Tom Tom’s Take on Aussie Burgers With Sweet Potato Fries

Tags

AIP, AIP Reintroduction, Autoimmune Protocol, Barbecue, Burger, Dairy Free, Grain Free, Healthy Burger, Main Course, Paleo

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here. This recipe contains eggs, mustard and black pepper – all ingredients that are part of the reintroduction phase of the protocol.

The teenager is practically an adult.

A few weeks back, he indicated that it might be time that he expanded his cooking repertoire. As someone who loves to cook AND eat good food, I couldn’t have been happier.

I’ve been telling him for years that I don’t know a woman who isn’t impressed with a man who knows his way around a kitchen. And, I’m sure his girlfriend won’t mind me mentioning that I suspect she was a big motivator in this recent desire to cook.

Credit where it is due!

“If you knew how to cook, maybe I would eat,” Jace muttered.

Isabelle froze, her spoon poised dangerously. “What did you say?”

Jace edged toward the fridge. “I said I’m going to look for a snack to eat.”

That’s what I thought you said.” Isabelle turned her attention to the soup.”  (Cassandra Clare, ‘City of Bones’)

So, we locked in a night for a cooking session. That was Wednesday night. And, the girlfriend came, too. It was a lot of fun.

I figured that one of my staple slow cooked numbers wasn’t going to cut it this time. Easy to make – yes. Fast – nope. And, in my experience, most teenagers don’t have the longest of attention spans.

So, for this cooking lesson, I decided on burgers. What teenager doesn’t love a burger?

Mince (or ground beef) is an inexpensive and versatile choice of meat. Great for students. Burgers are quick to make and allow for lots of experimentation – classic beef burgers (a little like these babies); or perhaps – lamb mince with mint and a cucumber/yogurt topping for more of a Greek flavour; or even some chicken mince with coriander and a sweet chilli sauce for an Asian inspired burger.

The possibilities are almost endless!

Tom Tom (the teenager) is a big fan of my sweet potato fries. They are a much healthier choice than the traditional deep-fried version. They’re also a doddle to make.

And, what’s a burger without fries, really?

 I’m normally a burger and chips girl – such a cheap date. (Sheridan Smith)

So these burgers are made by Tom Tom. He did all the slicing and dicing. He made the burger patties and mashed the avocado. And, LM manned the barbecue. It was a male-dominated cooking affair at Casa TSL on Wednesday night. And, it was fantastic!

And, if you’re reading this Tom Tom, you’re welcome to cook for me anytime!

There is one small matter that I feel needs to be tabled before I give you Tom Tom’s burger recipe. Traditionally, an ‘Aussie burger’ will include sliced beetroot. Possibly a fried egg.

But, here’s the thing: I’m a Kiwi. And, in New Zealand, we reckon that’s called a ‘Kiwi burger’. So this burger is our version of an Aussie burger. The Tom Tom burger. We think it tastes great!

Tom Tom's Aussie Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries

• Servings: 6
• Time: 60 minutes
• Difficulty: a teenager can make it!
• Print

Ingredients:

For the burgers:

500g happy beef mince
500g happy pork or veal mince
1 x egg yolk
1 x large handful parsley, chopped
1/2 medium red onion, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 x small tin pineapple rounds
2 x ripe avocados
1 x lime, juiced
6 x rashers happy bacon

For the sweet potato fries:

6 large sweet potatoes
3 – 4 Tablespoons of coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon TSL House Sweet Potato Fries Seasoning (recipe follows)

TSL’s House Sweet Potato Fries Seasoning:

4 x Tablespoons salt
1 x Tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 x Tablespoon garlic powder
1 x Tablespoon dried herbs (I used half basil, half oregano)

Directions

1. Heat your oven to 230°C (that’s 450°F). Line a couple of baking trays with baking paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine your mince, egg yolk, parsley, red onion, garlic, and optional mustard. Get your hands in there and give it a good massage. Season generously with salt and pepper.

3. Form six patties out of the beef mixture. Pop into the fridge for while you prepare your fries. You can turn the barbecue on now to heat.

