Recipes by Lionhearted

This Ain't Yo Mama's Spaghetti

¼ cup butter
2 lbs. Italian sausage (hot or mild), casings removed
1 small onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
2 cans (6 oz.) tomato paste
2 cans (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce
2 cups water (for a long period of simmering for flavours to meld. If you don't want to simmer it as long, add less)
3 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1½ teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon of sea salt
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
¼ - ½ cup red wine (a good Cabernet ... I use Moon Light Harvest - Copper Moon)
1 lb. thin spaghetti (I use Spaghettini)

1. In a large, heavy stockpot, put in ¼ cup butter and brown Italian sausage, breaking up as you stir.

2. Add onions and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until onions are softened.

3. Add garlic, tomatoes, tomatoe paste, tomatoe sauce and water.

4. Add basil, parsley, brown sugar, salt, crushed red pepper, and black pepper.

5. Stir well and barely bring to boil.

6. Stir in red wine.

7. Simmer on low, stirring frequently for at least an hour. a longer simmer makes for a better sauce, just be careful not to let it burn.

8. Cook spaghetti noodles; spoon over drained noodles.

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Chocolate Cheesecake

I'm a tweeker when it comes to cooking, what that means is that I NEVER leave a recipe as it reads ... I always change it, however, with this cake I've never been tempted to change it because it is just D-LICIOUS!!!

Crust

1 - 9 oz. box chocolate wafer cookies
6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Filling

1½ cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
12 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 - 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Glaze

½ cup whipping cream
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Make crust

Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap outside of 9" diameter springform pan with 2¾" high sides with double thickness of foil wrap. Spray or butter inside pan. Finely grind cookies in processor (not too fine or your crust will be tough). Add butter and process until blended. Press mixture onto bottom, not sides. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

Filling

Combine cream and coffee powder in medium saucepan. Stir over med heat until coffee dissolves. Reduce heat to low. Add chocolate; whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Cool 10 minutes.

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in cornstarch. Add sour cream and vanilla; beat well. aAdd eggs 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Whisk 1 cup of cheese mixture into chocolate mixture. Return chocolate mixture to remaining cheese mixture; whisk until smooth.

Pour batter into crust. Place springform pan in large baking pan, add enough hot water to baking pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake cheesecake until softly set and slightly puffed around edges, about 1 hour. Turn off oven. Let cake stand in oven 45 minutes. Transfer springform pan to rack and cool. Cover and chill over night.

Glaze

Bring cream to boil in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat and add 4 oz. chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Pour glaze over top of cake. Using spatula, smooth glaze evenly over top. Refrigerate until glaze is set, at least 2 hours.

Using knife, cut around sides of pan to loosen cake. Remove pan sides. For beautiful cuts, rinse knife in HOT water between every slice.

This makes a large cake and it is soooo rich that the slices need to be only small wedges, so it goes really far.

Enjoy!!