£7.00 per week - menu ideas

firesidemaid

i like the vege mince mixes, and you can still bulk them out by saute-ing veges first. i also like the nut roast and other packet mixes they do - sometimes they can be on offer.

i also buy the asda frozen vege mince at 2 packs for £3.00. half a pack stretched can make 6-8 portions.

last week i made a spag bol, using chopped onion, carrot and celery (if cheap enough) add mince, then a tin of toms and a stock cube and some water and simmer. add chilli and kidney beans for a chilli. you can also add red lentils or oats to bulk out.

we had it with value spaghetti. i froze at least half and then used it to make a four portion pasta bake.

sometimes i will use the mince mix to make a vege cottage pie, topped with either mash or cooked sliced potatoes (you could use tinned).

also you can fill peppers and bake or make a lasagne or even enchiladas etc - this mix is sooooo versatile.:)

and this thread is great btw;)

NikkeiPositivity

I have to admit I'm struggling coming up with anything that will feed a family of two on such a stringent budget, I'm going to try a family of three for £14 and see if I can do any better!!!!

Butterfly_Brain

There are some who freak out if there is no fruit in the meals, but with such a minuscule budget you can't afford to have veg and fruit at the same time, so I will always choose veg over fruit, because there are more beneficial vitamins in veg than fruit, which is full of sugars.
Canned, dried and and frozen fruit and veg are included in the NHS list for your five a day, so there is no shame in using them as an alternative to fresh.

spike7451

I'm doing that at the moment as I've just taxed & MOT'd the motor...

So here is what I bought yesterday,all items are Asda smart price unless stated;

Iceland Scotch pies x4 £1
Spuds 98p
Beans x 3 66p
Coffee x 2 98p
Frozen Sausages (pack of 20) £1
Frozen Chicken portions £1.70
15 eggs £1.50
Bacon x2 £2
Bratwurst (8 pack) £1.86
Biscuits x3 66p
Squash x2 68p

Total £13.02

Plus mushrooms,onions,tomatoes & parsnips & lard.

Now bear in mind that the above is for 2 weeks for me & doesn't count cat stuff for Daisy.From the above I have the makings of a few meals.

Scotch pie & chips,Scotch pie & mash,sausage & mash,Sausage,egg chips & beans for example.

Butterfly_Brain

Aldi super six w/c 28/10/12
Butternut squash
Vine tomatoes (450g)
Mushrooms (350g)
3 pack of peppers
7 pack funsize apples
Clementines (600g)

All priced at 69p each.

crumblepie

And I went and bought a butternut squash from tesco to make soup....

I use beanfeast rather than the Asda one. It's in Tesco for 89p.




With it today I made a sheperdless pie type thing. Fry off onion, add carrot,swede and leek. (I know leeks are expensive but it was lurking in the fridge) Throw in packet mince, water and stock cube. Serve with mashed potato. Made around 5 or 6 portions or one big saucepan which is my usual way of bulk cooking.

ecoelle

Hiya, here are a few of my fave cheap meals,

Tuscan Bean and Pasta Soup
Serves 6
Total cost £1.38
Portion cost 23p

1 large onion 12p
4 cloves garlic 12p
1/4 carton of passata 10p
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes 25p
fresh basil 30p (use as much or as little as you like, but it's not the same without it)
1 400g tin of beans (cannelini/kidney/black eyed/ chick peas) 20p
salt 1p
pepper 1p
1 stock cube 5p
120g pasta 20p
2 pints tap water
1tsp veg oil 2p

Gently fry the chopped onion and chopped garlic in a large pan with the vegetable oil

Add the passata, tomatoes and basil and simmer gently for 15 mins

Dissolve the stock cube in 2 pints of boiling water and add to the pan along with the beans, simmer for 5-10 mins *

Add the pasta and simmer gently for 12-15 mins until the pasta is al dente

Season to serve

If making to freeze, do not add the pasta, stop cooking at * and allow to cool before freezing in desired portion size, eg enough for 1/2/3 people. Then once you want it, defrost over night in the fridge, then simmer with the pasta for 12-15 mins, you may need to add a little more water to thin it down a bit.


Vegetable Lasagne
Serves 4
Total Cost £2.18
Per portion cost 55p

1 pack dried lasagne sheets 39p
1 large onion 12p
2 cloves garlic 6p
3/4 carton of passata (see what i did there? Nigel would be proud) 30p
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes 25p
1/3 red pepper 11p
1/3 green pepper 11p
1/3 yellow pepper 11p
5/6 mushrooms (if you like them) 20p
3 sticks celery 25p
1tsp vegetable oil 2p

25g margerine 5p
25g flour 1p
1pint semi skimmed milk 25p

Chop the onion and garlic and fry in a little oil in a large pan, while it is softening a little, chop the celery up quite fine, then add the celery too and stir to coat in oil. Put the lid on so it all sweats a bit.

