What are your favourite luxury meals - which are budget friendly!

jaxx46

Bf excelled himself on Valentines Day with a recipe from the philadelphia website. Smoked salmon, cream cheese and heart shaped pasta just for me (he can't stand salmon). ....very quick to make, cheap to buy from Aldi & absolutely delicious!

zarazara

scrambled eggs on toast with smoked salmon topping.

BitterAndTwisted

ohara09 wrote: »

I forgot one of my other favs though - roasted pork belly with mash and veg! So cheap and the crackling is beautiful!

Oh yes, delicious indeed. My German mother used to roast belly pork quite often when we were little as it was fairly cheap. She used to sprinkle mixed, dried fruit on the piece of meat (prunes, apricots etc. that kind of dried fruit rather than the grape ones) roll it up like a swiss-roll and tie it up with string and then roast. Then you serve by slicing it, so you get layers of pork and fruit. The juices from the fruit cuts through the fattiness and it was very good indeed . I can just taste it now all these years later.

Norman_Bean

Moules Frites

Not sure how much mussels are at the moment but they really aren't too expensive for a treat if you go to the Fish Market. Yum!

Have fun

Norman x

Kylie

Seafood Laksa



Serving size: Serves 6
INGREDIENTS

Any seafood you want (I tend to use fish, prawns and scallops - lots)
250g medium uncooked prawns
250g small mussels
2 small (200g) squid hoods
300g firm white fish fillets
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 litre (4 cups) fish stock
400g can coconut milk
500g fresh rice noodles
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 bunch fresh mint or coriander or both (I use only coriander – lots)
1 cup (80g) bean sprouts
Spring onions
Chilli or sambal oelek, extra

Laksa paste
2/3 cloves garlic, sliced
4/5 spring onions, chopped
4 small red chillies, seeded
4 coriander roots, chopped
1 stick lemon grass, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1-1 ½ teaspoon shrimp paste
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1-2 teaspoon brown sugar

NOTE: The laksa paste can be made several days ahead; keep refrigerated.

METHOD

For the laksa paste, blend or process ingredients to form a paste.

Heat oil in a wok and fry laksa paste, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes or until aromatic. Add stock, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Add coconut milk, bring to the boil; add seafood; simmer, uncovered, until the seafood is just cooked through.

Meanwhile, rinse noodles in hot water until separated.

Remove laksa from the heat, add lime juice and fish sauce.

Divide noodles among serving bowls and ladle soup over top. Top with mint/coriander and bean sprouts/spring onions; serve with extra chilli, if desired.

liz545

I really love Vietnamese food, especially pho, which is beef noodle soup, it's really tasty, great food for bad weather or when you've got a cold, and it's really cheap to make. I keep a bag of bits in the freezer (one of those "Asian kits" from Asda with lemongrass, chilis, ginger etc) so you only use what you need rather than wasting stuff.

In this classic soup, paper-thin slices of beef are cooked with rice noodles in individual serving bowls into which hot beef stock, herbs and spices have been added. For a more authentic tasting pho - you will need to go to an Asian shop and buy pho stock cubes.

Ingredients (serves 4)

3L beef stock (I use M&S beef stock concentrate)
1 onion, sliced thinly into rings
3 slices fresh root ginger
1 stalk lemon grass
1 star anise
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
300g leftover roast beef, sliced thinly
150g beansprouts
1 small bunch basil
1 small handful fresh mint
1 small handful fresh coriander
1 fresh green chili (optional)
1 lime, cut into wedges
500g dried rice noodles
fish sauce and soy sauce, to serve

Method

1. Heat the stock with the onion, ginger, lemon grass, cinnamon and peppercorns. Bring to the boil, then simmer.

2. Arrange beansprouts, mint, basil and coriander on a plate with chili and lime.

3. Cook the noodles according to the directions on the pack, then drain. Place equal portions of noodles into large soup bowls, and put the beef on top. Ladle hot stock over noodles and beef. Allow everyone to top with herbs, beansprouts and garnishes to taste.

Taadaa

We nearly always eat in and I cook from scratch as I enjoy it, but I never really thought about what would be a treat to cook and eat in, I always think a treat is going out! I must change my non MSE ways!!

I guess steak and home made oven chunky chips with garlic mayo is a treat, OH made this for me on Valentines Eve - his turn as I have been feeling poorly recently. Will have to have a think about other nice treats to make - that aren't cake of course!!

maman

Bethankim wrote: »

slow cooked pork, ive done it with loin steaks unless i get a loin of pork joint. cooked slowly in tomato and cider gravy.

the gravy is a fantastic sauce goes great with nut roast.
to make

1LB very ripe tomatoes - brill if you pick them up cheap
1 onion
1 small red pepper
tomato puree
1/4 pint vegetable stock (i use a good cube)
3/4 pint of cider - depending on how dry or sweet you use will give you a different taste, i use decent cider - so i get to drink the rest

fry off the onions and pepper until soft but not browned. add in the chopped toms, and cook til very soft. add liquid and puree, season to taste. once the alcohol has been cooked off - cool and liquidize.

seal the pork loin, and place in an over proof dish, pour over the sauce so it covers the pork. cover with foil. (if you have a slow cooker this works brilliantly) cook on a low heat for at least an hour.

serve with crisp vegetable and mash or what ever spud you like. is a cheap dish but is fab

I do similar with loin chops. Sauce is 1tbsp of cornflour mixed with 2tbsps soy then add half pint orange juice, good splash sherry (optional) and lots of pepper. Pour over browned steaks having covered with sliced pepper, onion and mushrooms. Cook on 200 for about an hour. I usually do this with a jacket and something green.

Also I think lots of meals are made special served with dauphinois potatoes. Goes very well with duck, one of our favourite eat in meals.

wssla00

Green Thai Curry with Jasmine rice is mine. I do love it!

Bronnie

ohara09 wrote: »

I also loved their advice about mussels not being nearly as expensive as you'd think!
xx

I get a box of frozen New Zealand Greenlip Mussels from the Chinese Supermarket, will check how much when I go later in the week, but quite reasonable. They look great in a dish, shell on and you only need a few to give a bit of drama to the dish!! Also buy frozen squid tube, which is just a couple of quidish for a pack. Keep in the freezer along with prawns picked up when they're on offer and this will do for several meals.

I make a sort of seafod stew type thing, always off the cuff, but with a garlic, onion, tomato white wine and herby base, then a little bit of cheapish fresh fish, prawns, mussels dropped in and gently simmered an the squid dropped in last of all. Serve with crusty bread.

The squid tube, sliced in rings or opened, cut in pieces and scored (or baby squid is very cheap in the Chinese supermarket if you're not squeamish!) are delish briefly pan-fried and served immediately with a squeeze of lemon.