One man’s health scare led to the creation of a new diet, which is fast becoming a worldwide health movement
Calorie count: 243
The pleasingly low calorie count here is achieved by swapping the usual topping of buttered potato mash for a lighter celeriac and leek lid, and using less meat than usual.
The idea remains the same – a pot of unctuous loveliness to see you through a cold snap.
Ingredients
Serves four:
Oil for spraying
250g extra-lean minced beef
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsps tomato purée
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
Method
1 Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.
2 Spray a large pan with oil and brown minced beef.
3 Add mirepoix (diced onion, celery and carrot) and allow to soften for 10 minutes.
4 Stir in chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper, water and Oxo cubes.
5 Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6 Meanwhile, boil celeriac until very tender, drain and mash with crème fraîche until as smooth as you wish.
7 Heat oil in a pan and gently sauté leeks, then add them to the celeriac mash; season well.
8 Pour beef into a shallow ovenproof dish and top with celeriac mixture.
9 Bake for 20-30 minutes, until top is golden brown.
10 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped salt and pepper 300ml boiling water 2 Oxo cubes 500g celeriac, peeled and cubed 100g half-fat crème fraîche 1 tsp groundnut oil 2 young leeks, trimmed and sliced (pound-coin width)
