* Serves 4
* Suitable for freezing

What do I need?

• 200g pitted ready-to-eat prunes
• 800ml stock
• 2 tbsp oil
• 500g shoulder of lamb (or stewing lamb), excess fat cut off, cubed you can buy lamb ready chopped
• 200g onions, peeled and sliced
• 1 large red pepper, halved, deseeded and cut into strips
• 200g carrots
• 200g canned tomatoes
• 1 tbsp flour
• 300g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 200g frozen spinach (optional) 

How do I make it?

1. Soak the prunes in the stock for half an hour. 
2. In the meantime, heat up the oil in a casserole pan and add the lamb chunks, turning until brown all over. 
3. Take out the meat with a slotted spoon, put to one side. 
4. Add the onions, red pepper and carrots to the casserole and cook until tender (about 15 minutes). 
5. Add the tomatoes and prunes with liquid, simmer for a further 10 minutes. 
6. At this stage you can purée the vegetables and liquid to make a smooth paste if your children are not keen on vegetables. Otherwise leave as is. 
7. Add the meat and sift flour over top, mixing in. Cover tightly with the casserole lid, turn the heat down and simmer for 1¼ hours (adding water or stock if it becomes dry).
8. Add the chickpeas 15 minutes before the casserole is finished, re-cover and continue to simmer, and if your children are fine with ‘green bits’ add the frozen spinach to simmer 5 minutes before serving.
9. Serve with baked potato or with chunks of wholemeal bread sliced thick.

Why is it good for us?

• Red meat contains lots of iron to give your child plenty of energy
• Chickpeas and prunes add extra iron as well as healthy fibre
• Carrots contain betacarotene, which help to strengthen your child’s immune system.

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