Slow Cooker Steak with Shallots

Last Sunday I wanted to get the cooking out of the way as I intended to relax and put my feet up with old movies most of the day (a rare treat!). So having finished my marathon training early in the morning I (yet again) pulled out the slow cooker. I can't believe I had it for so many years without using it!! But nowadays, I adore the slow cooker meals. Not only is dinner just cooking away for you, but the smell in the house is beautiful. I recommend you have a think about getting one!

I had some beef steaks that I bought from the butcher. Not a great cut and a bit too much fat for my liking so I trimmed it a bit and knew it was destined for a slow cook. This took  me 10 minutes to put together and that evening we were salivating with the smell of it. A lovely way to use up the 'not so good' pieces of steak.

Ingredients:

2 steaks, cut into rough large chunks
7 shallots, peeled and halved
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 carrots, sliced thickly
3 bay leaves
about 200ml beef stock from a cube (enough to only just cover the meat)
salt & pepper
1 tbsp. cornflour (mixed with a little water)

Method:

Simply put all of the ingredients, apart from the cornflour, into a slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 hours, then low for a further 6 hours. Five minutes before serving, add the cornflour mix to thicken the gravy.

Serve with vegetables of your choice. Here I decided creamy mashed potatoes to soak up the gravy, romanesco broccoli and roasted parsnips. A lovely Sunday meal.