The Complex Tomato Sauce

Reading your blog this morning, I have to share this recipe with you - and blog it for me so I can do it again!

I had made some chicken sausage recently for a different recipe - Sweet Potato and sausage hash - but I had some sausage left over, and I wanted to use it.

So, I started with a small mirepoix - the carrot was probably 5 inches long and the onion and celery were tiny. I sauteed that in oil until they sweated, then added a chopped green bell pepper and 2 1/2 chopped plum tomatoes (one half was looking a little ick). To this I added about a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and about a 1/4 cup of red wine. I brought it to a boil and then added 1 small jar of traditional prego. Then I stirred in 2 sliced garlic cloves and a little later about 2 teaspoons of sugar. OH, and the frozen chicken sausage. I let that boil, then simmer, for about 20 minutes. Then I stirred in 2 tablespoons of dried basil, maybe just one. It was sooooo good. So much better than just prego, which I have been known to serve. We all had 3 helpings.

So the chicken sausage was ground (cuisinarted) breast meat, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and lots of ground anise. I have lots of anise seed, and also some fennel. Which do you have in your grinder? I put the anise in my grinder, but it wont grind. I have to pound it in my molcajete.
I have not tried grinding anise in my grinder...I assume that it should work, since it grinds coffee beans with no trouble.
I'm cooking a lot today. The main course is turkey cutlets wrapped around stuffing. I will take pictures. I'm already tired.
The turkey cutlets looked positively delish. I am wishing I were a guest at your table.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!