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

BigMummaF

Money_saving_Diva wrote: »

....hearty filling soups....

Meant to say..do you remember that programme SIZE=1]wish I could remember what it was called[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR][COLOR=SeaGreen][SIZE=2][FONT=Trebuchet MS with two teams of army cadets; they had exactly the same food & drink, but one team had theirs made into soup? The programme used hi-tec doo-dahs to show how the soup fills your stomach for longer so it wasn't just down to individual human impressions of feeling degrees of hunger after two hours.
Not sure if anyone else has linked to the couple of threads on here, but I've found these..
Meal Ideas under a pound. Cheapest Healthy Meal ever. Recipes for Tinned Foods. Meals for TWO for 50p. Sammy Kaye's £100 for food a month.
Please be aware, that these threads are at least 12mths old so obviously prices will be different, but the theory is still there.

shaz_mum_of__2

yep the cake rises like a normal cake ,the weetabix cake and branflake cake are also egg free

www.fatfreevegan.com has some great egg free recipes

Lesley_Gaye

Here is an Indian inspired one. It is from Sophie Grigsons The Vegetable Bible. I have left the spices in the recipe that Sophie uses, but I can't say I fancied cinnamon, so I used 1 tsp garam masala and 1/2 tsp turmeric and lemon juice instead of lime.

Indian Stuffed Potato Cakes

Serves 4 as a main course, 8 as a starter
650g floury potatoes
40g plain flour
½ tsp salt

Filling
115g peas
115g carrots, roughly chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 red or green chilli, deseeded and chopped
2cm piece fresh ginger, grated
1 large clove garlic,chopped
1 ½ tblsp oil
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
Juice of ½ large lime
2 tbslp chopped coriander leaves
Salt

Boil the potatoes in their skins until tender. Drain, cool a little and pull off the skins and mash them. Boiling in the skins means they will be drier than if they are peeled. Work in the flour and salt to form a malleable ‘pastry’. Divide into 16 pieces. Oil your hands slightly. Take one piece of dough, roll into a ball, then flatten it to form a circle that’s roughly 8cm/3” in diameter. Repeat with the rest of the portions and cover with a tea-towel until needed.

While the potatoes are cooking, make the filling. Pile all the vegetables, chilli, ginger and garlic into the processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not so fine that they form a puree. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the chopped veg. Stir over a moderate heat for about 5 minutes, then stir in the cinnamon and cumin.

Continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so, then season with salt. Take off the heat, cool slightly, then stir in the lime juice and coriander. Taste and adjust seasoning. Divide into 8.

Take one of the circles of dough, mound an eighth of the filling in the centre, then cover with a second disc of potato. Pinch the edges together to seal. Roll back into a ball, then flatten slightly to form a potato cake that’s roughly 2.5cm/1” thick. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

Heat 2 tbslp oil in a heavy frying pan over a moderate heat. Lay the potato cakes in the pan, without overcrowding. The oil should sizzle as they come into contact with it. If it is too cool, the cakes will stick to the pan. Leave them to cook – without moving around – for 3-4 minutes, then turn and brown the other side.

Serve while still hot on their own, or with chutneys or relishes.

weezl74

Lesley they sound lovely and very frugal, especially if the chutneys were homemade too...

You are a mine of excellent recipe ideas

xxxx

Lesley_Gaye

Went up to Tunbridge Wells today, and whilst there I dived in the Indian shop and had a lovely rummage and stocked up with pulses.

I also got 2 lots of chick peas, one lot are green ones, and the other brown rather than the usual pale gold type. The (Indian) owner says that they both taste quite different to the usual pale gold ones.

Also got some dried pomegranate powder and sumac powder, and some mustard oil that is so hot it says 'for external use only' on the bottle! Had a long conversation with the owner and a customer about the oil and they suggested several things to do with it and said that yes, it is hot when 'raw', but once heated it goes sweet and sour.

So will be experimenting with these and will report back on what they taste like - anyone else tried them?

Have been reading through some of my Indian cook books and salivating! I want to rush into the kitchen now and cook stuff!

weezl74

Lesley_Gaye wrote: »

I also got 2 lots of chick peas, one lot are green ones, and the other brown rather than the usual pale gold type. The (Indian) owner says that they both taste quite different to the usual pale gold ones.

I've used and really like the brown ones. They are nuttier tasting than paler chick peas, a bit like the earthiness of a brazil nut, if that makes sense?x

Lesley_Gaye

weezl74 wrote: »

Lesley they sound lovely and very frugal, especially if the chutneys were homemade too...

You are a mine of excellent recipe ideas

xxxx

Thanks Weezl, I have lots of yours in my recipe file and return the compliment.

Several of my friends now cook tomato dahl and sag aloo.

There are several lovely breads in Lesley Waters Broader Than Beans, sometimes I do one of these to have with a HM soup and they make it extra special

Flat Flapjack Raisin Bread

This is a great accompaniment to cheese, soups, stews and salads. Best eaten on the day it is cooked and at its best (what isn’t!) fresh from the oven.

Serves 4-6

115g oats
2tsp baking powder
115g plain flour
115g sultanas
2 tblsp fresh chopped thyme
1 small onion, grated
1 egg
1 lvl tsp salt
Black pepper
125 ml milk
3 tbslp olive oil

Mix all ingredients together except the olive oil. Heat 2 tbslp of the oil in a baking tray in the oven set to 200 degrees

Shape the dough to a 15-18cm / 6-7” circle, brush the remaining oil over the top.

Bake for 20 minutes, flip over and bake a further 6-8 minutes




Tomato Scofa Bread

225g plain flour
Pinch salt
3 lvl tsps baking powder
Black pepper
150ml milk
4 sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
2 tbslp sun dried tomato oil
2 tbslp chopped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 220 degrees.

Gently combine all ingredients. Pat dough out to a 6” circle. Mark into portions. Bake for 12-15 minutes

If you only have dried tomatoes in a packet, soak in a little water and use olive oil instead of the tomatoey oil.

SunnyGirl

Ooh Lesley & Weezl I'm going to have to go and have a rummage in my local indian supermarket & try to find these darker chickpeas thank you for mentioning them I use chickpeas quite a lot and, as long as nobody except DH knows that I'm using them, they are eaten with relish :rotfl: Nothing terribly exciting usually things like hoummus, falafel burgers and my current favourite a salad of grated carrot, chickpeas and sultanas/raisins dressed with olive oil, lemon juice & garlic - yummy! The children know that I must use them as they ask me what they're for when they see them in the cupboard but when I'm honest & tell them I get lots of revolted noises. So I keep my secrets - Mum's & Dad's could work for the Secret Service

Lesley_Gaye

SunnyGirl wrote: »

Ooh Lesley & Weezl I'm going to have to go and have a rummage in my local indian supermarket & try to find these darker chickpeas thank you for mentioning them I use chickpeas quite a lot and, as long as nobody except DH knows that I'm using them, they are eaten with relish :rotfl: Nothing terribly exciting usually things like hoummus, falafel burgers and my current favourite a salad of grated carrot, chickpeas and sultanas/raisins dressed with olive oil, lemon juice & garlic - yummy! The children know that I must use them as they ask me what they're for when they see them in the cupboard but when I'm honest & tell them I get lots of revolted noises. So I keep my secrets - Mum's & Dad's could work for the Secret Service

If chickpeas are a favourite, have you tried Chole which is the chickpeas in a spicy tomato sauce? Freezes and reheats brilliantly and very cheap

SunnyGirl

Leley No I haven't heard of Chole do you possibly have a recipe pretty please