Shannon here: Cozy Mystery author, Cathy Elliott shares a recipe for romance for Spaghetti with secret sauce and a chance to win a copy of her cozy mysteries, A Stitch in Crime or a Vase of Mistaken Identity. Comment or answer the question at the end of any post dated Sept 2 – 4 to enter the drawing. Two winners receive one book each, U.S. only. Deadline: Sept 12th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Cathy:
Recipe Intro:
This is Uncle Nick’s Special Spaghetti w/Secret Sauce, world famous within his family. And famous, too, within our family, adapted from (my sister-in-law) Pam Elliott’s own special sauce that is last-meal-on-earth-worthy.
It’s a recipe Thea James, my protagonist in A Vase of Mistaken Identity and A Stitch in Crime, badly wants to stick in her own recipe box. Her Uncle Nick won’t share. He says he’ll gift it to her on her wedding day. But how long must she wait?
I guess that’s another mystery. Though with Cole in the picture….
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Uncle Nick’s Special Spaghetti w/Secret Sauce (1/2 Hour Prep-Time; Serves 6-8)
Ingredients: A jar of your favorite (24 oz.) store-bought pasta sauce, extra virgin olive oil, one large onion, a green pepper, zucchini & mushrooms to taste, 4 cloves of garlic, & 1 lb. ground meat.
Note: ALL the vegetables must be fresh. The secret is in the sautéing. And in the freshness of the veggies!
1. Empty jar of sauce into a large pot & simmer on low.
2. Heat enough extra virgin olive oil to cover the bottom of a large cast-iron skillet & bring to a high heat.
3. Add chopped onion & sauté 5 minutes to soften. Then add chunks of green pepper & zucchini (if desired). Stir continuously, sautéing until the veggies are almost charbroiled to give the sauce that stove-top roasted taste. Dump everything into the sauce pot.
4. Next, brown meat (1 lb. of ground beef or turkey) & add to pot. Put more olive oil in skillet, add fresh chopped mushrooms & brown until all water is evaporated. Toss & grill until mushrooms are slightly browned.
5. Mince fresh garlic. Uncle Nick uses 4 cloves of garlic to one jar of Prego and 1 lb. of ground meat. He always says, “What salt is to normal food, garlic is to my special secret sauce.” Add garlic to mixture.
6. Simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles. One may substitute grilled chicken for ground meat.
Enjoy, with Uncle Nick’s compliments!
About Cathy: Author and speaker, Cathy Elliott, nourishes her night-owl habit by creating cozy mysteries and more on her trusty laptop in Northern California. In addition to various articles and anthology contributions, she has authored three novels: A Vase of Mistaken Identity, Medals in the Attic, and her latest mystery – A Stitch in Crime.
Connect and Learn more:
Website & Occasional Blog – www.cathyelliottbooks.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10212726-cathy-elliott
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathyelliottbooks
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/cathyelliott10/
A Stitch in Crime Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/cathyelliott10/a-stitch-in-crime-new/
About the book – A Stitch in Crime:
Thea James thought working as co-chair for Larkindale’s first quilt show extravaganza would be a natural extension of her antique business. But while organizing the busy week’s premiere events would make anyone frayed, she doesn’t expect a complete unraveling!
At the opening soirée, local matriarch Mary-Alice Wentworth is knocked unconscious and robbed of her diamond brooch. Soon a rare quilt—the main attraction and a rumored key to great riches—goes missing. Those who signed up to help Thea are strangely no help at all. What more could possibly happen?
Amid a cast of colorful characters and a tight schedule of garden galas, tea parties, and televised socials, everything is falling apart at the seams – and nothing is quite what it seems. Can Thea sew everything back together?
“…Fans of inspirational fiction will enjoy the funny, feel-good whodunit.”
Publishers Weekly Review – November 7, 2014
“…There is mystery and laughter, and Elliott’s characters are strong, confident and determined to make their mark….Fans will want to add this gem to their keeper shelf.” RT 4-Star Review November 12, 2014
Read the first Chapter of A Stitch in Crime at: A Stitch in Crime 1st Chapter
Purchase Links:
Amazon BarnesandNoble christianbook.com cokesbury.com christiansupply parable
Question: What brand is your favorite Spaghetti Sauce?
Come back Sept 4th for Cathy’s Excerpt!
This looks like a great recipe and a great book. Now, I am craving spaghetti. haha! 🙂
Hunt’s is best to me!
Prego.
WalMart brand
My stingy side says Francesco Rinaldi, but if all sauce cost the same price, then it would be Classico.
Prego has always been my favorite, even after being called such throughout both of my pregnancies. No matter the brand of sauce, this recipe sounds delicious! Although I’m slightly partial to anything this particular author “cooks” up, as she’s one of my very favorite people. 😉
Sounds like a fun story, Cathy. Thanks for doing a giveaway!
I like and agree with Uncle Nick’s statement “What salt is to normal food, garlic is to my special secret sauce.”!!
Thanks for doing the give away! 🙂
We like Prego the best.
My favorite spaghetti sauce is Ragu (Traditional).
I haven’t read any of your books, but I would love to have the chance to read this one.
My mom quilts … she might enjoy reading it too!
Thanks, Ladies, for the kind comments! I can see we have some good cooks among us. Hope Uncle Nick’s recipe gives your special sauce a special boost. 🙂 Thanks again, for dropping by.
I love spaghetti and will have to try this recipe. Thank You!
I’ve learned to make spaghetti the way my mother-in-law does (she mixes the noodles with the sauce). Wwhen there’s no time, my husband will eat Prego, but the sauce has to be on the noodles and not mixed up like his mom’s.
We started using Prego many years ago, and still like it. But we always “doctor it up” with add-ins before serving.
The recipe sounds yummy; so does the book. I love cozies. But, I will use Trader Joe’s Marinara Sauce instead of Prego.
Bonnie Engstrom
Our new family favorite spaghetti sauce is Prego. We used to like Francesco Rinaldi but it started to taste too sugary. I dont’ know if they changed the recipe.
My mom always uses Ragu and cooks the sauce, meat, and noodles in a skillet. It’s really good. But my husband likes the noodles and sauce separate. For separate, I like Prego.
My favorite sauce is Ragu and I love to mix in fresh herbs, vegetables and extra spices to make it my own special family recipe. This looks like a tasty sauce and a good book. Love the title a stitch in crime.
I usually use Ragu.