4. Peel and slice your sweet potatoes into 1/2 cm slices. Now, take the slices and cut into 1/2 cm wide fries. Throw your raw sweet potato fries into a large bowl. Toss with just enough coconut oil to coat. Sprinkle with House Seasoning and give the bowl a good jiggle to coat.

5. Spread your sweet potatoes in single layer on the lined baking trays. It’s important that you don’t overcrowd (soggy fries – no bueno!).

6. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until your fries are tender and golden brown, turning and rotating the trays occasionally.

7. While the fries are baking, pop the patties onto your barbecue for 5 to 6 minutes per side over a medium-high heat. Now’s the time to cook the bacon, too.

8. If you’re having pineapple, grill slices for 1 to 2 minutes per side.

9. peel and mash your avocado. Add a squeeze of lime juice and season with salt and pepper.

10. To assemble the burgers, top each patty with the smashed avocado, grilled pineapple, fried eggs, and any other toppings you may choose.

For the House Seasoning:

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container. Will keep for up to 6 months.

E N J O Y !

 

 

LARDACEOUS Roasted Bone Marrow with a Side of Parsley Salad

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Beef, Bone Marrow, British Food, Entree, Grass Fed, Main Course, Paleo, St John Restaurant

(Image by TSL)

If you’re going to be alive and on this planet, you have to, like, suck the marrow out of every day and get the most out of it. (Drew Barrymore)

On Saturday evening I sucked on marrow. Literally. And it was good. Really, really good!

The Linga Longa team is expanding their offerings (Yay!) and Greg had some lovely bone marrow just begging to be taken home at the markets this week. So, I did. Take them home, that is.

And, then I cooked them. That night. I couldn’t wait!

Small sidebar: Did you know that lardaceous is actually a word? I swear I didn’t make it up. It’s another word for ‘unctuous’ or ‘fatty’. And, it’s accurate. Bone marrow is almost all fat.

And, because it’s almost all fat, its critical that you ensure you’re getting your bone marrow from pasture-raised, happy animals.

Why does that matter?

Well, two main reasons, really.

The first is a no-brainer. Increased vitamin density. When you compare a pasture-raised, happy animal to her more industrially raised wee sister, you’ll find she has many times more vitamins and minerals. For example, pasture-raised, happy meat can contain up to 3 times more Vitamin E (which reduces your chances of things like heart disease and cancer).

The second is a healthier balance of fats. It’s now widely accepted that Omega-3 is the good fat we need to decrease inflammation levels in our body. Certainly, Omega-6 has its place, too – but, in a western diet, most of us are taking in way too many Omega-3, which increase inflammation. In grain-fed beef, the Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio can exceed 20 to 1. Pasture-raised, happy beef is a more balanced ratio of 3 to 1.

Kind of makes you question why you would ever eat grain-fed meat, doesn’t it?

Have you ever watched a dog chew on a bone?

Dogs know where the most nutrient dense parts of the bone are – the marrow.

When Bella gets a bone, the first thing she’ll do is try to crack it open to get at the healthy bone marrow inside.

An oldie but a goody!
(Image by TSL)

Roasted bone marrow is good for you, tastes great AND is another way to eat more sustainably. Nose to tail, if you will.

If you’re a newbie at cooking bone marrow, then I suggest soaking the fresh bones so as to remove the blood from the marrow. I don’t mind marrow bones in their natural state, but some do. It does give them a ‘cleaner’ appearance. 

All you need to do is pop your prepared bones in a bowl of ice water with a teaspoon or so of coarse sea salt for every cup water. Then, refrigerate your soaking bones for up to 24 hours, changing the salted water every 4 hours or so. 

When LM and I visited London back in 2012, we had a most memorable bone marrow course at St John Restaurant. I believe it may have been LM’s first ever experience with bone marrow. So, of course, recreating that was high on my agenda.

This recipe is adapted from a Fergus Henderson take on roasted bone marrow…

LARDACEOUS Roasted Bone Marrow with Parsley Salad

• Servings: 3 - 4
• Time: 30 minutes tops
• Difficulty: ridiculously easy
• Print

Ingredients:

6 – 8 x 8 – 10 cm long pieces of happy beef marrow bones (sliced lengthways if possible)
1 x bunch flat leaf parsley
2 x shallots
2 x Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 x Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
zest of 1/4 lemon
1 x Tablespoon capers
Himalayan sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper (omit for strict AIP)

Method:

1. Heat your oven to 230°C/450°F. Line a roasting pan with baking paper. Pop your bones – marrow facing up – into the lined pan. Roast until the marrow is soft, but not melting everywhere! This is the most delicate part of the proceedings – I put the timer on for 15 minutes, and then use my judgment from there.

