This recipe makes a bit of a change in that it’s not a sweet dessert or cake recipe – yes, that’s right, a SAVOURY one!
Over the past few weeks James and I have been experimenting more with Quorn mince to try and keep a balance of our intake of meat, fish and vegetarian sources when cooking dinner. Wanting to spice it up a bit (here’s why we love chillies so much), I made this smokey, chipotle infused bolognaise packed with flavour and plenty of vegetables to bulk it out a bit.
Brown rice and quinoa would be an ideal partner for this meal, but I had the urge to make a savoury, gluten-free bread to dunk into this and mop up the juices. Admittedly this was just an experiment – but one that turned out perfectly, so I had to share it! I didn’t have any cheese in but a little grated into the mixture before baking would make an awesome addition. Give it a go for an easy, healthy midweek meal!
Chipotle Bolognaise
Ingredients (for 2-3 servings):
- 250g Quorn mince
- 1 leek, sliced into thick chunks
- 1 yellow or orange pepper, chopped
- 2 large handfuls mushrooms, sliced
- 1 jalapeno chilli, diced
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp Sriracha hot sauce
- ½ tsp Tabasco Chipotle sauce
- Herbs, salt, pepper
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- ½ can chopped tomatoes
Get cooking!
- Heat a little coconut oil in a large pan, then stir in the leeks, chilli and peppers and cook on a high-medium heat for 5 minutes until slightly softened.
- Stir in the Quorn mince then sprinkle in the paprika, smoked paprika, Sriracha and Tabasco sauce, cooking while continuing to stir.
- In a cup, mix together the tomato puree with the herbs, salt and pepper and about 3 tbsp boiling water and mix to a paste. Stir into the pan along with the chopped tomatoes.
- Bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes, until some of the liquid has evaporated and you have a delicious, thick bolognaise.
Courgette & Pesto Bread
Ingredients (makes 12 slices):
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 and ½ courgettes, grated
- 1 tbsp pesto (shop bought or homemade, red or green – up to you!)
- 2 eggs
- 100ml skimmed milk
- Plenty of herbs (oregano, basil, dried mixed herbs), salt and pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp Sriracha hot sauce
Get baking!
- Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C and lightly grease and line a baking tin.
- Put the flours, baking powder, herbs, paprika and seasoning in a large bowl and mix well.
- Once you have grated the courgettes, place in kitchen towel and use to squeeze out excess moisture. Now mix into the flours until well coated.
- Whisk together the eggs, milk, pesto and Sriracha sauce, then pour into the bowl. Gently fold in and mix thoroughly until well combined and you have a smooth, dense, dough-like consistency.
- Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth out with the back of a spoon so the base is covered and the top is even.
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes until risen and golden, then remove from the oven. Leave for 10 minutes, then slice into squares, transfer to a wire rack to cool. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
READY TO SERVE THE FEAST?
Ideally, you want the bread warmed up when served alongside a decent helping of the bolognaise (heated up, of course!) – so either serve from the oven after about 10 minutes, or place back in the oven for a few minutes to warm through if it’s later that day or the day after. Now, tuck in!