Beef & Vegetable Bolognese
Got kids that don’t like veggies? This one is for you!
This recipe can be made to suit whatever veggies you have in the fridge and it’s a great way to sneak a little extra veg into your day without too much whinging!
Use whatever veggies you have on hand and have fun with it. This recipe is just a guide. My non-negotiables are the carrots and zucchini. I add extra of these if I don’t have any other veggies, but I also add whatever veggies I have like broccoli stems, mushrooms, baby spinach etc. You could even add some olives or capers!
A note on the bone broth: make sure you use a good quality broth without the nasty additives you find in stock powders from the supermarket. Or make your own.
A note on the instructions: these are Thermomix instructions, however you can grate/dice all of your veggies by hand or using your food processor.
WHAT YOU NEED.
1 kg beef mince
1 large onion, finely diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 zucchini, grated
2-3 carrots, grated
4-6 tomatoes, diced
2 stalks of celery
1/4 - 1/2 red capsicum
120g tomato paste
2 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 - 3/4 tsp black pepper
2-3 tbsp dehydrated broth powder or 1 cup liquid bone broth (optional)
Splash of balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Water
What To Do.
Heat your frypan (or large saucepan) to medium and add olive oil.
Finely dice your garlic on speed 9 by dropping the garlic in through the whole while the blades are running. Scrape down the sides and add onion. Chop on speed 5 until finely chopped.
Add to the frypan and saute until it starts to become clear, then add your mince and brown.
While your mince is browning, add all of your vegetables to the Thermomix bowl and blitz on speed 5 - 6, depending on what consistency you like. Scrape the sides if necessary and blitz again to ensure all of the veggies are even.
Add your herbs, spices, dehydrated broth, salt and pepper to the mince and continue to brown.
Once your mince has browned enough, add your veggies, tomato paste, liquid broth (if you are using) and balsamic and stir through.
Add water if you need some extra liquid, then place the lid on and reduce to simmer for 30-60 minutes. The longer, the richer the flavour.
Serve with your favourite pasta, parmesan cheese and some finely diced fresh herbs if you like.