2. While the marrow is roasting, prepare your parsley salad. Roughly chop your parsley. Peel and finely slice your shallots. Chop your capers. Throw all your salad ingredients into a bowl and mix. Taste for seasoning.

3. When your marrow is ready, divide the bones and salad amongst plates. Make sure you don’t forget any fat that has melted into the pan! Serve with Himalayan sea salt on the side.

E N J O Y !

As I am currently in the reintroduction stage of the autoimmune protocol, I served a side of seeded crackers with the meal. I am still experimenting with the recipe. Watch this space!

Bone marrow, parsley salad, and as yet un-perfected seeded crackers
(Image by TSL)

If you’d like to read more about lardaceous marrow, Mark’s Daily Apple has an awesome post on the unctuous goodness that are roasted marrow bones…

 This recipe feathers in the Phoenix Helix Recipe Roundtable

Easy-Peasy Lemon-Squeezey Slow Cooked Pork Neck

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Linga Longa, Main Course, Paleo, Pork, Slow Food, Slow Roasted Pork, Whole Food, Whole30

(Image by TSL)

This magical, marvelous food on our plate, this sustenance we absorb, has a story to tell. It has a journey. It leaves a footprint. It leaves a legacy. To eat with reckless abandon, without conscience, without knowledge; folks, this ain’t normal. (Joel Salatin, farmer and author of ‘Folks, This Ain’t Normal; You Can Farm‘)

My lovely friends at Linga Longa had some beautiful looking pork neck at the markets on Saturday. So I bought a little piece to slow cook for LM and myself. Alright. That was a white lie.  I actually bought quite a lot. 2 kilos worth, in fact. That’s just under 4 1/2 pounds for those of you who don’t think ‘metric’.

The recipe we have on highest rotation here at Casa TSL is my Jamie Oliver Inspired Four Hour Lamb. Only now, instead of a leg, I usually pick up a couple of shoulders and slow cook them together, which gives us oodles of meat to play with for days…

But that’s another story for another time…

Today, I decided to play around with that 4-hour lamb number, only with my pork neck, instead. And, it ROCKED!

I’m a massive fan of slow cooking my animal protein. It’s easy. It’s a great way to batch cook. The flavour is incredible. And, did I mention it’s easy? 

Step 1: Prepare your rub by bashing 6-8 cloves of garlic with thyme leaves and lard.

Step 2: Massage garlic, herb and lard mix into your pork. Add bay leaves and pop into the oven.
That’s pretty much it.
(Images by TSL)

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 4 1/2 hours
• Difficulty: Couldn't be easier
• Print

Ingredients

2 x kilos of happy, hormone free pork neck
6-8 x cloves of garlic, peeled (I used 8, but I love garlic!)
1 x bunch of fresh thyme, leaves stripped
1 x handful of bay leaves
1 x Tablespoon fat (I used lard)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (omit black pepper if on strict AIP)
1 x Tablespoon Tapioca starch/Arrowroot powder (If you’re not on AIP, use your preferred flour)
375 ml chicken bone broth (or stock)
1 x bunch herbs, finely chopped (I used parsley and a little sage)
2 x Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Method

1. Heat your oven to 220°C/425°F.

2. Using a pestle and mortar, roughly crush the garlic cloves with the thyme, fat, salt and pepper. Place your piece of pork into an ovenproof roasting dish (I used my trusty Le Creuset), pierce all over with a sharp knife and rub all over with the garlic and herb mixture. Massage for a minute or two.

3. Place the bay leaves on top of the meat.

4. Cover your roasting dish – either with a lid or firmly with foil and pop it into the oven. As soon as you close the oven door, reduce the heat to 160°C/320°F.

