The Cat's Mother
Unmentionable
Inspired by the Soup thread, I thought it might be interesting to have a thread for exchanging veggie recipes. I'll start you off with my sauce for Bolognese or Lasagne.
Kate's Bolognese Sauce.
My quantities are based on feeding about ten people (teenagers generally demand seconds and then thirds), so you might want to halve or quarter the measurements accordingly.
Peel and finely slice two large onions. Place in a large saucepan with some olive oil and fry the onions slowly until they are soft and golden brown. Never try to rush this; the flavour of the dish really benefits from the onions being allowed to caramelise a bit.
Add about four cloves of crushed or finely chopped garlic and a handful of fresh, finely chopped herbs; rosemary, thyme and oregano/marjoram. Cook gently for another few minutes. Do not allow the garlic to 'catch', or the flavour will be ruined. Add three or four bayleaves.
Add a 450g pack of frozen soya mince. Realet is the original brand, but both ASDA and Morrisons now sell their own. I prefer Morrisons, as ASDA's is sometimes (not always) prone to crumble down to a sludge. Stir in the mince and fry gently for a few more minutes.
Add two 400g tins of chopped tomatoes, including juice, and a 500g carton of passata.
Wash, slice and stir in 250-300g unpeeled mushrooms.
Add three or four teaspoons (or more if liked) of mushroom ketchup, a generous tablespoonful of (either plain or sundried tomato) pesto and a twist of black pepper (or more if you're a black pepper fan, which I'm not) You shouldn't need to add salt, as there is salt in some of the ingredients.
Stir well and leave to simmer very gently for half to three-quarters of an hour, stirring periodically. Do not leave it to boil rapidly, as the mince may disintegrate and this will impair the texture of the sauce. It's important not to overcook this dish, so if you are using the sauce in a lasagne, reduce the cooking time a little, as the sauce will cook further in the oven. Similarly, if you are making the sauce to eat the next day (and IMHO the flavour improves if the sauce is left in the fridge overnight), go easy on the initial cooking because you'll be reheating it thoroughly to serve.
Guess what we're having for dinner.....
Kate's Bolognese Sauce.
My quantities are based on feeding about ten people (teenagers generally demand seconds and then thirds), so you might want to halve or quarter the measurements accordingly.
Peel and finely slice two large onions. Place in a large saucepan with some olive oil and fry the onions slowly until they are soft and golden brown. Never try to rush this; the flavour of the dish really benefits from the onions being allowed to caramelise a bit.
Add about four cloves of crushed or finely chopped garlic and a handful of fresh, finely chopped herbs; rosemary, thyme and oregano/marjoram. Cook gently for another few minutes. Do not allow the garlic to 'catch', or the flavour will be ruined. Add three or four bayleaves.
Add a 450g pack of frozen soya mince. Realet is the original brand, but both ASDA and Morrisons now sell their own. I prefer Morrisons, as ASDA's is sometimes (not always) prone to crumble down to a sludge. Stir in the mince and fry gently for a few more minutes.
Add two 400g tins of chopped tomatoes, including juice, and a 500g carton of passata.
Wash, slice and stir in 250-300g unpeeled mushrooms.
Add three or four teaspoons (or more if liked) of mushroom ketchup, a generous tablespoonful of (either plain or sundried tomato) pesto and a twist of black pepper (or more if you're a black pepper fan, which I'm not) You shouldn't need to add salt, as there is salt in some of the ingredients.
Stir well and leave to simmer very gently for half to three-quarters of an hour, stirring periodically. Do not leave it to boil rapidly, as the mince may disintegrate and this will impair the texture of the sauce. It's important not to overcook this dish, so if you are using the sauce in a lasagne, reduce the cooking time a little, as the sauce will cook further in the oven. Similarly, if you are making the sauce to eat the next day (and IMHO the flavour improves if the sauce is left in the fridge overnight), go easy on the initial cooking because you'll be reheating it thoroughly to serve.
Guess what we're having for dinner.....
