - 6  tablespoons hoisin sauce (you will find this in the Chinese food aisle of your supermarket)
• 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup to 1 cup peanuts (I use cocktail- salted) or cashews (salted or unsalted)
• brown rice or white rice for serving (I use about 2 cups of non-instant rice for this quantity of chicken)
• Chinese noodles for serving (optional)

In a medium bowl toss the cut up chicken with the 3/4 teaspoon salt and the 1/4 teaspoon pepper, then toss the chicken with the cornstarch with your hands.

In a large skillet, heat oil over high heat for 1 minute.  Add the crushed red pepper and stir for 30 seconds.   Add chicken, and cook for less than 1 minute.  Add the garlic, and the white parts of the scallions, the string beans, and the cut up red pepper chunks.  Stir quickly for about 2 minutes.  Then add the vinegar, continue stirring for a minute or 2 until vinegar evaporates.  Add hoisin sauce and water; continue cooking until vegetables are starting to soften- about 2-3 minutes.  Add the nuts and the green parts of the scallions. Stir one or two minutes until the sauce starts to reduce and look slightly glazed.

Place on large platter, and serve rice in another bowl.

Notes: 

• If you start cooking your rice right before you begin the stir frying process, the rice will finish cooking when your chicken is done.   
• You may substitute other vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, asparagus, or you may eliminate all vegetables.
• Your cooking time will depend on the thickness of your chicken.
• Wash you hands frequently, and use separate cutting boards for the chicken and the vegetables.
• Save those little containers of mustard you get from the Chinese restaruant to serve along with this dish.

My son Danny loves chicken, so I am always trying to come up with  updated and delicious recipes to try out on him.  I made this recipe last week, and he went absolutely gaga over it.  I’ve already made it twice since then, and I think he loves it so much, he could eat it at least once a week.  This chicken is extremely tasty and very healthy, too!  See my latest, even healthier variation below!

for the chicken: 

• 1 pound of thin sliced chicken cutlets, or boneless cutless
• kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced  
• about 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves (if you have both fresh thyme and fresh oregano, use a combination of the two)
• olive oil (I use light)

for the tomatoes and shallots:

• 6-7 plum tomatoes, cut into chunks (each chunk should be about 1/2 the size of a cherry tomato)
• 4-6 shallots, small dice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• about 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

to pull it all together:

• 1 cup of chicken broth or stock
• 1 can (15 oz.) of white beans, drained
• a little more fresh thyme (or fresh thyme and oregano)

Serve over brown rice if you like.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  On half sheet pan, drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Then place tomato chunks on pan along with chopped shallots.  Sprinkle with minced garlic, thyme leaves, kosher salt, and some cracked black pepper.  Toss to coat with the olive oil.  Cook for about  45 min. to 1 hour or until tomatoes start to shrink and shallots are beginning to caramelize.

Right after you put the tomatoes and shallots in the oven, prepare your chicken.  Place the cutlets on a sheet pan which you have drizzled with olive oil.  Season the cutlets with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle the cutlets with the minced garlic and the thyme (or the thyme and oregano).  Put in the oven and bake for about 20-30 minutes until cooked through, depending on the thickness of the chicken.  Let cool for a few minutes, and then cut into bite sized pieces. 

In a large skillet, pour about 1 cup of chicken stock, add the drained beans, the cut up chicken, and the roasted tomatoes and shallots.  Sprinkle with about 1 more teaspoon of fresh thyme or a combination of fresh thyme and oregano. Mix gently, and heat together over a medium flame for about 10 minutes until beans are heated through.  Reseason if necessary with salt and pepper.  Serve.

 Notes:  You can substitute 2 pints of cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes cut in half for the plum tomatoes.  I used canneloni beans, but you can substitute any type of canned white beans.

If you buy fresh oregano or fresh thyme, you can store it in a ziploc bag covered with a damp paper towel, and it will keep for a few weeks.

Note from 7/30/09: 

To make this dish even healthier, I increased the following, but used only 1 pound of chicken cutlets.  The results were amazing!