5. Walk away for four hours and let the meat, garlic and herbs work their magic.

6. Remove the pork from the roasting dish and onto a carving board. Cover with foil and allow to rest.

7. Discard the bay leaves. Put the roasting dish on the stove over a medium heat.

8. Mix the starch with a little bone broth and add to your roasting pan. Allow to bubble for a minute.

9. Add the rest of the bone broth, making sure you scrape all the meaty bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Turn the heat down and allow to simmer for a few minutes.

10. While the gravy is cooking, shred the pork with two forks.

11. Add the chopped herbs and vinegar to your sauce. Taste for seasoning. Serve!

E N J O Y !

This recipe features in the Phoenix Helix Recipe Roundtable

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Thighs Stuffed with Salsa Verde

Tags

AIP, Bacon, Chicken, Dairy Free, Doug Larson, Gluten Free, GRUB, Lunchbox Ideas, Main Course, Paleo, Salsa Verde, Stuffed Chicken

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Thighs Stuffed with ‘Knock Their Socks Off’ Salsa Verde
(Image by LM for TSL)

 

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon. (Doug Larson)

So, the teenager mentioned he was coming to dinner. We haven’t seen that much of him of late. He’s getting more and more independent – he finished school forever in December and then he passed his driver’s license…

I had this leftover-but-still-so-good ‘Knock Their Socks Off’ Salsa Verde sitting in my fridge… And, then LM decided it was a good day to drive to Vaucluse to visit our friends at G.R.U.B. (that’s the Grass Roots Urban Butcher, for the uninitiated)… And, then I had this brainwave – what if I put the salsa verde inside my protein of choice instead of spooning it on after it was cooked… And, of course, everything tastes better with bacon…

And so, the bacon-wrapped chook thighs stuffed with salsa verde were born.

The lovely Peter at G.R.U.B. skinned my chook filets for me. He even offered to flatten them, too. But, I have to admit to finding it strangely therapeutic to bash lovingly use a meat mallet to flatten the filets all by myself.

And, this recipe was a cracker! We’ll definitely be having these again at Casa TSL. Any leftovers make for great lunch-box fillers. I reckon it would work equally well with veal or pork, or – with a slight variation in preparation – with fish, too.

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Stuffed with Salsa Verde

• Time: Just over an hour if you have the salsa verde handy!
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

(Image by LM for TSL)

Ingredients

6 (or more!) large happy* chicken thigh fillets (boneless & skinless)
6 (or more!) rashers happy* bacon
‘Knock Their Socks Off’ Salsa Verde**
salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/360°F/Gas 4.

2. Lay chicken thighs skin side down on a board. Using a meat mallet, gently pound chicken into schnitzel thickness (that’s a technical term).

3. Cover one side of each flattened thigh with a generous spoon of salsa verde

4. Roll chicken thighs up and wrap with a rasher of bacon.

5. Secure with a cocktail stick/toothpick. Bake for 45 – 50 minutes.

* pasture raised and free of nasties

**or, sub with either your favourite pesto or – in a pinch, and to make the dish AIP compliant – a couple of cloves of garlic and freshly chopped herbs to taste

I Was a Beef Short Rib Virgin…

Tags

AIP, Beef, Beef Short Ribs, Dairy Free, G.R.U.B, Gluten Free, Grass Roots Urban Butcher, Mae West, Main Course, Nom Nom Paleo, Paleo

Korean Beef Short Ribs
(Image by TSL)

I used to be Snow White, but I drifted. (Mae West)

Our meat locker was looking a little bare after the excitement of Christmas, so LM and I took a wee trip out to G.R.U.B. yesterday. It’s a wee bit of a hike for us, but so very worth it when we get there.

I spotted some lovely looking beef short ribs while we were there. Ribs definitely are a fattier cut of meat, but when you know the provenance of your product, I’m learning to celebrate the fat!

For the uninitiated, here’s a wee diagram of where beef short ribs come from:

Where do Beef short ribs come from?
(Image from here)

I seem to keep falling over recipes for short ribs – mainly on North American blogs, where ribs are so very popular – but I’ve never cooked with them. Well, not until today, that is! 

