Bolognese a la Rachael and Rachel

There have been a few requests for this recipe since I posted this photo on FB.  This is gluten free Bolognese over carrots and zucchini with homemade mozzarella sticks.  I must confess that this is mostly Rachael Ray's recipe but I take many liberties with it so I thought it would be fair to share the title.

Bolognese a la Rachael & Rachel 
Note: I do not put carrot in the sauce when I am serving this over carrots & zucchini.
Serves 8 (generously)

1 T Olive Oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/4 pound diced pancetta
1/2 pound bulk hot Italian sausage
1/2 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
1 pound ground beef, or 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 veal
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup beef stock
28 ounces chunky-style crushed tomatoes
A handful of flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon allspice
Coarse salt and black pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese, for topping
4 zucchini's & 6 carrots, sliced to your preference

In a deep pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, garlic, bay leaf and pancetta and brown for 1 minute. Add the meats and brown, crumbling them for five minutes.

Add carrot (if using), celery and onion. Cook the vegetables with the meat for five minutes and add the wine. Cook for 1 minute; add the stock and tomatoes to the pot.

Stir in most of the parsley and the allspice and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for a minimum of 10-15 minutes or all day.

When you are ready, plate steamed or roasted veggies and cover with sauce, top with a sprinkle of the remaining parsley and lots of cheese.

Once again, I have found a recipe that looks good and altered it considerably.  This recipe idea came from WellnessMama.com.

Homemade Mozzarella Sticks

Half a pound of mozzarella cheese, cut into sticks
2 eggs
½ cup (or more) of almond flour
1 tsp of Italian seasoning
½ tsp salt
1-2 cups olive oil

At least 3-4 hours before, put cheese sticks in the freezer.Once cheese is completely frozen, crack eggs into a medium bowl and beat with about a teaspoon of water. Combine the almond flour, Italian seasoning and salt in a shallow bowl. Put the oil in a small pan so that it is about an inch deep,heat on medium high. The oil must be hot before the cheese goes in. Remove the cheese from the freezer and dip the cheese in the egg mixture, then in the almond flour mixture, then back in the egg mixture and repeat until well coated. They need to be coated completely so they seal. Drop 3 or 4 at a time into the heated oil for a couple of minutes until they are starting to brown, then carefully remove. Remove them with a slotted spoon. You don’t want to squeeze them with tongs or poke with a fork, as the cheese will escape. Repeat these steps with the remaining cheese until all is cooked. Serve immediately.