Recipe: The One Parent Family Dinner.

I would imagine that since I was born my mother has spent about 90% of her money on stuff for the house, stuff for my brother and I (when we were younger) and stuff to eat…..the other 10% probably got spent on MDMA or something. Anyway, what I’m saying is that my mum has put my brother and I before herself every single day of her life…..apart from 2 weeks in July 1987 when she jetted of to Acapulco and left us with a case of Panda Cola, a freezer full of Findus Crispy Pancakes and whole box packed with VHS films that wouldn’t play on our poxy Betamax machine…..she then said “I wont be long and don’t answer the door!”

After she returned and her golden sun tan had worn off she quickly got back in to the groove of looking after us and cooking was a big part of that. Dinner was always on the table a few minutes after we got home from school and it was usually a healthy, well balanced meal the point of which normally got ruined by the sugar overdose we received in the form of one of her home made puddings like ‘Coconut Cakes’ or the dreaded ‘Oaty Flapjack’. But from time to time an evening meal was not as easy to come by as it should be so my mum had to use her imagination and creativity to make a hearty dinner out of very little.

One of those cheap meals survives to this day and we actually had it yesterday. My mum affectionately refers to as her “One Parent Family Dinner” and it has 4 simple ingredients: Oxo Cubes, Potatoes, Corned Beef and Heinz Baked Beans (we were never too poor for Heinz)…..now before you say it, no, it’s not Corned Beef Hash…..it is ‘Corned Beef Surprise’!

……and here is the recipe:


Serves 6


INGREDIENTS:

2 Tins of Corned Beef
3 Tins of ‘Heinz’ Baked Beans
Potatoes (I don’t know how many, it depends on how big they are, use your initiative!)
3 Oxo cubes

…..and if you want to be posh as we are these days…..

A bit of Cheese (anything will do)
A few Tomatoes


METHOD:

Put a pot of water on to boil and cut up the potatoes ready for boiling. NOTE: Only peel the potatoes if the skins are not very nice, what is the point of wasting all the goodness and flavour that is in the skin?

Boil the Potatoes, drain off the water and then…..mash ‘em up!.....but not too much, you still want to find the odd lump of potato.

Dissolve the 3 Oxo Cubes in just 1 mug of Boiling Water.

Preheat the oven to gas mark 5.

Squish the 2 tins of Corned Beef in to the bottom of a large oven proof dish then add the Oxo and leave to soak in for 1 or 2 minutes. Now pour over the 3 tins of beans and pile on the mashes potato as you would with a Shepherd’s Pie.

Now for the posh part! Grate a load of cheese over the top then add a few slices of Tomato.

Smash it in the oven for about 30 minutes or until golden!

“Corned Beef Surprise…..done!”

Tip: If you are not part of a one parent family, why not arrange for either the mother or father not to come home that night for a real authentic feel.


Harry Federchi.