Spaghetti Bolognese

In a large pot, on medium heat, fry the following for 5-10 minutes, with 1 tbsp butter (or oil):

~ 2 sticks celery, finely diced

~ 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced

~ 1 brown onion (or red if you like), peeled and finely diced

~ 1 tsp crushed garlic

~ sprinkle of salt and pepper

~ 1 tsp dried herbs (anything like italian mixed herbs, basil, parsley etc)

When the veges are soft, add in:

~ 500g mince
~ 250g lamb mince

~ 2 tbsp tomato paste

Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and when the meat is all browned, add in the following:

~ 1 jar of pasta sauce (if I had the time, I’d love to make it from scratch however the jarred option provides a quicker option!)

~ 1/2 jar of water

After about 5 minutes, when it starts to simmer, add:

~ about 6-8 button mushrooms, sliced

~ 1/2 tsp sugar

~ 1 tsp salt

Reduce the heat to med-low and keep simmering, stirring every now and again, for about an hour or more

Serve with any pasta you like and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Individual Lamb Shank Pies

After a delicious Sunday dinner of Lamb Shanks slow cooked in red wine, we had some of the meat leftover so what better way to use the leftover meat, than to make it into individual lamb shank pies!

To start with, I took out a sheet of puff pastry from the freezer to thaw while I made the below sauce base:

~ 2 celery sticks, sliced finely
~ 1 carrot, diced finely
~ salt and pepper
~ 25g butter (about 1 tbsp)
~ 2 tbsp plain flour
~ 1/2 – 3/4 cup stock (I used chicken stock but vege, beef, veal stocks would work as well)

Heat the oven to 180C
Fry the celery and carrots in a medium pan until they are soft
Season with salt and pepper
Add in the butter, and when it is melted, sprinkle the flour in to the mix
You should see the flour absorb the butter and the mix becomes quite thick
Continue to fry for a minute or so, making sure it doesn’t burn or stick to the pan
Slowly add in the stock, stirring until the mix becomes saucy

Once I had the sauce mix ready, I added in the leftover lamb shank meat (about 2 cups worth, so if you had more than this, just increase the quantities in the sauce mix above)
Stir through, breaking up the meat
Split the meat mix into individual ramekins or any other oven proof dish that is suitable
Cut puff pastry into shapes that are slightly larger than the dish/es you are using
Wait for a few minutes for the mixture to cool slightly then pop the puff pasty lid on top
Scrunch the pastry around at the sides of the dish and brush lightly with milk (you could use egg but since I only had 3 small ones, milk did the trick) – make sure you make a cut across the top so the pie has a place for steam to escape
Bake for 15 mins at 180C (they may take a little longer depending how big the pies are)

Beef Chili

A great staple recipe which I usually have as a fallback option, as I usually have all the ingredients on hand.

~ 1 large brown onion (or red), peeled and chopped finely
~ 2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
~ 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
~ 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
~ 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
~ 1/2 tsp ground cumin
~ 1/2 tsp ground coriander
~ 1 small chili, finely chopped (or ground chili)

Heat a large pot on the stove top, add a little olive oil and place each above ingredient in, one at a time
Once everything is in the pot, reduce the heat to medium and add the following, stiring after each additions:
~ 1 tin diced tomatoes
~ 1 tin of water
~ 500g beef mince (break it up as you add it)
~ 1 tbsp tomato paste

Reduce the heat to med-low and allow to simmer for as long as possible (I find about 2 hours is the best, adding water as you need to and stirring often)
With about 30 minutes to go until serving, add in:
~ 1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
~ 1 tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
~ good splash of balsamic vinegar
~ 1 red capsicum, roughly chopped

Serve with either rice, corn chips or wraps along with some sour cream/greek yoghurt, avocado or grated cheese – garnish with some coriander leaves.

Consistency before simmering:

Serves 6 – Serving Size 336 g

Amount Per Serving (below is without the sides or the rice):
Calories 312 (Calories from Fat 60)
Total Fat 6.7g (10% RDI)
Saturated Fat 2.2g (11% RDI)
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 74mg (25% RDI)
Sodium 96mg (4% RDI)
Total Carbohydrates 29.1g (10% RDI)
Dietary Fiber 8.0g (32% RDI)
Sugars 7.4g
Protein 33.5g
Vitamin A 95% RDI
Vitamin C 66% RDI
Calcium 7% RDI
Iron 31% RDI

Mexican Shepherd’s Pie

This pie is  vegetable packed and very tasty.  It took me about an hour from start to finish, which is pretty good considering it was in the oven for 25 minutes!  I’ve adapted this recipe from Michelle Bridges’ 12 Week Body Transformation recipe.

~ 500g (about 1 large) sweet potato, peeled, chopped into chunks around 3cm square (put this on to boil first for the mash)
~ Olive oil
~ 1 onion, finely chopped
~ 2 garlic cloves, crushed/chopped
~ 2 carrots, peeled and diced
~ 1 zucchini, diced
~ 3 celery sticks, diced (I didn’t have any celery so used 1/2 large leek instead, finely chopped)
~ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
~ 1 teaspoon ground coriander
~ Pinch chilli powder/flakes
~ 200g (3.5oz) lean beef mince – you can put more in if you like
~ 1 tin (400g) diced tomatoes
~ ½ tin water
~ 1 can lentils (drained)
~ 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan or cheddar

Preheat oven to 180C
Boil the diced sweet potato in a small saucepan/pot
Fry onion, garlic, carrots and celery in some oil for about 5 mins in a large pan
Add the zucchini and cook for another few minutes
Add the spices and fry for a few minutes until fragrant
Add the mince, stirring to break up any lumps, until it has cooked through
Stir in the tomato water and simmer, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add the lentils and simmer for a few further minutes.

Mash the sweet potato with a little milk/butter until smooth
Spoon the meat mixture into an ovenproof dish, (or 4 smaller oven proof dishes).
Spread the sweet potato over the meat mixture, top with cheese
Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden.

Some other dishes you may like:
~ Quinoa Cauliflower Salad with Pistachios and Cranberries
~ Stuffed Mushrooms
~ Zucchini Slice
~ Cauliflower Rice
~ Banana Coconut Bread
~ Coconut Chia Almond Blueberry Muffins