Bolognese Light - Dare to be Different!

Before I started Weight Watchers my family used to eat quite a lot of red meat; probably twice during the week and then again on Shabbos. Apart from the fact that it's not very healthy , red meat is quite expensive, so switching us over from the cow to the chicken was probably one of the best things I've done. These days, I barely ever need to buy any beef - one packet of goulash meat stretches to about a month's worth of cholent (for which my fat-free recipe will no doubt be appearing one day soon...)

In fact, nearly every recipe that calls for beef or lamb will work just as well with chicken or turkey instead, particularly when it comes to mince.

This recipe for chicken bolognese is so much lighter than the traditional ragu sauce in every way - less calories, less fat, but just as much taste. It's softer and stickier to work with than minced beef, and obviously paler in colour - but besides that, you can barely tell the difference.

MOCK BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Ingredients

2lb minced chicken
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 carton passata
1 large white onion
1/2 punnet of small closed cap mushrooms
1 tsp bisto gravy original powder
Mixed dried herbs
2 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste

Finely chop the onion, garlic and mushrooms and fry in spray oil until starting to soften. Then add the meat and break up with a fork until well mixed with the vegetables and about 80-90% of it has cooked through.
Add the chopped tomatoes and passata, followed by the bisto and herbs. Mix well and lower flame to a steady simmer. Cover and leave to cook for about 45 minutes. Can be served immediately or refrigerated/frozen and reheated (once defrosted) for 45 minutes on 160'c.

Serves 6 at around 4pp per very large portion!