Good morning everyone.  Just wanted to say a big thank you for everyone who was so understanding of me taking a time out while I had the boys for the Easter break.  We had a lot of fun and I am sure some of our adventures will find their way into posts.  Today I thought I would post a recipe as I haven’t in a while and this is one of the boys favourites – even though they don’t know there is a bunch of veggies in there they ‘don’t like’ apparently!

Spaghetti Bolognaise (Hidden Veg)

You will need

One red pepper

One red onion (although a brown one is fine too)

Half an average sized pack of mushriooms

Two garlic cloves, crushed

500g lean beef mince

One carton of passata (or a tin of chopped tomatoes)

A beerf stock cube

Tomato puree

Oil

Tagliatelle (or your choice of pasta shapes to serve)

Grated cheese (optional)

How You Make It

1. The key with the veggies is to chop them really small.  My boys do not like peppers, mushrooms or onions yet, when  they are served my spag bol cointaining all three, they wolf it down without a second thought!  In the past I have also cooked aubergine, carrots etc and blended them into the sauce to add even more goodness. This is also a great tip for ostomates.  The smaller the veg, the less risk of blockages and if you still can’t manage that, the pureed aubergine etc will give you a vitamin boost without the risk!
2. I use spray oil so pop in a couple of squirts to my pan, then brown the mince
3. Add the veggies and garlic cloves, cook for around 5 minutes till soft
4. Tip in the passata and turn down to a simmer.  Add a small amount of boiling water to dissolve the stock cube and add to the pan.  Squirt in a decent amount of tomato puree (to taste) and a sprinkle of herbs (I often used mixed herbs or basil in this)
5. Leave to simmer for around 15 minutes, stir occasionally
6. Cook pasta separately to serve with the bolognaise.  We always like to add a sprinkle of cheese to the top and some garlic bread to eat with it

cof

cof

This is a really simple recipe but super tasty and the boys love it.  It will always go down a treat and I know they are getting a good amount of their 5 a day in it – and no moaning!  Please let me know if you try it and what you think!  Also, in the comments below, share your sneaky tips on how to get more fruit and veg in your children, I would love to hear more ideas.