Spaghetti and Meatballs (Homemade Sauce and Meatballs)

For years, I used to buy jarred spaghetti sauce. I'm not really sure why except that convenience won out over taste. A long while back, I stumbled onto a new spaghetti sauce recipe on Pinterest. After tweaking it quite a bit to suit our families taste, I am so  happy with the results. This is super easy, super quick and trust me, it puts any jarred sauce to shame! I'm ashamed that I ever bought jarred sauce, after realizing how quick and easy it is to whip up your own. I also don't know why I have never posted the recipe before this. I guess I just figured  everyone makes  their own sauce. Well....after having a conversation with a friend about how truly easy it is to make your own sauce, she asked me to please post the recipe! So here it is....enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: 
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Di-Palos-Spaghetti-and-Meatballs?cmpid=pin

For the spaghetti sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp dried basil
2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
Salt/Pepper to taste
1/4 cup sugar (you can use less if you like your spaghetti sauce less sweet)

For the meatballs:
10 oz hot Italian sausage
10 oz ground beef
1/3 plus 1/8 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
3/8 cup (1/4 cup plus 1/8 cup) grated fresh parmesan cheese
3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
3 eggs, slightly beaten
Salt/Pepper to taste

To make the sauce:
Heat 2 Tbsp of the olive oil and 3 cloves of the garlic in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add Italian seasoning, basil, tomatoes,  salt and pepper. Cook for 30 min. Add the sugar and cook another 30 minutes.

To make the meatballs:
While the sauce is cooking, mix the remaining 2 cloves of chopped garlic, Italian sausage, ground beef, mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, eggs, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Form into 8 (2 1/2 inch) meatballs.
Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 meatballs to the oil. Cook until they are browned on all sides. This takes about 10 minutes and you must turn the meatball to a new side about every 2 minutes. Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate. Repeat these steps with the last 4 meatballs.
When all 8 meatballs have been browned and are on the plate, transfer all the browned meatballs to the spaghetti sauce. Cover each meatball with sauce and cook for 30 minutes, until all the meatballs are cooked through. Serve meatballs and sauce over spaghetti.

Beer Batter Coconut Shrimp with Pina Colada Dipping Sauce

If you like the flavor of a little sweet with savory, you will love this recipe. Usually I use large shrimp, which would have made for a nicer picture, but all I had in my freezer was small shrimp. Boy they still tasted good though. The coconut gives the shrimp a nice little crunch on the outside and the dipping sauce adds a distinct sweet, tropical flavor to it.

 SHRIMP:
1 1/4 lb large shrimp
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp paprika
1 1/4 cups beer
2 cups shredded coconut
Vegetable oil

Peel and devein shrimp. *You can leave the tails intact if you would like, so it makes them easier to pick up. I usually take the tails off.

In a med bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper and paprika. Stir together. Make a "well" in the center of the flour mixture.
Pour beer into the well, and stir until batter is smooth. *The batter should be slightly thick. If you feel the batter isn't thin enough, you can always add more beer, but you do not want it too thin.
Place shredded coconut into a med bowl.
Dip the shrimp into the batter.
Dredge the battered shrimp into the coconut.
Fry shrimp in hot oil till golden brown on both sides.
Drain on paper towel lined plate.

PINA COLADA DIP
One container pina colada yogurt
1-2 tsp non fat mayonnaise

Combine pina colada dip ingedients together in small bowl.

Coconut Lime Fish with Lime Dijon Dipping Sauce

I love seafood!! I used to cook fish about 3-4 nights a week. I got out of the habit and started cooing a ton of chicken dishes. So tonight I made a fish that John and I have enjoyed many times. It's really easy to prepare and light and yummy! The coconut gives it a little sweetness and the lime gives it a little tang.

1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 tsp finely shredded lime peel
3-4 Tilapia filets (or your favorite whitefish)
1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet
2. Combine beaten egg and coconut milk in a shallow dish
3. In another shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, coconut and lime peel. Mix together.
4. Dip fillets into coconut milk mixture and then dredge into the coconut mixture.
5. Arrange fish onto baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
6. Whisk mayonnaise, mustard and lime juice together in a small bowl. Serve alongside fish