An easy chunky, healthy, stewpot

Did you have snow today?  Is it freezing cold?

 It is here - so I popped on a stewpot to warm us up.

The ingredients are all those which I have in my freezer, or fresh, and is really easy to make.

From the freezer I used the following home grown veggies - peas, climbing French beans, and  asparagus tips.  Fresh veggies I had in my fridge - celery, onions, carrots, parsnips and onions.  From my store cupboard I used a tin of tomatoes, and a tin of mushrooms.  

The peas were still frozen straight out of the freezer so I quickly cooked them with some smoked bacon chunks.  Instead of buying bacon slices, I by offcuts from the village butcher - they are far superior and cost me £1.65 for a pound - no fat - just wonderful meat.

In a big casserole dish I browned two big onions and leeks, sliced, and two chicken thighs.

I added the parsnips, and carrots.  The chickens a friend 'grows' for me and they are huge.  The cost of these thighs work out at £3 total

I added boiling water (no need for stock as there are so many flavours already in the pot) and then added the other green veggies and cooked it for half an hour or so until the chicken was cooked through.

I added the tinned tomatoes and mushrooms, and bacon chunks, and a little more water, brought it back the boil and simmered it until some of the liquid had evaporated leaving a lovely thick stew.

Here it is ready to serve - with home grown mashed potatoes

There is enough here to serve six chunky meals.

And it would have cost at most £7 to make.

Some of it I will chill and freeze for a quick meal another day.

It's great on it's own too or for supper with a nice crusty chunk of bread.

Basically you can add whatever veggies and meat you like.   Just make sure you brown the meat and onions first before adding the other ingredients and boiling water or stock.

Add whatever tinned veggies you like - beans, peas, chick peas, sweetcorn, red kidney beans (wash the latter thoroughly until the water runs clean before you add them).

Try it with dumplings - its great - just skip the part when you reduce the liquid to thicken the stock - add the dumplings pop on the lid and cook until they are light and fluffy.

I am an impulsive cook - and never plan from one day to the next what we will eat - I just look at what I have and put a meal together!