Meal for two for 50p. Suggestions?

LizEstelle · 12 December 2006 at 8:35PM

My OH and I just had the following and it was delicious. I reckon the total price, including gas and bits and pieces, was around 50p-60p.

I'd be grateful if people could make other ultra-low price suggestions which I can add to my 'Miser's Cookbook'.

It does seem to me that you can eat very cheaply from more-or-less fresh ingredients... so healthier, too!

Sardines with Couscous

1. Dice up some onion, pepper, carrot and courgette and cook in a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium frying pan.

2. Add the tomato juice from a cheap (Lidl?) tin of sardines and augment with 200ml of water/stock mixed with some tomato puree.

3. Season with pepper, garlic powder (and salt, if you absolutely must).

4. Simmer for 30 secs, then remove from heat and stir in 200 gm couscous and the chopped up sardines. Cover and allow the couscous to absorb the mixture. The end result should be an orange-coloured, tangy, tomatoey treat... and next to no washing up!

Can anyone beat this one on economy?

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RainbowsInTheSpray · 12 December 2006 at 9:09PM

How about egg mayonnaise for two?

2 x shelled hard-boiled eggs, sliced in two. 2 dollops of mayonnaise. Surround by sliced cucumber, sliced cooked/pickled beetroot and lettuce. Maybe 2/4 slices of wafer-thin ham. Maybe bread and butter to accompany and beef up.

Should still come in at 50p or less. Not as healthy as yours probably but I just love salads!

cordial · 12 December 2006 at 9:33PM

Cheap chicken curry?

Strip the meat off one Tesco Value frozen chicken portion (after thawing!).
Fry gently in a little butter/oil. Remove from heat and stir in some flour to make a roux. Cook again gently for one minute then remove from heat. When cooler, slowly add water or stock to make a thickish sauce. Finally, stir in curry powder and herbs to taste and cook from 1 - 5 mins. You can add other veg, mushrooms etc also at this stage.

On top of plain, boiled rice. Can't see how the lot would reach much more than 50P. You can even use the discarded skin and bones to make chicken soup!

angelavdavis · 12 December 2006 at 9:34PM

How about arrabiata pasta?

Put pasta onto boil in slightly salted water.

Meanwhile, fry a small chopped onion and a pinch of dried chilli flakes and dried oregano in a saucepan and add a tin of value chopped tomatoes. Bring to the boil then lower so it bubbles away happily.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain and tip sauce into the drained pasta saucepan and mix well.

Split pasta and sauce between two and sprinkle of grated cheese.

You can get bags of pasta for about 70p which will serve four meals for two, the value tomatoes are usually 20p a tin and the chilli flakes/dried oregano last forever so a pinch of each means pennies. The grated cheese is the luxury item, but you can buy a wedge, grate it and freeze so you are only using a little at a time.

LizEstelle · 12 December 2006 at 10:01PM

I also have an old stand-by which is Bacon-topped Baked Potato:

Bake one large baking potato in a hot oven (having pre-nuked in m'wave to save on gas time). During last 5 mins, slice in two and cover top surfaces with mixture of chopped, fried onion, bacon and mushroom. Finally in last 2 mins grate some cheddar over.

Serve with half tin of value baked beans or small salad. Not much more than 50p I would guess.

cordial · 12 December 2006 at 10:32PM

Here's another one: Mediterranean Tuna

Boil up some large 'value' pasta e.g. fusilli. When cooked, stir in a tin of 'value' tuna, together with a quarter tin of chopped tomatoes and/or a spoonful of tom. puree. Add water to keep moist and heat for one minute, stirring in plenty of dried basil and salt/pepper.

Presto. Should be well under a pound, not to mention delicious - and all done in one pan!

annscullamus · 12 December 2006 at 10:40PM

Here is another

My favourite!
Bacon Onion and Potato Pie
2 large Pots and 1 large onion and 4 slices of bacon does 2 people very well

Peel and slice potatoes, peel and slice onions.
Layer pots. in the bottom of ovenproof dish then a layer of onion rings/slices then 2 slices of bacon. Repeat and end with pots. Add a little milk over the top and bake in the oven quite slowly for about 45mins to 1 hour.
Absolutely delicious and VERY cheap!

MushyPeas · 12 December 2006 at 10:50PM

I love these kinds of threads, especially when I have just got home from working and was tempted to order a pizza but instead cooked a v. simple dish:

pasta\pesto

Cook pasta, add pesto, enjoy!

OP: courgettes are v. expensive where I live, they'd push the meal over 50p

LizEstelle · 12 December 2006 at 10:50PM

Not forgetting a good ol' omelette!

Soufflet Omelette:

Take four eggs and carefully separate the yolks from the whites. Whisk/beat the whites up into stiff peaks and then (even more carefully!) fold into the yolks, together with a little grated cheese and fried, chopped mushroom and onions.

Pour the mix carefully into a frying pan and cook one side. DO NOT TRY TO FLIP OR TURN! Instead, place the pan under a heated grill to brown the top side. Best served with buttered bread and a light salad. Very cheap and plenty for two people.

LizEstelle · 12 December 2006 at 10:54PM

MushyPeas wrote:

OP: courgettes are v. expensive where I live, they'd push the meal over 50p

I know what you mean but I only meant for a quarter of one courgette to be used, if that. Cut into small dice. Max 10p! The 50p is just a target. You could use other things like ears of sweetcorn or some chopped mushroom.

LJM · 12 December 2006 at 11:01PM

beans on toast doesnt sound much of a meal but i find it quite filling

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Meal for two for 50p. Suggestions?

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