There’s a reason why so many of us put weight on over the winter months. Especially with a long cold and miserable winter such as we’re having at the moment.

The nights are long and the days short and it’s been freezing cold for weeks, so a nice slice of comfort food fits the bill nicely.

This dinner was something I did the other day. I was wracking my brains for something the kids would like when they got in from school.

They both like pie, so I grabbed some steak out of the freezer in the morning and threw it in the slow cooker to braise with some onions and gravy so it would be nice and tender when it came to making the meal later that day. I’d have added mushrooms if it was just for me and Hubs, but the wails of anguish are too much if I dare give the kids mushrooms. They find them no matter how small I cut them up..

I have to confess, the puff pastry was shop bought. (If it’s good enough for Mary Berry, then it’s good enough for me). I can make puff pastry, but it’s a real pain to do, so it’s one of the few times I buy in something ready made.

The new potatoes were boiled then drizzled with a very slight amount olive oil and finished off in the oven.

I always buy frozen mushy peas. You don’t have to soak them as you do the dried peas and they taste just as good. Try adding the tip of the teaspoon of bicarb of soda them as they are cooking and you’ll find they mush even better. I always add mint sauce, salt and pepper plus a nob of butter. They taste delicious.

Add lightly boiled carrots and gravy made from the braised steak plus some potato water as needed and you’ve got a meal anyone will want to dig into.

Our two certainly did..

Tip Add mint sauce to your gravy, it tastes lovely..

 


Kim
Kim

Registered nurse, wife, mum and nana. I've had my share of 'hard times' when a child and also in the early years of being married. I learned a lot about how to make the pennies stretch further, so I'm going to share my little hints and tips with you...