Category: Mince

Moussaka (Gluten Free)

moussaka

This is a combo dish officially approved by the family. It will serve six easily and probably eight without leftovers depending on how hungry everyone is.

 

INGREDIENTS

5  large eggplant, sliced 1cm thick
Qty garlic salt
Olive oil
1kg beef mince
500g pork mince
(note Moussaka is traditionally made with lamb mince – but this combination works well)
3 medium onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons tomato paste or more as you taste
1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tins diced tomato
1½ cup beef  stock
5 medium potatoes, nearly cooked, sliced
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
60g butter
60g flour
½ litre milk or as required
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1½ cup grated  parmesan cheese
1/3 cup corn flake crumbs

METHOD

  1. Mix the mince together
  2. Heat half tbsp oil in a deep frying pan and cook the mince in two batches,separating the mince with a spatula
  3. Place batches in a colander to cool and drain over a bowl – keep the juices
  4. Put more oil in the pan and cook the onions and garlic until soft and brown.
  5. Add tomato paste, cinnamon, salt, pepper, oregano, allspice.
  6. Cook and stir for a minute
  7. Add crumbled (between your fingers to make it fine) mince mixture and any juices
  8. Add diced tomatoes and stock and cook for around 40 minutes or when the sauce is thick and tasty
  9. Stir in parsley when cooking time is finished
  10. Meanwhile, cook potatoes for five minutes in microwave and sllce 5mm thick, when cool
  11. Fry eggplant on bbq (it’s quicker) with olive oil and garlic salt and drain on paper towel
  12. Assemble the moussaka in a 43 cm lasagne dish by putting down a layer of potato, eggplant, mince, eggplant, mince, eggplant.
  13. Make a bechamel sauce by heating the butter gently in a pan, adding the sifted flout gradually until it forms a dough mixture, then gradually add milk until it makes a thick sauce.
  14. Add nutmeg salt and pepper to the sauce and pour over the assembled moussaka.
  15. Mix the cheese and breadcrumbs and distribute evenly over the top of the moussaka
  16. Cook at 180C in the oven for around 40 minutes, checking halfway through the process.

Serve with a salad, crusty bread and lots of wine.

 

Bill’s Burgers

This is a hamburger

This is a hamburger

The beauty of this recipe is that it is multi-purpose. You can just as easily use the results for meatballs with Italian sauce and spaghetti. It’s also gluten free. If you don’t care about that, just use normal breadcrumbs and plain flour.

Ingredients (makes 12 burgers)

1 kg minced topside steak

1 onion chopped finely

1 garlic clove crushed

2 tablespoons tomato sauce

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 lightly beaten egg

1 grated carrot

1 cup of corn flake crumbs

1 teaspoon paprika (optional)

½ level teaspoon salt or to taste

cracked pepper

choice of herbs/spices to taste- optional (oregano, basil, chili, cumin, coriander, curry powder, cajun spices etc)

maize flour

olive oil

Method

Put mince in a large mixing bowl

Add ingredients except breadcrumbs and flour and mix by hand

Add breadcrumbs until the mixture is firm enough not to fall apart when made into patties. It should not feel sloppy.

Make into 12 patties (divide mixture into quarters and make three patties out of each quarter – derr!)

Put flour onto a plate and turn each burger over, coating lightly.

Fry burgers four at a time in a lightly oiled pan until just cooked through. Don’t overcook because they will become dry. Keep warm in the oven (100 C)

Alternatively cook on bbq

Serve with salad, oven chips and bread roll, and a selection of condiments.

Glasgow Katie’s Spag Bol

Spaghetti Bolognese

50g (2oz) butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
25g (loz) diced mushrooms (optional)
125g (4oz) pancetta or unsalted bacon, finely chopped
350g (12oz) minced beef, pork or veal, or a mixture
300ml (1/2pint) dry Red wine
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons tomato paste
300ml (1/2 pint) meat stock –

Heat the butter and oil in a deep saucepan, add the vegetables and fry until they soften and brown lightly.

Add the pancetta and minced meat and fry until the meat changes colour. Moisten with wine, simmer until it evaporates, then add seasoning, tomato paste and a little stock.

Cook slowly, covered, stirring occasionally and gradually stirring in all the stock.
Serve with tagliatelle.