Group Food: Filipino spaghetti

I am by no means a cook or chef. Growing up I got stuck peeling shrimp for dinner parties. Although I now have master shrimp peeling machine abilities, I pretty much lack any other kitchen-related skills.

The lunch team ministry at my church is called Soul Food. Now I can try out new recipes and develop new culinary skills on a guinea pig group of 30 people. What could possibly go wrong... [insert BIG smile]

FYI: There hasn't been any casualties yet. That I know of.

There is nothing more awesome than gathering around a table with friends/family/community for a meal. The Group Food labeled posts are ideas for cooking/serving for large groups. I will only put things that have worked for us. If they worked for you or did not, please let me know!

Filipino Spaghetti

Filipino Spaghetti was quite a hit a month ago so we tried to repeat our luck. Filipino food is awesome because everything is sweet, flavorful, includes tropical fruits like avocado or pineapple and is almost always fried. This is one of those non-fried dishes but it is sweet and it contains HOT DOGS! (Did I mention I like hot dogs?)

Family recipe from: Franz

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic

1 big onion

1 big carrot

1 red bell pepper

1 1/2 tablespoon small crushed pineapples (can)

1 teaspoon sweet relish

1 bottle jufran

small Hunt's tomato sauce

1pound ground meat (pork, beef, turkey, etc. Franz likes pork. I like beef.)

3 Ballpark hot dogs

oil 

salt and pepper

1/3 cup ragu (optional from jufram to become only 1/2 bottle)

water (optional)

sugar (optional)

1 package spaghetti 

parmesan cheese 

Chopper/food processors are your friends!

How To:

[pasta]

Cook according to directions. Add salt and oil to water for taste and keep noodles from sticking together. Strain when ready.

[sauce]

1. Chop garlic, onion, carrots, bell pepper.

2. Add oil to cover bottom of pot. (If you are Franz, you will sautee each ingredient separately. If you are me, you dump in everything at once.) Sauce garlic, onion, and carrots until soft.

3. Add meat and sautee until meat almost completely cooked. Color will change.

4. Add bell pepper, jufran (ragu), and tomato sauce. Mix until some of liquid evaporates.

5. Add one glob each of pineapple and relish. Salt and pepper to taste.

6. Optional, gradually add sugar to taste and water to thicken.

Serve sauce on noodles. Sprinkle parmesan on top.

Multiply batch based on size of party. For 30-40 people we probably quintupled it.

Serve buffet style.

Eat at home with a tiki cup.