6000 meals under 50p in 2010; feeding your family on a low budget

Lesley_Gaye

Have finally got to the end of this thread, am loving it.

Have a couple of recipes you might like.

Sweet Bean Curry

Serves 4
175g red kidney beans, soaked overnight
25g butter or spread
1 sliced onion
1 apple, cored and chopped
175g sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp curry powder
25g flour
570ml bean stock
Salt to taste
1 tblsp lemon juice
1 tblsp chutney
50g sultanas
50g coconut cream

Drain the beans, cover with fresh water and cook for about an hour until soft. Boil fast for the first 10-15 minutes as they have something not nice in them (can’t remember exactly what) that you get rid of with the fast boil.

Or use 2 tins, or any other beans/combinations of beans that you have/fancy

Sizzle the onion in the butter/spread until transparent. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms caramelise, add the apple and curry powder and cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the bean stock, seasoning, lemon juice, chutney, sultanas and beans and cook for 10-15 minutes. Add the flour if you want to thicken it up a bit, otherwise, leave it out

Just before serving, add the coconut cream and stir until dissolved.

We have this with some basmati rice, also works well with mash. Sometimes we have veg with it, sometimes not. Freezes really well. I find that a 6th of this recipe is enough for me, especially if I am having a little rice with it and even more so if I have some crispy green veg.

My OH likes hot and spicy food, so I often spice it up with a couple of hot chillies, but it has enough flavour not to need it if you don't want to use hot spices

Lesley_Gaye

Here's another one I do fairly often. For some reason, the green pepper tastes much nicer than a red or orange one in this. Freezes well

Green lentil cottage pie.
2 lb potatoes, cooked and mashed with milk, butter and ground black pepper
Vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
6oz green lentils
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 oz cheddar
2 carrots, diced
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 green pepper, diced
4 oz mushrooms
1 teaspoon dried basil
Pinch cayenne pepper
Seasoning
Vegetarian stock cube


Cook lentils in plenty of water until just soft, drain, but save ½ pint of the cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, fry onion, garlic and carrot, adding the pepper and mushrooms towards the end.
Add the cooked lentils, tomato puree, basil, cayenne and seasoning. Add the reserved liquid and the stock cube.
Put this mixture into an oven proof dish, cover with the mashed potato and sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Bake in a moderately hot oven until the top is golden brown

candygirl

Thanks for the veggie recipes folks, it makes a change to see so many at once;)I'm doing WEEZLS pate again tomoz, yum yum, and having a go at the green lentil cottage pie:p:p:p

boredofbeingathome

mark88man wrote: »

can't keep up with all the comments but thanks to all, but a special mention for
* Bob who made me smile with the french paradox, and laugh with the Polish food link (I am going to try if any fit the budget - or even if they don't- I love that food)
* Weezl - whose suggestions were 90% of my ASDA food order
* BigMumma and Raini for moral support

omg I feel like Gwyneth Paltrow - but not blubbing

Make sure you get the wine in with the order..although i doubt whether i would give some to the kids...but plain old grape juice is good and is also one of the 5 a day- a cunning paradox:D Win win situation :beer:

The only problem i found with the Polish menu was the sour cream..but i reckon that could be adapted with natural yoghurt. Cuts out all sorts of nasties especially if it is probiotic:D

boredofbeingathome

Lesley_Gaye wrote: »

Have finally got to the end of this thread, am loving it.

Have a couple of recipes you might like.

Sweet Bean Curry

Serves 4
175g red kidney beans, soaked overnight
25g butter or spread
1 sliced onion
1 apple, cored and chopped
175g sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp curry powder
25g flour
570ml bean stock
Salt to taste
1 tblsp lemon juice
1 tblsp chutney
50g sultanas
50g coconut cream

Drain the beans, cover with fresh water and cook for about an hour until soft. Boil fast for the first 10-15 minutes as they have something not nice in them (can’t remember exactly what) that you get rid of with the fast boil.

Or use 2 tins, or any other beans/combinations of beans that you have/fancy

Sizzle the onion in the butter/spread until transparent. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms caramelise, add the apple and curry powder and cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the bean stock, seasoning, lemon juice, chutney, sultanas and beans and cook for 10-15 minutes. Add the flour if you want to thicken it up a bit, otherwise, leave it out

Just before serving, add the coconut cream and stir until dissolved.

We have this with some basmati rice, also works well with mash. Sometimes we have veg with it, sometimes not. Freezes really well. I find that a 6th of this recipe is enough for me, especially if I am having a little rice with it and even more so if I have some crispy green veg.

My OH likes hot and spicy food, so I often spice it up with a couple of hot chillies, but it has enough flavour not to need it if you don't want to use hot spices

This sounds lovely Lesley. I remember at my SW class that a lot of Indian food is actually served with mashed veg rather than rice, so she suggested using mashed cauliflour. I thought yuck at first, but it really does compliment it- so may be worth a go for anyone who wants to.

And of course there is cauliflour cheese.mmmmm:D

maryb

I am supposed to eat MORE cheese than I normally do because I have osteopenia (precursor to osteoporosis) so I looked up the calcium value of different cheeses. You get most calcium and lowest saturated fat with Swiss chees like Gruyere then comes Emmental and Gouda. Lots more calcium than cheddar.

Gruyere is expensive (though it's lovely with pears and watercress or - my favourite- red onion chutney and oatcakes) but emmental and gouda slices are normally available quite cheaply at Aldi or Lidl and they are very good for lunchboxes (especially with red onion chutney)

Hope this helps someone

mark55man

Thanks Mary - sounds nice

Although not on my NO CHEESE days

Money_saving_Diva_2

Hi Mark,

I have been reading this thread for two days on and off and I love what you are trying to achieve. You are very lucky to have the wonderful Weezl on here too, what she doesn't know about healthy budget eating could only be written on the back of a stamp.

Keep up the good work and I think you have been very good natured towards those who have perhaps knocked you a little. I think most of us reading really admire your wry sense of humour, and I for one adore Blackadder so your quote makes me smile every time I read it.

I am not very good at the whole frugal thing but do agree that hearty filling soups can be just the ticket when you are really short of money.

Good luck for the rest of the year!

Diva.x

phizzimum

mark88man wrote: »

In case you were wondering ...

Rich T ..

(I suppose I could have had Gary - esp if no hair at birth - ie a baldie, or Jacob, or even (my favorite) Dunk'n))

I was wondering!

Lesley_Gaye

boredofbeingathome wrote: »

This sounds lovely Lesley. I remember at my SW class that a lot of Indian food is actually served with mashed veg rather than rice, so she suggested using mashed cauliflour. I thought yuck at first, but it really does compliment it- so may be worth a go for anyone who wants to.

And of course there is cauliflour cheese.mmmmm:D

That sounds a good idea. I do Indian inspired meals quite often and one of my favourite veggies at other times is carrot and swede mashed together. Hadn't thought of mashed veg with Indian food, I shall try it next time I do some - filling, cheap and good for me, what more could I ask!