When only takeaway will do?

ViksB · 14 January 2007 at 7:51PM

Normally we eat really well not only cooking most of our food from scratch but also growing the bulk of it. But there are some nights (like tonight) when only takeaway will do.
This month we are on a tight budget so its no to the take away but neither of us are inspired to cook, currently it looks like we will go hungry or have toast. (HM bread of course)
Is there anyway to get around the takeaway /apathy blues??
What are your tips?

Viks

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toria27 · 14 January 2007 at 7:58PM

I know how you feel, we love chinese but it's just too expensive to buy, we have just mastered making our own egg fried rice at home though and it was just as good as the chinese. Takeaways are getting more expensive, a portion of fish & chips used to be a cheap option not any more.
We usually try and save up and have one once a month.

Sorry not very helpfull lol, when I can't be bothered to cook I just have a big bowl of cereal with hot milk yummy!

Quackers · 14 January 2007 at 7:58PM

ViksB wrote:

Is there anyway to get around the takeaway /apathy blues??
What are your tips?

Viks

We buy tubs of curry sauce from our chinese and make our own mushroom or chicken fried rice. The tubs of sauce are only £1 and there is no chinese curry sauce that could ever beat our local take aways.

Lillibet_2 · 14 January 2007 at 8:08PM

I find keeping a bag of supermarket "takeaway" Chinese food in the freezer helps out in these times as we get the gist of the takeaway with minimal prep/washing up (esp. if you eat it straight out of the cartons!:o), also if we do give in & order we try to find somewhere doing a BOGOF deal & freeze the spare for another time. Not the ultimate answer to the problem but it helps.

We used to always have a takeaway on the last friday fo the month but ONLY if there was enough money left over in the grocery budget to pay for it & put the same again away in savings, nowdays we tend to actually budget for a takeaway every now & again & knowing we've got it to look forward to on a set date helps stave off the unexpected desire somewhat.

But sometimes a unexpected real proper delivered-to-the-door packed-with-e-numbers real thing is the only answer & we jsut give in......:o:o:o

Sassers · 14 January 2007 at 8:11PM

Hi there :wave: you can actually buy tubs of curry sauce that taste exactly like the chinese takeaway ones...I get mine from the butcher in the next valley but a friend of mine told me Farmfoods used to stock them too.
You just add water to the paste and heat in a pan. Huge tub for about £1-£1.50 does loads of portions.:D
Just had a look at the maker on the label - Keejays of Suffolk.
Hope that helps
love Sas x
PS: unfortunately now I have the means to make my own chinese at home, the craving's disappeared a bit - now crave kebabs from the local turkish shop. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: I tend to drive past V quick on the way home in the car!):eek:

pboae · 14 January 2007 at 8:14PM

Boiled rice with a veg stock cube and some spices in the water makes a passable pilau rice, then popadoms and one main course from the Indian between us. It keeps the price right down, but makes it feel like you've had a treat.

Katgoddess · 14 January 2007 at 8:20PM

Morrisons "The Best" Lasagne with garlic bread and salad.:drool:

Sometimes if I'm really lazy, I'll get ready prepared salad from the salad bar.

Oh and sainsburys sell jars of Wing Yip Chinese curry sauce concentrate in their gourmet section. The sort that takeaways use.

dronid · 14 January 2007 at 8:28PM

I occasionaly have an urge for kebab and have kept v thin slices of lamb from a roast in the freezer with some pitta bread. Heat a frying pan. Put the lamb slices on the base until they sizzle and turn them over and wait until they sizzle again. Toast the pitta, or dry fry heat them in the same pan. Split them and stuff with the lamb, any salad you have and some chili sauce or mayo thinned with some white wine/cider vinegar and a little chopped garlic/puree. Better than the kebab house.:D

Or I make falafel.

Or you can cut down the costs of a take out. Precook some rice and freeze it. All it needs is to be dropped in boiling water (until it boils again) to reheat. Rice and Breads can be kept in the freezer and can be bought for a lot less than takeaway prices.

Maybe suggest some takeaway food that you particularly nice and we can suggest some recipies for home made versions together with ways to make them 'instant'. They'll certainaly be quicker than the 40 min wait for the delivery!:D

Gingham_Ribbon · 14 January 2007 at 8:30PM

We really really like Chinese take-away. And getting a take-away is about not cooking too.

Using a jar or packet of lemon sauce or plum sauce etc does feel like we haven't really cooked and goes a long way to recreating that take-away taste. Quick fried rice, deep fried tofu, or diced chicken, quick stir fry with some veg and if I can be bothered, frying some finely chopped spring greens to make crispy seaweed and we're away.

And sometimes nothing else will do and I take a drive out.

Prudent · 14 January 2007 at 8:36PM

I buy the bags of take away meals for two from Asda on reduced to clear at £2. They are often reduced around 7pm or sometimes on a Sunday morning. I put it in the freezer and take out in the morning if it looks like a hectic day/ weekend.

tt07 · 14 January 2007 at 8:37PM

Sometimes you just have to treat yourself to a takeaway. Don't feel bad just don't do it every month, week or day 8-)

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When only takeaway will do?

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