Spaghetti and meatballs—healthy in modest portions

“Thanks to the iron and protein from the beef, lycopene from the tomato sauce and energy-producing carbs from the pasta, this dish is a healthy trifecta. If you stick to modest portions and lean beef, you can enjoy its benefits without overdoing it. Limit yourself to three ounces of meat and a cup of cooked pasta per serving. Pump up the health benefits by using whole-wheat pasta and adding mushrooms to the meatballs to add fiber and cut fat.”

This was on one of those ubiquitous internet lists, “10 foods that are healthier than you think.”  I thought I’d stop while I was ahead. Beef has become so expensive, it’s not difficult to “stick to modest portions.” With a nice green salad with lots of veggies, and maybe some garlic buttered bread,  this is my idea of the perfect mid-winter dinner.

Mama Linda’s Filipino Style Spaghetti

If you liked yesterday's recipe, you might try this one from Gerry Alanguilan, a Filipino cartoonist who has drawn for the X-Men, Wolverine, X-Force, Fantastic Four for Marvel, Superman and Batman comics. I saw this at Belmont Club (Richard Fernandez). It’s really funny. I don’t think I’d ever heard of banana catsup, although hot dogs with spaghetti sounds downright midwestern. Banana catsup apparently was developed during WWII when tomatoes in the Philippines were in short supply. I'll watch for it next time I wander into the international aisle at Meijer's.