Provençal beef

Prep 15 minutes Cook 1 hour 40 minutes

SERVES 6

• Calorie-controlled cooking spray

• 450 g lean, beef stewing steak, cut into small chunks

• 1 onion, chopped

• 300 g button mushrooms, halved

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 2 carrots, sliced into rounds

• 400 g tin pinto beans, drained and rinsed

• 350 ml vegetable stock, made with 1 stock cube

• 400 g tin chopped tomatoes

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp dried oregano

• ¼ tsp dried thyme

• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

• Fresh thyme sprigs, to garnish

PREHEAT the oven to 160 c, fan 140 c, gas mark 3. Mist a casserole dish with cooking spray and fry the steak until nicely browned. Set aside. Fry the onion, mushrooms and garlic over a mediumhigh heat for 5 minutes. Add in the carrot and half the beans and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the browned steak. Put the remaining beans in a food processor with one third of the vegetable stock and blitz until smooth. Add to the casserole dish with the remaining stock, tomatoes, salt, dried herbs and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and place in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes, until the beef and veg are tender. Serve, garnished with thyme.