BASIC not BASIC

My recipes are Basic to cook but definitely not basic to taste, I am a great believer in keeping it simple & I love traditional cooking & learning new skills & tastes from other countries.

For the winter here is my tip for keeping it simple, full of flavour & considerate on the wallet.

One word – MINCE

Yes mince – beef/lamb/turkey/chicken/vegan/lentils. If you can cook a basic mince with good flavours you have the basis to:
• Lasagne
• Bolognaise
• Meatballs
• Chilli
• Curry
• Shepherds/cottage pie
• Burgers
• Baked aubergine/peppers stuffed with mince
• Baked potatoes topped with mince
• Rich ragu
• Kofte
• Mousaka
• Bobotie
• Taco’s
• Enchiladas
• Meatloaf
• Hotpot
• Samosa’s
It all starts with a good mince recipe. Here is mine:
Serves – 4
Prep time – 15 mins
Total time – 55 mins

INGREDIENTS
- 1 Tbsp rapeseed oil/ghee
- 1 medium onion – peeled and diced
- 2 carrots – peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic – peeled and crushed
- 2 ½ cups ground beef/chicken/lamb/lentils
- 2 cups mushrooms – sliced
- 2 Tbsp plain flour
- 2 tins chopped tomatoes/ 1 bottle of passata
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce/sriracha (optional)
- 1 stock cube
- Salt & pepper to taste

METHOD
- Pour the oil into a large heavy based pan
- Heat the oil on a medium to high heat
- Add the onion, & carrot & cook for 2-3 minutes, add the garlic for a further minute
- Add the mince/lentils & cook for a further 10 minutes or until brown, breaking up any large clumps of mince
- Add the mushrooms for a few minutes
- Sprinkle the flour in & mix through, cooking for another 4 minutes
- Add the tomatoes/passata, tomato paste & sweet chilli/sriracha sauce and mix well
- Add the stock cube & mix through thoroughly, then cook for another 10 minutes
- Season to taste & voila, perfect mince to start any of the above meals with.

Follow @welovebreakingfads for lots more Basic Not Basic recipes

You can follow carina at:
www.itsanaturalchoice.com 
www.breaking-fads.com 
Follow her journey on Facebook & Instagram:
It’s A Natural Choice  
We love breaking fads

​