COWBOY HASH

A quick and easy store cupboard recipe using tinned goods. The beans and sweetcorn make it a favourite with kids and it’s nutritious. Perfect recipe for students too. 

INGREDIENTS

1lb Minced Beef
1 Onion, finely chopped 
Beef or Onion Gravy Granules 
Tin of Baked Beans (415g)
Tin of Sweetcorn (198g)

METHOD
Dry fry the mince and chopped onion together until the onion is cooked & the mince has browned (the mince should produce enough fat to cook the onion). 

Add a little water and sprinkle in some gravy granules to make a gravy, but not too much as there’s more liquid to come. Stir & simmer for a few minutes. Add a tin of Baked Beans and a tin of Sweetcorn; stir to heat through. Season to taste. 

Serve over baked potatoes, topped with grated cheese. You can cook your potatoes in the microwave in the time it takes to cook the mince. Not as good as oven baked potatoes but ok for a quick supper.

NOTE: The original 70s magazine recipe used a tin of Oxtail soup for the gravy, which you could use, but I would add just a little at first and add the rest at the end if needed, or it could end up too sloppy. 

TINNED GOODS
It's always a good idea to keep your cupboards stocked with tinned goods. On caravan trips I’ve used Marks & Spencer’s tinned ‘minced beef and onion in gravy’ in this recipe and it works. Tinned potatoes could also be added to the mix. Tinned potatoes are also quite good fried, they’re waxy so they don’t collapse and as they’re already cooked it’s just a case of browning them so they’re quick to do.

CORNED BEEF HASH

This is pure comfort food!  I’ve never been able to make this successfully but then I discovered a video recipe from Ken and Carol on YouTube and it works perfectly!

INGREDIENTS
1 Tin of Corned Beef
3 Medium Sized Potatoes
1 Onion
1 Tin Baked Beans
Salt and pepper

METHOD
Peel and dice potatoes, cook in salted water until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Finely chop the onion. In another pan sauté the onion in a little oil or butter, until translucent.

Open the corned beef and remove from the tin. On the shorter side cut into 5 slices, then cut each slice lengthways into 2 strips, then cut each strip into 3 cubes. You should have 30 cubes.

To the hot onions add the corned beef, then add the baked beans and allow to heat through.

Add the potatoes last as you don’t want them to overcook or it will all turn to mush! Turn gently to mix and allow to heat through.

Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with a dash of Worcestershire Sauce and bread and butter. It's also very good with a poached or fried egg on top.

Recipe and image courtesy of “Life Is Too Short” 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jZZkq6eB4s

NB:  If you're camping, or for a quick store cupboard meal, substitute fresh potatoes for diced tinned new potatoes

HOMEMADE BAKED BEANS

Nothing quite like Heinz but these are delicious too and good for a change. They are great on toast with a poached egg but they are marvellous with a cooked breakfast as they combine the flavours of baked beans and tomatoes.  The sauce is a a basic tomato sauce, quick and easy to make from tinned tomatoes.  I recommend making it in a larger quantity and storing it in the freezer so that you always have a base tomato sauce for lots of other recipes, see 'Variations' below.

INGREDIENTS for the base Tomato sauce
Tinned tomatoes (cheapest supermarket own brand is fine)
Olive oil
Pinch of mixed herbs (I favour Herbes de Provence)
Dash of Tabasco (to enhance the flavour, not for heat)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A small amount of sugar (a teaspoonful, then taste before adding more)

The ingredients above are for a base tomato sauce.  For this recipe I add a small amount of fresh or dried chilli to make the beans a little spicy but that is optional. You could also add a little garlic.

White cannellini beans or similar
(tinned or dried, it's up to you, but if you use dried follow the instructions with regard to soaking & cooking.  I use tinned as that's the quickest)

METHOD
In a deep pan empty the tinned tomatoes.  Add a good glug of olive oil (this helps to emulsify the sauce) and all the rest of the ingredients.  Turn on the heat and break up the tomatoes using a potato masher until you are happy with the texture.  Bring to the boil and then turn to a low simmer.  Leave to simmer for at least 20 mins.  The longer you leave it on a low heat the more the flavours will develop and the sauce will thicken as it reduces.  You will notice that the colour will change from deep red to a more orangey red.  Check your seasonings and add a little more if necessary.

Add the cooked white beans, heat through and serve.

VARIATIONS
Italian dishes: To the above sauce add garlic and more herbs, fresh or dried.  This can be be used as a sauce to coat pasta or added to cooked mince and onions for Spaghetti Bolognese or Lasagne.  You can also use it as the sauce base for a quick French bread pizza.

Spicy: Add fresh or dried chilli and add to cooked mince and onions and you have the sauce for a chilli con carne or a topping for patatas bravas.  Add some garlic and prawns and you have a wonderful sauce for spaghetti.