4 Cheese Pasta Bake

This pasta bake is made with low-fat heart-smart mince beef, low-FODMAP tomato base and cheeses and also with gluten-free pasta. I would call it the healthiest pasta bake around! The four cheeses make it the delicious dish that it is, in fact it adds quite a twist on the old pasta bake recipes we're all used to. This serves 6-8 generous helpings.

Ingredients:

• 600g lean, low-fat heart-smart mince beef
• 1 onion, chopped (eliminate for low FODMAP diet
• 2 whole cloves garlic (remove after cooking for low FODMAP diet)
• ½ green capsicum
• ½ yellow capsicum
• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes
• 1 jar tomato cooking sauce (garlic and onion free, i.e. Passata)
• ½ chopped red chilli
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried mixed herb (i.e. rosemary, thyme, parsley and oregano)
• 500g pasta of your choice. I used gluten-free macaroni
• 200g low-fat Greek feta cheese, crumbled
• 100g Grana Padano cheese, grated
• 100g Peccorino cheese, grated
• 100g Parmesan cheese, grated

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees celsius
2. Cook the pasta as per packet instructions
3. Heat oil in a medium sized saucepan and when hot, add onion and garlic (omit if making low-FODMAP) and also add the chilli, stir together 
4. Add the capsicum, herbs, salt & pepper and stir
5. Add the meat and brown through, but don't over do it as it's going into the oven. Once the meat is browned, remove from heat
6. When the pasta is cooked, place it into a large earthenware dish or large oven-proof casserole dish, i.e. Chasseur pot with lid
7. Pour in the browned mince, cherry tomatoes, tomato cooking sauce and mix well
8. Place the crumbled feta on top, then the grated cheeses evenly
9. Spread to make even coverage and cook, with the lid on, at 160 degrees for 20mins
10. To brown the cheese on top, remove the lid, turn the oven to the grill setting and grill on a high heat for about 5-7mins - watching carefully so it doesn't burn the cheese
11. Serve into generous sized bowls and try not to devour the whole thing!

D-E-L-icious  XD

Easy meatballs - low FODMAP

I love meatballs. The kids love meatballs. Who doesn't like meatballs? These meatballs are made with low-fat heart-smart lean mince beef and IBS acceptable tomato sauce. This serves 4 with pasta of your choice. You could use gluten-free pasta for celiacs. Or alternatively serve it with rice.

Ingredients:

• 500g lean heart-smart mince beef
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free rice crumbs
• 1 egg
• Tablespoon of sauce or paste of your choice. I find tandoori paste is excellent, but if your tummy can't handle that, a thick sauce of your choice, ie BBQ, thick soy, curry paste, chilli paste, etc
• 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
• 1 carrot peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 capsicum finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon celeriac (turnip) peeled and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup stock of your choice
• 680g tomato cooking base (with no hidden ingredients) * see note below
• 1 tablespoon thyme

Method:

1. In a bowl place the egg and whisk briefly, add the mince, sauce/paste and rice crumbs
2. Mix with your hands really well until everything is mixed together
3. In the palm of your hands roll mince into 2cm diameter meatballs. 500g of mince should yield 40-42 meatballs of this size
4. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the meatballs in batches until browned on both sides. It took me three batches in the pan I was using. It would be faster if you used a large electric frying pan
5. Once you've browned all meatballs on both sides, remove them to a plate
6. To the juices in the pan, add the capsicum, carrot and celeriac (turnip) and the stock
7. Scrape the bottom of the pan so all the bits of browned mince mix with the vegetables and stock
8. Add the thyme and mix well
9. Add the tomato cooking base and mix well
10. Carefully add the meatballs to the sauce, gently pushing them under the surface
11. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer while your pasta or rice is cooking
12. Serve whilst hot either on rice or pasta and your favourite (tummy safe) grated cheese. I used Grana Padano...D-E-L-icious  XD

Note: It's important to check your tomato bases and pasta sauces at the supermarket. Most of them have garlic and onion in them, so if you are following the low FODMAP diet and/or suffer from IBS, you will need to avoid these. This tomato base is the CHEAPEST in Woolworths and is low FODMAP. You can add whatever herbs and spices your tummy can handle while preparing the sauce for your meatballs...or for any bolognaise dish you are making.

