My Beef Casserole

Well alas! I am no longer vegetarian... my kids are little carnivores and I have succumbed to eating animals again too... I am reconciling my conscience by saying I will still endeavor to be a conscious eater, and I do appreciate meat all the more for the luxury it is.

Consequently this stew has lots of veggies in it and loads of gravy to make it go along way. It is delicious served with Tim's mashed potatoes (to which he adds a generous spoon of hot english mustard and cream!) and makes great leftovers with chewy toasted olive sourdough bread. Yum! A big pot full like this will feed the family for days, you can stash some in the freezer or even, if you're generous, give a bowl to a friend who needs a little home-cooked sustenance!

1kg stewing steak such as chuck or gravy beef

2 large onions, sliced thickly

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 cup pearl barley

5 carrots, peeled & sliced thickly

2 sticks celery, sliced thinkly

large handful button mushrooms, halved

4 bay leaves & sprig of thyme

1.5 cups red wine

1 tin whole peeled tomatoes

3 beef style stock cubes or beef stock

3Tbs cornflour

1Tbs brown miso paste* optional

chopped parsley, to serve

Fry the onion and garlic gently in some olive oil in a heavy based pot. Meanwhile chop your meat into chunks, taking care to remove the yucky gristle and fatty bits as you go (which your furry friends will love!).

Remove the onion and fry the meat in batches to brown it - this colour will flavour and colour the stew nicely. When all the onion and meat is set aside in a bowl add the red wine and let it boil for a few minutes to reduce. Stir the wine with a wooden spoon to get all the flavour off the pot. Then add all your veggies and meat back in, the tinned tomatoes, pearl barley, bay leaves, thyme and stock cubes plus enough boiling water to cover (about half a litre). Bring the stew up to the boil then immediately turn the heat down to a simmer and cover. Keep an eye on it - it should be simmering slowly under the lid. Leave it to cook like this for an hour or as long as you like.

When you are getting close to serving time, take some of the liquid and mix with the cornflour to make a paste (and avoid getting lumps) then pour this back into your stew and simmer to thicken the gravy.

At the last minute, stir in your miso paste and turn off the heat. The miso paste is optional but I find it enhances the stew's colour and makes the flavour more complex and delicious, especially with the pearl barley - it is also incredibly good for you! Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Lentil Stew with Garlic Yoghurt

A delicious soupy stew to warm up your evening! This is really yummy served with boiled potatoes that go so well with the mint garnish and yoghurt topping, but also equally tasty with chewy sourdough toast.

2 Tbs olive oil

1 leek, white part only, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2tsp curry powder

1tsp ground cummin

1tsp garam masala

2 bay leaves

1 litre hot vegetable stock ('Beef style Massel' stock cubes work well in this recipe)

1 cup brown lentils

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

2 zucchini, cut in half lengthways and sliced

400g tin chopped tomatoes

200g broccoli, cut into small florets

1 carrot, small dice

1/2 cup peas

1 Tbs chopped mint

New potatoes or sourdough bread to serve

Spiced Yoghurt

1 cup thick plain yoghurt

1 Tbs chopped corriander

1 garlic clove

3 dashes Tobasco sauce

Heat the oil in a heavy based cassoulet pot. Add the leek and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes or until soft and lightly golden. Add the curry powder, cumin and garam masala and cook for 1 minute until lightly fragrant.

Add the stock, bay leaves, lentils and sweet potato. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to low and simmer until the lentils are tender about 10-15 minutes.

Get your potatoes cooking; if they are small just peel them and pop into a bowl covered with gladwrap and microwave for 10 minutes. Check with a fork to see if they need any further cooking after this time.

Add the zucchini, tomatoes, carrot, broccoli and 2 cups hot water and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the peas in the last 2-3 minutes and season.

To make the garlic yoghurt use the side of a large knife to mash the garlic clove by repeatedly pressing and smearing it on your chopping board until it is a puree. Then combine all the ingredients for the yoghurt and mix well. Garnish your soup with a big dollop of the yoghurt and some freshly chopped mint. Delicious!