Recipe: Corned Beef Hash with Gravy

I know, I know, it’s getting more summery and thoughts are turning to lighter meals, but sometimes the temperature plummets and you catch a summer cold, and all you want is some stodgy comfort food. One of my favourites is corned beef hash… but as I’m on the Slimming World plan and love loads of veg, It’s no longer just the plain old meat and potatoes dish it might usually be!

Key:
F = Free food (eat as much as you like)
S = Speed food (these should make up at least a third of your meal)
P = Protein free food (eat as much of these as you like!)
HEa = Healthy Extra A (a daily allowance of dairy produce)
HEb = Healthy Extra B (a daily allowance of a product with fibre)
# = a number denotes roughly how many syns are in foods used

CORNED BEEF HASH WITH GRAVY
Two large servings at 2 syns each

Ingredients:

• 1 x 200g can of lean corned beef (4)
• 4 medium potatoes (F)
• 1 large onion (S)
• 1/4 swede (S)
• 2 large carrots (S)
• 1 baby cabbage (S)
• Half a dozen mushrooms (S)
• 1 beef stock cube and water (F)
• Low calorie spray oil (F)

Directions:

• Steam the potatoes, swede, carrot and cabbage until tender.
• Dice the onion and slice the mushrooms, and saute in a little low-cal spray oil.
• Mash the potatoes, swede and carrot with the corned beef, then stir through the cabbage and half the onion.
• Add boiling water to the stock cube, then add the rest of the onion and the mushrooms to it, and pop it in the blender to whiz it till it’s smooth to make the gravy. Add more water if you like your gravy thinner. (I like mine thick!)

If you fancy a different flavour, use sweet potatoes, and you’re having an SP day, you could always use butternut squash in their place.

I served mine with even more speed vegetables – baby sweetcorn, broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus.

This recipe makes two generous portions, or three smaller ones (I usually share mine with the two kids, or freeze the spare portion for another day – just don’t freeze the gravy, as I’m not sure that would work very well).

If you like a crusty top on your hash, you can whack it under the grill till it gets a golden crust – it’s delicious that way! And it’s lovely with or without the gravy too.