'Chuck it all in' - One Pot Stew

This is pretty flexible, you can pretty much chuck in whatever you’ve got. You don't need all of what's listed below, the best result is with a couple of oniony veg, a couple of root veg, and at least one of the extras.

Oniony veg: onion, spring onion, celery, leek (chop small)

Root veg: potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin, turnip, carrots, swede, parsnip, cabbage (chop in 2cm pieces)

Stock (any kind), mixed with boiling water

Bay leaf, 2 – 3 depending on size of the pot

Optional Extras

Leafy veg: spinach, kale, or beetroot tops

Garlic, 1-2 tsp powder or 2-4 cloves

Herbs, any of the following will work: rosemary, thyme, mixed herbs, herbs de Provence

Pearl Barley, add at the beginning needs 40min to cook

Rich flavour: soy sauce, marmite, or worcestershire sauce

Method:

*Fry oniony veg in a bit of oil (or just a splash of water)

*Add garlic if using and fry

*Add the rest of the ingredients, apart from the leafy veg. Make sure you have enough water to cover.

*Cook for about 30 min with the lid on (until veg are soft enough)

*If using leafy veg add it in for the last 5-10 min of cooking

* Add salt and pepper to taste, serve with bread or on its own

Notes: lasts 2-3 days in fridge – can also freeze for later

Mel's Broccoli & Bacon Pasta

Ingredients:

Pasta (any)

Half of a broccoli, florets cut off Lardons/ cut up bacon (this can be left out for vegetarians, it's delicious without as well) butter

Cheese (ideally parmesan, but can use cheddar)

Method

*Boil some salted water and cook the broccoli as usual, when it is nearly done add the pasta and allow them to cook together. The broccoli will become very soft, but that is how it is supposed to be.

*Whilst it is cooking, fry the bacon in a frying pan in a little bit of oil until slightly crispy.