Recipe: Fridge/Store Cupboard Raid Stew

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Recipe: Fridge/Store Cupboard Raid Stew

So my husband made a plea not to make something with beans in it (we have been going through the cupboard using up all our cans of various beans and his stomach is finally rebelling 😂), so I thought, stew. This is another recipe that can be made from just about anything, so I am sharing it.

You could make this recipe vegetarian by using a meat substitute like tofu and quorn, or mushrooms, swapping out the Worcester sauce for soy sauce, and using robust veggie stock cubes.

Ingredients

• 1-2 chicken breasts in chunks (can be any meat, just needs to be bite-sized)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 540g/19oz can new potatoes (fresh would be fine, new or old, just bite sized again)
• frozen peas - however many you have or fancy (or fresh or canned - whatever is in the freezer/cupboard)
• veggies - peeled and cut in to bite sized pieces - I used a large carrot and half a courgette (zuchinni) because that's what I had  (could be suede or parsnip or sweet pot or turnip or anything to hand as long as it's robust) 
• 1 can cream of tomato soup (440ml/14oz) (if you don't have this, ketchup, a little tomato paste and some water made up to the right amount will work)
• dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp mild chilli powder (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 beef stock cubes
• 400 ml boiling water
• 1.5 tbsp corn flour (starch)

Instructions (Instant Pot)

1. Turn on the pot and put the oil in the bottom.
2. Use the saute option on normal.
3. When the oil is heated, add the meat and brown.
4. Mix the stock cubes with the water and use a little of this to deglaze the bottom of the pot to make sure nothing is sticking to it.
5. Add the rest of the stock cube mixture.
6. Add all the potatoes and veggies and stir.
7. Add the cream of tomato soup and stir in.
8. Add the dash of Worcestershire sauce and the spice and seasonings and mix.
9. Put the lid on making sure the value is set to sealing.
10. Cancel the saute.
11. Use the pressure (may be called manual on some models) option and set for 15 mins.
12. When the timer goes off, leave to natural pressure release for 10 minutes.
13. Release the remaining pressure and open the pot.
14. Make a slurry using equal parts cold water to corn flour.
15. Turn on saute again and add the slurry to the pot, stirring all the time until the broth thickens. If it does not thicken enough make more slurry, half a tbsp at a time and add it until the desired thickness is achieved.
16. Serve in bowls with crusty bread.

Instructions (Stove/Oven)

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan/Gas 3 (320F/285F for fan)
2. Using a stove proof casserole dish with a lid, heat the oil and brown the meat.
3. Add the stock cubes to the boiling water and add them into the casserole.
4. Add the potatoes and other veggies and stir in.
5. Add the cream of tomato soup and stir in.
6. Add the Worcestershire sauce, the spice and the seasonings and mix.
7. Put on the lid and place in the oven (if you do not have a lid, wrap the top of the dish tightly with foil to seal it).
8. Cook for 2 to 2.5 hrs until the meat is really tender.
9. Make a slurry using equal parts cold water to corn flour.
10. Put the casserole back on the hob and add the slurry to the pot, stirring all the time until the broth thickens. If it does not thicken enough make more slurry, half a tbsp at a time and add it until the desired thickness is achieved.
11. Serve in bowls with crusty bread.

This was delicious and not too heavy, so good for bright days as well as murky ones. We actually used turkey in our stew the other night because I had some that needed using up. It fell to pieces because it was thinly sliced turkey steaks, but it was lovely none-the-less.

Banner BG Photo by Selina Thomas on Unsplash