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Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti

We do end up with bits and bots left from various dishes and sometimes need to round them up and put them to death  / Good use! A Pasta Bake was an outstanding way of using up various oddments of Cheeses etc. We also had a large pack of Pork mince from a meat deal in the freezer.

Realistically this recipe will make a hearty meal for 6 people. We might be eating it for a few days, but that kind of cool…..

Ingredients ( A very loose list! ):-

1 Onion, chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic. minced
Italian Herbs ( 2 tbsp of Dried Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, a Bay Leaf, Parsley and Thyme), plus Chilli flakes and Garlic Powder
Re-hydrated Wood Ear Mushrooms, finely chopped
250g Gluten free Pasta ( We used Macaroni), boiled and drained so it still has quite some bite
600g Pork Mince
2 tins of Chopped Tomatoes, plus a tin of water
Tomato Puree, a good squirt
Various Cheeses in lumps, grated and Italian style grated hard Cheese for the topping
1/3 of a tub of Soft Cheese
1/3 of a pot of Crème Fresh 
Salt & Pepper
Oil to fry

Method:-

(1) Fry the onions over a low heat and when softened add the Garlic.
(2) Fry for a couple more minutes and then add the Pork mince.
(3) Turn regularly and fry until all the mince is coloured.
(4) Add the chopped Tomatoes, water, Tomato Puree and Herbs and simmer to reduce for 20 minutes.
(5) Season with Salt & Pepper to taste.
(6) In a large oven proof casserole add a layer of the meat sauce to the bottom.
(7) Mix the remaining sauce and drained Pasta.
(8) Build alternate layers on Pasta / Sauce mix, Cheeses, Sauce mix until you reach the final Cheese top layer.
(9) Sprinkle the final layer with grated Cheese and the grated Italian style Grated Cheese.
(10) Place in a pre-heated oven at 180c  for 30 minutes or until the top is browned and crispy.
(11) Garnish with a little fresh Basil and serve.

This was a really good way of using up a few bits and bobs. We will be eating a second portion with Garlic Bread or Wedges this evening.
 

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Shin Beef recipe, low cost meals, eat well on universal credit

This used to be a common and low cost cut. But it’s generally bought by the Burger Chains now and it’s not often available in the supermarkets around here. So when I found 500g packs yesterday we thought it would be a bit of a treat and essentially within budget. We were not wrong!

Ingredients:-

500g of Shin Beef, cut into larger cubes
2 Red Onions , peeled and roughly chopped
3 Carrots , peeled and roughly chopped
3 sticks of Celery , trimmed and roughly chopped
4 cloves of Garlic , peeled
2 Sprigs of fresh Rosemary
2 Bay Leaves
1 Box of ‘Wild’ Mushroom, roughly chopped
1 Stick of Cinnamon
1 tablespoon of Plain Flour (Gluten free for us)
2 Tins of Plum Tomatoes
⅔ of a bottle low price Red Wine
Olive Oil
Freshly ground Black Pepper
Sea Salt

Method:-

(1) Preheat your oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. In a heavy-bottomed ovenproof saucepan / Dutch Oven, heat a splash of olive oil and gently fry the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, herbs, Muchrooms and cinnamon for 5 minutes until softened slightly.
(2) Meanwhile, dust the pieces of beef in a little seasoned flour, shaking off any excess. Add the meat to the pan and stir everything together, then add the tomatoes, wine and a pinch of salt and pepper.
(3) Gently bring to the boil, cover with the lid and place in your preheated oven for 3 hours or until the beef is meltingly tender and can be broken up with a spoon. Taste and check the seasoning, remove the cinnamon stick and rosemary sprigs and serve.

We served ours on a bed of mashed Potatoes with Savoy Cabbage & fried Bacon Lardons and Courgette Fritters.


 

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