Zucchini Bolognese


To the surprise of even myself, I am still staying away from processed carbs like pasta, rice and bread. It is over six weeks since I have consumed any and the most amazing thing about it is I don’t actually crave to eat any of it either!

The rest of the family are still eating pasta, rice and bread, albeit in much lower quantities. Meals like spaghetti bolognese will still be appearing on our family menu plan. I am trying where possible to only cook one main meal, but sometimes it means having a different side dish or accompaniment.

In the case of spaghetti bolognese I finally gave zucchini bolognese a try. I had scoffed at such recipes previously, when I saw them on my pinterest feed and thought there was no way it could be any good. I was however very wrong.

zucchini bolognese DSC01238


Of course it tastes nothing like pasta, so don’t expect that! But with a dash of olive oil and garlic, the zucchini has fab flavour and it tastes great with a rich tomatoey bolognese sauce.

zucchini bolognese DSC01251


I have included the slightly altered “cleaner” version of my slow cooker bolognese in the recipe below. The family noticed no difference at all with the new version of the bolognese sauce!

Zucchini Bolognese
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author::
Recipe type: Italian
Ingredients:
  • 4 zucchinis
  • 2 tablespoon macadamia oil
  • 500 grams premium beef mince
  • 1 large onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 400 grams tin diced tomatoes
  • 140 grams tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt
Method:
  1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat.
  2. Add chopped onion and 1 clove of garlic and fry for a couple of minutes, until soft.
  3. Add mince and be sure to break up the mince thoroughly as it cooks.
  4. Pour this mixture into the slow cooker.
  5. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and salt to the slow cooker. Using a spoon combine well.
  6. Put lid on and cook for 6-7 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.
  7. About 15 minutes before you want to serve, grate the zucchini. Or if you have a fancy julienne machine, use that to make lovely long thin strips of zucchini.
  8. Add 2 tbsps olive oil to a pan on medium heat.
  9. Crush the garlic cloves into the pan and toss it for a minute or so, then add the zucchini and toss it for 3 - 4 minutes.
  10. Place zucchini on to plates, top with bolognese sauce and serve immediately.
Notes:
If I am in a hurry, I just throw all the sauce ingredients into the slow cooker without frying them first and it turns out fine - frying first probably just gives it a little more flavour. If the zucchinis are small, you may need to allocate 1.5 per person.

 

Our Family Menu Plan For This Week

Day

Week Commencing 1st June

SatLamb Souvlaki Wraps Kids Self ServeSouvlaki
Sunchicken-schnitzel-recipe-500

Chocolate Balls recipe

Home Made Chicken Nugget Recipe
Chicken schnitzel and vegetables
Chocolate Balls
Homemade Chicken Nuggets
MonEasy Pumpkin SoupPumpkin Soup
Tueroast chickenRoast chicken and vegetables
Wedbeef stir fry recipeQuick Beef Stir Fry
ThuMarinated Steak and Garlic MashMarinated Steak and Garlic Mash
Friscrambled eggsScrambled Eggs
Shopping ListWeekly menu plan shopping list for 5th May 2013

If you are looking for further recipe inspiration, check out my complete list of Family Friendly Recipes.