Hearty Minced Beef Goulash
I’ve chosen to use minced beef in this recipe over the usual chunks of beef so it’s much quicker from stove to table. And this satisfying, hassle-free meal and is even quicker because you simply serve it up with a freshly baked baguette from the supermarket. Or other alternatives are:
- Part-baked baguettes which you can buy from the supermarket. I LURVE these – ready in 10mins, warm, soft and fluffy straight from the oven. They keep in the cupboard for a few weeks too so a great purchase for your food cupboard.
- Garlic bread. Definitely not the traditional way to serve this meal but it tastes good so I’m not going to lose any sleep over it. Another one that keeps for a while… just whack it in your freezer.
Finally just before I get to the recipe, here’s my usual summary of the superfoods and superspices included in this meal:
SuperFoods included – olive oil, onion, garlic, tomatoes, green bell pepper, yogurt SuperSpices included – paprika, cardamom, black pepper, cayenne pepper (if used)
Serves a family of 4. Total cooking and preparation time: 35-40mins.
Ingredients
- Drizzle of olive oil
- 500g (1lb 2oz.) lean mined beef – washed, drained
- 1 onion – peeled, chopped
- 1 tbsp. minced garlic
- 1 tbsp. ground paprika
- 2 cardamom pods – green, crushed
- 1 x 400g (14 oz.) can of chopped tomatoes
- 120g (4 oz.) macaroni pasta
- 250ml (8 fl oz. / 1 cup) of water
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 green bell pepper – washed, de-seeded, diced
- Salt to taste (optional)
- Ground cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
- Greek style yogurt – to serve
Method
Heat the oil in a pan, add the mince and stir-fry until browned (approx. 10mins).
Add the onions, garlic, paprika and cardamom and cook for 2mins. Then add the tomatoes, macaroni, water, black pepper. Stir, cover and simmer for 7mins.
Add the bell pepper, stir, cover and continue to simmer for a further 7-8mins until the peppers, macaroni and beef are all cooked.
Serve with a dollop of greek style yogurt and a baguette of your choice.
Tip: If you want to add salt and chillies to your serving but don't want to include any in your kids meals, simply remove a serving or two from the main pot and set aside for the kids. Then feel free to add salt and chillies to the main pot and stir.
