Halve your Meat, Double the Flavour

About the recipe

The first time I made this sauce I was stunned by how easily it came together. Swapping out half the meat with lentils and adding in a few flavours of India make this traditional sauce deeply flavourful and also planet-friendly. Since that first experiment, I have made this bolognese many times. Each time I tweak with what I have in my pantry that month, perhaps a new type of lentil or bean. I encourage you to do the same. See you Sunday! 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup French-style green lentils 
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 300 gm of ground turkey meat
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt & black pepper to taste
• 2 cups passata tomato sauce (alternatively another type of uncooked tomato puree)
• 1 cup chopped hardy vegetables (for example: carrots, turnips, kohlrabi)
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp maple syrup 
• 3 cups water
• 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

Prep: rinse and soak the lentils while you get all the other ingredients ready.

Garnish: chopped basil and olive oil.

Serve with: pasta or rice or on top of your favourite salad greens.