I roasted together about 12-13 plum tomatoes, and 2 boxes or bunches of grape or cherry tomatoes- halved, about 6 or 7 large garlic cloves minced, 6 shallots or 1 large vidalia onion chopped finely, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, about 2 teaspoons kosher salt, about 1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional), tossed with about 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.  I actually started out the roasting on 2 sheet pans, because you want the tomatoes in one layer. Then later, when I needed the sheet pan to roast the chicken, I was able to consolidate the tomatoes onto one sheet pan.  Roast the tomatoes until they are really caramelized, turning them every so often. 

Then continue directions above for the chicken and for putting the whole dish together, pour roasted tomatoes into large skillet, add the cut up chicken and any accumulated juices from pan, 2 cans of beans drained and rinsed, and 2 cups of organic chicken stock or broth.  Heat up covered about 10-15 minutes over medium flame, taste to see if you need any more salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes.  Serve with brown rice.

Then I used 2 cans of northern beans, drained, 2 cups of organic chicken stock or broth, a little more fresh thyme,

The Gravy In This Pot Roast Is Rich And Delicious! 

If you like pot roast, this is a pretty good recipe for it.

• 3 - 4 pounds of rump or bottom round foast beef
• 1 tablespoon light olive oil or other vegetable oil
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• 1 large onion, cut into a medium dice
• 1-8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock (I used Kitchen Basics)
• 1/2 cup water

Season the meat on all sides with kosher salt and pepper (I use regular ground pepper for this). Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a dutch oven or pot. Add meat and diced onions to the dutch oven or pot and brown the onions and the meat (on all sides) over a medium to high heat for about 10- 15 minutes. The onions should be really browning along with the meat. You should have lots of browned bits on the bottom and along the sides of the dutch oven or pot. Then take the meat out (temporarily). Add the beef stock and water to the dutch oven or pot. This is called deglazing.  Keep the flame on low, and use a wooden spoon to mix all the browned bits in with the liquid. Those browned bits are what really give flavor to the pot roast and the gravy. Add the tomato sauce, and mix in with the wooden spoon. Put the meat back in. Smoosh the meat around in the gravy. Cover the dutch oven or pot. At this point, you can either cook the pot roast on the top of the stove over the lowest flame if you are using a regular pot. If you are using a dutch oven, then place it in the oven at 325 degrees for 2 1/2-4 hours, depending on the thickness of the roast. If you are cooking the pot roast on top of the stove, turn the meat every 1/2 hour. Even if you are cooking the pot roast in the oven, you can turn it over every half hour, but this is not necessary. Check the meat after 2 1/2 hours to see if it is tender. A fork should go in quite easily when it is done. Thicker pieces of meat will definitely require more time.  When it is done, take the pot roast out of the pot or dutch oven to rest on the counter for a few minutes.

Then make the gravy. You can do two things. You can serve the gravy as is right from the pot, which is basically au jus, or you can make a thicker gravy using about 1 1/2 cups of the pan drippings.  To do this, take about 1 1/2 cups of the au jus out of the pot, and put it through a sieve or strainer. Then pour the liquid into a small saucepan. Whisk in about 2 tablespoons of flour until you can’t see any of the flour. Bring to a simmer, and simmer for about 3-5 minutes until thickened. If the gravy is too thick, add a little water. If you think it’s too thin, turn the heat off, add a little more flour, whisk it in, and then simmer for a few more minutes. (For those who like au jus or the natural gravy, you should still have some of that left in the pot to serve.)

Slice the roast with a sharp knife into about 1/4 inch thick slices. Place on serving platter and either drizzle some of the au jus or gravy over it, or serve it with the au jus or gravy on the side.

Note: You can make this in a crock pot, but you should do the first steps of browning the meat and onions as stated above. Instead of cooking the meat in the oven or on top of the stove, transfer it into a crock pot, and cook on low for about 4-5 hours until tender.

Serving Suggestions: Serve with either baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles.

This Is A Wonderful Chicken Recipe For A Beginner Cook! 

When I got married, I found a recipe in my Southern Living magazine for barbecued chicken.  I played with the recipe until it was perfect.  I made this chicken all the time, and my ex-husband Joe and my mother and father especially loved this chicken.  I still make this chicken for barbecues.  My family and friends go crazy for it!  I haven’t found another recipe as good as this in 30 years, and what’s great is how easy it is to make!

• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1 tablespoon brown mustard
• 1 tablesoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• a sprinkling of garlic powder
• about 10 grinds of black pepper 

to make the sauce:

Whisk all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. 

to make the chicken:

There are two ways you can make this. 

Method 1:  Brush some sauce on both sides of the chicken.  Then grill the chicken on a low setting for about 40 minutes, turning often and making sure the chicken is not burning.  Brush some more sauce on the chicken.  Then turn the heat up, and let the skin start to brown, turn a few times until the chicken is done, about 15-20 more minutes.  When you cook the chicken from start to finish on the grill, you have to watch the chicken carefully, because if the flame is too great, the outside of the chicken will burn before the inside of it is done.  

Method 2:    Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place the chicken pieces on a half sheet pan covered with aluminum foil.  Season the chicken with kosher salt and pepper.  Bake for about 45 minutes.  Then preheat your grill to medium.  Brush both sides of the chicken with the barbecue sauce.  Grill your chicken, turning it as it starts to caramelize, and brushing it with more sauce if necessary.  The chicken will only need to cook for about another 15-20 minutes on the grill to finish off the cooking and to give the chicken a really good barbecue glaze.

Learn To Make This Delicious Fried Veal Or Chicken Cutlets With Fried Potatoes!>
I have many wonderful memories from my childhood associated with the Linder family. Chippy and Dave Linder and their children Meryl and Michael were very, very close friends of our family, and I loved being with them. What a wonderful family they were! I especially loved being around Chippy. She had (and still has) a quick wit. She just had a unique way of saying things; I never wanted to miss one word. Everything that came out of Chippy’s mouth seemed to have a touch of common sense and wisdom, tinged with humor. A memory I have is sitting in her beautiful kitchen on Buttfield Drive in Plainfield, New Jersey and just enjoying being there and listening to her talk. Anyway, I’m pretty sure that Chippy got this recipe from her wonderful and legendary mother in law, Rose Linder. This recipe calls for veal cutlets, but when I have made it, I have used chicken cutlets. If you try this recipe, you will not be disappointed!

• 1 pound of veal or chicken cutlets
• matzoh meal
• corn flakes crumbs
• 2 pounds of potatoes
• 2 eggs
• fresh cracked black pepper
• kosher salt
• paprika
• corn or light olive oil for frying

Parboil about 2 pounds of small red or small yukon gold potatoes until they are just starting to get soft. (If you are using red potatoes, you can leave the skins on. If you are not, then peel the potatoes before you parboil them.) As soon as you can pierce the potatoes with a fork or a knife, drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Slice into 1/4 inch thick slices, and sprinkle with a little kosher salt (if you are using salt) and paprika, and set aside.

Crack 2 eggs into a bowl and mix with 2 teaspoons of water, some kosher salt, and some fresh cracked pepper. Then pour equal amounts of matzoh meal and cornflakes crumbs onto a plate. Dip the cutlets first into the egg mixture on both sides, and then into the matzoh meal and corn flakes crumbs mixture on both sides. Then sprinkle some paprika on top of the cutlets. Pour some oil in a large frying pan, only about 1/8 of an inch high. When the oil is hot, place cutlets in. Toss the sliced potatoes in with the veal or chicken. As you fry and turn the cutlets and the potatoes, the potatoes will start to brown and pick up some of the crumbs too. Fry the veal or chicken and the potatoes until they are beautifully browned. Serve.

Note: I recommend that you use a really big non-stick frying pan (industrial size) which you can purchase at Costco or at a restaurant supply store.

This Delicious Recipe For Brisket Is As Delicious As It Is Easy!

This recipe comes from a very special family, the Slotnicks.  If I had to name one or two people (outside of my parents and my children) who helped me out during very tough years in my life, it would be this family.  Richard, Barbara, and their son Michael are just wonderful people.  They were ALWAYS (and still are) there for me and my children, especially my son Benji.  The Slotnicks are mensches (a mensch is a person with a good soul). 

I have been lucky to eat Barbara’s delicious food on more than one occasion.  I ate this brisket once at their house, and it was delicious.  The secret of this recipe is that it uses really easy ingredients to create a flavor that is rich and delicious!  Please try this.  You won’t be disappointed!

