A delicious, veg-packed meat sauce that is simple and affordable to make and is great served over grains and/or veg of your choice.
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 sticks of celery, finely diced
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 500 g (1lb) lamb or mutton (any cut, go for stewing lamb or mutton for cheaper), diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 600 ml (2 1/4 cups) stock (vegetable, chicken, beef, or even water will all work)
- 200 g (1 cup) red lentils
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp dried oregano or basil
- 3 large handfuls frozen peas or broad (fava) beans
- roughly chopped fresh parsley or basil, to serve
- grated Parmesan, to serve (optional)
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If you want to brown the meat and veg first (this is an optional step for a bit more flavour): fry the onion, celery, carrots and lamb in 1 tbsp of olive or coconut oil for 3-4 mins until meat is browned and veg is slightly softened.
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Add all the ingredients except the frozen veg to a slow cooker and put on Low for 6-8 hours. Add in the peas or broad beans for the last 30 mins-1 hour of cooking time. Check regularly towards the end of cooking time - if the sauce looks like it is starting to catch or stick to the slow cooker, add a little more stock or water and stir, then quickly return the lid and leave. If everything is cooked and it is catching, you can just turn off the slow cooker and serve.
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Serve hot with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan over your choice of grains and/or vegetables. If you don't have a slow cooker, brown the veg and meat as in the first step, then add all the ingredients except the frozen veg and simmer over a low heat, uncovered for about 30 mins-1 hour, stirring regularly and adding more stock if it's catching, until everything is cooked through and soft.