Sunday! 14th Day of the diet.

Wow... It's already Sunday again. I can honestly say that I have kept up with the points and have kept a hold on my eating... until yesterday that is. Yesterday was a my cousin's son's 3rd birthday party and it is safe to say that while I didn't overindulge.. I wasn't exactly eating strictly within the diet rules.. I also managed to get to 3 glasses of wine down. Well we were on public transport so I didn't have to worry about driving. Hiccup over though.. today I've been back on the diet but it's very frustrating not being able to go out because of the snow, and having to constantly stop trying to snack out of boredom. There are only so many satsumas one can eat!

Tonight I've decided to make a bolognaise... Yes a bolognaise... but not a traditional ragù, with pork and veal but with turkey mince. I've also left out the pancetta to try and minimise the fat content. Here's the recipe:

500g turkey mince
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion
3 small to medium carrots
2 cloves garlic
1 chili
3 bay leaves
parsley
basil
oregano
salt and pepper
1 celery stick stalk
1 jar of passata
1 tin chopped tomatoes
100ml of red  wine (well usually white but we've a bottle of red open)
100ml of semi-skimmed milk
30ml balsamic vinegar
serves 4-6 (11 weightwatchers pro-points per serving at 4 servings)


Cooking instructions:

1. chop the onions carrots and celery;
2. add the olive oil to a saucepan large enough to hold all the ingredients comfortable. I have used refined olive oil instead of the more usual 50g of butter and chopped pancetta for the fat- possibly resulting in a ragù that is not as full bodied but nevertheless still full of flavour... with a third of the fat and most of it unsaturated;
3. add crushed garlic and chili to the oil and allow it to gently heat, infusing the oil with the flavours of the garlic and chili.
4. once the oil is warm add the chopped vegetables and sauté until the onion starts to caramelise;
5. most people would add the mince at this point to brown it.... most people, but not me. Browning the mince only makes it tough and dry. So at this point I add the passata and the tinned tomatoes along with the red wine and let them come to the boil;
6. now add the mince, gently stirring it in and making sure that it is completely broken up and separated;
7. add salt, black pepper, oregano and the bay leaves;
8. allow to simmer over a low heat for at least an hour, the longer the better;
9. 30 minutes into the cooking time add the balsamic vinegar, stir in properly and then slowly add the milk slowly stirring it into the simmering sauce. Leave to continue cooking;
10. you will know that the sauce is ready when the fat rises to the surface and separates from the sauce. At this point take off the heat and add the chopped parsley and basil leaves. Allow to cool for 20-30 minutes while you prepare the pasta. Enjoy!