by Mandy Wilks

Created on: September 10, 2010   Last Updated: September 11, 2010

Ground or minced meats are something that we tend to take for granted and yet almost every nation in the world uses minced meat as the main ingredient in many of their traditional dishes.

 
If you have a pound of ground beef in your refrigerator or freezer you have many, many options for tasty family meals. Sadly, I think, many people seem to think that ground meats do not have a place in your diet if you are following a healthy eating plan, however this is not the case. Mince is graded by the amount of fat it contains – generally the lower the fat content the higher the price – but you do need less of it as there is less fat to run off! Mince with a fat content of 10% or less is considered fairly low in fat: 3% is the best low-fat mince.

Let me try to show you how you can use a pound of ground beef to make something a lot more exciting than the basic meatloaf, hamburgers or meatballs, and also in a way that will fit into a healthy low fat diet.

I am starting with my favourite pasta recipe that is so much more interesting than the normal "spag bol" or lasagna; this dish is called pastitsio and this recipe will serve six people but does freeze well and is also much better eaten the day after making, so no need to worry about what to do with the leftovers!

PASTITSIO

INGREDIENTS
250g macaroni
2 eggs, beaten
60g extra low fat soft cheese
MEAT SAUCE
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound lean minced beef
1 large onion, finely chopped
400g can chopped tomatoes
125 ml beef stock
95g tomato puree
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg
Salt & pepper to taste
TOPPING
1 medium egg
100g extra low-fat soft cheese
150 g Quark
100ml skimmed milk
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon pepper


METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. Cook macaroni until just tender. Drain.
3. Combine warm pasta, egg and soft cheese in a large bowl, season to taste.
4. Press pasta mixture into the base of a shallow 2½ litre ovenproof dish.
5. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add onion and cook until soft, add mince, cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add tomatoes, puree, stock and cinnamon, simmer uncovered, until thick.
7. Cool for 10 minutes, season to taste and stir in egg.
8. Pour over the pasta.
9. Beat all topping ingredients together, and pour+- over meat mixture.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown.
11. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.

From a delicious pasta dish to a really good curry using good old ground beef. This is a really tasty way of using ground beef and makes a good economical curry.

CITRIC GROUND BEEF BALTI
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 pound lean minced beef
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves  garlic, crushed
1” root ginger, grated
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 carrots, sliced
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 lemon, juice & zest
1 orange, juice & zest
1 stick of lemongrass
3 teaspoons garam masala
1 can chickpeas, drained
250ml beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato puree


METHOD
1. Fry onions, garlic and ginger lightly until onions are soft but not browned
2. Boil mince in water, once cooked, drain off liquid.
3. Allow liquid to cool, take off fat and return liquid to meat.
4. Pre-boil carrots and sweet potato.
5. Add tomatoes, garam masala, tomato puree, chickpeas, fruit juices and zest
6. Cut slits in lemongrass stick and add.
7. Add   beef stock and allow to simmer until sauce is reduced
8. Remove lemongrass stick before serving.
9. Serve with boiled rice.

So there are two different recipes using a pound of ground or minced beef, I do hope that you try them and enjoy them.

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