An easy, inexpensive sauce that goes with rice or pasta, can be used as a toast or baked potato topping and makes a good pancake filling. Use small white or chestnut mushrooms for this recipe rather than the big flat ones which will turn your sauce a dirty grey.

Serves 1-2
Time: about 15 minutes
Cost: about £1-£1.50 depending what ingredients you've already got

2 tbsp vegetable, sunflower or olive oil
2 rashers of back bacon or 3-4 rashers of streaky, rinded and chopped
1 small onion or 1/2 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 small clove of garlic, peeled and crushed (optional)
125g button or chestnut mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
1/4 - 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp plain flour
100ml milk (just under half a mugful)
3 tbsp double or whipping cream or creme fraiche
Ground black pepper and lemon juice to taste
1 tbsp chopped parsley (optional)

Heat the oil in a small pan and add the chopped bacon. Fry until it begins to brown then add the chopped onion, turn the heat down and cook for about 5-6 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Add the garlic and mushrooms, stir and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir in the paprika and flour, cook for another minute then pour in the milk and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down, add the cream and simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with pepper and a good squeeze of lemon juice and stir in the parsley, if using.

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