Heather's Spaghetti Sauce-phase 1

1 lb. ground turkey
1 lb. ground chicken Italian Sausage (i used Isernios)
1 c. diced onion
2 celery stalks, diced
1 c. sliced mushrooms
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 c. pureed pumpkin
2 Tbsp. dehydrated peppers (can use fresh, prob about a cup of dices)
5 Tbsp. Thrive Tomato powder (could sub with 2 cans tomato sauce)
1 can Italian Stewed Tomatoes, pureed
4 c. water
1 Tbsp. Granulated Garlic
1 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning
1 Tbsp. Parsley
1 Tbsp. Molasses

Directions:
1. Brown both meats together and cook until juices are cooked away.
2. Add diced vegetables and cook until onions are transparent and carrots are soft. 
3. Add pumpkin, peppers, spices, tomatoes, and water.
4. Cook at a slight boil or simmer until reduced to thicker sauce.  About 10-15 min or so.
5. Serve hot on a bed of noodles, spaghetti squash (my fav) or in cabbage lasagna.


I started making this sauce to get away from all the corn syrups and HFCS.  Its pretty hard to find a good canned sauce that doesn't have that stuff in it and its almost just as easy to make it myself.  I started with just the meats and Italian stewed tomatoes with the spices and really love the idea of "sneaking" more vegetables in wherever I can and with the savory flavor of the tomatoes, I can hide a lot of them.   Maybe someday I will get out of the restaurant industry and start bottling this for all of us HFCS boycotters!

Cabbage Lasagna-phase 1

5 c. Heathers Spaghetti Sauce
1 head cabbage, steamed to el dante
16 oz. Cottage cheese (i like lowfat)
1 egg
2 1/2c low-fat Mozzarella cheese
1/2 c low-fat Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. dried parsley

Directions:
1. Mix 1 1/4 c. Mozzarella cheese, 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, cottage cheese, egg and parsley and set aside.
2. In a 13x9 cake pan, start with 1 c. Spaghetti Sauce.  Then layer with cabbage in a single layer covering large holes.  (I always have small holes)  Spread about 1/3 of cheese mix on top of cabbage. (it will not be possible to spread like butter so just do the best you can to make it even)  Add another cup of Spaghetti sauce and repeat process of layers, ending with last cup of spaghetti sauce.  Top with remaining Mozz and Parm cheeses.
3. Spray a piece of foil with Pam spray and cover lasagna.  Bake in preheated oven at 350° for 45 min.  Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes.  (Should have an internal temp of 160°.)  Let rest for 15 min before cutting and serving.

This was a big hit at a dinner we had at my aunts house and the recipe has been slow in coming.  I am going to have to make this again to get the ingredients for the Spaghetti Sauce right, so i will have the sauce on here as soon as possible...hopefully by tomorrow!