Goulash-ish

More than Your Five A Day!

 Anyone who knows me well, knows that although I am a salad fiend, vegetables are my nemesis.  Whole chunks of blandness such as carrot, suede and parsnips unless flavoured to the max will stay defiantly on that plate.  Even days of fasting would not get me eating that fowl plate - sprouts?? They taste like what shit smells of and smell like shit as does cauliflower and broccoli.  Dexter's farts are more tolerable.  The best way to get me eating this stuff is to disguise it.  No ordinary stew will do, ever so don't go there.  Finely chopped veg that has softened and lost its flavour by slow cooking is the best way.

So onto my loosely named "Goulash".  most will recognise the basics but this is a super version in terms of veg and additional flavouring.

Again, to reiterate, it is my opinion that the amount of ingredients that go in are down to the individual tastes of your household and regular tasting should be your best guide.

More Than Your "5 a day"

Finely chop the following and place in a large dish:

A leek
A large red onion
A red pepper
2 carrots
Small punnet of baby mushrooms
2 handfuls of frozen, sliced green beans
2 handfuls of black olives
1 red chilli (seeds in)
3 minced garlic cloves
(3 bean salad left over from bbq!)

(2 packs of tomato passata to be used before cooking)

Final Prep:

Lightly brown a large pack of diced beef (butcher is best) in olive oil and a sprinkling of paprika.  Add the veg and sweat down on a low heat.  Be generous with your glug of red wine then add the packs of passata.  Be generous with herbs de Provence, garlic salt, basil and even more so paprika. 

You shouldn't need any cornflower as if slow cooking over a few hours should remove a lot of moisture.  How long to cook? How long is a piece of string? Minimum of 45 mins in the oven to hours and hours in a slow cooker ... it's essentially cooked before it is cooked!!

Serve with brown rice, bread or mash - again your choice.  Ours is currently cooking away to itself nicely and smells great!