Today has been a bit of a 'clear out stuff thats been hiding at the back of the fridge and behind the tins of beans in the cupboard' day. Yes you've guessed it, today was stew making day!
Now my prized possession is my slow cooker, I kicked and screamed, stamped and wailed, delaring to all and sundry I did not need nor did I want a slow cooker, but my mother bought me one and its my new best friend (kitchen appliance wise)
So, this week is late shift for my husband which means that I can pretty much make anything and he will eat it being so hungry by the time he gets home, perfect stew day. Now being a winter dish, I usually get moans about its too hot, he wants something cold . . . . you get the picture, but late shift, thats anything goes :)
What did I do, well having a rummage, I found half an onion, some carrots the rest of yesterdays roast beef, and the last 2 potatoes in the bottom of the drawer in the fridge, so everything gets peeled and chopped and put to one side. Cupboard reveals, a couple of oxo cubes from unknown date of purchase (been using bisto best for 2 years as oxo has gluten so they got to be old!) a new tub of mixed herbs and a half used tube of tomato paste.
So chopped onions went into the wok (i like using woks for this its much easier to keep everything in when your stirring) and got fried in a bit of oil, chucked in the cubed beef and a bit of plain flour.
Mixed the 2 oxo's into 600ml oof water and chucked that in on top, gave it a stir. In go the carrots, potatoes and some peas I dug out the freezer, then the herbs and the puree.
Quick stir and into the slow cooker on low which will be left now until he gets home later.
I love this meal because you can just bung in anything you like and it can use up that veg in the fridge thats going a little bit past its best, you dont have to follow any quantities, just put in what you've got, plus its cheap!
I'll probably make some dumplings following the recipe on the suet packet and pop them in too at about 6pm. which means its all ready for when he gets home.
Serve it up in a deep cereal bowl with some bread and butter and you've got a lush dinner for the price of a bit of rummaging.
Love meals like this! Its amazing what you can comeup with sometimes when you have to ne imaginative
ReplyDeleteI have to say that the slow cooker is also my best friend, especially on the days that I work. Such a time saver and hardly any washing up! This recipe sounds good!
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