My Mum's Spaghetti Sauce of the Week

  My mum makes huge batches of this stuff for topping pasta, but it's also just good almost like a chili with a big hunk of bread. Add beans and a couple serranos and this becomes chili. I recall it being awesome, and it's uber-simple. It cans and freezes well and serves about 15 hungry folks. It's also probably the least vegan thing on the planet.

Here she flies.

Get out the biggest pot you own and simmer 5 pounds of ground beef for about 35 minutes, until much of the fat has rendered. Drain all but a touch. (You could also use 3 1/2 pounds of veggie-burger or TVP-type stuff with 3 tablespoons oil to make it vegan too).

Chop 2 yellow onions , 3-5 stalks celery and 1 pound mushrooms and add to the brew. Simmer a few minutes and add one entire bulb of chopped garlic.

Quickly add 1 28oz (800ml) can of diced tomatoes and either 2 large jars of quality tomato sauce (Mum always uses Ragu if she uses bottled) or 1 1/2 litres homemade.

Add 1 teaspoon celery seed, 3 chili peppers (crush em) 1 tablespoon each parsley and basil and simmer the whole works for about an hour.

Like everything else your mum makes, it is awesome at once and BEYOND the next day.