5-A-DAY BOLOGNESE
Get all five of your five-a-day with this spaghetti bolognese. The hidden veg in the sauce makes it ideal for kids and you can freeze any leftovers
With fruit and vegetables being among the most thrown-away food from our kitchens, it’s a good idea to have a few favourite recipes up your sleeve to use them up. So that’s the idea behind this week’s dishes.
But I also wanted to share with you my tips on keeping food fresh for longer – because a big part of the problem is fruit and veg going off due to poor storage. So try these ideas:
Buy salad and herbs loose when possible, or unwrap them when you get home. Wrap heads of lettuce and bunches of herbs in damp kitchen roll and store herbs upright in a glass and leaves in the veg drawer.
Root veg and potatoes should be kept cool and dry in a dark place – and this doesn’t need to be the fridge. Stored in a breathable sack in a pantry or cupboard, they’ll stay fresh for ages.
Cut fruit and veggies, such as squash, avocados and onions, will deteriorate quickly. Cover the surface to stop discolouration and drying out.
Only wash berries and grapes when you’re ready to eat them. Excess water on the fruit will cause them to spoil quickly.
Make sure your fridge is set to between 3C-5C and don’t overfill it as this can interfere with the air flow. If the air cannot circulate it will result in your food not being chilled properly. 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
150g beef mince 2 onions, finely chopped
2 leeks, finely sliced 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red pepper, chopped into small pieces 1 large courgette, chopped into small pieces
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree 50ml chicken or beef stock
½ tsp dried oregano 150g spaghetti
25g Parmesan, finely grated a few basil leaves (optional) 1
Put ½ tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat, add the beef and fry until well browned. Tip out into a dish and put the pan back on the heat with the remaining oil. Turn the heat down and cook the onions and leeks for 8-10 mins or until very soft, then add the garlic, pepper and courgette. Fry until the veg is starting to char at the edges and any water that’s been released has evaporated. 2
Tip the meat back into the pan and add the tinned tomatoes, puree, stock and oregano. Stir everything together, cover and simmer over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 35 mins. Meanwhile cook the spaghetti following pack instructions, then towards the end of cooking, stir half the Parmesan into the bolognese. 3
Put a spoonful of the pasta water into the sauce to loosen it, if it looks too thick, then drain the spaghetti. Tip the pasta on to the sauce, toss everything together to coat and season well. Garnish with the remaining Parmesan and a few basil leaves.