No money,no food?

Lillibet_2

Sausage casserole using the stew mix & sausages bulked out with barley & lentils, add the dodgy veg. Could you make dumplings with the flour? (Never made them so don't know what the recipe is?). 16 sasuages should give you at least 8 servings so could potentially freeze some for next week.

HTH;)

angelavdavis

Dumplings: Flour, water, small amount of olive oil, seasoning and dried herbs. Don't make them too big and drop them in half way through cooking,

researcher

Sausages served on a bed of lentils - (Nigella did something similar!) But I've adapted this to your ingredients.


No need to soak the lentils, cook in stock, or if none any dried herbs or spices you have (I love cumin) add salt at the end of cooking. Fry separately some onion, peppers and mushrooms and add this to the lentil mixture.

Serve this with either scones or Indian bread (yeast free - cook in the frying pan).

I eat this even when I'm not short of cash - it's delicious!

bigmuffins

If you have onion, oil, tomato and some spices can make curry quickly from just about anything!

Basic masala recipe is here:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=1551669&highlight=basic+masala#post1551669

Can also crack in about 6 eggs to make a spicy scrambled egg curry.
Or add a large can of baked beans to make spicy beans

Can make chapatti/tortilla from any kind of flour
Just knead into firm dough with water, break off bits and roll out.
Cook on hot frying pan, when colour changes, turn over and cook other side.
Press with folded tea towel to make it puff up and serve.
Can google chapatti for recipes with pics but we only use flour and water - don't add salt or oil.

sorry in hurry!

For split red lentil curry - no need to soak
Take 2 cups of lentils, wash and put on heat to boil with enough water to cover plus about an inch on top, tsp salt, tsp chilli pdr (or to taste), 1/4 tsp turmeric (can leave out) 6 cloves garlic and bring to bil. Reduce heat and simmer gently until lentils cooked. Add more water if nec. Should end up with quite a sloppy texture.
Then heat 2-3 tbs oil in pan, add tsp cumin seeds and tsp crushed/grated ginger and cook for about 2 mins until cumin and ginger change colour - golden brown. Then add to pan of lentils, stir and heat through gently.
Serve with boiled/steamed rice or chapattis, pickle and salad
Red onions finely sliced into rings and juice of lemon squeezed over, leave to marinate for about 10 mins is nice accompaniment too.

Hope that helps
Cheers

thriftlady_2

You don't need to soak lentils or pearl barley;)

This is a really useful recipe,adapted from the Tightwad Gazette.It is really versatile-I suggest lentils for the protein and barley for the grain.

Universal Pilaff

2 cups of grain-eg rice,barley,bughar,couscous
4 tbsp of fat-eg oil,butter,dripping,marge
2-4 cloves of garlic crushed
1 large onion chopped (or 2 small leeks,or 6 shallots)
4 cups of stock (veg or meat) or water
1-1 1/3 cups of protein- eg cooked beans or lentils,cooked chicken,Spam,other cooked meat(diced),bacon,mince,tuna,other fish
1 cup of vegetable- eg peas,sweetcorn,celery,mushrooms,carrots -anything really except leafy greens or potatoes
Spices and seasonings you like

Heat fat and add onion and garlic,cook till golden.
Add meat and brown.If using fish,tuna or beans add later.
Add the grain and fry for a few mins.
Add the liquid and bring to the boil - add beans,tuna or fish now.
Add other veg,season and stir.Simmer,covered until the grain is cooked.

You might need more liquid for barley or rice as they absorb lots.
Add grated cheese if you like.

livinginhope

Wow,now I've got the problem of choosing what to cook,so much choice
definately going with H/M pizzas tonight as hubby asked if we could get a takeaway pizza had to explain that as he keeps spending we haven't got enough money to buy food,think message finally sunk in,men!:rolleyes:
Will put the suggestions to the family tonight to see what they fancy tomorrow,will put lentils in soak tonight,I know everyone says they don't need soaking,but I still have nightmares of Esther Ranzen going on about it :rotfl:
Another good thing,downloaded manual for my breadmaker so going to make bread and fruit bread this afternoon might last until the morning :rolleyes:
Thanks all.I'm much calmer now

thriftlady_2

You really,honestly,truly don't need to soak lentils.Trust me,I've been feeding my family them for years:)

Are you sure you're not thinking of boiling kidney beans? They need 10 mins fast boiling after soaking to destroy toxins.

Mirtos

1 chopped onion sweated in oil. Add 1 tin chopped toms, 3 pints water and 9 vegie or chicken oxos. boil for 45 mins. Salt , pepper and whatever herbs you've got to taste. 1f you use value toms, and have oxos in it costs about 5p per person! Serves 4 greedies or 6 normals!

researcher

thriftlady wrote:

You really,honestly,truly don't need to soak lentils.Trust me,I've been feeding my family them for years:)

Are you sure you're not thinking of boiling kidney beans? They need 10 mins fast boiling after soaking to destroy toxins.

Thriftylady is right on both counts.

filigree_2

Mirtos wrote:

1 chopped onion sweated in oil. Add 1 tin chopped toms, 3 pints water and 9 vegie or chicken oxos. boil for 45 mins. Salt , pepper and whatever herbs you've got to taste. 1f you use value toms, and have oxos in it costs about 5p per person! Serves 4 greedies or 6 normals!

9 Oxo cubes for four people? :eek: I wouldn't add salt to that :rotfl:

There's a thread on the mega index called something like "feed six people for £1.62p" which might be helpful.

I'd do the sausages braised with lentils and the veg chopped up small, it's a classic dish and doesn't feel like an "emergency" meal.