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Written by Mark Perry
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With today's busy lifestyle, many of us are too busy to spend our increasingly scarce free time slaving away in the kitchen, I am sure you all have lots of better things to do! So, to save your valuable time, here is a quick and simple recipe for a very tasty meal that can be prepared in less than 30 minutes, leaving you free to spend more time with family or friends.
Back in about 1980, when I was living in England, I developed an interest in cooking ‘exotic' foods. After visiting a book store and returning with a new book about wonderful Chinese cuisine, I was eager to get started. However, I immediately met two problems. First, there were many unusual pieces of cooking equipment and several strange utensils that I had never heard of or seen before; things such as bamboo steamers and woks. Second, there were so many unusual ingredients, like five spice powder. I had no idea what they were, and they certainly did not have them in my local supermarket. Determined not to be beaten by such small setbacks, I went off to my nearest ‘China Town' to buy what I needed. This ended up being a six hour round-trip. By the time I got home I was exhausted, and I hadn't even started cooking!
Considering how busy I know you are and how hectic your schedule is, I want to make things easier for you. This recipe will need no special equipment and all the utensils you need, you should have in your own kitchen. All the ingredients will be available in your local Lian Hua Supermarket or places like Wal-Mart and Carrefour. I will also explain some of the more common cooking terms you will find when looking at western recipe books.
Preparation and cooking
Step 1
Put a large pan of water on to a high heat to boil, then, add salt.
Step 2
Chop the onions roughly, chop the garlic, and slice the green pepper.
Step 3
Put a little oil into a second pan, add the onions and cook over a low heat until the onions go soft, but not brown.
Step 4
Add the minced meat and garlic. Cook over a medium heat until the meat changes colour.
Step 5
Add the peppers, tinned tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir well, bring to the boil, and then lower the flame so that the sauce is simmering. Now, cover - it is important to stir the sauce occasionally to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.
Step 6
The pan of water should have boiled by now. With the water still boiling add the noodles and cook. The cooking time varies depending on the type of noodles used. (For dried spaghetti, or other imported noodles, the cooking time is written on the packet.)
Step 7
Whilst the noodles are cooking in the pan, grate the cheese.
Step 8
As soon as the noodles are ready, drain them and put on a plate.
Step 9
The Bolognese sauce will now be ready; it will have taken on a rich red colour and will smell wonderful. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
Step 10
Put a generous serving of the Bolognese sauce into the centre of your pile of noodles. Then top this with the grated cheese, which will melt into the sauce and taste delicious.
Step 11
Serve immediately.
Serving suggestions
If you wish, you can use plain stewed tomatoes and add your own herbs to these. I recommend using basil and oregano (These can be bought in larger food stores like Carrefour). If you like your food spicy you can also add some chillies, or pepper sauce to the Bolognese. For a special treat, you can even add some red wine to the sauce and use grated Parmesan cheese (Parmesan cheese and grated Parmesan can be found on the specialist cheese counter in Carrefour, or in most international supermarkets).
Bolognese is quick and easy to make, but its convenience does not end there. Any leftover sauce can be stored in a sealed container in your fridge for a few days and re-heated in your microwave whenever you feel hungry. This is especially useful for those of us who are very busy and who have neither the time nor the energy to cook when we get home in the evenings after a tough day at the office.
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