Make the most of mince
A delicious and aromatic mince recipe can be turned into many tasty meals. This recipe by Heleen Meyer is so easy to prepare and you can be quite creative with all the different ways to turn the mince into a new meal every time.
It has a wonderful rich tomato flavour, as Heleen loves the combination of tomato paste and red wine (or use strong Rooibos if you prefer) to give the mince a lovely colour and taste. Grated carrot adds a vibrant colour, a slightly sweeter flavour and extra volume. The fresh herbs are essential for this dish. Use any combination of your choice and mix it up a little according to the other flavours in the meal.
Everyone knows a bolognaise mixture goes well with pasta, but have you tried mince on a baked potato or roasted sweet potato? Use this basic mince to prepare a lasagne or cottage pie or even try one of the following ideas. Add spices like cumin, ginger and soy sauce for a different flavour and serve on basmati rice or noodles. Or turn it into a Chilli con carne by seasoning it with paprika, coriander and a touch of curry powder. Red kidney beans and lots of chopped fresh coriander gives it a Mexican flavour. Enjoy this version with tortillas, grated cheese and salsa. An aromatic curried mince is also easy to prepare, by adding your favourite curry spices and chopped coriander.
Do try Heleen’s Greek mince & brinjal bake as a variation – it will be a hit around your table. Season the mince mixture with chopped fresh origanum and mint, then layer with some baby tomatoes between thin slices of pan-fried brinjal (egg plant or aubergine). Top with grated pecorino or mature white cheddar and bake at 180 °C for 30 minutes.
Make double the mince recipe and freeze an extra batch to use in one of the suggested ways. Be sure to add this to your repertoire – it’s the kind of recipe everyone should have on their go-to-recipes-list.
Basic mince mixture
Recipe from Make five by Heleen Meyer
Images by Adel Ferreira
Serves 4 – 6
15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
500 g lean beef mince
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 carrots, coarsely grated
1 bay leaf
10 ml (2 tsp) ground coriander
1 x 50 g packet tomato paste
1 x 410 g tin chopped tomatoes
125 ml (½ cup) red wine or strong Rooibos
80 ml (⅓ cup) chopped fresh herbs of your choice, such as Italian parsley, origanum, thyme and sage
lemon juice, salt and pepper
- Heat a thin layer of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry mince until golden browned. Spoon out and set aside.
- Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and sauté onion and garlic for a few minutes. Stir in carrots, bay leaf and coriander and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and sauté for 1-2 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Stir in the browned mince with the tomatoes and rinse out the empty tins with wine or Rooibos. Stir in wine and herbs and season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes or until cooked. Season to taste and serve in any of the suggested ways.
For more recipes and inspiration, visit Heleen’s website: www.heleenmeyer.co.za