Foodmanna: Bolognese sauce recipe with Szechuan peppers

Who says comfort food can't be healthy and delicious at the same time. Using weight watchers lean beef and skinny bacon, with fat free beef stock, lots of tomatoes and fresh vegetables and herbs. All paired up with high fibre whole wheat pasta, A hearty low in fat, high in protein and fibre meal fits any person who's watching their weight. Counting calories and fat? Well, that's not my faculty but I am on this project and this is too good not to blast about. All the goodness for approximately 400 calories per serving. Hey, that's including pasta! Isn't this quite unbelievable, huh?! It's quite amazing how ingredients low in fat can taste be so flavorful. It's the cooking method and substitutes to boost up the umami flavor.

Unfortunately, though I am so very excited about this, I can't share the recipe for now as I am on a project to explore and write a healthier set of recipes which can't be shared yet. But you get the drift with this bolognese sauce recipe I am about to post. Anyhow, I know a lot of friends are a fan of my Bolognese with foie gras and Szechuan peppers back at Shanghai. The Bolognese sauce I am posting is a base and you can add chopped pan fried foie gras bits.

Making bolognese sauce can be a chore and time consuming. All the carrots, celery, onions and garlic to be finely minced (get it going really fine). Browning BROWN THAT! It's the flavour, sautéing, stirring and reducing. Slow cooked for at least a couple of hours, the sauce is deep red, rich and flavorful. All that hard work on the stove is quite worth the extra effort because it equates many many good fast delicious meals which is perfect for your impromptu friends visits or last minute house parties. I guarantee that your friends will be impress. Fear not if you are alone. You make a big pot and portion it in ziplock and you are ready to go every time you are too hungry or too lazy to cook. You get proper comfort food on work nights. My pot last me a good couple of months. You can top the sauce over whichever way you want. Pasta, to make lasagna, rice, over nachos or indulging fries. Ooooh, I can't wait.

The list for ingredients are quite extensive as it's the original recipe for the bolognese sauce I used for the restaurant which is the base and already is awesome on its own over pasta. There's actually a second part to it- the duck liver sauce but I can't find the ingredients for here in Singapore. What I used to make: Both of the sauce combined with pan sear foie gras over spaghetti.

On a deep pan, fire up with olive oil, add the sausages and bacon. Stir it around for a few minutes till brown. Next, add the ground meat and season again generously with salt, pepper, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, cumin powder, Szechuan pepper powder and chili flakes. BROWN THE BEEF! Brown food tastes good. Don't rush this step. Cook another 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

On the same pan, add more olive oil, sautéed the onions and garlic. When sweat and slightly browned, add in the carrots and celery, sweat it further for 5 mins then add the browned meat. Add the tomato paste and cook until brown about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the red wine. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, another 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tin tomatoes one at a time, reducing each tin by half each time. Then add the bolognese herbs and oregano. Reduce till half, add in the beef stock and bay leaves. Simmer for 2 hours then add the milk. Simmer till reduced and sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper.