RECIPE: Beef Bourginon

Dear Diary,

Today was my bi-weekly day off, and quite frankly, it was much better than the last one. Still on a high from last night, Joel and I decided to make it a fun yet productive day.

GOOD THINGS THAT HAPPENED TODAY:

I walked past my 1.5 stone certificate and got excited again.
We were up and out at the gym BY NINE O'CLOCK - which was actually kind of cool, given how there was virtually no-one there.
Had a nice lunch.
Joel got a phone call confirming he got the job he was interviewed for last week.
Caught "Evil Dead" at the Printworks (not a patch on the original, in my humble opinion).
Found out from Mum that David had left me £500 in his will - leaving me completely gobsmacked. Thanks to him, I can now afford the dream holiday to New York in Autumn.
Made a delicious Slimming World Beef Bourginon for tea.

And it is this, my friends, which I share with you today:

INGREDIENTS:

Diced Beef
900ml Beef Stock
100ml Red Wine
4 Shallots
2 Celery Sticks
3 Carrots
6 tbsp Tomato Passatta
2 Garlic cloves
6 button Mushrooms
Fry Light
4 Bacon rashers

SYNS:

1

TO MAKE:

Fry Shallots and Bacon in Fry Light in an oven-proof casserole dish for 5 mins. Remove.
Fry diced Beef in same dish, also in Fry Light. Once browned, add the bacon and shallots again, plus the Garlic, Passatta, Carrots, Celery, Wine and Stock. Season, and bring to the boil.

Cover with tin foil and cook in pre-heated oven for 1 hour (NB: The actual recipe says 2, but screw that, I ran out of time! Didn't affect the meal, though).
After this, put the chopped Mushrooms in the stew, and place back in oven, uncovered, for 30 mins. SERVE.

I say it about all these recipes, but it really is true - this meal packs an amazing scent, like a heady, Christmass, rich red-wine stewing kind of smell. Breathe it in and rejoice that such a wonderful meal exists.