I chose to adapt a recipe from the very talented Michelle Tam of Nom Nom Paleo because her recipes just work! She calls for a slow cooker in her version. I think I’m one of the 6 people in the world for whom slow cookers just don’t cut it. I’m not even sure I can articulate why that is. Maybe it’s because I just love my le Creuset so much? Who knows? I had a slow cooker once upon a time. I gave it away to my lovely neighbour.

Anywhoo – back to the short ribs. As with most slow cooking I do, I made a lot. I figure if you’re going to take the time to cook something for a long while, you may as well have leftovers to freeze. So, I bought just over a couple of kilos of ribs (about 4 1/2 pounds worth). If you’re making this recipe in your oval le Creuset, this amount fitted perfectly!

And, I gotta tell you, like Mae West – when it comes to short ribs – I’ve drifted. Seriously good! Seriously rich. And, LM has given his nod of approval, too.

Korean Beef Short Ribs

• Servings: 4-6
• Time: 4 Hours
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Korean Short Ribs
(Image by TSL)

Ingredients

2 x kilos grass-fed beef short ribs, give or take (my lovely butcher chopped all mine in two. Much more manageable)
salt & freshly ground pepper
1 x medium pear, cored, and chopped coarsely
1/2 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce/tamari)
6 x garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
3 x spring onions, roughly chopped
1 x thumb-sized chunk of ginger, peeled and cut in two
2 teaspoons of fish sauce
1 tablespoon coconut vinegar (or vinegar of choice)
3/4 cup bone broth (or stock – best quality available)
Handful of freshly chopped coriander as garnish

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.

2. Season the ribs liberally with salt and pepper. In a large casserole dish (with a lid) brown meat on both sides

3. Pack the ribs in a single layer in your casserole dish.

4. Place the chopped pear, coconut aminos, garlic, spring onions, ginger, fish sauce, and vinegar into a blender and purée until smooth. Pour evenly over the ribs and add the broth to the casserole dish.

5. Cover with the lid and pop into the oven for 21/2 – 3 hours.

6. Remove the lid and pop back in the oven for a further 30 – 45 minutes.

7. Remove the meat from the casserole and place onto a serving platter.

8. Let the braising liquid settle for 5 minutes before skimming off some of the fat. Check for seasoning and pour a cup of sauce over the ribs.

9. Sprinkle over the freshly chopped coriander. Serve the remaining sauce on the side.

We served our short ribs with kumara mash and roast broccoli.

By the way – how cool is this new print thing-amy WordPress has designed for recipes?

TSL’s BEST EVER Ragu Bolognese…

Tags

Alexx Stuart, Best Bolognaise Recipe, Best Bolognese Recipe, Best Lasagne Recipe, Best Pasta Sauce, Best Ragu Recipe, Cook, Dairy Free, Delia, Delia Smith, Dolly Parton, food, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Main Course, Paleo, Ragout Recipe, Real Food, Recipe, Sea Vegetable

Ragu Bolognese TSL-Style
inspired by Delia
(Image by TSL)

My weaknesses have always been food and men – in that order. (Dolly Parton)

I like to cook. Which is rather fortunate, because I also like to eat. And, as I get older I find myself becoming more particular about what I will eat, and where my food comes from.

There are times, though, when even the most passionate of cooks can’t face the kitchen. I have friends back in New Zealand who have lovely wee lamb cutlets as their ‘go to’ meal when they can’t be bothered thinking about cooking at the end of a particularly long work day. I think they may even have a super-special crumb recipe in which they coat their wee cutlets. They buy the little chops in bulk, do their magic ‘crumb-thingy’, and then freeze them in portion-size packages. Yum.

My go-to ‘can’t be bothered thinking about cooking‘ answer has long been to have portion-sized containers of Delia Smith’s Authentic Ragu Bolognese in my freezer. It’s so good and has a secret ingredient to make it seriously smooth and rich. Chicken livers. Yep. That’s right – chicken livers.

Wanna’ know why we should eat more chicken liver? Among other things, it is:

• high in protein and a rich store of folate
• loaded with iron (for energy and immune system health)
• a treasure trove of certain B vitamins, most notably B12 (guards your body against anemia, good for tissue repair).
• one of the top sources of vitamin A (which promotes good eyesight)

And, even if the idea of liver has you running for the hills, you won’t even know it’s in this recipe. True!