Tony's Chilli

This recipe is my husband's speciality. It is delicious and easy, but will need between 2 and 4 hours. The longer it simmers - the better. This serves 6 with rice or 4 without rice.

Ingredients:

• 500g lean mince beef (I used heart-smart)
• 2 potatoes, cut into 1cm cubes
• 400g tin of mixed beans (like 3 bean mix or 4 bean mix) - don't discard the juice
• 400g tin of kidney beans (don't discard the juice)
• 2 x 400g tins diced tomatoes
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 1 cup water
• Chilli to taste. It doesn't matter whether you used chilli powder, minced chilli, chilli flakes or fresh chilli - just add as much as you want for a spicy 'kick'.
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
• 1 tablespoon good quality olive oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• Salt & pepper
• Fresh basil to garnish

Method:

• In a large pan, heat the oil, add onion and cook until clear
• Add the mince, garlic, chilli, salt & pepper, break up and stir. If the mince is lean enough - it should not produce extra oil. However if you haven't used lean mince - scoop out the extra oil and discard it
• Once the mince is brown, add the beans (with the juice), potatoes, tomatoes, water, soy sauce and stir well
• Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer
• It's best if you leave it long enough to break down the beans which requires about 4hrs, however it's so yummy and often too hard to wait the required 4hrs. We've eaten it after 2hrs
• Serve in bowls with or without rice and garnish with torn basil leaves

D-E-L-icious  XD

Home-made Low-Fat Beef Pies

This recipe is so easy and very tasty. It's a winner for kids because all kids like pies...don't they? So this recipe serves 4 pies in ramekin dishes. Using chutney is so much more healthy than other pie fillings like gelatine, gravy, tins of soup, pasta sauce and tomato sauce. I didn't eat the pastry due to my gallbladder diet, so my piece of pastry was easily removed and devoured by the family  :)

Ingredients:

• 500g Heart Smart Lean Minced Beef
• 250g jar tomato chutney
• 2 cups mixed frozen vegetables (I used peas, corn & carrots)
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• Spray oil
• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 2 tablespoons water
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. Lay a piece of puff pastry out on a bench to thaw (it shouldn't take more than 5 minutes) and pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and 
2. In a frying pan, spray with spray oil and add the onion. Stir often and add the water to prevent sticking
3. Once the onion is clear, add the mince, salt & pepper and cook until just brown - don't over-cook it cooks further in the oven
4. Briefly cook the frozen vegetables in the microwave on high. They shouldn't need more than 3-4 minutes
5. Once the meat is browed, place the meat, onion and drained vegetables into a large bowl. Stir through the jar of chutney until all mixed
6. Spray the ramekin dishes with spray oil and fill with pie mixture (beef/vegetable/chutney) until full
7. Cut the pastry with a knife into 4 even squares and place a square over each ramekin dish (now filled with pie mixture)
8. Press the pastry over the top and sides with your hands. No need to trim the excess off

D-E-L-icious  XD

Lean Beef Burgers

These are the yummiest and leanest beef burgers you have ever tried. A fine mist of spray oil is the only fat content. This recipe makes 6 burgers.

Ingredients:

• 500g 'Heart Smart' extra lean beef mince
• 6 burger buns (if you can find wholemeal or sour dough - even better)
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 6 lettuce leaves
• Sliced beetroot
• 2 tablespoons of mild salsa
• 1 egg
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
• * Cheese is optional (just remember adding cheese adds fat)

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix the egg, carrot, spring onion, salsa and mince
2. Form the mince mixture into large but flat patties
3. Spray a frying pan with a quick spray of spray oil
4. Add the patties to the frypan in batches and cook both sides
5. Prepare your hamburgers the way you like them.

This recipe is very versatile. You could also add sliced pineapple, capsicum, cucumber - any salad vegetables. I spread a very thin layer of salsa onto my buns and did NOT use tomato sauce!  Look how lean the patties are:

D-E-L-icious  XD