#FearlessFemales - Day 7 - Favourite Recipe - Spaghetti Bolognese

I've been looking forward to this day since I saw it on Lisa Alzo's blogging challenge

March 7 — Share a favorite recipe from your mother or grandmother’s kitchen. Why is this dish your favorite? If you don’t have one that’s been passed down, describe a favorite holiday or other meal you shared with your family.

My favourite recipe was my mother's spaghetti bolognese. If I ever got asked what I wanted for dinner, this was it. I still miss it today even though Mum's been gone nearly 20 years.

When I was creating my own recipe book to take with me when I left home to go to Bible College, this was the first one recipe that went in the book - way back in 1985. I had to watch Mum make it and write everything down as she just threw all the ingredients in the pot based on what felt right to her.

Mum's first rule was ALWAYS use Vetta Spaghetti No. 1

Image taken from www.vettapasta.com.au

No other spaghetti tasted the same - even other Vetta products are no substitute for Spaghetti No. 1

Second rule was ALWAYS leave the spaghetti long - this meal must be eaten with a fork and spoon! We learnt to twirl our spaghetti as soon as we could hold cutlery.

Apparently we were a pretty unusual family for our day. Australians didn't really eat pasta in the 1960s - and it wouldn't have been something my English mother had grown up with. But one of Mum's boyfriends was Italian and she was introduced to spaghetti when she was invited to a meal at his family's home. She used to tell us "even the baby had spagetti!"

Now to the sauce - I never could make it properly which disappointed me greatly. I haven't tried to make it since about 1997, but I'm thinking of giving it another go as I might have worked out where I went wrong.

500g beef mince - Mum always used "Best Mince" if she could afford it

2 level tspns garlic flakes - not sure why Mum used garlic flakes instead of fresh garlic, but definitely flakes

Cover with water (about 1/3 of a pan) - Mum always used the same pan to make this, so this is actually a "real life" measurement

Salt & Pepper to taste

Bring to boil & turn to simmer

Image taken from maggi.com.au

Skim scum off mince (that was both satisfying and gross at the same time - often the job I had to do as a teenager while Mum was busy getting other things ready)

Then add the following:

2 chopped onions

2 diced carrots

2 grated carrots

1 diced potato

1 grated potato

220g tomato paste

1 Tblsp Maggi Seasoning (this was the "secret ingredient")

Bring to boil then simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally

I can smell and taste this meal even as I type!