JUNE 2017 MEN’S FITNESS 119
Bulking lasagna
INGREDIENTS
500g lean minced beef
2 red onions, peeled and
finely diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and
crushed
3 medium sweet potatoes,
peeled and thinly sliced
into 2-3mm discs
300ml thick tomato puree
100ml canola oil
Worcestershire sauce
500ml natural yoghurt
100g mature cheddar
cheese, grated
½ bunch of fresh basil
leaves, stalks removed
and finely chopped
Natural sea salt
Ground white pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat a large thick-
based sauce pan to a
medium heat. Add the
canola oil and then the
onions and garlic.
Cook the onions and
garlic for three to four
minutes without letting
them brown.
Add the minced beef,
making sure you break
it up as it cooks using
a wooden spoon or
spatula so that it
browns evenly.
Continue cooking for
a further five minutes,
stirring occasionally.
Then add tomatoes
and mix thoroughly.
Bring the mixture to the
boil and simmer gently
for ten minutes, then
add a good splash of
Worcestershire sauce
and the chopped basil,
mixing thoroughly.
Season and remove
from heat.
Spoon some of the
beef mixture into a
shallow ovenproof
baking dish, so that
it completely covers
the bottom.
Place the discs of the
raw sweet potato on
top of the beef mixture,
ensuring that it
completely covers the
beef mixture.
Repeat the process
so that you have two
layers of beef mixture
and two of sliced
sweet potato, then
finish with a layer of
beef on top.
Cover the top layer of
beef with yoghurt, and
then scatter the grated
cheese over the top.
Place the lasagne in a
preheated oven at 180°
for 25-30 minutes.
Step away from the ready-meal aisle. Lasagne might have the whiff of intimidation about
it, but it’s actually a dish that’s simple enough to make, and arguably better when reheated
a day or two after you make it. This recipe substitutes sweet potato for starchy carbs, but you
don’t have to leave the swaps there — once you’ve tried it once or twice, sub in turkey or lamb
for the beef mince, and experiment with the cheese ratios for a solid hit of protein.
Beef
Good-quality
mince is packed
with vitamin B12,
zinc, selenium
and iron, as well
as 36g of protein
per 100g.