Thanks to guest writer - fashion designer Carlie Wong - for this amazing recipe!
Lets
start off by saying that I’m not a cook; I’m a fashion designer,
a part-time teacher, a full-time sarcassist (not a word, I know) and
a food enthusiast. I’ve spent the majority of my life in Vancouver
BC, a city known for it’s natural beauty and diverse food culture.
Needless to say, I’m used to eating a plethora of delicious things
and I like to think that I know a thing or two about them.
Another
alternative to this dish is changing up the spices. If you use
cayenne, paprika, coriander and cumin instead, then you’ve got
yourself a turkey chilli! For extra authenticity, you can add some
green bell peppers in with your carrots and celery, and a can of
rinsed kidney beans along with your canned tomatoes.
= = =
Lets
start off by saying that I’m not a cook; I’m a fashion designer,
a part-time teacher, a full-time sarcassist (not a word, I know) and
a food enthusiast. I’ve spent the majority of my life in Vancouver
BC, a city known for it’s natural beauty and diverse food culture.
Needless to say, I’m used to eating a plethora of delicious things
and I like to think that I know a thing or two about them.
These
days however, (as a result of my binge eating, carbocidal ways), I’ve
packed on quite a few pounds; and working with skinny models in the
fashion industry makes me want to slit my wrists. In addition, with
the holiday season upon us (full of fatty food, sugary treats and
boozy drinks), I’m sure to pack on a few more. Thus, I’ve
developed a fool-proof, low-fat, carb-less pasta dish that is sure to
knock your socks off, regardless of whether or not you THINK you
don’t like the taste of healthy foods. (Trust me…I was also once
a non-believer.)
This
guilt-free, delicious recipe substitutes lean turkey for ground beef,
zucchini for pasta and nutritional yeast for cheese (don’t knock it
‘til you try it). You will need the following ingredients:
1 lb of
extra lean ground turkey
6 slices
of turkey bacon
1 large
carrot
2 large
stalks of celery
1 large
onion (or 2 small ones)
1 cup of
crimini mushrooms
½ cup
skim milk (optional)
1 28oz
can of plum tomatoes
2 tbsp
of tomato paste
4 cloves
of garlic
1 tbsp
oregano
½ tsp
sage
½ tsp
rosemary
½ tsp
thyme
½ tsp
marjoram
chilli
flakes
a pinch
of nutmeg
salt and
pepper
extra
virgin olive oil
fresh
chopped parsley
nutritional
yeast
a couple
of zucchinis
Directions:
Cut theturkey bacon into small pieces and sauté in a large pot or pan with
a little EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) on medium heat. You want to
coat the turkey bacon with a bit of oil, as it doesn’t brown the
same way as regular bacon. (Note: you can also skip this step, if you
don’t want to use processed ingredients). Now add your onions
finely diced. It may seem like a lot of onions, but they will reduce
as they cook. Sauté for 5 minutes, and then add your finely diced
crimini mushrooms. Remember to season each layer with S&P (salt
and pepper). Sautee for another 5 minutes until your mixture begins
to caramelize.
Once the
onions are transparent and slightly darkened in colour, you can add
your finely diced carrots and celery. S&P this layer, and sauté
for 10 min at medium low to develop the flavours and soften the
veggies without browning them. This step is crucial in creating the
depth of your Bolognese.
Time to
add ground turkey to the pot. Season it how you wish. I like to add
thyme, sage, rosemary and marjoram in equal parts, a lot of oregano
and a pinch of nutmeg. At this stage, you want to add some finely
diced garlic and sauté until the turkey is cooked through. Keep the
temperature at medium low, as you don’t want the garlic to burn or
get bitter.
Once the
turkey is cooked through; you can add the tomato paste. Stir the
paste in to coat your mixture and sauté for 5 minutes to develop its
flavour. Your mixture will darken in colour. At this point, add your
plum tomatoes. Don’t forget to S&P this layer again. Now you
can also add chilli flakes. I like my Bolognese quite spicy, so I add
1 tsp of chilli flakes. If you just want a bit of spice you can add
half of that, or skip it all together and add to taste at the table
instead. You can also substitute this with chilli powder.
At this
point, add ½ cup of skim milk. This will add richness to your dish,
but is optional if you can’t have dairy or don’t want the extra
calories. (You can add water instead, but a ½ cup of skim milk isn’t
going to kill you). Bring it to a boil and then simmer on low heat
for 2 hours. You can simmer with the lid on for the whole time, or,
if you like your Bolognese thick like chilli (which is the way I like
it), you can take the lid off for the last 30 minutes and keep
stirring it as it reduces. Once the moisture is reduced to your
preferred consistency, (and the flavours and colours have
intensified), your Bolognese is done!
This
recipe makes 6-8 portions depending on how much you eat. You can
double it and freeze portions when cooled and it will keep nicely for
months, but it definitely doesn’t last more than a few days in my
house!
You can
eat this Bolognese many ways, but I’m going to show you how to eat
it the way it was intended; as a pasta dish; except I’m going to
make a carb-less “pasta” by slicing zucchini into
Tagliatelle-like ribbons with a vegetable peeler. (Yes, I’m a mad
genius.)
Make
however much “pasta” as you intend on eating, because (like
traditional pasta) it is best cooked right before serving. You can
also substitute zucchini with spaghetti squash, but I prefer the
lightness of zucchini with this rich, thick Bolognese. You can either
keep it raw for a different texture, or quick-blanch the Tagliatelle
for a few seconds (literally) in salted boiling water, and transfer
them into ice water to stop the cooking process and keep them al
dente. Dry the zucchini on a towel before plating (don’t use paper
towel as it tends to stick).
And
that’s it! Top your dish with fresh chopped parsley, a drizzle of
EVOO and a healthy sprinkle of nutritional yeast as a Parmesan
substitute. For those of you who are scared to try nutritional yeast,
I dare you to! It’s probably the best discovery I’ve ever made!
It tastes like cheese, is packed with protein, fibre and nutrients
(hence the name) and is a perfect alternative for people who are
lactose intolerant (not that I am) or people who want all the flavour
of cheese but none of the fat.
As
mentioned before, this Bolognese can be used for anything. You can
toss it with quinoa; put it on endive leaves as a fancy bite-sized
snack (this works better if your Bolognese is reduced to a thick
consistency); put it in wraps, make Sloppy Joes, serve it with
roasted vegetables or even spoon-eat it, like how I do on a Friday
night; home alone; while watching sad movies. I’m kidding…I watch
the food network.
Another
alternative to this dish is changing up the spices. If you use
cayenne, paprika, coriander and cumin instead, then you’ve got
yourself a turkey chilli! For extra authenticity, you can add some
green bell peppers in with your carrots and celery, and a can of
rinsed kidney beans along with your canned tomatoes.
Here’s
to a slimmer waist and a delicious holiday season!
To check
out the full-fat, just as yummy version that inspired mine, check out
my sister’s online cooking show “Debbie Wong’s Wok and Gong”
here:
For more
info about my work, visit my website at www.carliewong.com
Join my
Facebook group here:
and
follow me on twitter @CarlieFashion
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