Lazy Stew

Place all ingredients into a large saucepan, stir to mix thoroughly, bring to the boil, then turn down heat and allow to simmer gently, stirring from time to time, until the meat is tender. This usually takes at least 2 hours with beef, but other meats such as chicken or veal take less. When cooked, thicken by stirring in a mixture of cornflour and water while the stew is still simmering, then serve. Mashed potato and a green vegetable go well with it, but you could use rice or whatever appeals to you. Note: This particular recipe is along Mediterranean lines, but the same procedure can be used with any kind of meat and any kind of vegetables and flavourings, and the quantities can be varied according to your requirements. If you choose veal or chicken and mushrooms, for instance, you could use white wine instead of red, and at the end stir in some skim milk powder to give it a creamy appearance. If, as I did, you make a lot but only wish to use a small amount at the time, place the surplus in containers before thickening and freeze it. If you thicken it before freezing it is hard to reheat it in a saucepan without it sticking to the bottom, so it is best to reheat and thicken just before serving.