Spaghetti Bolognaise

The good old fashioned but with extra effort to appease the taste buds. Even Mum will be proud.

Serves 4. Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients

500g lean beef mince

1 can on tomato

3 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 yellow onion, finely shopped

2 medium carrots, finely grated

1 red or sweet bell pepper, chopped into small chunks

1 leak (substitutable with a stick of celery), finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, crushed and finely chopped

1 thumb (15g) of ginger, finely chopped or grated

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. red grape vinegar

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. rosemary

1 tsp. sage

1 Knorr beef stock pot or 1 bullion cube. Manage the salt

1/2 tsp. salt

Pepper to taste

The way to enlightenment

Brown the onions and leaks in the oil in a medium sized sauce pan on low heat until soft and lightly browned. Add the garlic, ginger and peppers sauté for 30s.

Crank up the heat to hot and add the mince. To get a chunk free mince, mix the mince very quickly here with a wooden spoon until the texture and consistency becomes a sticky pasty. This will resemble a dumping stuffing consistency. The key is to do this before the mince starts to cook, so be quick here. Make sure to break up any lumps while this is cooking.

Once the mince is cooked, literally add all the other ingredients we haven't used yet. Give it a good stir. Once the bolognaise starts to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for an 1 hour stirring occasionally. A longer cooking time will give a better taste.

Serve with a portion of linguine.

Notes on Soy Sauce

Check the ingredients of the Soy Sauce you buy. If its got reconstituted stuff in it, don't buy it. Rather go for brands like Lee Kum Kee, President 4 Seasons, or the original Kikkoman. You’ll taste the difference. You can find these in your local Chinese supermarket, and will cost cheaper than buying it from a local grocer.