My fave (only?) Bolognese recipe

Every family has their go to Bolognese recipe, and this is mine. It's very versatile as I use whatever veggies I have on hand, but the musts are onion, garlic and carrot, and then I add whatever else I have available. If you can buy some organic chicken livers, freeze them, and then grate into the meals as you need them. I use whatever legumes I have on hand as well, and mix it up between lentils, black beans, kidney beans or adzuki beans.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil 

• 1 large onion, finely chopped 

• 3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 

• 2 carrots, grated 

• Handful of rosemary, finely chopped

• 3-4 sticks of celery (optional, I use it if its available), chopped into 1 cm bits 

• 500 grams approx of beef mince 

• ½ cup grated chicken liver (optional) 

• 4-5 white mushrooms, finely chopped (optional, if available) 

• 1 cup of raw beluga or puy lentils OR 1-2 cans of cooked black beans or kidney beans

• 1 jar of organic tomato passata 

• 2 tbsp approx tamari soy sauce 

• 1 cup of water or bone broth or stock (not a stock cube) 

• 2 handfuls of leafy green of choice such as kalespinach or silverbeet, chopped 

• 1 handful of basil (use, if available), chopped. 

• Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast to serve 

• Cooked pasta of choice or zucchini noodles to serve. 

Method:

Drizzle a few tbsp of olive oil into a large pan on low-medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and rosemary, then the carrots and celery and story through. Add the beef mince and liver and break up. Add the mushrooms, passata and soy sauce. Add the lentils or beans and the water or broth. Stir through and let simmer on a low heat for 45 minutes or so, stirring every now and then, with the lid half on so that some of the liquid can reduce. If the mixture looks too thick, then add some more water. 

5 minutes or so before serving, add the leafy greens and basil and stir through until just cooked. 

Ladle on top of pasta or zucchini and top with cheese or nutritional yeast.