Bolognaise:
One large onion, chop it and fry with herbs
Pack of lean mince, add to onion
Stock cube, add once browned
Tbsp tomato puree/tin of chopped tomatoes, add next
Cocoa powder, about a teaspoon, add next
Mustard powder, again, about a teaspoon, add next
Splash of milk (makes it less acidic IMO), dash of red wine if you fancy it
Garlic - either add now or with the onions
Vinegar, splash (tenderises the meat)
Sorry it's not laid out like a recipe, but I was thinking of how I do it. The cocoa makes it richer, the mustard powder gives it a bit more flavour, use whatever herbs you fancy.
It'll keep about a month in the freezer (well, it'll keep longer, but I'd use it within a month).
Also beef casserole:
Large onion, chopped and fried with herbs as before
Lean diced casserole steak, one pack, brown this with the onion (roll in plain flour first to thicken the sauce)
Stock cube, add next
Chopped tomatoes, one tin
Any veg you fancy, carrots, celery, mushrooms, etc, add next.
Pearl barley, if liked, one small handful added now.
Again, splash of vinegar, bit of cocoa, mustard powder (or mustard itself - a tsp of grainy's good in this one), splash of milk, bit of red wine (or white wine or fruit juice!).
Let it brown off and cook for a while, then top it up with boiling water and put it in the oven for a couple of hours at gas mark 3.
Lovely with jacket potatoes or mash! I'm making myself VERY hungry now
Can you tell I'm not a follower of recipe books?