Hi everyone!!

Well I must say that I am so happy that you are all trying the ideas I have been putting up on this blog and also that you are adding your little touches to them! That's what its all about!

Ok well this recipe idea comes from a simple start! Mince!

The other night I had nothing in the fridge (well we all say that but we always have something!) haha! I did have some mince though so I had to come up with an idea to incorporate that in to my meal for that night. So this is what I came up with!

Meat, mushroom and spinach Cannelloni! Some of you may have made your own cannelloni at some point, but the store bought cannelloni is fine! Remember to chop your ingredients up finely though as you have to stuff it all into the cannelloni  tubes. I think the key to this dish is to make a really nice sauce to go with your cannelloni. I do a simple tomato base sauce with mine but I do simmer it for awhile to ensure all of the flavours penetrate through. You may even like to do a white sauce etc...

I must admit this dish is a little time consuming as stuffing the cannelloni can be fiddly! Stick in there though as the more times you stuff the tubes the faster you get at it! You can use a pipping bag, a spoon or even clean hands - whatever works for you! Take time simmering your sauce and then top with cheese - that's the best part! As this dish can be a little 'heavy' I usually just serve with some steamed green vegetables or a fresh salad - both work well.

Enjoy and let me know how your cannelloni goes!

Basic ingredients - literally use what you have in your fridge at the time


Stuffing for the Cannelloni

• Mince - I used beef mince and I had that in the fridge. ALWAYS use premium or 5 star mince please!
• Mushrooms - chopped finely as you have to stuff them into the tubes remember
• Tomato paste
• A good pasta sauce (save time)
• Garlic 
• Onion
• Spinach (for this dish I used frozen but fresh could also work but would have to be really cooked down)
• Cannelloni tubes

Sauce

• Tin of tomatoes
• Soy Sauce
• Sugar
• Fresh basil
• Dash of pasta sauce

Method

• Basically all you need to do for this is make a good bolognaise and just add spinach. Simmer your sauce as you would if you were making spaghetti bolognaise (just with spinach and mushrooms) and then set aside till it is cool enough to stuff the cannelloni tubes.
• Once your sauce is cool enough, stuff your tubes and place in a baking tray. I normally put 3 tubes on the bottom (this is per serve) and then 2 on top of them - so its sort of like a pyramid per serving.
• Simmer your sauce and then pour over your cannelloni.
• Top with cheese and parmasen.
• Bake until your cannelloni tubes are cooked. (Cover with foil if your cheese browns before the tubes are cooked through)

This dish is even better the next day so make enough for left overs!!!!!!!