Ruby's recipe relay

Lotus-eater

RubySewSew wrote: »

I wondered if this would work in an hotpot?

Anything works in a hotpot

We often have "Dad's special stew" which means anything I have lying around

That's a great site pinkclouds, they do seem to use alot of onions though and I'd like more fresh veg in our diets.

spaghetti_monster

Here's a quick recipe I often make with whatever, like a low maintenance risotto:

Fry/saute = finely chopped onions/garlic/carrot/celery/peppers/etc with maybe chilli flakes/herbs/spices of choice

Rinse basmati rice, add and saute a bit more until rice is covered with oil.

Add boiling water, covering rice and a little bit more.

Add salt/stock cube

Add other veg - maybe sweetcorn/peas and stir.

I then often stick broccoli florets on top to steam (let them sit on rice mixture and don't stir them in - like my broccoli quite crunchy).

Lid on and leave it to cook, probably about 10 mins.

Meanwhile, if you like you can prepare some cooked meat, or I just use left over shredded chicken or sausage. Stir it all in at the end.

Sometimes I add fresh chopped tomatoes at the end (don't like it when tomatoes cook and the skin comes off).


I think this is a great way to use up what you have and maybe make a left over bit of meat go a long way.

spaghetti_monster

celeriac - great in a gratin with pots and onions

celeriac, swede, carrot - you could roast these (with honey/herbs/garlic?). If you don't eat them all at once you can add them to a salad or make soup with them.

RubySewSew

Recently I have been making big vats of ratatouille (sweated onion, courgette, mixed peppers, aubergine, tinned toms, bay leaves, fresh and dry herbs) chunky for me with pasta and grated cheese or blended for the kids. Lasts for ages and leftovers freeze and work for lunch.

Chilli is another regular, lean mince, onions, maybe mushrooms and pepper, tinned tomatoes, splash of beer or red wine if hanging around, kidney beans, chilli (fresh or dried). Batch cooked as well and served with rice or a variation of patatas bravas (chipped potatoes, skin on, tossed in olive oil, paprika, squished whole cloves of garlic and roasted until facemeltingly delicious). I love fresh coriander in handfuls on my chilli.

If I'm making mince dishes I make up a batch of quorn mince with lea & perrins, marmite, herbs etc and then freeze in labelled bags in individual portions so it can be turned into spag bol,shepherds pie etc.

My kids love greek salad and cous cous. Not cheap but really quick - cous cous made up with lemon and coriander, bit of tobasco, olive oil and stock. Greek salad of tomatoes, feta, cucumber, red onion, olives, fresh herbs, olive oil and red wine vinegar. They hoover it up!

Another family favourite is potato pie - proper cheap northern dish. A small amount of stewing beef, potatoes, onion, and pastry. There are a few other seasonings but I can't give away actual family recipe or I would have to kill you! Quorn for veggies. And served with pickles - traditionally red cabbage but we like gherkins and onions.

Noodles with peanut butter. That simple! Although I add a splash of chilli sauce to mine.

Homemade pizza. I used to make a sugar free scone base with herbs added in, homemade tomato base, value cheese and absolutely delicious.

Homemade cakes and biscuits save a fortune and are great for using up past it fruit and veg. Lime and courgette muffins a favourite for dealing with a summer glut

Tomato based pasta sauces - alone, with olives, with bacon, with tuna...

Marmite pasta - haven't tried this yet but apparently it is a nigella recipe! Melted butter, tsp of marmite, stir and top with grated parmesan!

Really simple tip - I bought a sack of potatoes from grocer (or from farm shop) for £5.99 I also buy pasta in the 3kg bags. It's not a lot cheaper but I'm less likely to get caught without food.

Pearl barley as well as or instead of risotto rice...

Baked beans galore. As kids we used to have baked bean shepherds pie - basically beans, mash and grated cheese!

I love the bacon and lentil soup idea - could dine on that for weeks!

Also, and I haven't cooked it for my kids but our absolute favourite dinner when we were kids was stuffed hearts. Pigs hearts I presume with sage and onion stuffing cooked in the slow cooker - the most incredible smell to come home to.

Definitely some inspiration there guys, thank you Will get meal planning!

RubySewSew

Ooh and thinking about getting a sourdough going...

u_r

ok ruby......................sometimes chick pea tins go quite cheap in supermarkets 4 for a £.stock up on those and make a chick pea curry , serve with plain boiled rice or naan bread!!!

quick recipe: saute some finely chopped onions in a bit of oil, add a bit of garlic and ginger(if preferred), salt and chilli powder to taste(can substitute red chllipowder with black peper.

add a fresh green chilli or two, tomatoes(fresh or tinned)-when this mixture is cooked and has a nice aroma arising, add chickpeas and a bit of water.does not need too much water as tinned chickpeas mostly are softened already.on low heat cook until texture is like a thick sauce, or if you prefer add more water and leave a soup consistency.

i love this dish , does not take half an hour to make!!!!!!!!!!!!!

gingin_2

Your food sounds delicious Ruby, very similar to our tastes. If you still have that lamb, I sometimes marinate it with olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and paprika and then griddle and serve with pittas and greek salad and maybe roasted sweet potato, that is a real friday night treat for us. I also add chickpeas and tiny diced, roasted sweet potato to couscous with feta and red onion and more herbs and do it with a tagine, always with chickpeas and leftover fridge veg and chicken for dinner and then have the cous cous on it's own for lunch.

You must try the soup if you like the sound - it's filling and tasty and costs very little to make, especially if served with your sourdough!

dancingfairy

Maybe go for a combination of batch cooking and really easy/quick meals? In terms of quick meals you could have soup (parsnip soup is delicious), jacket potatoes and beans and cheese, beans on toast. Also what about things like veggie (or meat) sausages that you can just put in the oven - o.k not necessarily quick but perhaps you can collapse in a heap for a bit whilst something is cooking away?
Best of Luck
df
P.S It sounds like you are very organised already though.

RubySewSew

Mmmm, chickpea curry! Yum yum yum! And gingin, my sister does a very similar thing with her neck of lamb and it is delicious. I have some aubergines that need using up - I was thinking aubergine curry?

And my ex-bf came over last week and made a mushrooms stew. The expensive item in it was porcini mushrooms which cost about £6 (2 packets). I threw in a couple of handfuls of pearl barley which bulked out and meant we fed 2 adults and then got 4 lunches out of it. And it was delicious and low fat. Any suggestions for cheaper alternatives to porcini but still deliver the flavour hit?

Tuesdays are going to be whatever on toast day as the boys have karate. I'll hold out for a jacket potato as it is one of my favourite dinners and I'm following slimming world so no bread for me. Have discovered co-op value wholemeal bread for 60p a loaf. Wednesday the boys go straight to their dad's from after school club so it will be leftovers, or noodles or food with friends. Mondays are going to be meat free Mondays. Fridays the boys have pizza (gonna try and convince them into the benefit of homemade although this will make it harder for me to resist so possibly a false economy? That leaves Thursdays. Spag bol? Sausage and mash?

Tonight we had boiled ham (which I bought at Christmas and didn't use) which I served to the kids and told them it was bacon and they loved it! Had it wish mash (mustard mash for me so all the flavour but without the butter) and peas. Really quite yummy. DS2 had a friend over for tea so I made pancakes for pudding.

Tomorrow's lunch is ratatouille and pasta from the freezer. Will do some batch cooking later in the week - mushroom risotto, aubergine curry and that's me fed. Yum. I think I might be enjoying this!

Frugalista

Some great ideas on here - keep 'em coming!