3 12 oz. cans of apricot nectar

3 packages of Lipton’s onion soup mix )

4 - 5 pounds of brisket, first cut (one or two pieces)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pour 1 can of nectar and 1 packet of onion soup mix in the large pan you will be using to bake the brisket.  Stir the soup into the nectar to dissolve.  Place brisket fat side down into the pan.  Sprinkle the second packet of onion soup mix over the brisket.  Then pour the second can of nectar over the soup mix.  Repeat with last packet of soup mix and last can of juice.  Make sure the soup mix is mixed in well with the nectar.  There will be a lot of liquid.  That is okay.  Cover the pan tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil. 

Bake 3 1/2 hours.  Take out.  Check meat.  If your fork goes in very easily, then the meat is tender and it is done.  If you feel there is a little resistance when you put the fork in, cover the meat again, and bake it for another half hour.  If most of the liquid has evaporated, add some more water before you put it back in the oven.  Take out, and make sure meat is tender.  Let it cool in the gravy for about a half hour.  Then take the meat out, put it on a plate, and let it cool another half hour to hour before you slice it.  If you do not have enough gravy in the pan because it has evaporated and reduced, then you can add some water to reconstitute the gravy.  The reduction in the pan will be very rich, so adding some water will not hurt the taste of the gravy. 

When the meat is cool, slice it about 1/4 inch thick.  Then carefully place the slices back in the gravy. 

Note 1:  You can cook this up to three days in advance of serving it.  It will keep fine in the refrigerator. 

Note 2:  If you are having a hard time figuring out how to slice the brisket, turn it over.  You will be able to see how the grain is running by looking at the flat side of the brisket.  Look at the lines that are running parallel to each other in the meat.  Then, slice the meat so that your slices make a right angle with the parallel lines in the meat.  Once you figure out how you will be slicing the meat, you can turn it back over and begin.

Note 3:  I use an electric knife to slice my meat. 

Note 4:  If you like thicker or thinner slices, slice it accordingly. 

Note 5:  I have occasionally had to cook my brisket for up to 4 1/2 hours, believe it or not.  Sometimes the meat will be tough, and it just might need that extra time to become tender.

If You Make This Meatloaf Recipe, You Will Never Cook A Dry Meatloaf Again!  

This is another favorite recipe of my mother’s. And this was one of the few meat dishes that my father really loved. When I make meat loaf, this is the recipe that I usually use. I think this recipe came from one of my mother’s wonderful friends, Anita Lapidus. The first time I had this was at a fund raising dinner at the wonderful temple we belonged to in Plainfield, New Jersey, Temple Beth El. They served this meatloaf as the main course. We loved it, so my mother started to make it regularly. Now, I make it for my mother, she freezes the leftovers, and uses it for dinners during the winter.

• 2 pounds of good chop meat – I use 85% lean
• 2 tablespoons Lipton’s onion soup mix
• 8 ounces unsweetened applesauce
• 1 small can tomato sauce (8 oz.), plus enough ketchup to make 1 ½ cups
• ½ cup plain bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, mix together the meat, the onion soup mix, the apple sauce, about 1/2 cup of tomato sauce and ketchup mixture, and bread crumbs - as gently as possible. Spoon some of the reserved tomato sauce mixture on the bottom of a 13 x 9 in. Pyrex baking dish. Put the meat mixture in the dish. Shape the loaf so that it is about 10 inches long by about 7 to 8 inches wide by about 4 inches high. Brush the remaining tomato sauce mixture all over the top and sides of the meatloaf. Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

This Meat Sauce is the Tastiest Meat Sauce  You Will Ever Eat!    This recipe was adapted from my Aunt Sally’s recipe for her spaghetti and meat sauce.  If I had to name the all-time favorite family recipe of my immediate family and my Aunt Sally and Uncle Nat’s family, it would be this recipe for spaghetti with meat sauce.  My cousins Paul, Bobby, and Janie, and my brother Kenny and I all loved this dish.  And when you are dealing with picky eaters, and my cousin Janie and my brother Kenny would both get first place in that category, that’s pretty good.

My mother made this recipe at least once or twice a month.    My father also adored this dish, and it was one of the few meat dishes he really loved.  I can picture my wonderful father sitting across from me eating his spaghetti and sauce with pure delight as he sopped up some of the extra sauce with one piece of garlic bread after another.  My father always had a piece of garlic bread in his left hand at all times!  I still remember the bowl that my mother used to serve the sauce in.  It was a pink, plastic bowl.  (Just the other day when I was over my mother’s house, I checked up in the kitchen cabinet to make sure that pink bowl was still there.  I was actually relieved when I found it.  It’s amazing how we can associate certain inanimate objects with some of our most treasured memories.) Anyway, back in the day when my mother brought that bowl of steaming, red, thick sauce over to the table, I thought I was in heaven!  I couldn’t wait to spoon a ton of that sauce on top of my plate of spaghetti.

When I began to cook for my own family, of course this became one of my children’s favorites.  Of all my children, my youngest son Benji was the one who really went crazy for this.  He literally would (and still does at 18 years old) pick the plate up and lick every last drop of sauce off the plate.  Benji could eat this 3 times a week and never get tired of it.  I loved watching Benji eat his food!   Of course, I also enjoyed cooking this dish for my parents.  I got such pleasure looking across the table at my parents as they enjoyed my spaghetti and meat sauce the same way my parents kvelled (Yiddish for beamed) as they watched me devour my plate of spaghetti when I was a child.

The meatballs were something I added because my children started to request them.  My mother contended that there was no need for meatballs, since there was so much meat in the sauce.  But my father loved the meatballs, and so did my children, my husband, and I.  So the meatballs stayed, and I’ve been making the meatballs ever since.  These meatballs are light and juicy and tasty.  Everyone who eats them says they are the best meatballs in the world!  Oh, and don’t forget to try my recipes for my Aunt Sally’s Amazing Garlic Toast and Shirley’s Easy but Delicious Garlic Bread!

for the sauce:

• about 2  pounds chop meat- 85% - 90% lean (original recipe called for 2 1/2 lbs)
• 2 medium onions or 1 large onion
• 6-7 garlic cloves
• 4-26 oz. boxes of Pomi strained tomatoes or 4-28 oz. cans whole plum tomatoes in either thick puree or tomato juice - You don’t need to do anything with the Pomi strained tomatoes; they are already pureed.  If you are using the plum tomatoes in the can, then you will need to put the tomatoes into the bowl of the food processor with the metal blade, reserving the puree or juice in the cans, and pulse until the tomatoes are just slightly chunky- about the consistency of chunky applesauce.  If you use tomatoes in thick puree, your sauce will be thicker.  If you use tomatoes in juice, then your sauce will be a little less thick.  I use the Pomi strained tomatoes because they are amazing, and they don’t need to be chopped or processed in the food processor!)
• 3 6-oz. cans of tomato paste- I usually use Contadina or organic if I can find it.
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• kosher salt to taste (about 2 teaspoons)
• freshly ground pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon)
• red pepper flakes to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)
• herbes de provence or Italian seasoning (about 1/4 teaspoon)
• light olive oil- about 1/4 cup

for the meatballs (meatballs are optional):

• 2 pounds of chop meat (85% - 90% lean)
• 2 eggs, large or extra large
• 1/2-3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup ketchup
• kosher salt, ground or freshly ground pepper to taste

Peel and cut onion into quarters.  Put quartered onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade.  Pulse until onions are very finely chopped and look about the consistency of apple sauce.  (In the original recipe, the onions were not this finely chopped, but I started to do this because my children did not like to see pieces of onions in their sauce.) Then peel and crush garlic cloves and set them aside.  Put about 1/4 cup oil in bottom of very large pot.  Sprinkle the red pepper flakes in the oil  Heat for a minute.  Add the onions, and saute for 5 minutes or so until totally translucent.  Add the crushed garlic.  Cook for one minute more.  Add the 2  pounds of chop meat.  Cook for 2 minutes or so.  You do not really want to brown the meat too much.  (I use a potato masher to make sure the meat does not clump up while it is starting to cook.)  Add all of the Pomi strained tomatoes, or all of the plum tomatoes which you have processed as well as the reserved puree or juice.  Then add the tomato paste.  Mix well with a spoon or a potato masher to totally incorporate the meat with the tomatoes. (I use a potato masher because it works great!)  Add salt and pepper.  Cook covered over a low flame for about an hour, mixing every 15 minutes or so.  Then add some more seasonings, the 1 teaspoon of sugar, and a light sprinkling of herbes de provence, and maybe some more salt.  Cook for another half hour to hour,  mixing every 15 minutes.  If you are not adding meatballs, continue to simmer over a very low flame for another 1-2 hours until the sauce has turned a deeper red, and the sauce is done.  Check for seasoning every so often, and add more salt or red pepper flakes if you like your sauce a little hotter.  Your sauce should have cooked somewhere around three hours altogether if you are not making meatballs.

