challange accepted

Today I was challenged by a friend to cook a bag of sainsburys basics mince and turn it into a nutritious flavourful meal to feed his brood of six without it looking like a pile of sawdust on a plate.

Using a few larder ingredients I put him to work as my sous chef. From my larder we grabbed the following.

• 1 large onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 carrot
• 1 stick celery
• Garlic paste 
• 12 mushrooms 
• Small packet baby plum tomatoes.

Whilst I went to my herb garden to gather some fresh basil and parsley I put my friend to work dicing the onions celery and peppers. 


After chopping the vegetables and making me a coffee my friend asks what I'd be making for him, I replied I'm not you are I'm going to supervise.

We made spaghetti bolognaise.

Here's what we did.

• In a large pan fry the onion, garlic paste, celery and carrot for about 5mins
• Add in mince and brown braking up any large lumps
• Add in peppers and the tomatoes stir all time to allow tomatoes to break up
• Add in slice mushrooms 
• Whilst I put the pasta on to boil I got him to add the basil I'd picked once he'd torn the leaves. we fed his brood plus myself and the guv'nor with enough left over to make a lasagne which will feed his brood another day.  All for the price of a bag of Sainsbury's Basic mince and a few store cupboard goodies.