Something a little different for Recipe Round Up this week – instead of sharing just one recipe I’d like to talk about five different ways you can cook with mince. Although red meat is generally considered pretty unhealthy these days we try to use 5% fat mince when we can which I hope helps a little. Plus, I figure as long as you’re not using red meat every night it’s not the end of the world, eh?
Some of the recipes below are mine and some I’ve borrowed from my favourite online places:
Asda Good Living – Asian Style Mince
We think of mince as being quite a traditional British ingredient which is why I really like this Asian twist on it. It’s great as an alternative to the more traditional stir-fry & rice.
I tend to get meal planning ideas from all over the place – online obviously but often keep hard copy recipes from magazines and newspapers to add to my file. I found this one in Good Living magazine and I’m really happy to find it online too to share with you.
This is a cracking dinner from a fellow Essex person. My dining room bookshelves are close to collapsing with cookbooks (I just got two more for my birthday!) and at least four of them are Jamie Oliver’s. I may not always agree with Jamie’s political grandstanding but there is no denying the deliciousness of his recipes. This one is from his 30 Minute Meals book and we have it very regularly. The bacon & tomato butter beans are a really yummy side dish too.
This is one of our family favourites and a great way to pack in some extra veggies, especially if your kids are a little fussy about them.
Chilli Con Carne
I make this almost identically to the bolognese above except I switch the broccoli, cauliflower & carrot for kidney beans and two teaspoons of chilli powder (feel free to experiment with more or less, depending on how hot you like your food). Serve with rice, tortilla chips and a spoonful of sour cream – we usually have this once or twice a month.
Stuffed Peppers
You may be able to tell from my other recipes, peppers are my number one favourite vegetable, especially the sweet red ones. I was going to share a full recipe for stuffed peppers today before I realised that really you can stuff them with anything you like, so just feel free to experiment! Here’s a really simple example to get you started.
- Slice the tops off two red peppers and scrape out the seeds and white parts. Rub in olive oil and set aside on a baking tray.
- Stir-fry some onion & garlic until softened.
- Add 250g mince and cook until browned.
- Add a beef stock pot, two tablespoons of Worcester sauce, half a teaspoon of paprika and a generous splash of water. Cover and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Meanwhile cook some vegetable cous cous and grate a handful of cheddar or mozzarella cheese
- Spoon the mince mixture & cous cous into alternate layers inside the peppers before topping with breadcrumbs and grated cheese.
- Bake in the oven for around 20 mins at Gas Mark 6, or until the peppers are slightly softened and the breadcrumbs are golden.
For more easy family recipe ideas, check out the Recipe Roundup page.
Related posts:
BBQ Sausage, Bacon & Bean Summer Stew