If you are adding meatballs,  prepare them while the sauce is simmering.  You will want to add the meatballs about 1 1/2 hours after the meat sauce has been simmering.  So you have plenty of time to get them ready to go into the pot of sauce.   In a large bowl, place the 2 pounds of chop meat.  Add 2 eggs, about 1/2 cup of bread crumbs, about 1/2 cup of ketchup, and about 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper .  Mix gently with a large fork or with your clean hands.  If the mixture seems too dry, add a little more ketchup.  If it seems extremely loose, add a little more breadcrumbs.  Do not over-mix.  Make your meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Set them aside on a large plate until you are ready to place them in the sauce.

As mentioned above, add the meatballs into the pot after the sauce has been simmering for  to 1 1/2 hours over a very low flame.  Carefully place the meatballs in the sauce.  Cover the pot, and after about 20 minutes, take the top off, and rotate the meatballs gently.  You can be less gentle after the meatballs have cooked and firmed up some.  Continue to simmer the sauce covered on the lowest flame possible for another 2 hours or so after you put the meatballs in.  During this two hours, mix every 15 minutes or so.  Taste periodically, and add more salt, pepper, hot pepper flakes if you think it’s necessary.  When you mix, be sure to get to the bottom of the pot to insure the sauce doesn’t burn. Serve over pasta.

Note #1:  This sauce is very meaty.  You can reduce the meat to 1 pound or 1 1/2 pounds and the sauce will still turn out great!

Note #2:  Freeze any leftovers in quart containers, dividing the meatballs evenly between the containers.

Note #3:  I usually double this recipe when I make it, and I use 1 huge pot or 2 very large pots.  If you are doubling the recipe, you can reduce the meat in the sauce from 4 to 3 pounds, but still use the 4 pounds of meat for the meatballs, because you can never have too many of these meatballs.

Note #5:  If you enjoy casual entertaining, make this and serve it with salad and garlic bread, and everybody will be happy!  Try my recipes for Aunt Sally’s Amazing Garlic Toast or Shirley’s Easy Garlic Bread!

After I made a batch of the sauce, my son Benji, loved it so much (I think he was a senior in high school around 2007) that he actually sat down on the floor of the family room with me and asked me exactly how I made that particular batch, and wrote down the recipe- so that he could make it someday himself.  I just found his written copy of the recipe (he is now going into his senior year of college), and as a tribute to how much he adored eating it and even more how much I love making it for him and watching him lap it up, I am writing it down here- exactly as he wrote it.

Judy Kahn’s Meatballs & Meatsauce

1) Coat bottom of big pot with olive oil.

2) Crush and put in 7 large garlic cloves.

3) Sautee 1 minute.

4) Put in 2-3 very large chopped in prosessor onions (very fine).

5) Sautee 1-2  min.

6) Put in 2 1/2 - 3 lbs chopped meat.

7) Use potato masher to mash meat.

Add 6 boxes of Pomi strained tomatoes.

9) Add 4 small cans of tomato paste (Contadina).

10) Mash up.

11) Add salt & pepper, herbs de provence (1/4 tsp.), 1 tsp. sugar, crushed red pepper.

12) Simmer w/top on (low heat) 1 1/2 hours.

Meatballs

1) 3 lbs. chopped meat.

2) Add 3 eggs.

3) Add 1 cup ketchup.

4) Add 3/4 cup Jason’s plain breadcrumbs.

5) Add salt, pepper.

13) Add meatballs to sauce.

14) Cook 1 1/2 hours low heat (covered)