Once it is nice and soft add the passata and chopped tomatoes and simmer while you slice the mushrooms and chop the peppers.

Once the mushroom and peppers are ready add them to the pan and turn right down while you stir it all together. Then turn it off.

Get you serving dish and put 1/3 of your tomato mixture in the base of the dish, then place lasagne sheets on top, i don't soften them first, but you can if you like, also you could use fresh lasagne if you want but i have quoted the price for dried. Once you have covered your tomato mixture in a layer of lasagne add another 1/3 of the tomato mixture on top and then lasagne sheets again, then the final 1/3 of tomato mixture.

Make up a white sauce by melting the margerine in a small pan, then adding the flour and mixing well to make a sort of wet dough, let it cook just for a minute or so to get rid of the 'floury' taste.

Turn the heat to mild and then add 1/6 pint of milk making sure you stir it well, as it warm through while you stir it will thicken up, once all the milk is combined and you have a smooth thickened sauce add the next 1/6 pint of milk and keep stirring.

You keep doing this until you have a smooth glossy sauce, about a pint is enough for 4 people, but if you like more then just adjust the recipe accordingly.

Once the sauce is ready lay you final layer of lasagne sheets onto the top of your last tomato layer and then pour the white sauce over the top so it covers the lasagne layer.

(The reason i do it this way is that if you put the final layer of lasagne sheets on, then go and make your sauce, by the time you come back the lasagne sheets on top of the dish will have started to go all curly round the edges and the top of your lasagne will not be level.)

Bake the dish on high with foil over the top for about 30mins, then uncover the dish and pop back in the oven for another 8-10 mins until the top is brown.

(You can add cheese once you have removed the foil if you want, or even make a cheese sauce instead of white sauce, but i'm allergic to dairy so i just make a white sauce and sub unsweetened soya milk for cows milk.)


Veggie Pasties
Total cost for 6 large pasties £3.06
Cost per pasty 51p

Shortcrust Pastry
500g Flour 50p
250g Margerine 50p
few tbsp tap water

Veggie filling
1 tsp oil 2p
1 Large onion 12p
6 small potatoes cubed into 1cm cubes 30p (i allow 50g per pasty)
3 large carrots chopped into small pieces 12p (i allow about 25g per pasty)
1 tin kidney beans 20p
small grating of nutmeg if you have it on the spice rack 2p
1/2 tsp of marmite (omit if you're a hater ) 4p
1/2 pack of veggie mince (quorn or similar) 99p
100 g lentils of your choice (brown/green work best) 20p
1 stock cube 5p
1 pint tap water

Warm the oil in a large pan, add the onion, carrot, potato and sweat with the lid on for about 5 mins.

Add the nutmeg, kidney beans, veggie mince, stock, water, marmite and lentils then simmer for 15 mins/until the potato is just cooked. Then take off the heat and allow to cool.

While the mixture is simmering make the pastry.

Put the flour in a large bowl and then cube the margarine into the flour, it should be straight from the fridge. Rub the margarine into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Add a small amount of tap water, make sure it's as cold as possible, then mix into the breadcrumb mixture until it binds together into a ball of pastry.

Bag and chill.

Once the pastry and mixture are both cold you are ready to assemple.

Roll out the pastry to desired thickness, i usually do it until it is about 1/2 cm thick, then usig a side plate as a template cut round it to make a circle of pastry. Then put a mound of filling onto 1 half of the circle and fold the other half over to make a semi circle, pinch the edges together.

Do the same for the other 5.

Bake in a hot oven until crispy and golden, about 25-30 mins.

If you are making extra for the freezer, allow to cool before wrapping in tin foil and then freezing. This way you can bake reheat them in the foil when required.


Mung Bean Daal
At least 6 portions
Total cost £1.73
Cost per portion 29p
Including rice cost per portion increases to 36p per portion

2 medium onions, diced 15p
1tsp ground cinnamon 2p
1 tsp cumin seeds 2p
375g mung beans 80p
1 fresh red chilli 10p
Vegetable oil 5p
3 tsp garam masala 12p
salt 2p
juice of one lemon 30p
6 cloves of garlic 15p

Using a large saucepan, fry the onions in a little oil until soft then add the chopped chilli, cumin, cinnamon, stir to coat in oil then add the mung beans and 2 pints of water.

