Toss It In Beef Stew

This is what I call an emergency meal. It's not a dish I would prepare and serve on a regular basis, not because it's not tasty, but because it relies heavily on tins and packets, making it a little more expensive than our regular meals. It is however just right for when you need to be able to put a meal on the table and it can be dressed up for company or served as is for a family dinner.

For the family I like to serve it with mashed potato and sweet potato to mop up that gravy. For guests I serve it over steamed brown rice (which I prepare in bulk and keep in the freezer in meal-sized portions), sprinkled with a little finely chopped parsley. I also add one tablespoon of red wine vinegar to the sauce to give it a little extra zing when I'm serving it to guests.

Ingredients:
500g rump steak
1tbsp olive oil
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can beef consommé or beef and vegetable soup
500g mixed frozen vegetables
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 1/2 cups milk

Method:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Cut the steak into bite sized pieces and place saucepan. Brown the steak on all sides, then stir in the soup, vegetables and basil.
Place the pan over high heat and bring to a quick boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer 10 minutes.
Stir in the milk and cook uncovered for 5 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 4 servings