Easy Aubergine Tomato mince

Last week I managed to sprain my elbow whilst bouldering (it's rock climbing without ropes) It was silly as I landed badly on my arm after pushing myself too hard on the climbing. Feeling much better now but earlier in the week I was left with a very sore right arm and a whole new appreciation for how much I use my right arm and how useless my left one is.

Chopping was one of the activities that was completely out. At the best of times I'm uncoordinated meaning chopping veggies is normally hazardous but with my left arm it was down right dangerous. But feeling sorry for myself I had a craving for lasagne and so needed tomato mince to use as a base.  However, it needed tailoring to suit my limitations and some additional secret veggies.

Mince is great for bulking out with secret veggies that you hardly even notice. Grated carrot and zucchini are my standards and I often toss some soy mince in to absorb the extra liquid. This time inspired by a lasagne recipe in the latest Weight Watchers magazine, I went for roasted zucchini and aubergine.   I was a little hesitant about pre roasting the veggies (they normally get cooked in the mince) but it worked really well especially when I couldn't chop anything and so had to blend all the veggies up.

I ended up with enough tomato mince mix that I could chuck half of it into the freezer for another night. And a week on I've now got to the point where I can use my right arm again- no more typing with one hand for me!

Aubergine Tomato mince: 

Ingredients: 

1. 1 aubergine 
2. 1 zucchini 
3. 2 onions
4. 2 cloves garlic 
5. 1 tsp olive oil
6. 200gm beef mince
7. 1/4 cup red wine
8. 100gm soy mince
9. 2 cans chopped tomatoes
10. 1 tbsp marmite
11. 1/2 tsp sugar (to bring out the tomato)
12. basil and salt to taste

Method:

1. Roast the aubergine and zucchini until soft. Plunge into cold water and peel. 
2. Peel onions and garlic cloves. Add aubergine, zucchini, onions and garlic to a blender and pulse until chopped finely. 
3. In a fry pan, heat olive oil and add mince to brown. Stir red wine through mince to separate. 
4. Add pulsed veggies, tomatoes, marmite and sugar to pan
5. Simmer for about 20 mins until cooked through. 

Serve on pasta (or use as a base for lasagne!)