Meat-Lover's Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce (Slow Cooker)

I have to admit, I'm a spaghetti sauce snob. I was raised on the best of the best. My mom had her own recipe, perfectly simmered for hours and full of meat and veggies. My grandma had her own recipe, and so did all my aunts. Each and every one was fantastic, although I'm biased towards my mom's. None of those wimpy, thin sauces you often see in restaurants.

I love making her sauce, but I don't always have the time to devote to it, so I found a recipe for Meat-Lover's Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce on allrecipes.com. My interest was immediately peaked, given the great reviews and the "Meat Lover" part of the title.  Being raised on meat-heavy meals, I expect my spaghetti sauce to be pretty hearty. 

I personally didn't think there was enough meat in here to warrant a Meat Lover title, so I upped the amount of sausage to a half pound. It still could have used more. Next time I will add in another full pound of ground beef/pork mix, shaped into meatballs and cook them in the simmering sauce to absorb all the flavors.

Here are the changes I made to the recipe. I added in:

• 1 shredded zucchini
• 2 shredded carrots
• 1/2 diced green pepper
• 8oz sliced fresh mushrooms

Because the veggies were cut so small, they were barely noticeable (not that that's a good or bad thing), but they added a whole other dimension of flavor.  I also didn't really see a need to use both Italian Seasoning, then later on use each of those herbs individually. I'd recommend just skipping the Italian Seasoning altogether, and just adding in about 1/2 - 3/4 tsp of whatever herbs you'd like, be it basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, and/or thyme.

Because I am watching my calories and carbs, I chose to serve this over spaghetti squash. Did you know that 1 cup of spaghetti squash only has 31 calories and 7g of carbs VS 1 cup of pasta which has 221 calories and 43g of carbs!!!

Although I prefer my mom's recipe for sauce, I'd definitely make this again. It makes 8 servings, and it's perfect for dinner and a couple lunches, and freezing half for later use.

Mazola Corn Oil - Part of a Heart-Healthy Lifestyle?

Today is a special day for me. It marks exactly one year since I started my "Get Healthy" journey. I have done this by exercising regularly and logging my food in the My Fitness Pal app on my phone. I have lost 60lbs and have kept it off. My journey has turned into a permanent lifestyle, one that has made me healthier than I have been in years.
 

Having an unhealthy diet may contribute to your risk of heart disease, so it's very important to take care of your body and what you put in it. Did you know that corn oil lowered LDL cholesterol by 10.9% compared to extra virgin olive oil’s 3.5% reduction, making corn oil more effective? Corn oil is naturally rich in phytosterols, compounds that block the absorption of cholesterol. In recent years the push has been towards using olive oil in everything because olive oil was thought to be much healthier. With this new study, it's nice to know that using corn oil is just as good, if not better than olive oil. Corn oil is also more versatile because of the higher smoke point. Learn more about the healthy benefits of cooking with Mazola® Corn Oil here.

What I really enjoy about using corn oil is that it's nearly flavorless, unlike olive oil, so it won't overshadow or impact the overall flavor of your dish. I made two FABULOUS recipes this past week using Mazola® Corn Oil that are sure to wow your family and guests too!

The first was Sweet & Spicy Salmon with Grapefruit Salsa. This is a really impressive meal, worthy of a fine restaurant price. I would definitely make this again to impress guests. It comes together quickly and is packed with flavor. I loved the combination of flavors...the buttery salmon with the slightly spicy rub was a perfect match for the tartness of the ruby red grapefruit salsa. Next time I will grill the salmon instead of baking it in the oven because I love anything cooked outdoors on the grill! This is a very colorful, summery dish that screams casual backyard BBQ as much as it does upscale indoor dinner party. If for any reason anyone in your household cannot have grapefruit because of drug interactions, feel free to substitute blood oranges, mango, or even pineapple.

 

The second recipe I made was Pork Carnitas with Cilantro Tomatillo Sauce. I have to admit I was skeptical of this one. The flavors and cooking method do not scream carnitas to me. Carnitas are normally braised or roasted as a whole pork shoulder/butt, then shredded and served. In this method, you cut the meat into small cubes and simmer it. Because the pieces of meat are so small, no shredding is required - and in fact it'd be pretty tedious trying to shred such small pieces.

 

This is basically a shortcut way to have pork tacos if you don't want to wait hours for traditional carnitas, but don't let the shortcut fool you! The flavor is AMAZING. Do not substitute any other cut of pork for the pork shoulder. The pork shoulder, because it is fattier, lends so much flavor to the overall dish. The fat renders down and all the flavors come together in a perfectly-spiced, melt-in-your-mouth meal. The Tomatillo "Sauce" (which should be called a salsa - it's definitely NOT a sauce) comes together very quickly in a matter of minutes. The only thing I'd suggest adding is a sprinkle of salt.

 

 

 

For more delicious recipes, check out the Mazola® Recipe Collection on allrecipes.com.