Like many people, 2009 has been a very rough year for me financially.  Luckily for me I am able to draw on my experiences as a starving musician to help stretch those food dollars farther than I ever thought humanly possible.  5 years of living in the Downtown East Side of Vancouver B.C.  taught me everything I know about the value of a dollar.

For those of you who know the area and would like to entertain yourselves with a little field trip visit the following addresses: 816 East Hastings Street and 550 Prior Street. Send me photos proving you were there and I might buy you a bottle of wine.

Let’s get to it shall we?

Supplies: (some of these are in metric and I don’t feel like converting, most canned items have both units)

2 quarter pound hamburger patties…………..$1

170 grams of Mexican style Chorizo…………..$1

250 grams no name tomato sauce……………. 56 Cents

411 grams whole peeled tomatoes……………. 67 cents

737 grams no name spaghetti sauce………….$1.27

half a yellow onion, diced………………………. 16 cents

a third of a green pepper diced………………. 25 cents

box of no name brand spaghetti noodles…  88 cents

In a big sauce pot, turn on to medium heat, let warm and then add olive oil, then pour in the contents of the whole peeled tomato can including the water.  Turn to medium low and cover 10 minutes, then add Chorizo, cover 10 minutes.  Then add uncooked burger patties.  With a sturdy spatula break apart beef and Chorizo and quarter the whole peeled tomatoes.  Continue until the beef is cooked.  Then add Italian spices and 3 shakes of salt and some coarse ground black pepper.  mix and immediately add tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, cover and cook on low heat 30 minutes.  Add green peppers and turn burner to really low heat and cook uncovered for another hour.

It is important to keep the heat low so the sauce is not boiling or simmering.  Every couple of seconds you should see a “plop” in the sauce, a bubble.

Boil the pasta, drain and add your sauce on top.

This recipe should make enough to feed 6 Adults for less than a dollar each!

enjoy!