I used to make the ragu as part of Delia’s Lasagne al Forno. That’s no longer an option in the gluten-free, dairy-free world I now cook in at Casa TSL.* So, now I just make the ragu and have it on hand for whenever I can’t face the kitchen…

Ragu Bolognese TSL-Style
inspired by Delia
(Image by TSL)

Lately, I’ve had a wee bit of a girl-crush on Alexx Stuart of Real Food. Low Tox Living. She is a great proponent of eating real food, which just makes a lot of sense to me (and I like her pragmatic, unpretentious style). I saw her in action at the MINDD Foundation ‘Food is Medicine’ seminar. Now I like her even more!

And, as a result of Alexx’s presentation, I received a metaphorical kick-in-the-bum regarding making my own stocks from grass-fed bones again. So, this past week, I picked up some lovely bones from G.R.U.B. and made a massive batch of beef bone broth. So much, in fact, that I couldn’t fit it all in the freezer.

With all this excess broth and a need to replenish my emergency supplies of ragu, I have adapted Delia’s recipe to suit my needs. And, you know what? It works AND it’s more kiddie-friendly because there’s no wine in it. Delia’s recipe makes 8 225g portions, each serving 2 people. Mine makes more…

Ragu Bolognese TSL-Style
inspired by Delia
(Image by TSL)

Ragu Bolognese TSL-Style
(adapted from Delia Smith’s recipe)

Ingredients:
About 500g grass-fed Beef mince
About 500g pork mince (from happy pigs)
Coconut oil (or fat of choice)
About 225g chicken livers
2 x medium onions (chopped)
4 x large cloves of garlic (minced)
About 150g speck (or pancetta), chopped
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
4 x heaped tablespoons tomato paste
500ml beef bone broth (preferably home-made!)
Fresh herb of choice (basil, parsley or whatever you have to hand)
Salt & Pepper
Sea Vegetables (Optional, but soooooo good for you! I use this one)
grated nutmeg (preferably fresh)

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 140°C (275°F)
2. Heat your largest frying pan over a medium heat. Add a generous dollop of coconut oil. Gently fry the onion and garlic until softened – about ten minutes. Give it a stir every now and then.
3. Add the chopped speck to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes. Transfer to a large casserole (my beloved le Creuset holds just over 4 litres).
4. Add some more coconut oil to the pan and turn the heat up to high. Add the minced beef in batches to brown. I use a wooden fork to break it up in the pan. Add the cooked mince to the casserole. Repeat until all your beef is browned.
5. Do the same with the pork mince. While the pork mince is cooking, rinse the chicken livers and dry them with a paper towel. Trim off any sinew and chop them into teeny-tiny pieces.
6. Once the pork is browned and transferred to the casserole, heat a little more coconut oil and briefly brown the chicken livers. Add these to the casserole.
7. Place the casserole over a direct medium heat and give everything a good stir. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, bone broth and a generous seasoning of good salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the nutmeg (and the sea vegetables, if you are going to. Go on – dare you!). Stir again and allow to come to a simmer.
8. Add the chopped leaves of about half a bunch of basil or parsley
9. place the casserole in the oven (without a lid) for four hours. I give it a stir every hour or so. You should end up with a thick, unctuous meaty sauce with only a teeny bit of liquid.
10. Check for seasoning and add the remaining half bunch of your herbs.
11. When the sauce has cooled, divide it up. Delia reckons 225g feeds two people, so that’s the measure I go with. I use my scales.

Some suggestions for your ragu:

• the obvious one – over pasta, gnocchi or noodled squash or zucchini
• as a pizza topping
• as a stuffing for potato, kumara (sweet potato), eggplant, peppers or mushrooms
• as a sauce over steamed or roasted vegetable (my preferred option is over roasted broccoli)
• in shakshuka (baked eggs)
• As a super fancy-schmancy mince-on-toast

Bolognese-stuffed Eggplant
(Image from Taste)

If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him… the people who give you their food give you their heart. (Cesar Chavez)

*But, if you don’t have these limitations and you feel like showing your family and/or friends just how much you love them, Delia’s lasagne recipe is an absolute corker. SERIOUSLY GOOD.