Hidden Vegetable Nachos

My partners son hates zucchini - not the flavour, just the texture - so I often sneak it into a mince dish. He's even admitted he doesn't mind eating it that way when he can't see it and most kids are the same. Zucchini and carrots are great vegetables to hide in mince dishes as they can be cut up fairly small and have relatively no taste when surrounded by a rich meaty sauce.

This nacho dish is pretty healthy, especially if you use plain corn chips and go light on the cheese!

Ingredients

• 400g can of beans, mashed (refried beans or mash red kidney beans)
• 500grams of beef mince
• 2 x large zucchinis
• 2 x large carrots
• 1 x large onion
• 200 gram bag of plain corn chips
• Spring onion (eschallots)
• Ground cumin, paprika, black pepper, coriander
• 4 x cloves of garlic
• 150grams of cheese
• 1 tin of diced tomatoes or 3 large tomatoes diced
• 1 teaspoon of tomato paste

Method

1. Start by cooking the mince. Brown onion and garlic in a pan, add mince, spices and cook until brown
2. Dice vegetables as small as you can and add to the pan
3. Mash beans if you are using whole beans, can be done using a mortar and pessel, then add to the pan.
4. Add tomato paste (diluted in 1 cup of water) and diced tomato then simmer for 10 minutes
5. Lay corn chips in a large baking dish
6. Evenly sprinkle mince over all corn chips, getting all the way to the edge and trying not to weigh down any section. Remember you want to use the chips to pick up the mince so too much will make them soggy.
7. Finely chop spring onion and sprinkle over the top
8. Cover with cheese
9. Bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown

Other Vegetables You Can Add...

• Parsnip
• Sweet Potato
• Pumpkin
• Squash
• Corn
• Peas
• Broccoli (cut flower heads into small pieces or dice the stalk)