Spanish beef with rice

This is a wonderfully easy and delicious meal to make.
There are lots of ways to make it, but I tried to keep it as real to what I saw on alot of other sites, changing the tastes to suit my family (and adding veggies!!)

500gm beef mince (ground beef)
1 tin tomato soup ( i used salt reduced)
1 tin tomatoes
1/2 cup water with one beef stock cube dissolved
1 cup frozen veggie mix (I used corn, carrot, bean and pea)
1 cup rice (I use basmatti rice)
1/2 red onion chopped finely
1 clove garlic chopped finely
pinch chilli flakes
2 pinches coriander seeds (ground)
2 pinches Harissa
pinch of salt and pepper
1/2 handful of parsley finely chopped
corn chips (I use plain ones)
1 cup grated cheese (any of your fav cheese)

Heat a saucepan with some olive oil and cook the beef mince. Add the onion and garlic. Once they are softened turn down the heat. Add the tomatoes, tomato soup, stock and water and veggies and rice to the pan along with the spices.
Let this simmer and when the rice is cooked the meal is ready, add some parsley at the end.

Serve with corn chips for dipping and topped with some grated cheese.

Beef Curry

I saw this on the Biggest Loser the other night and thought I would give it a go. Never made one before as I thought they were too "hot" but this one was mild, it had a bit of a kick to it and the kids ate it too. Its good because it doesn't have very many calories at all and has more veggies than alot of other curries out there.

Serves 4 adults or ( 2 adults, 2 small children and some leftovers)

500g rump steak or chuck steak
1 and 1/2 cups pumpkin (butternut is best, but whatever you can find), cut into rough pieces
1 1/2 cups cauliflower (just cut up into pieces)'
1 cup peas (I forgot to add these!)
1/2 onion chopped finely
2 cloves garlic chopped
juice and rind of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon coriander (ground)
1 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (ground)
olive oil
3 1/2 cups to 1 litre of salt reduced beef stock (salt reduced only so it has less salt therefore better for you) you made only need around 3 cups of it, just see how much you think as you are cooking.


Heat oil in a large saucepan and brown off meat.
Add the onion, garlic and spices and heat for a minute or so.
Add the pumpkin and cauliflower, lemon rind and juice, and the stock.
Stir and let come to the boil then reduce to a simmer.
Simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Just before serving add in the frozen peas until they are heated.
Serve with basmatti rice (the healthiest rice)