Culture

Mince is really cheap, isn't it? Doesn't taste too shabby either. Well, unless your flatmate, like mine, simply fries it and serves it plain on gooey rice. Mmmm. To save you all from Mincezilla, here are three delicious recipes that will put your mince to good use. Enjoy!
Chilli Con Carne
Ingredients
500g mince
1 large onion
Cooking oil
1 tsp crushed garlic, or 3 cloves chopped
1 tin chilli beans (Delmaine brand is good) or 1 tin black beans
1 tin red kidney beans
1 tin chopped or whole peeled tomatoes
1 tsp cocoa or around 50g dark chocolate (4 pieces of Whittakers)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp fresh ground red chillies, or 1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
A pinch of salt and pepper
Optional: frozen corn, red or green capsicums, fresh tomatoes
Instructions:
1. Put about 1 tablespoon of cooking oil into a pan on medium heat. Finely chop the onion and cook it in the oil until it begins to go see-through. Once this happens, put the chopped/crushed garlic in and cook on a lower heat – don’t let it burn or it will be bitter!
2. Put the mince in the pan, and cook it (stirring it around) until the mince is browned.
3. Add everything else and heat until simmering, then turn the heat to medium-low.
4. Cook (stirring occasionally) until it’s thick.
5. Put on top of nachos, inside burritos or tacos, or have with cornbread and rice.
 
 
Rosie's Meatloaf
Ingredients:
500g mince
500g sausage meat
2 onions
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
 
Instructions:
1. Squash all together and shape into a loaf in a baking dish.
 
2. Cook for one hour at 180 degrees Celsius, then cook for a further 15 minutes with the sauce (see below).
 
Sauce:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 oz melted butter
1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
1 tsp instant coffee powder
 
3. Mix all together and pour over meatloaf. Baste regularly.
 
4. This meatloaf is best left to sit about 10 minutes before you try and cut it, as it can be a little fragile when it is very hot.
 
 
 
Meatballs
Ingredients:
1 small onion chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
1 small apple grated
700g mince
1 egg
1 tsp fennel seeds ground to a powder
1/4 tsp dried basil or 1 sprig of fresh basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper
1 packet of pasta
 
Instructions:
1. Combine all ingredients and shape into meatballs.
 
2. Heat oil in a large pan, and fry until cooked (cut one in half to check)
 
Sauce:
2 cans whole peeled tomatoes
25g butter
1/2 an onion, chopped finely
1 grated medium carrot
1 grated medium zucchini
1 tsp brown sugar
Salt and pepper
 
3. In a saucepan, cook the onion in the butter until the onion is see-through
 
4. Add everything else, and simmer for about 30-45 minutes, breaking up the whole tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
 
5. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water, and serve meatballs and sauce on top.
 
Credit for the Meatball recipe and photo goes to Lisa Randel at http://sundayhotpants.nocturne.net.nz