Panic! - Beef stew without onions

I don't think I have ever made beef stew without an onion but I'd defrosted the beef and wasn't going to drive all the way into town for an onion so it was time to improvise.

I'm going through a ginger and, separately, an apple phase at the moment and also watching How to Cook like Heston - cheese programme was the latest. So having just finished a rich and satisfying beef stew, here is a rough and ready recipe:

Brown the beef chunks in hot oil then added glass (or two) of red wine to deglaze.
Add tins of chopped tomatoes in roughly equal quantity to the beef - in my case two tins, plus a bit of extra water to wash the tins out.
Add roughly copped garlic - three big cloves
Add roughly chopped ginger - two tables spoons
Oyster Sauce - two tablespoons
Rind or a large piece of hard goats cheese (thanks Heston)

Brought to the boil and then simmered for an hour with the lid on as didn't want to reduce.

Added one large cooking apple chopped in large chunks without skins and simmered for another 10 mins. You want the apple to be cooked but not disintegrated.

Was planning to add some cous cous but the larder was bare of cous cous so had wholemeal fusili cooked in the juice of the stew instead.

Really rich an filling and the chunks of apple were a nice surprise. The cheese rind really worked and easy to identify and pull out before eating. Mmmmmm.

Very chocolatey Cookies/Brownies

400g of Lidl 40% chocolate grated

115g butter

-- melt together --

2 eggs, wisk with

140g demarara sugar

Add melted chocolate/butter

Add 1 tsp cinnamon

Add chocolate chips

Add about 40g cup of flour pending on whether you want cookies or brownies. For brownies add flour until just pourable, for cookies add flour until they can be shaped.

Bake for about 12 mins in 170/180 oven until just cooked.

Keep eating one more but try and stop before you feel sick!

Mars Bar Brownies

9/10

4oz butter
165g demerara sugar
- cream butter and sugar then mix in the ingredients below --

1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp maple syrup
cinnamon
2 tbsp green and blacks cocoa
150g cream flour (not the bread stuff)
2 chopped mars bar

Bake at 200g for 20-25 mins, better to undercook than overcook, want it cooked on top and gooey in the middle so if you are testing with a toothpick, don't wait until it comes out clean!

Roast banana pudding

9/10

Peal and split bananas lengthways and put in a dish that is not much bigger than the bananas.
Add honey and lemon juice (for 2 bananas about 1 tbsp and 1/2 lemon)

Cook in 180C oven for only 8-10 mins. Just enough to heat but I like the bananas still with a bit of firmness. You might like them more gooey.

Lovely just as they are, but you could also add cream and/or ice cream.

Beef Casserole - plain but good

Score 9/10

Fry pieces of T bone steak cut into large chunks. When brown, add:
- carrots
- celery
- onion
Cook for about 2 mins then add:
- red wine
- stock

Put in a low (180) oven for 2 hours

If eating straight from the oven and you want to NOT burn your tongue, add some frozen peas.
If it's a bit watery still, add some cous cous.