cheap & cheerful

MUSHROOM AND TEA BOURGIGNON (SERVES 4)

1 teabag 300ml boiling water 1 medium onion (mine weighed 200g, but don’t worry too much), finely sliced 4 fat garlic cloves, finely sliced 2tbsp oil A pinch of salt and a bit of cracked black pepper 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes 2tbsp tomato purée (optional but I like a nice tomatoey taste) 1tsp mixed dried herbs 400g mushrooms, sliced Fistfuls of spinach, steamed, to serve (optional)

INGREDIENTS

fashion, or you can turn the heat off, pop a lid on (or large plate or tin foil if you don’t have a lid) and let it slowly cool down. It will carry on cooking itself with the heat trapped inside, but will cost you less in gas or electricity to achieve pretty much the same effect – it just won’t reduce as much, so you’ll need to strain some of the liquid off to serve, or eat it like a soup, which is equally yummy.

5. Season to taste, and serve. I like mine slopped onto white fluffy rice or a pile of mash, but if you’re a low-carb person, a pile of spinach or steamed greens would be yummy too.

3. Pour over the chopped tomatoes and stir in the purée, and add the herbs. Remove the teabag from the mug and pour the strong black tea into the pan, and give everything a stir. Toss in the mushrooms, then bring it all to the boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for at least 20 minutes to let the sauce reduce and thicken and all the flavours meld together.

4. The next bit is up to you. You can leave it simmering away for another half an hour in the traditional

METHOD

1. Find the largest mug you have. Pop a teabag in, and fill it with the boiling water. Let it stand to one side to stew, properly stew, while you do the next bits.

2. Toss the onion and garlic into a large pan. Pour the oil over, stir, add a pinch of salt and pop over a medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, to soften the onions and lose that raw acerbic edge to them.