£7.00 per week - menu ideas

vanoonoo

I noticed a great idea for the 4p mushy peas on the pea and ham soup thread sooo cheap! I am gonna add some mint to ours

Stephen_Leak wrote: »

I've made some pea soup using a 4p tin of mushy peas, and it was delicious. A nice dark green colour, too. To make 500ml of soup, just bring 400ml of water, a veg' stock cube (8.33p) and a tin of peas to the boil. Remove from heat and blend, liquidise or whatever. Adjust the quantity to 500ml (2 x 250ml bowls) by adding a bit more water or reducing it down.

I see no reason why you shouldn't also be able to make pea & ham soup by doing this at the same time as boiling a ham joint. It will probably take two tins and cubes. When it's cooked, fish the joint out and make the soup. Add a few offcuts of ham before blending.

Butterfly_Brain

I have been buying celery while it is cheap in Aldi and have lots in the freezer, I use it for all sorts of meals.
DH loves cream of celery soup in the winter
Makes 4 servings for a main meal or 6 for a starter

Knob butter approx 1oz /25g
Head of celery, chopped (35p)
4oz potatoes, peeled and cubed
½ Red onion, diced
1 pint (570ml) vegetable stock
5 fl oz(150ml) Evaporated milk
5 fl oz (150ml) Milk
salt and pepper

Melt the butter over a low heat. Then chop the celery and add it to the pan with the potatoes and diced red onion . Stir well, making sure that all of the veg are coated in butter put the lid on the pan and saut! on a gentle heat for about 15 minutes or until the onion and celery are translucent, then add the stock and some salt. Bring to a simmer and put the lid back on. Cook very gently on a low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the veg are really tender. Pur!e the soup by blending it in a liquidiser, using a stick blender or pushing through a fine sieve, whatever you have. Return to the pan and stir in milk and evaporated milk. Bring the soup back to the boil, check the seasoning and adjust to taste.You can chop the reserved celery leaves and stir them into the soup to give it extra colour.



Celery 35p, ½ a red onion 10p, potato 10p, evaporated milk (¼ can approx) 12p, butter 12p, milk 5p (If using from a 2L bottle bought from Aldi at 98p) 1 Veg stock cubes (Tesco 10p for 10 stock cubes = 1p)

Total cost 85p which is 21.25p a portion.

Butterfly_Brain

CARROT SOUP
Serves 4

25g butter
8 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1 red onion, chopped
1 litre boiling water or chicken/vegetable stock
3 tbsps rice, washed
salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt butter and toss carrots and onions until coated. Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, adding a little water if necessary. Add boiling water or stock, and rice. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Whizz with a hand blender or in a food processor. Return the to pan and reheat taste and season.
If you find the soup a bit too thick, add water to thin.
Add a chopped potato or two to the soup instead of rice if you prefer.

Butter 12p, carrots 68p, rice (basic line 40p kg) 5p, onion 15-20p depending on size, stock cube 1p
Total cost 86p / 21½p a portion

skintscotslass

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

I have been buying celery while it is cheap in Aldi and have lots in the freezer, I use it for all sorts of meals.

Hi BB, how do you freeze celery? Do you blanch it? Or do you chop it first, then blanch? TIA, your posts on this thread are fab xx

Was wondering if the 4p mushy peas are because Tesco are rebranding? Looking at mysupermarket, it looks like the old red, white and blue labelling. Must stock up and get some. OH loves them!

quintwins

No theres a small price war going on with peas, the new everyday value packaging is included.

I freezer celery aswell (i got 3 packs last week for 12p each) i just chop it up and freezer it, i only blanch root veg.

vanoonoo

skintscotslass wrote: »

Was wondering if the 4p mushy peas are because Tesco are rebranding? Looking at mysupermarket, it looks like the old red, white and blue labelling. Must stock up and get some. OH loves them!

I thought they would be the blue and white stripey ones but they are the new style everyday 'old style' labels

msgreen_2

I just want to say a huge thank you to all who have contributed to this thread.. I finally took my head out of the sand the last week and realised how dire my finances are, all my own fault! so all these excellent recipesx are going to come in really handy, I have copied many into a notebook so I can use them, I hope thats ok, Once again Thankyou :-)

skintscotslass

quintwins wrote: »

No theres a small price war going on with peas, the new everyday value packaging is included.

I freezer celery aswell (i got 3 packs last week for 12p each) i just chop it up and freezer it, i only blanch root veg.

Thanks for the celery advice

vanoonoo wrote: »

I thought they would be the blue and white stripey ones but they are the new style everyday 'old style' labels

You are both spot on with the peas, it is the new labelling. OH went crazy and bought 4 tins...I really need to train him better!!!

BigAunty

I get a bit worried at some of the recipes classed as main meals on this forum, such as plain pasta dishes or veg soups, because they lack protein particularly as some cheap breakfasts (simple cereals like bran flakes) that some posters promote can be low on protein, too.

I know these recipes can be easily remedied by veg protein fanatics with the addition of lentils, cheese, mushrooms, eggs, quorn, tofu or whatever and protein isn't needed with every meal.

I don't know if its the influence of my partner who scorns the number of vegetarian dishes on a restaurant menu that contain no decent amount of protein at all (veg napoli, basic veg curry, etc) so is a bit of a protein obsessive.

Or because I don't feel full or start to feel hungry quite soon after having veg soup or plain pasta so I tend to avoid them (I go running regularly and got a shock recently when I felt weak during a run as if I hadn't eaten which I put down to not eating the appropriate food for the energy I needed).

Or because I am obsessed with having a direct veg protein replacement for all the chops, minced meat and chicken breasts I used to eat and should relax a bit more.

Is it just me that is worried about proteinless main meal recipes?

Mojoworking

I made the peach cake and I had a tin of custard lurking in the cupboard and I have to say it was lovely and everyone enjoyed this which is always a bonus! - thanks BB