MINERAL RICH PORK BOLOGNESE WITH WAKAME

MINERAL RICH PORK BOLOGNESE WITH WAKAME

gluten-free | comfort food | nutrient-dense

YIELD: 6 servings

PREP TIME: 45 mins
COOK TIME: 1 - 2 hrs

This is a bolognese for the Asian palate, flavours are mostly umami with barely-there acidity and only sweetened by carrots. I use Chinese celery as an alternative to western celery, for increased medicinal powers and also to avoid waste (western celery can usually only be bought as a massive bunch!

You can super-size nutrients for your family by using collagen-rich bone broth and mineral-rich seaweed like wakame. Another superfood is nutritional yeast, an ultra umami addition with an abundance of micronutrients like B vitamins, zinc, selenium, manganese, and molybdenum, supporting our metabolism, growth, and immunity

Last but not least, flax is rich in healthy and essential fat omega-3, high in fiber, may help lower blood sugar, cholesterol, with a rich source of lignans that have antioxidant properties.  

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INGREDIENTS

• 400-450g free-range, no added hormone or antibiotic pork mince

• 1 Tbsp avocado oil / organic canola oil

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 1/2 cup carrots, small diced

• 1 cup celery, small diced

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 1/2 cup organic tomatoes, diced (or a 425g can)

• 1 1/2 cup broth ie bone or chicken broth (water if unavailable)

• 1 1/2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

• 1/2 cup dried wakame, rinsed

• 1 Tbsp flax seeds, grounded

• Himalayan pink salt, to taste

• ground black pepper, to taste

GARNISH

• 1/4 cup almonds, chopped (sprouted, if possible)

• handful of parsley, rough chopped

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DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat oven to 150C.

2. Marinate pork mince generously in salt and pepper, set aside.

3. Heat oil in heavy oven-safe pot or dutch oven on medium-high heat and spread pork mince to cover the bottom of pot. Let the bottom side brown by not touching or turning it, about 6-7mins. Once the bottom side is browned, turn for the other side to do the same - about 3-4 more mins.

4. When both sides are browned, carefully break up the mince with a spatula, careful of oil splatters. Scoop with slotted spoon and set aside.

5. Add onions, garlic and oregano, with a little salt to help draw out moisture from the onions, sweat for 5 mins. Scraping all the brown bits at the bottom of the pot.

6. Add carrots and celery, and sweat for 3 more mins.

7. Add tomatoes, cooked mince, nutritional yeast, broth/water. Let it come to a boil.

8. Cover with lid and slow-cook in the oven for minimum 1 hour or up to 2hours, if time allows.

9. Add wakame and ground flax to the bolognese for last 20mins of cooking.

10. Rough chop almonds and parsley.

11. Finally, season with salt and pepper, to taste.

12. For serving, garnish with chopped almonds and parsley, paired with whole wheat pasta, soba noodles or brown rice.

13. Enjoy!