It's been a little chilly of late and there is nothing better than some warm hearty stew and a steaming plate of rice for the evening...here's a recipe for the perfect dinner in. No forks required!

2 cups white rice
extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
300g beef, fat and sinews removed, trimmed and sliced into finger-sized pieces
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
250g mixed exciting and robust mushrooms, wiped clean, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 cup of chicken stock
half a cup of water
150ml crème fraîche or soured cream

Heat a large frying pan on a medium heat and pour in a glug of extra virgin olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes until softened and golden. Remove from the heat and spoon the onions and garlic out of the pan on to a plate. Keep to one side.

Season the meat well with salt, pepper and paprika. Rub and massage these flavourings into the meat. Place the frying pan back on a high heat and pour in some more olive oil. Then add the meat and fry for a minute or two before adding the cooked onion and garlic.

Fry the mushrooms separately on high heat at first, then turn it down and let them sit so all the lovely brown juices ooze out.

Add this to the stew then add chicken stock and water and simmer for 45 mins.

Add the sour cream towards the end of the 45 mins and watch the colour of the stew turn a creamy brown.. Taste the flavours coming together. Adjust the amount of salt, pepper and paprika as needed.

Make the rice 16 mins before the stew is done. Let it sit for a bit then dish out into plates. Top with the lovely stroganoff and tuck in