Fuel My Friday: Toby's Slow-Cooked Turkey Bolognese

22 Jan 2021

Patience is a virtue - and this slow-cooked turkey bolognese recipe, courtesy of marathon swimmer Toby Robinson, is certainly worth the wait in this week's #FuelMyFriday. 

Robinson - who finished fourth in the LEN Open Water Cup event in Israel shortly before the first British lockdown last year - trains under David Hemmings at the Loughborough National Centre. 

The two-time World Championship competitor is used to putting in plenty of hours in the pool to prepare him for his 5km and 10km open-water events, so he knows it can be a bonus to come back from a day's training and not have to start dinner from scratch. Over to you, Toby...

I really enjoy this slow cooker turkey bolognese with spaghetti. I find it's high in protein, low in fat and very tasty too! It's perfect for preparing in the morning and then leaving it cooking all day in my slow cooker, so it's ready for when I'm back from evening training. It's ideal for recovery and really warming on a cold evening. 

Toby Robinson
Toby Robinson

Ingredients

  • 500g turkey mince
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 1 or 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 800g chopped tomatoes 
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Thyme, small handful 
  • Salt and pepper
  • Parmesan, optional

Method

  1. Fry the diced celery, carrots, onion and garlic in a small amount of olive for oil for three or four minutes. 
  2. Add the turkey mince to the pan, break it up and brown through until no longer pink.
  3. Pour in a small amount of red wine and continue cooking until there is no more liquid in the pan. 
  4. Spoon the turkey mince and vegetable mixture into your slow cooker. Add the chopped tomatoes, thyme and a bay leaf, before seasoning with salt and pepper. 
  5. Cook, on the low setting, for six to seven hours. 
  6. Serve with your favourite pasta, grate on some parmesan as an optional extra and enjoy.

Check out our athletes' diverse range of recipe options across on the Fuel My Friday page HERE