Simple beef casserole
Coating the beef in cinnamon adds a warm, mildly spicy note to this easy-going casserole.
Serves 6 You will need
✽ Calorie-controlled
cooking spray ✽ 1 onion, roughly chopped ✽ 2 celery sticks, roughly
chopped ✽ 4 carrots, roughly chopped ✽ 2 garlic cloves, crushed ✽ 1tbsp plain flour ✽ 1tsp ground cinnamon ✽ 500g cubed lean beef
stewing steak ✽ 2tbsp tomato purée ✽ 3tbsp balsamic vinegar ✽ 125ml red wine ✽ 400ml beef stock, made
with 1 stock cube ✽ ¼ tsp dried thyme ✽ Fresh thyme, to garnish ✽ 600g new potatoes, boiled
How to do it
1 preheat the oven to 150C/gas 2.
2 Mist a lidded flameproof casserole with the cooking spray and brown the onion, celery and carrots over a high heat for about 4 mins. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min. 3 Meanwhile, combine the flour and cinnamon in a large bowl and add some seasoning. toss the beef in the spiced flour to coat. tip the beef and any extra flour into the casserole along with the tomato purée and balsamic vinegar. pour in the red wine and stock, and sprinkle in the dried thyme. 4 Bring the casserole to the boil, cover with a lid and put in the oven to cook for 1½ hours or until the meat and vegetablese are tender. ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs to serve.