Any SINGLES on a budget that will try to diet on the cheapfrom January 2012?

xoxo_2

:hello: hope everyone is still sticking to it

Sharon87

Not today. I'm extremely hungover. Had a house party last night!

xoxo_2

Uh oh :rotfl:

LisaJane

i have ate a lots of crisps this weekend! how are you guys getting with doing the diet thing on a budget?

gettingready

Ok ladies.....I am still dreaming about a curry but.... I have lost a total of 5kg (11lb) since Xmas.

I was 76.4 at Christmas and I am 71.4 today. I have registered on MFP later so it is not showing my total weight loss.

Anyone on MFP has access to my food diary so you can see I eat really on the cheap, cheaper than before to be honest.

But I live by myself (not counting the dog and the cats of course) so it is easy to make/eat what I do and not to upset anyone.

I boild chicken drumsticks (2 packets for £7 from Asda) have have 2 boiled shredded ones (no skin) per day mixed with eithet cous cous or fusli (pasta) and a few sun dried tomatos, did nto get tired of it yet.

Have 2 boiled eggs mashed with tiney bit of low fat mayo over 4 ryvitas or 1 tin of Asda's mackerell in tomato sauce again mashed and over 4 ryvita or soft cheese (Asda's own) over 4 ryvita's or crackerbread (only 19 cal, ryvita normal ones nearly 40 cal each) with houmus.

And I have 1-2 slimfast drinks per day, they are £4 per tin (12 servings) at Asda, skimmed milk with those.

When I feel like living the high life I have activia, those really creamy ones - peach or strawberry.

I get some satsumas (£1 per bag from Asda) or apples or pears. I have some porridge with skimmed milk an cinamon.

Yes, this is all quite cheap and easy/quick to make so.... will stick to it for now.

But I do dream of curry... lamb curry.....lots of it.. and ciapati/nan bread, and okra, and dahl.. sigh......

gettingready

and yes, I know - my spelling sucks and will cut those nails.... missing the keyboard LOL

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I can do you a recipe for curry that might be OK.

Lamb shoulder (Turkish shop great for this) in small (2cm) chunks.
Large onion.
Tin of tomatoes.
Various spices - tandoori powder, garam masala, whatever spices you like. Chilli optional.

Thinly slice the onion. Put the onion in the pan with a pinch of salt and keep it moving round. Add a little water (not oil) each time it looks as though it's going to stick and burn. The onion will start to soften and darken. Take the onion out and turn the heat up until the pan is hot.
Add the lamb, the idea is for it to brown very quickly, not to cook through. Chuck in onion. Keep stirring. As it begins to stick and the onion softens, bung in just enough water to deglaze the pan. Add spices. Add tin of tomatoes. Bring to boil then turn right down to low.
Put the lid on and walk away.

When any fat separates and comes to the surface, it's done. There shouldn't be much. Boil rapidly if it's too watery. Stir in some spinach if you like it. If you absolutely must have it more creamy, add some yoghurt when you serve it.

I'd probably do half with meat and do half with mushrooms or okra, just adjusting the spice mix slightly so they taste different. Or just vegetables instead, by making the sauce, then stirring in steamed veg near the end.


Mind you, I use the sauce part with various spices for a lot of things. If it's got cinnamon, cumin and coriander, I'll crack an egg into it, put the lid on/heat off and leave it to cook in the residual heat and have that for breakfast. Maybe chuck a carrot and a potato in it and add it to chicken. Tin of tuna and some sweetcorn and have it with pasta. Chilli and fresh broccoli and pasta. That kind of thing. Megs calls it Killer Tomato Sauce.


Otherwise, rather than banging out £20 on curry from a shop, I would bone then marinate the chicken in a little yoghurt with the spices added, cooking it quickly in a pan (no oil again) or just rub the spices on and grill them/stick them in the oven on full blast for the nearest thing I could get to a tandoori.



ETA: The moral of this story is that where there's a will, there's a curry to be had.

gettingready

Jojo thanks girl I know I could count on you.

£20 in a shop but it will cost me under a tenner to get to you.. just let me know when are you cooking?

Sharon87

Curry can be part of a diet. Just not the creamy ones! I had a vindaloo the other day. I didn't finish my dinner as my mouth was burning, that's one way to cut back on food! lol

gettingready

oh but that is the curry I like - properly made by people who invented it...

do not like vindaloo though, that one is way too hot for me ha ha ha

will have that curry, when I get to 70.00 and stay there for 3 days