Slow Cooked Beef Casserole

I am sure I am not the only one who gets excited to get the slow cooker out as soon as the temperature dips. The poor thing has been hidden in the cupboard through the warmer months, wanting to be used. Now it is out, it is like my best friend in the kitchen. Well, that title might have to be shared with the food processor.

The biggest complaint for those of us who are trying to eat better, is lack of time. Well, the slow cooker solves that for you. Get up just 10 minutes earlier in the morning and throw everything in and put it on low. By the time you get back in from work, you have a delicious and healthy meal waiting for you. Plus, walking in the that smell of freshly cooked food and the feeling of knowing you don’t have to do anything is pretty great.

As I have mentioned before, we don’t often eat red meat, but we do enjoy it. So, when we do eat it, we make something that we really want, so we are making the most of it.

This was served with root vegetable mash – which was basically potatoes, carrots and celeriac boiled for 30 minutes and mashed with a little Greek yoghurt and mustard.

Ingredients – Serves 4:

– 500g braising steaks, cubed

– 1 large onion, cut into chunks

– 1 large leek, sliced

– 10 mushrooms, quartered

– 2 garlic cloves crushed

– 500ml/2.1 hot water

– 250ml/1 cup red wine (if you don’t want to use wine, then add more water)

– 2 tbsp grain mustard

– 4 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

-2 tbsp tomato puree/tomato paste

– Salt and pepper

1)      Add some oil to a hot pan and add the beef and brown gently for a couple of minutes.

2)      Add to the slow cooker, add the rest of the ingredients and cook on high for 6 hours.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 384

Fat: 16.25

Carbs: 5

Protein: 44

Fibre: 0.75