Angela Day
Minced meat is such a great standby to have in your freezer. It can be used to conjure up innumerable dishes.
The type of mince you use in most recipes is interchangeable according to your preference. Just keep in mind the following:
* Lamb and pork mince often have a lot more fat than beef. Chicken mince can have hardly any fat at all. Combining two types of mince often results in a better dish. For example, if you use an extra lean beef mince, combine it with pork mince. Chicken and pork mince combined make for a tastier,more moist end result.
* When frying mince, use a high heat and stir the mince with a wooden spoon, breaking up any lumps to get an evenly browned mixture.
* Make sure the meat is well browned and all the excess moisture has evaporated before adding other ingredients. If you are worried about excess fat in mince, drain off the fat after browning the meat before proceeding with the recipe.
* Adding breadcrumbs to mince when making meatballs helps bind the mixture, bulk it up and make it a bit more economical.
* If using mince that has defrosted, make sure it is well cooked before refreezing it.
I had never thought of using mince in a soup recipe before, but was pleasantly surprised by how delicious the minestrone recipe was. It is a nourishing soup that can be ready in under 30 minutes.
A good way to stretch mince in a recipe is to add a tin of beans or lentils to the mixture - your family will not notice the difference.
BEEF AND BRINJAL BAKE
Serves 6
3 brinjals, cut lengthways into 1cm slices
olive oil, for brushing
salt and pepper
30ml olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
15ml dried oregano
500g lamb mince
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
a handful of basil leaves, finely chopped
250g rigatoni pasta
250g cottage cheese
250g sour cream
125ml grated Parmesan
250ml grated mozzarella
Heat a griddle pan until hot. Brush the brinjal slices with oil, season with salt and pepper, and griddle on both sides for 2 minutes. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the 30ml olive oil in a large pot and fry the onion, chilli, garlic and oregano until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the mince and brown well.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes and basil and simmer for 20 minutes. Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and mix in with the mince.
Combine the cottage cheese and sour cream.
Lightly oil an ovenproof dish. Lay half the brinjals into the dish, then a layer of the pasta mince mixture, followed by the cottage cheese. Repeat the layers, then sprinkle over the cheeses.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180degC for 20-30 minutes.
QUICK BEEF MINESTRONE
Serves 4-6
30ml olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-3 carrots, peeled and cubed
2-3 stalks of celery, finely chopped
500g beef mince
15ml chopped garlic
30ml tomato paste
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
400g tin of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 litre of beef stock
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
125ml risoni pasta
grated Parmesan cheese for serving
In a pot, heat the oil and fry the onion, carrot and celery over a medium heat for 10 minutes until softened.
Turn up the heat, add the mince and garlic, and fry until the mince has browned.
Stir in the tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, beans, stock, bay leaf and seasoning and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in the pasta and simmer for another 5-10 minutes until the pasta is cooked. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve with a spoonful of grated Parmesan cheese.
PORK ENCHILADAS
Serves 6-8
15ml olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1kg pork mince
5ml chopped garlic
1 red, 1 yellow and 1 orange pepper, chopped
2ml dried chilli flakes
15ml cumin seeds
15ml ground coriander
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
250ml chicken stock
125ml chopped coriander
salt and pepper
250g tub of creme fraiche
125ml milk
8 soft flour tortillas
250ml grated cheddar cheese
4 spring onions, chopped
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion for 5 minutes, until softened.
Add the pork mince and fry until browned, about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic, peppers, chilli, cumin seeds and coriander, and fry for a further 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes and stock. Simmer for about 15 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the coriander and season with salt and pepper.
Stir together the creme fraiche and milk. Divide the pork mixture between the tortillas, roll them up and place in an ovenproof dish. Pour over the creme fraiche and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake at 180degC for 15 minutes until golden and bubbling. Garnish with the spring onions.
LEMON CHICKEN MEATBALLS WITH PASTA
Serves 4
500g chicken mince
125ml fresh breadcrumbs
grated rind of 1 lemon
60ml chopped parsley
salt and pepper
oil for frying
250g tagliatelle pasta
50g butter
250ml cream
125ml fresh lemon juice
grated rind of 1 lemon
250ml grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
125ml chopped parsley
Combine the chicken mince, breadcrumbs, lemon rind, parsley and seasoning and mix well. If the mixture is still a little wet, add in more breadcrumbs.
With wet hands, roll the mixture into balls. Fry the chicken balls in olive oil until nicely browned and cooked through. Remove and keep warm.
Cook the pasta according to directions. Drain and return the pasta to the pot.
Add the butter, cream, lemon juice and rind and about 180ml of the Parmesan cheese reserving some for serving.
Add the chicken balls and bring the mixture to the boil.
Adjust the seasoning and stir in the parsley just before serving sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
MEXICAN MEATBALLS
Serves 8
1kg beef mince
1 large onion, finely chopped
5ml chilli powder
5ml ground coriander
10ml ground cumin
2ml allspice
5ml smoked paprika
250ml breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
30ml olive oil
5ml chopped garlic
1 cinnamon stick
5ml coriander seeds, crushed
10ml fennel seeds
300g tomato passata
500ml beef stock
5ml sugar
15ml lime juice
125ml chopped fresh coriander
sour cream, guacamole and tortilla chips for serving
Place the mince in a bowl with half the onion, the spices and the breadcrumbs and mix until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Shape into meatballs and leave in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pot and fry the rest of the onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, coriander and fennel seeds until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the passata, beef stock and sugar and simmer for 10 minutes.
Heat some oil in a frying pan and brown the meatballs.
Transfer to the tomato sauce and simmer for 10-15 minutes until completely cooked and the sauce has thickened.
Stir in the lime juice and coriander and serve with sour cream, guacamole and tortilla chips.
ANGELA DAY
The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.
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