Now that I have officially moved in with Bobby the hubby, people seem to expect that I cook dinner for him every night but the truth is, Bobby actually cooks more than I do & he’s definitely better at it too! We eat out almost every night but in my quest to eat healthily (and at the same time to pamper my man a little), I’m going to cook dinner at least once a week. Baby steps I say but to make things a little more interesting, I’m going to share my experience here with you folks of my cooking (mis)adventures. Wish me luck!
I thought I’d start things off with the one thing I make almost every month with sure-fire success when my “monthlies” come because to me, Bolognese sauce is comfort food & when I get the cramps, all I want is a large bowl of it to eat with some pasta or hot dinner rolls or if I’m in a hunger-rush, plain ol’ crackers as pictured above.
Sooooo yums!
Now, I’m the queen of improvisation & may not make Bolognese sauce in the “proper” or traditional way (thank God for Prego) but this recipe is so simple & fool-proof that you can easily modify it to suit your tastebuds. Bobby once told me my Bolognese sauce is better than his mother’s who makes it from scratch so if that’s not enough to vouch for my recipe, I don’t know what will! Anyways, here it goes…
The ingredients:
397g Prego Traditional Pasta Sauce
200g of minced chicken (I try to avoid beef & lamb)
4 garlic cloves (I actually use more because I love garlic but it’s totally up to you)
1 large yellow onion
1 package of Baby Portobello mushrooms (or Swiss Browns if you can’t get it)
1 large carrot
1 large capsicum pepper
2 large tomatoes
1 cube chicken stock
1 heaped tablespoon sugar (or to taste)
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil (or any kind of oil will do)
1. First heat the oil in a heavy-bottom pot, add the onion & stir over medium heat until onion is soft. Add garlic, stir till they start to brown a little.
2. Add the minced chicken & cook over high heat until the meat is well browned & all the liquid has evaporated. Make sure you break up any lumps of chicken as it cooks.
3. Add mushrooms & brown it a little then add the carrot & capsicum. At this point I like to cover the pot for about 2 minutes & let the everything kinda steam & soften a little.
4. Add the pasta sauce. Fill up the empty jar with water (cover the jar & shake it up so that you get every bit of leftover sauce) & add that to the pot along with the tomatoes, chicken stock & sugar to taste.
5. Let everything come to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cooked uncovered, for at least half an hour (1 hour would be ideal but I usually can never wait that long) or until the sauce has reduced & thickened.
6. Serve over cooked fettuccine (my fave), regular spaghetti, or penne. Tip: Boil your pasta with a teaspoon of salt. Don’t use oil, it’s a myth.
And there you have it! Fool-proof Bolognese sauce. Let me say it again, thank you Prego!
Look who decided to crash my photo shoot! Say hello to Hassan the cat.
