Slow Cooker Beef & Shallots in Red Wine Gravy

Once a week all 3 kids go to an after school sports activity on the same day, at the same time, and I really relish that additional hour to myself to potter around the house, or catch up on episodes of Neighbours. The kids come home absolutely starving though, so I try and have something cooking away in the slow cooker that's ready as soon as they walk through the door.

This week I made a hearty beef stew, which I served with mash, carrots and peas. I thought that a plateful of this would fill them up, but I was wrong - eldest had a bowl of cereal before his man size dinner, and youngest followed his big sister sized portion with cereal too - I think my boys have hollow legs! I guess the clean plates meant that they liked it, and I need to double my portions for next time!

If you're like me, and like doing most of your festive shopping online then you really must take a look at Premier Estates Wine, especially if your wine rack is in need of filling. They offer a case of single or mixed wine from just £24 (by using website discount code), or sparkling for just £36, and best of all it comes with free next day delivery, so you won't have to wait long!

I used just over half a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon in this dish, which made the gravy really intense, along with some of my allotment shallots.

Slow Cooker Beef & Shallots in Red Wine Gravy - serves 4/5

tbsp olive oil

700g (approx) lean stewing steak, diced

2 heaped tbsp cornflour

salt & black pepper

400g shallots, peeled

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

400ml Premier Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

400ml beef stock

3 bay leaves

• turn the slow cooker on high & add the olive oil 
• toss the beef in the cornflour and season generously with salt & pepper
• add this to the slow cooker with the shallots and garlic
• give it a good mix before pouring in the wine, beef stock & bay leaves
• cook on high for 4-5 hours, until the meat falls apart

It really was as simple as that. There's barely any prep needed, and it can be popped in the slow cooker before school and work.

I was provided with a mixed case of Premier Estates Wine to use in my recipe, and over the festive period. This post contains a referral link.

Mocha Marshmallows and a Coffee Lovers Gift Guide

I love putting hampers together at Christmas, especially ones that follow a theme, whether it be movie night, ice cream, curry, Mexican, ginger or coffee (a few that I've made in the past). I love researching products and retailers online, as well as browsing the shops to look for a specific item for the themed hamper, in the hope that the recipient will be just as pleased when they receive it as I am when I put the final bow on.

This year I'm once again making a couple of hampers, and this time I'm going to be popping in some of my home made marshmallows in keeping with the theme. I've made these mocha marshmallows which will be great in a coffee lovers hamper, and can be enjoyed on their own or popped into a cappuccino or hot chocolate. You can now buy my marshmallows online and have them delivered to your door in the UK, from Cookies and Fluff.

For my last marshmallow recipe I used leaf gelatine, but this time I used granules, which come in sachets, which are cheaper. Marshmallow making may look quite complex, but once you get the hang of it it's quite simple really, and very, very addictive!

Mocha Marshmallows - makes 36 bitesize pieces

coffee layer
5 tbsp strong cold coffee
1 sachet of gelatine
200g caster sugar
100ml strong cold coffee

• add the 5tbsp coffee to a microwaveable bowl and sprinkle over the gelatine
• give it a stir and set aside
• add the caster sugar to a saucepan with 100ml coffee
• heat gently until the sugar has dissolved
• increase the heat and boil until it reaches 235 F on a candy thermometer
• place the gelatine into the microwave for approx 20 seconds until it becomes liquid
• add the liquid gelatine to the bowl of a food mixer with a balloon whisk attached
• with the motor running slowly, pour the boiled sugar into the bowl
• scrape down the sided of the bowl before slowly increasing the speed and whisking for approx 10 minutes, until thick and airy
• pour into an 8" square silicone baking tin lightly greased with a flavourless oil, and smooth the top

chocolate layer
5 tbsp cold water
1 sachet of gelatine
200g caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
100ml water
25g cocoa powder
grated dark chocolate

• add 5tbsp water to a microwaveable bowl and sprinkle over the gelatine
• give it a stir and set aside
• add the caster sugar to a saucepan with the salt, water & cocoa powder
• heat gently whilst whisking, until the sugar has dissolved & the cocoa incorporated
• increase the heat and boil until it reaches 235 F on a candy thermometer
• place the gelatine into the microwave for approx 20 seconds until it becomes liquid
• add the liquid gelatine to the bowl of a food mixer with a balloon whisk attached
• with the motor running slowly, pour the boiled sugar into the bowl
• scrape down the sided of the bowl before slowly increasing the speed and whisking for approx 10 minutes, until thick and airy
• pour onto the coffee later and smooth the top & grate some chocolate over the top
• leave for a few hours to set before cutting into 36 pieces

Additionally, I've included a few gift ideas for the coffee lover this Christmas.

coffee syrups

these are a lovely addition to a hamper, and you can buy large bottles of one specific flavour, or a gift pack with small bottles in assorted flavours, like these from Whittards £12.00

coffee flavoured chocolates

These Dainty Dollops from Montezuma's not only have a great name but they're made in Britain from ethically sourced cocoa.  These dark chocolate dollops have a hazelnut & Columbian coffee ganache centre. available from John Lewis £7.50

coffee gift card

For those that love coffee and a cake whilst they're out & about then a gift card is a great idea. These Christmas gift cards from Caffè Nero feature designs selected from the Victoria & Albert Museum's archive. cards can be loaded with any amount from £5-£100

coffee scented candle

The smell of a good freshly brewed cup of coffee is divine, so why not recreate that with a Cappuccino Truffle candle from Yankee £21.99

coffee cups

how cute is this hand painted porcelain cappuccino cup & saucer, which is part of a lovely range of tableware from PiP Studio at John Lewis. £12.75 

coffee machine

You can't have a good cup of coffee without a coffee machine, and if you're really serious about coffee then this bad boy is what you need. The Sage Oracle is 'incredible coffee made simple - it's like there's a barista inside'. It will set you back £1599 though.