Casserole

Makes enough to feed 2, three times. Freezes well.

Ingredients
1lb beef chuck steak, diced (or about 1lb of whatever meat you fancy)
1 brown onion, diced
3 big carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 smallish swede, peeled and chopped
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
3 or 4 medium turnips, peeled and chopped smallish
A handful mushrooms, quartered if big
(A cooking apple, peeled and diced if using pork)
Water
Seasoning (salt, pepper, dried mixed herbs)
Gravy granules

Useful to use a big hob-to-oven casserole dish if you have one, otherwise use a big frying pan/wok and work in batches.

Turn oven to about 170C or equivalent.

Fry the onion off gently on a medium heat, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat up and add the meat, season well, and cook quickly browning on all sides as quickly as possible to seal the juices in. Turn the heat off, add all the rest of the chopped veg except the mushrooms (and except the apples, if using) and mix up. Add water to just cover the veg, add the mushrooms and more seasoning if wanted.

Cover with foil and a lid, and transfer to the oven to cook slowly for at least 3 hours.


About 20 minutes before you want to serve, turn the oven up to 200C, take the casserole out, uncover, add enough gravy granules as if you were making about 3 pints of gravy (lots!) stir well, return to oven and add dumplings if you want.