Lean Beef and Mushroom Hotpot

This is a tasty recipe for people who particularly enjoy meat. It's a good idea to make small adjustments to your regular meals to include more nutritious ingredients. For better health, we should try to base all our meals around plant foods. This beef and mushroom hotpot includes a small amount of lean, red meat as well as a host of vegetables. Lean beef is high in protein, low in fat and is a good source of iron and zinc (make sure the meat is cooked thoroughly before serving). Cooking meat in hotpots helps avoid any blackening or charring, and this is important as charred meat can contain substances that may cause cancer. The inclusion of plenty of vegetables and pulses, including the canned tomatoes (rather than a creamy sauce) all contribute to make this a healthier alternative to typical meat stews. This dish is handy because it can all be cooked in one pot, which saves on the washing up!

Ingredients (serves two)

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
100g/4oz lean beef, cut into cubes
100g/4oz tinned chickpeas, drained
200g/8oz mushrooms, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
400g/16oz tinned, chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato purée
150g/6oz boiled potatoes
100g/4oz spinach, washed and trimmed
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
black pepper to taste

Method

1) Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan, add the onion and cinnamon and cook gently for 5 minutes.
2) Add all the other ingredients to the pan - except the potatoes, parsley, spinach and pepper. Stir thoroughly.
3) Cover and simmer, stirring from time to time, for about 50 minutes. Then add the spinach and simmer for a further 2 minutes.
4) Serve with the boiled potatoes dressed with chopped parsley.
5) Add black pepper to taste.

Calories per serving: 529
Fat per serving: 19g

Top Tips

1. Add any other cooked vegetable of your choice to add to the final colour, flavour and texture of the dish and to boost your intake of vegetables even further.
2. Buy canned chickpeas without added sugar and salt.
3. Add the potatoes into the hotpot or serve on the side.
4. This dish would be ideal to cook, chill and serve the next day.
5. Ensure the meat you choose is lean and cut off any visible fat prior to cooking.

Courtesy of the World Cancer Research Fund

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