The Cheapest Healthy Meal Ever!

jennyjelly

tiff wrote:

Whereabouts in Somerset are you Jenny? There is a very popular farm shop at Farrington Gurney just off the A37 (between Bristola and Wells) and there is another one at Brockley Coombe, cant remember the name of that road.

We're just outside Weston-super-Mare, so Farrington Gurney is a bit of a jaunt.

The other one you mean is Brockley Fruit Stall on the A370 between Weston and Bristol - this is our nearest one but is about 10 miles from us and therefore too far to go to just for itself. There is also a very small one at The Star on the Roddy, but the same applies.

As MIL lives in Bristol we do make infrequent visits and stop off on the way, but not nearly often enough.

Anyone know of any a bit nearer to Weston?

jennyjelly

shinydriver wrote:

My first post I hope if this goes OK!

Dad is a potato farmer and is predicting shortages this year so you may find that value potatoes are being sold for higher prices to suppliers rather than reaching teh supermarket shelves. I know the shortage has been reported on the news and dad predicts that sacks of potatoes that usually sell for between £3.50-£7 in our area will be selling for £16.

I'm lucky as I have a free supply (and will def be trying this recipe!) but if you are able to bulk buy potatoes I would as the supermarket prices may rocket.

BTW what we call corn beef hash is a bit of a variation on this recipe but we do baked bean/toms/corned beef with any suitable veg and then potato layered on teh top with a sprinkling of cheese. It is fine served on its own.

Welcome to the board shinydriver. Now you've started you won't be able to stop - this site is SOOO addictive!

Thanks for the heads up on the price hike. If, as you say, sacks are likely to get well up into double figures I will def be heading to the bootsale this Sunday to grab a sack. As thriftlady says, they should keep in the garage for several weeks.

I don't know what we'll do if spuds get really expensive - look up loads of recipes for pasta sauces I suppose!

Unless of course you'd like to introduce me to your dad ....!

moanymoany

Isn't it amazing how often cheese and tomatoes appear?

2 recipes, both healthy and CHEAP!!!!

Egg and chips

Unpeeled potatoes cut into fat chip shapes and boiled for 5 minutes. Drain and put back into the pan. Measure 1 tablespoon of oil for each 2 medium spuds, put the lid back on and shake well. The crushed outsides go super crispy. Cook in a hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Cook the eggs however you like and serve with a veg or baked beans. Use all value but one free range organic egg is still cheap.

Pasta, cheese and tomatoes.

100 gramms of pasta
1/2 or 1 tin value chopped tomatoes
50 gramms cheese

Cook the pasta, heat the tomatoes, either mix or layer with some of the cheese. Finish with cheese and brown under the grill. All value products and works out as about 30 pence each.

TIP - buy value cheese or cheese on offer - grate and freeze. If you freeze in portions it works out more economically.

queenpig

thriftlady wrote:

No, you don't need to cook the bacon. The dish is cooked for a long time Here's the recipe

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=1669907&postcount=340

I should say it is adapted (slightly) from Jocasta Innes' 'Pauper's Cookbook'

It's also nice with smoked mackerel instead of bacon.

Sounds like the recipe i do, only i add browned sausages cut length ways or in "coins" whichever, with the potatoes and add cheese in the sauce (flour, butter, milk onion, dash of pepper when sauce has thickened add cheese) Yummy lol.

jessielet

jennyjelly wrote:

In the usual post-Christmas cash crisis I've fallen back (as usual) on my favourite costs-almost-nothing recipe, and I thought others might like to give it a try as it really is delicious. In our house it's just known as Potato Dish.

You will need:

A bag of potatoes (Value or Smart Price or market) about 5lbs
A tin Value or Smart Price chopped tomatoes
2 onions
A block of Value or Smart Price cheese about 8oz
Oil (olive is nicest if you can get it on offer, but anything will do)
Salt

(Sorry, can't give exact quantities as I just do it by eye - adjust to suit your own tastes!)

Slice the spuds really thinly (no need to peel them, and healthier if you don't)and put a layer in the bottom of a large casserole and sprinkle with salt. Follow with a layer of sliced onion, then a layer of sliced cheese, then half a tin of chopped tomatoes. Repeat the layers until all your ingredients are used up. Drizzle (now there's a real Jamie Oliver word!) some oil over the top and sprinkle with grated cheese. Cover and cook in the oven (if it's on anyway for something else) or the microwave until it's cooked through - the spuds should be really soft with no hard bits left. If you want a crunchy top take the lid off towards the end or bung it under the grill for a bit.

We have sausages or something with it if we happen to have them, but it's not really necessary as it's tasty enough to be eaten on its own.

When my children were babies I didn't want to get them used to overpriced chemical baby foods and they were weaned on a less rich, salt-free version of this blended with milk. They loved it then and still love it now they are grown up.

Hope you like it. :hello:

Thanks for your wonederful recipe. I'll try it.

LoopyLouLou_4

Here are two relatively cheap dishes we have had this week:
Cut up two peppers (any colour) and roast in hot oven for about 20 mins with a bit of olive oil and any dried herbs you have to hand.
Meanwhile make up quick tomato sauce:
half an onion softened in olive oil
Tin of tomatoes
pinch of salt, pepper, sugar
any dried herbs
simmer
Add roasted peppers when done and serve with pasta
Really delicious.

LoopyLouLou_4

Oops - forgot the second one. This one is not so cheap as uses chicken but you can get chicken breasts pretty cheap.
For four:
Fry half a chopped onion in olive oil and add a clove of chopped garlic
Chop up 3 chicken breasts and fry in onion.
Chop up "some" mushrooms - however many you need/can afford - and add
Chuck in tin of condensed mushroom soup and half a tin of water.
Add pepper (no need for salt)
Simmer till cooked and serve with brown rice to be really filling and yum.
Is very good hangover/comfort food.

LoopyLouLou_4

I'm on a roll now; here's another one:
1 onion – chopped
2 carrots – sliced
1 clove garlic – crushed
1 cup red lentils
stock – 2 cups
2 tbsps breadcrumbs/oats
1 egg
4oz cheese
lots parsley
sesame seeds

Fry onion and carrots. Add lentils, stock and garlic. Boil and simmer until lentils are soft and quite dry. Stir in rest of ingredients and put in loaf tin. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake at 180°C for 45 mins
You can always leae out the cheese/sesame seeds for cost/preference reasons. Is good with any veg or salad.

organic_wanabe

I made the potato/tomato/cheese dish (with garlic and herbs) yesterday - added a bag of spinach (reduced to 10p) along with some nutmeg and it was really tasty. Thanks for the idea.

Last week I made it and added some lamb mince which worked really well too.

Hylda

Hi All, In the post christmas period I have been making soup every evening for lunch next day and as an after school snack for my 13 year old. I use Sainsburys extra virgin olive oil as the flavour is worth the money, however I lightly brown 2 finely chopped onion/shallots or whatever onions are on offer with 3 cloves of finely chopped garlic Add whatever is in your veg rack finely chopped, cook for 30 minutes and if it needs a bit more body add a spoonful of stock, I prefer marigold but whatever your personal preference. I have discivered that if I leave it as a clear soup with bits it actually get eaten more readily than when I blitz it! Last night's soup was potato and cabbage and there is just enough left to have with some bread tonight. Tomorrow I am using up tomatoes and lettuce with the sour cream I bought for Christmas dips and never used.

I am thrifty but picky so eat less quantity but better quality, should help the waistline!