Crockpot pasta meat sauce with a twist

Ok, so I know what you're thinking: "ANOTHER pasta sauce recipe!?" because of course, we all have enough pasta sauce recipes in our closet!

But hear me out!!!

1-You won't have to keep going to check up on it
2-There is a twist that will give your pasta sauce a whole new depth.
3-No cleanup to do for splatters on the counter!!!

Seriously, if you have a crockpot, DO IT!

DO IT NOW!!!!! Ok, maybe not right now because for all I know, you're reading this in bed on your laptop at 1am while your significant other is snoring away on the left side of the bed. But do it when the sun is up because you won't regret it. You will have enough to freeze and the kids will ask for seconds (And I say this so firmly because I've got proof. Picky-eaters proof!)

So, what's the twist? Ha-ha, very funny, it's not squirrel meat! (Although, those little cute furry punks who dig up our back yard are really asking for it....)

It's fish sauce. Oh, don't make that face, it's really not attractive. That's the same face my better half made when I first talked about cooking with fish sauce. Then he tasted the sauce I made the first time and hasn't stopped eating it since. Didn't even leave me when he found out what I put in it! LOL!

It's really quite quick to prep. The only part that takes more time is cooking the beef. So let's get to it!

Tramie's pasta meat sauce with a twist:
(serves... a lot...)

• 2 pounds extra lean ground beef

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes n the juice, 796ml / 28oz each

• 1 can of crushed tomatoes, 796ml / 28oz

• 4-6 tbsp fish sauce (to taste)

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 branches of fresh oregano, washed 

• 2-3 branches of fresh parsley, washed, discard stems and mince

Cook the ground beef with the garlic in a skillet over high heat. Draining the fat is optional. I don't :) Let it cool down.

Pour the 3 cans of tomatoes into your crockpot. Blend thoroughly with a handheld blender (Or in a blender and then put them in the crockpot.

Add the fish sauce. Now, this is important: I don't actually measure the exact amount, this is totally eyeballed. So add and taste slowly. It doesn't have to be salty right away, remember, you can always add more after.

Then add in the meat and the rest of the herbs. Set your crockpot on low for 6 hours.

Now go finish up your holidays shopping, because THAT will not do itself.

"Old school" spring rolls & the "real" sauce

When we were little kids in Vietnam, my cousin & I had quite a few eating habit that we would do together. One of our routines, was afternoon visits to the vendor around the corner. The lady sold fresh cut fruits, creme caramel, agar-agar jelly, "che" (Vietnamese rice pudding) freshly made "goi cuon" (spring rolls) "bi cuon" (pork rolls) and occasionally the man with his cart of "goi du du kho bo" (green papaya & beef jerky salad) was there too. Now that's what I call snacking!

My usual always included one spring roll no matter what else I ordered. It would come with a little bowl of sauce that is slightly sweet & salty, topped with a small bundle of "do chua" (pickled shredded carrots & daikon) then sprinkled with chopped peanuts.

THAT is the sauce that you're supposed to get with your spring rolls when you order in a Vietnamese restaurants, not the peanut sauce, which is Thai.

To make "old-school" spring rolls, you will need:

• A big bowl of warm water to soak the rice paper.
• Rice paper
• Lettuce, washed
• Mint leaves, washed & stemmed
• Coriander, washed & stemmed
• Asian Chives, washed (also called Garlic Chives, the part that has no flower bulbs)
• Vermicelli, cooked as according to package, drained thoroughly.
• Pork (optional, cooked & thinly sliced)
• Shrimp (optional, cooked & split horizontally)

Dip the rice paper in the bowl of water half way through, and quickly turn it to moisten the whole thing. Shake off excess & immediately place on plate. After 30 seconds or so, when the water is evaporated, you can start rolling away. Make a roll-your-own spring roll party, your friends will love it.

To make THE sauce, here is my mom's recipe:

• a dash of olive oil, or canola oil
• a few cloves of garlic
• 1/2 a small onion, sliced
• Hoisin sauce (about 1-2 cups, depends on you)
  
• a couple of spoons of water
• Sriracha hot sauce (optional)
• Vietnamese "do chua" (optional, you can buy them in Vietnamese food/sandwich stores)
  
• crushed roasted peanuts
  

In a sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat, throw the garlic and onions in and stir around until fragrant & brown.

Put Hoisin sauce in.Heat through until it starts to bubble a bit. Put in some water and stir well to blend (Put more if you like your sauce more liquid) Take it off the heat & mix in Sriracha hot sauce if you want.

This is the "old school" version of Vietnamese spring rolls, but of course you can make them with whatever you like. Add julienned green mango, bell pepper, bean sprouts, cooked fish, chicken, or cooked strips of tofu. The sky is the limit!

Lemony Peppered Shrimp on Pasta & Asparagus

Yummy. Quick to prepare. That's all I need to say!

I used asparagus, tiger shrimps and pasta meat sauce that I made & stocked in my freezer. Which you can substitute with whatever you prefer or have on hand (string beans, chicken, you get the point)

So, pour yourself a glass of wine, and here we go...

Lemony Peppered Shrimp on Pasta & Asparagus
per portion, approximately

• 6-7 asparagus (because I like a lot of vegetables) washed.
• spaghetti (the amount that you want to eat)
• 1/2 cup tomato pasta sauce (I don't like a pool of sauce in my pasta dish) with meat or without.
• a splash of olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 3-4 shrimps, shelled & cleaned
• a couple of grates of lemon zest & squeezes of lemon juice
• pepper

In a medium large pot, boil water. Throw asparagus in for about 2 minutes. Take out and dump into a pot of really cold water to stop them from cooking any longer.

Keep the water boiling, cook pasta until al dente. Remove pot from heat to drain.

Put a pan on the burner, lower heat to medium high. Put meat sauce in and stir. Heat til bubbly, which takes only a half minute or so, drop the pasta back in. Cook for another 30 seconds to a minute. Place asparagus on plate. Put pasta & sauce on top.

Bring the pan back on the burner. Heat olive oil & swirl it around. Throw in the garlic. The immediately the shrimp. Stir. While shrimps cook, add in a couple of squeezes of lemon juice. Once they are cooked, grind pepper on top, and add the lemon zest. Place on top of everything else in the place.

What? you already finished your glass of wine???? Tsk tsk tsk!!! Go on, quick! Pour yourself another and grab a fork. I won't tell....