Advice needed please on food for homeless

98sidney

Apoligises in advance if this is the wrong place..

I am a volunteer for a group that goes out everynight and gives food to the homeless.

I was wondering if anyone could give me ideas on what meals to make that are cheapest to make and will roughly stay warm..

Thanyou in advance..

angelavdavis

HM minestrone soup - shredded cabbage, courgette, carrots, onion, runner beans, etc (you can use any mixed vegetables) with herbs sweated in a little oil with a little streaky bacon if desired to add more flavour, then add tinned tomatoes, stock, canelloni beans and broken up spaghetti. Bring to boil then simmer for 15 minutes.

Lentil and Cumin soup. Sweat chopped carrots and onion with garlic and dried cumin until soft in a little oil, add some red lentils, stir well so they are coated in the flavoured oil. Again, you can add streaky bacon if you wish. Add stock and bring to boil, simmering for 15 minutes. Whizz up in the liquidiser or use a hand blender.

Easily enough to transport in a flask, but hearty enough as a meal served with a chunk of bread.

*niptuckfan*

stovies(or corned beef hash) depending on where you live:p mashed tattie, fried onion, corned beef and some gravy/stock - stays warm, is filling and cheap - pasta would be another cheap meal

wogglemaker

Some norwegan hot boxes available from army surplus stores or cold boxes ( they keep food hot as well) would increase the range you could provide. Vegetable stews with dumplings are cheap, as is spagettie in tomato sauce.

Have you tried tapping up your local supermarket for damaged / end of date meat & Veg, maybe your market at close of play on a saterday would have veg you could utilise.

98sidney

Hi thanyou so much for all your ideas will defo try them. We have tried 2 supermarkets they have both said due to health reasons they cant give us any food they are throwing out..

mouseymousey99

what sort of ingredients do you have Sidney?? Are you allied to any existing groups??

98sidney

Group is BHFG dont know if I am allowed to say that.

We are based in norwich

queen_of_string

I would try Weezls thread here in old style, the recipes on post #1 are all very low cost due to the restrictions she has chosen to live under.

foreign_correspondent

98sidney wrote: »

Hi thanyou so much for all your ideas will defo try them. We have tried 2 supermarkets they have both said due to health reasons they cant give us any food they are throwing out..

they are b*ggers! They could give you stuff if they really wanted to I am sure! How about writing back and asking if they could donate some items which are not past their date then?

Maybe try the co-op, they like to pride themselves on being ethical!

As for food ideas -
How about lentil soup?
Thick pea soup?
Mashed potato, beans and cheese?
Cowboy beans - baked beans with sliced hotdog or sausage in it?
Mushy peas and mint sauce?
Pie and Peas? (mushy peas are v cheap if made from dried soaked peas), Pasta with tomato and cheese
Stamppot is a traditional dutch dish - stodgy and warming and much like bubble and squeak- just boil potatoes carrots and onions in a pan, with some shredded endive or dark green cabbage if you like, roughly mash the veg with butter, salt and pepper, add bits of cooked bacon, ham, cheese, sausage or anything else you like to taste! Its nice!

Olliebeak

98sidney wrote: »

Hi thanyou so much for all your ideas will defo try them. We have tried 2 supermarkets they have both said due to health reasons they cant give us any food they are throwing out..

What about your local allotment society - maybe an appeal to them might come up with some produce that is going spare?

foreign_correspondent

*niptuckfan* wrote: »

stovies(or corned beef hash) depending on where you live:p mashed tattie, fried onion, corned beef and some gravy/stock - stays warm, is filling and cheap

hmm, I had never hard of stovies before, but it seems like it is pretty much the same dish as the dutch stamppot, which isnt a mile away from bubble and squeak either - clearly you cant go wrong with mashed spuds with a few extra tasty bits!!

Just wikipedia'd - aparently similar dishes are Colcannon (irish) and Rumbledethumps (scottish borders)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumbledethumps

... interesting!! (or maybe that's just my opinion! lol)