Simple Spaghetti Bolognese......... and Sunshine in a bowl :) :) :)

Everyone wants a beach body and I am aware of that. But that doesn't stop you from eating a well prepared pasta in small quantity and get your routined workout in as well. I had to say that so you don't think I'm here to make you fat. For pasta lovers, we all realize that spaghetti is too plain to not leverage on a delicious sauce. And if you do not like pasta, please try this recipe and get back to me. I promise you'd fall so deeply in PASTA. The amazing fact about this recipe is that it is easy to put together. Trust me when I say that I would hate to keep you in the kitchen for so long as some of us are not a fan (But I wish everyone was).

Total cooking time.

Prep time - 20 mins
Cooking time - 1hour 30mins.

Simple Spaghetti Bolognese and Sunshine in a bowl.






Ingredients 

  • One tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil
  • One medium onions finely chopped. (if preferred or in chunks)
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary leaves
  • 500g of leaned beef
  • 2 sprigs of thyme leaves
  • 1 tablespoon of oregano
  • One small tin of tomato paste (Any preferred brand works just fine)
  • 1 stock cube (chicken or beef)
  • 1 tablespoon of powdered red chilli 
  • 1/2 tablespoon of fresh ground habanero pepper (for my spicy food lovers)
  • 340g Gluten free spaghetti
  • 2 tablespoon of parmesan cheese
  • Seasoning mix (I am a fan of herbal seasoning as they add flavor to my meals)
  • A pack of small salad mix and 2 sprigs of cilantro leaves (for garnishing)


Gluten free spaghetti

Lean beef

Salad mix and cilantro leaves for garnishing.




Directions: Spaghetti ( Some prefer preparing the sauce before the spaghetti, the order doesn't necessarily matter).

  • Boil water in a medium pot. Add your pasta once the water starts boiling. I always break my spaghetti into two equal parts while some would prefer just tossing it in without breaking it. (your choice). Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to add taste to your spaghetti and stir. After 20 minutes of boiling, sieve the pasta using a colander  and rinse using cold water to remove excess starch deposit. Place the spaghetti back into the pot and add half cup of water and let it cook for about 15minutes. You can subsequently stir and add more water as it cooks to avoid overcooking. Lift a strand of spaghetti using a fork and taste to confirm that it is well cooked. (Press your hand against the spaghetti and ensure it is soft enough). Drain the pasta and store in a colander while we prepare the SAUCE! (Ycee would know how to do this better.....only Nigerians would get this). For clarification purpose, Ycee is a Nigerian music artist who has a song with "sauce" as part of the lyrics.







NOTE: Before we dive into the sauce, scoop the tomato paste into a small pan, add half cup of water and boil on a very low heat. This reduces the sour taste. 

 Cook the lean beef for 8 - 10mins and place in a sieve to drain excess water. some would prefer to add the lean beef directly to the sauce and there's nothing wrong with that! I just love to preheat mine prior to adding it to the sauce. 


Sauce Time!

  • Place a medium saucepan on medium heat and 1 tbsp of olive or vegetable oil. Add the onion, garlic, rosemary, thyme, seasoning mix and fry until crisp. 
  • Increase the heat to medium-high, add the parboiled lean beef and cook stirring 4 -5 mins until the meat is browned completely. 
  • Add the preheated tomato, oregano leaves, stock cube, chilli powder, habanero and stir. 
  • Reduce the heat and cover with a lid allowing to simmer. Cook for about 35minutes until you have reached a thick sauce. Taste for salt or seasoning and add if necessary. 
Garnish your spaghetti by adding the salad mix into the portion that is to be served. 


You have done a good job!!! I am proud of you! *(now applauding you)*. Now it is time to serve yourself a plate of spaghetti bolognese. Hold on, I'll tell you where the bolognese comes in. Serve your spaghetti and sauce using a plate of your choice. Get your parmesan cheese ready as this is the best part! Sprinkle the cheese on top of the sauce and now you can go all in! At this point I wasn't able to utter a word. It was mouthwatering!


I know!!!! I'll get to the "sunshine on a plate" part of the meal. I just didn't think you could wait with all that aroma. 





Sunshine on a plate.......LITERALLY!

Ladies!!! Please If you are not ready to make babies, do not serve this to your spouse. Gentlemen!! If you are not ready to spend that money on a new car, please do not indulge. But of course as ladies, we always have baby fever and the guys would always live to appreciate us and likewise so its a win-win situation. 

Ingredients:
  • 5 peeled oranges ( 3 for the smoothie and 2 for garnishing)
  • 1 peeled mango
  • 1 cup of frozen banana
  • 2-3 strawberries and 1 kiwi for garnishing

Note: Slice the strawberries and kiwi into small cubes. if you prefer to use mango for garnishing, do the same.

Directions:

  • Toss the sliced oranges, mango and frozen bananas into a food processor and blend. Add a little water to speed up the process and prevent your processor from overheating.  Scoop the sides occasionally to get a smooth mixture. 


  • Pour this mixture into a bowl and prepare to garnish. 
  • Slice the remaining oranges into circular shapes and place them around the bowl. 
  • Sprinkle the sliced strawberries and kiwi in the middle adding a little bit of delight to this bowl of sunshine and VOILA!



I'll leave you here to enjoy your food!!!!!  Please enjoy!!!! you deserve to!!  But don't enjoy alone! Someone needs this recipe just like you did. 

Warm appreciation and encouragement

If you visited my blog out of excitement, I am excited for you too! If you accidentally ran into my blog, I'll keep you glued, and if you just wanted to take your mind off life and it's baggage, that's ok too. But don't forget that whatever it may be, I guarantee you will get through it and stay strong!

Tips:

Exercise a little and drink more water!






Contact Information:
For your catering services, you can reach me through @dishesbyq@gmail.com
Follow my Instagram @dishes_by_q


Food quotes: One cannot think well, sleep well, love well if one has not dined well.
                                                                                                               Virginia Woolf

References:
Funny Images Retrieved from www.google.com




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