’30 a week’ grass fed Beef Bolognese & herby garlic sourdough
6 servings
45 minutes
Good for Nutrient-density!
About this Recipe
This is a fabulous recipe for telling the story of eating plant-based! It uses climate friendly, 100% grass fed beef (see below for its health benefits) but has many fabulous plants in it too including, veg, spices, herbs and pulses. Keeping costs down? Bulking out this dish with protein-rich pulses makes this recipe go further…
Ingredients
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500g 100% grass fed or pasture fed beef
150g mixed dried lentils – I use split red lentils and whole coral lentils for variety.
1 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
1 large carrot, grated
1 beetroot, skin-on, grated
1 red or yellow pepper, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp plain white or spelt flour
2 tins chopped tomatoes
Herbs – fresh Oregano and rosemary, really easy to grow outside or on a windowsill give a lovely earthy taste
- Optional – a splash of red wine
S&P to taste
(11 plants!!!)
- For the bread:
6 Slices sourdough
60g Butter (room temperature)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp of mixed dry herbs or fresh if you have
Instructions
- – Heat the cold-pressed rapeseed oil and sauté the chopped onion over a medium heat until they begin to go clear
– Add in the grated garlic and stir to combine. - Add the minced beef and cook until it begins to brown.
- Add in the tomato purée, all the spices, lentils, grated carrots, beetroot and flour. Give everything a good stir then add the tinned tomatoes
- Bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat for about 45 minutes. You can also do this in a slow cooker on a lower heat for longer – let it cook while you get on with other things!
- Meanwhile – make your garic bread…
- Mix the butter, crushed garlic and herbs
- Spread on both sides of all the bread slices, pressing them together as you go.
- Wrap loosely in foil
- Bake in the oven (190° fan) for 20 minutes. Open up the foil and bake for a further 5 mins to crispen the edges
Sourcing Ingredients
100% Grass-fed beef – these cows are not fed any concentrate feed; just grass from their farm and forage over the winter. Other similar choices are Organic – these cows must be out on grass for at least 200 days of the year to be certified by the Soil Association
These nature-friendly beef systems are also brilliant for animal welfare and importantly, cows fed only grass produce far less methane (because of their gut microbiomes!!)
Check for farmers near you – you can do this via Produce and Provide, or ask your local butcher where his meat comes from. In the Chiltern’s (local to me although we’re inside the M25) we’re lucky to have Native Beef nearby. Otherwise, paying a small amount more for organic beef at the supermarket is a great choice.
Lastly, Hodmedods are great for British pulses!
Nutrition
- Beef raised on purely grass has a much healthier fat profile with more heart healthy unsaturated fats and fewer saturated fats
- Adding so many types of plants nurtures our gut health too; truly plant-based!
- Sourdough is much easier to digest thanks to its slow fermentation & did you know butter is an anti-inflammatory food?!
- A great recipe for all the family – the pulses add more protein too and are one of the most sustainablefoods we can buy
