Recipe: Heinz Beef and Lentil Ragu

This is a recipe I wrote for an Allrecipes.co.uk competition, (fingers crossed for winning it, lol). If any of you guys want to have a go at this competition yourself, follow this link: http://allrecipes.co.uk/heinz-midweek-meals.aspx?ft=2 , sign up to allrecipes (if your'e not a member allready, don't worry, its not fussy atall and it's completely free) and send in your recipe!



I think it's rather an American thing I suppose to use tins of ready made soups in dishes- I have seen a lot of recipes on Allrecipes.com that have three ingredients basically, recipes like: "Cook pork chops, tinned mushroom soup, tinned chicken soup in a slowcooker for 1 hour. serve" Nothing wrong with it I suppose but I tend to cook with a few more fresh ingredients. However, this quick and simple ragu is delicious, doesn't take too long to make, and it's quite versatile- serve it with mash, pasta, bread, rice, or simply by itself! You can of course, use less garlic if you want- I just love to use a lot of garlic, particularly in beef dishes.



Heinz Beef and Lentil Ragu (serves 2)



2 tbsp olive oil

1 white onion, finely diced

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

500g lean beef mince

2 tsp Italian herbs (a mix of oregano, marjoram and basil)

1 tin Heinz lentil soup

300ml beef stock

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste



1. Fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a large saucepan, for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the minced beef, increase the heat, and fry the beef for about 10 minutes.

2. Once the beef has been broken up and is beginning to brown, add all the other ingredients. Cook for 20 minutes on a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Season to taste and serve!