Ahh…Comfort Food Tonight!

It is just blame cold in the Heartland tonight. The frigid north wind is howling around our small balcony and snow is a comin’ down! There is one fantastic benefit of apartment dwelling…someone else scoops the walks!! There is also one tremendous disadvantage…no garages. That means gloves, boots, ice scrapers and defrost set on high as you sit in the icy cold car waiting for a small window of visibility!

It is definitely a night for some good old-fashioned comfort food…spaghetti! I won’t go so far as to label this a nutritious meal, but trust me, it warmed our souls!

Begin by browning one pound of lean ground beef. Drain well. I go so far as to run hot water over the cooked beef.

I have been savoring this in my pantry, trying to decide that special occasion when it was time to open it and indulge…tonight was the night. (Thank-you Megan for bringing me this gift from my favorite store…Trader Joes!)

This was the base of my spaghetti sauce and then I added a couple big squirts of this….(another pantry favorite)

Followed by this…

Then I started dumping…dried basil, oregano, onion and garlic flakes, salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar!

I simmered this mixture on low for almost an hour…oola la…the smell was heavenly! I was sure tenants in our apartment building were drooling.

As if there wasn’t enough garlic going on in my kitchen, I whisked up a mixture of softened butter, olive oil, minced garlic clove, dried basil and parsley and grated parmesan cheese. Using a pastry brush, brush each side of your French bread. Wrap in foil and bake in 350 oven for 15 minutes.

The redeeming nutritive value of this meal was my whole grain spaghetti! Dump a couple handfuls in a large pot of boiling salted water. When al dente, drain and top with sauce and grated parmesan cheese. I know my pasta is done to perfection when I take a strand out of the water and throw it against my cupboard door. If it sticks, it is done! (rats, that would have made a grand photo!)

My honey informed me when he walked through the door, that he hadn’t eaten all day…so needless to say, he was quite thrilled to sit down to a meal of copious means! I won’t tell you how many times he refilled his plate.

I will repeat…this is a fantastic comfort food dinner…a day later though, my breath is still reeking of garlic!