Slow-cooked beef with gnocchi

This slow-cooked beef with gnocchi recipe is packed with flavour and spices, such as cinnamon, which is great to controlling blood sugar levels and paprika, which is packed with antioxidants and vitamins. These spices also have heart protecting benefits too. A study by Penn State University has found that eating fatty foods laced with paprika and cinnamon can help to lessen the damaging effects the fatty food can have on your heart. So there are plenty of reasons to fire up your frying pan and cook this recipe for dinner tonight! And if you don’t have any gnocchi in the kitchen cupboard, you can always swap it for freshly-cooked pasta.

Ingredients (serves 4)

450g lean boneless shin or chuck steak, cut into 2.5cm cubes

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

½tsp cayenne pepper, optional

1tsp paprika

2tbsp rapeseed oil

1 large onion, peeled and chopped OR 1 x 300g pack diced onions

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped OR 1tsp garlic purée

2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes

200ml good, hot vegetable stock

1 cinnamon stick, halved

1tbsp sugar

1tbsp tomato purée

1 x 400g pack fresh gnocchi

2tbsp freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Method

Place the beef in a large plastic food bag. Add the seasoning, cayenne and paprika, then seal and shake well to coat the beef in the spices.

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan.

Cook the beef for four to five minutes in batches until brown on all sides.  Transfer to a 1.7L heatproof casserole pot.

In the same frying pan, cook the onion and garlic for two to three minutes. Spoon into the casserole pot.

Add the tomatoes and stock, cinnamon, sugar and tomato purée. Bring this to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for around two hours, then 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time add the gnocchi.

Garnish with the parsley and serve with crusty bread.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 2-2½ hours

Total time: 2-2½ hours and 20 minutes

Recipe courtesy of simplybeefandlamb.co.uk Follow the #LivePeasant campaign at simplybeefandlamb.co.uk