When it’s that time of year – misty mornings, dark at 5pm, comfort food is required.
This recipe, perfect for a simple supper, is based on a classic corned beef hash; there’s no meat and no treacherous tin, but it still takes me back to being about seven years-old, condensation streaming down the windows of an old caravan just outside Blackpool.
In our family’s first static caravan there was no running water, no fridge and very limited cooking facilities. Yet with rain drumming on the thick glass skylight, the tiny kitchen illuminated only by soft pools of light from gently hissing gas mantles, one could always rustle up a tasty dinner with very few ingredients and even fewer pans.
We served this vegetarian version, which replaces the corned beef with Quorn, with homemade piquant yellow tomato ketchup (a big dollop of sweet pickle works just as well) and a slice of bread – for mopping up. Accompany with a glass of red or a cup of tea, as necessary.
Served three, with leftovers
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 3 big spuds, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 carrots, scraped and cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ bag (150g) frozen Quorn mince
- 400g tin mixed beans, drained e.g. Aldi Sweet Harvest Mixed Beans in Water
- 1 good teaspoon Marmite
- 400g tin plum/chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- Salt and freshly-ground pepper
- 1 handful freshly-chopped parsley
Method
- Fry the onion in a little oil in a heavy-based pan. Let it soften without browning too much.
- Add the Quorn and cook for 4 – 5 minutes. Add a little water if the Quorn starts to stick.
- Add the mixed beans and the Marmite. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add more water, if needed. Add half the chopped parsley and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes and carrots and cook until tender. Drain and tip the vegetables back into the pot.
- Over a low heat, add the onion, mince and bean mixture to the potatoes and carrots.
- Add the tinned tomatoes and puree and fold together with a wooden spoon. It doesn’t matter if the potatoes break up – that’s what a hash is all about.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve piping hot in bowls with the rest of the parsley sprinkled over. Add a fried egg on top if you fancy.
