Gluten Free Slow Cooker Beef Stew

One of my Christmas presents this year was a slow cooker and as my mind quite often wanders and starts to think about food, I was thinking about what I could cook to make the most out of it. There are lots of different ideas that I have in mind for this slow cooker and I will share these with you as I start experimenting a bit more. To start with though, i'll share my simple stew recipe.

Today I will be making beef stew, this is another one of my favourite things to cook when its still a little cold outside. I do love cooking and cook almost every day, but there are some days when I've had a long and busy day at work, that by the time I get home I just don't feel like cooking. I know there'll be other people out there too who don't always have the time to slave over a hot stove.

For those of you who are a bit budget conscious ( I know I am, food isn't always cheap!) , it's also great way to use some of the cheaper cuts of beef. When you cook them long and slow, the meat should be tender and almost melt in the mouth. You can also put as many vegetables in the stew as you want, this is also another cheap way to bulk your stews out.

Serves: 5 - 6

Ingredients:

Asda Mixed English Root Veg *

1l of beef stock - Please make sure that the stock you're using is gluten free **

1 cup (approx 120 m) - this is optional, if using please reduce the stock by 1 cup

571 g of Beef Stewing Steak (You can use any beef available to you, but the cheaper fattier cuts tend to have more flavour in stews)

2 small potatoes

1 celery stalk - chopped

2 garlic cloves -smashed with the side of a knife

1 bay leaf

1 tsp mixed herbs

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

1 - 2 tablespoons of cornflour (optional)

A few dashes of Henderson's relish ***

Salt and Pepper

Method:

1. Put the kettle on and then peel and dice the mixed root vegetables and potatoes and put these into the slow cooker.
2. Chop up the celery stalk and add this to the slow cooker.
3. Chop up the stewing meat - unless this is already diced and put this into the slow cooker.
4. Make your beef stock with 1l of water from the kettle that has already been boiled for you, then tip the water into the slow cooker, then add the red wine if you are using it. The stock should just come near to the top of the vegetables.
5. Add the dash of Henderson's relish and salt and pepper, add the garlic cloves and the mixed herbs.
6. If you are going to out all day, then I suggest you put this on the low setting. You can leave the stew in for about 10 or 12 hours this way. On medium it should take about 8 hours.
7. The stew will still be quite thin, so if like me you like a thick gravy then please mix a tablespoon of cornflour with a drop of water  to make a paste / liquid 1 hour before the end of cooking. If half an hour from the end it is still a little thin, add another tablespoon of cornflour to a drop of water and add to the slow cooker.

* This pack is only £1 and includes a mix of the following vegetables: swede, carrot, onions, parsnips. Leeks and potatoes are dependent upon season I believe.

** Please note that I use Bovril stock cubes - this is on Unilever's list of products not containing gluten or part thereof. Knorr Beef stock cubes are also gluten free, but I prefer the stronger flavour of the Bovril cubes.

*** Henderson's relish is actually gluten free (made locally too!)

If you prepare all of the vegetables the night before, you can just pop the ingredients into the slow cooker before work or leaving the house for the day. That way, when you come home you will have a nice stew waiting for you. A thing that I like to do is make a stew at the weekend, then I'll portion this into tubs and put this into the freezer. Stew seems to taste better when it is reheated, so it still tastes good when you want a fuss free weekday meal.