Our guest blogger Victoria Heaysman with a family favourite…
This is a recipe that my husband or I cook up at least once every 2 weeks and is usually a ploy to use up any random vegetables I have wilting in the trug. It is my husband’s favourite dish in the whole world and he would eat it every night if he could!
I always make this in bulk and freeze batches for later in the week to have with rice or baked potatoes. It tastes even better after freezing and re-heating as all the flavours mature. If I have no beef mince in then I substitute in quorn mince and add it along with the tinned tomatoes.
- 400g good quality beef mince
- 2 onions – chopped
- 4 cloves garlic pealed and finely chopped
- 3 carrots – finely diced
- Any other vegetables that need using up – leeks, broccoli stems, green beans, peppers – finely chopped
- 2 cans chopped plum tomatoes
- 1 can mixed and cooked beans, rinsed
- Splash of either stratta smoky Moroccan olive oil or aromatic olive oil
- 50ml either stratta damson or redcurrant vinegar
- 50ml red wine
- Freshly ground black pepper and rock salt to taste
- Handful of fresh herbs from the garden – usually a mix of marjoram and oregano
Put the oil in a heavy bottomed pan and gently sauté the onions until they are soft, make sure they do not burn.
Add the garlic and beef mince and cook for a few minutes until the beef is browned.
Add all other ingredients (and quorn mince if using) and bring the sauce to the boil.
Sit well and then turn down low and leave to simmer for at least 30 minutes. Stir every now and again to prevent the sauce from sticking on the bottom of the pan.
Enjoy with spaghetti and lots of grated cheese.