Boil for 5 mins then simmer for 45 mins

Add garam masala and then simmer again for 35 mins, adding extra water if it starts to look dry

Add teh salt and lemon juice and simmer for 10-15 mins until the beans are soft

In a small pan heat the oil on the lowest setting your hob will do and add the chopped garlic, fry on the lowest heat until the garlic goes golden and is 'chewy'

Serve the mung beans with rice and pour the garlic oil over just before serving

Yummy with chapatis for a lighter dish and freezes brilliantly to be defrosted in the microwave or on the hob.

You may need to adjust the amounts of spices to your own taste, i use slightly more cumin than the recipe states and i always add an extra hit of chilli by combining the fresh with a half tsp of powdered chilli but you will be able to taste it as you go along and make amendments where necessary. If you have never used Mung beans before you will find them dried in the world foods section or sometimes they are with the lentils and pearl barley.

They look like this


And come in bags like this




Chana Daal

300g Chana 40p
(dried in bags where the world foods section is or where the bags of dried lentils and beans are, looks a bit like yellow split peas, you can use yellow split peas as a replacement if you can't get chana)
1tsp salt 1p
1tsp turmeric 5p
1 tbsp oil 2p
1 tsp chopped garlic (about 2 cloves is what i usually put in) 6p
1 tsp chopped red chilli (you can use dried chilli, or, chilli powder, just adjust the amount to suit your taste) 10p
2 chopped fresh tomatoes or half a can of chopped plum tomatoes (200g) 12p
Total 76p
Total per portion 19p
Serves 4
Freezes brilliantly so easy to double up the recipe and make portions for the freezer, then defrost either in the microwave or on the hob

Method
Put the chana in a large saucepan, rinse then drain, add 2 pints of water, the salt, turmeric and bring to the boil with lid off, then simmer for about 20 minutes.

In a small saucepan warm the oil on the lowest heat your hob will do, pu the chopped garlic in and fry very slowly until it goes a nutty golden colour and is a 'chewy' texture.

Add the chopped tomatoes to the oil and garlic mix and warm gently.

Add the tomato mixture into the chana saucepan and then simmer for a further 10 minutes.


Delicious with plain rice and/or naan bread:)
Rice is about 7p per portion so if you include that then it is about 26p per portion:)

Yummy

All prices were calculated using the prices shown on mysupermarket.com


Chick Pea and Chilli Cakes with minted dip
Makes 4 big portions

Dip = 32p per portion
150g fat free yoghurt 50p
4-5 tbsp of finely chopped mint 75p if you buy a fresh plant (free if you grow it yourself:))
1 pinch cumin 1p
1 pinch cinnamon 1p
salt and peppper 1p

Mix well in a bowl and chill until serving

Chick pea cakes = 57p per portion
2 x 400g cans of chick peas 50p
1tsp cumin 3p
2 slices of bread made into bread crumbs (i just use the nobbies off the loaf) 10p
3 beaton eggs 45p
8 tbsp of freshly chopped coriander 75p
1 red chilli chopped (can use chilli powder if you have it) 10p
4 spring onions chopped finely 35p

Basically...mash the chick peas in a large bowl. Add everything else and mix well. Then form into small or large burgers and fry gently in a frying pan to cook, flip halfway through cooking.

Need2bthrifty

I’ve been lurking on the sidelines of this thread for a while and have to say WOW!!….I’m totally in awe….hats off and thanks :T to ButterflyBrain, Quintwins & SoWorried in particular for their input and the many others who have come up with suggestions and recipes.

Although I am not in such dire straits as the OP was, I do have a number of major outgoings coming up over the next few months and a limited income. I have been totally inspired by this thread so armed with a reasonably well stocked freezer/store-cupboard and 4 of @ldi’s super 6 (mushrooms, peppers, butternut squash, tomatoes = £2.76 of my budget) I’m going to pop over to the grocery challenge to see how I get on.

Thank you all, keep it going - by the way love the recipes :T

quintwins

Thanks need2bthifty i've receieved alot of help and ideas from this site so if i'm able to help i'm always glad to.


Tesco have baking goods on 3 for 2 including value flour, 7p batter mix and 22p sponge mix, which could really help someone on a tight budget (or not i'll be stocking up) just remeber if your buying cheaper items sometimes it's better to do 2 or more transactions, i'll be doing 5 flour and a gelatine with my normal shop, then one shop of 3 sponge mixes and one shop of 6 batter mixes.

Need2bthrifty

Inspired by you good folks on this thread I decided to cost up one of my favourite soups, prices are approx as a lot of the stuff I have in stock.

Curried Squash, Lentil & Coconut Soup – recipe can be found on the BBC GoodFood website (sorry can’t do links)

Vegetable Oil - 0.05p
Butternut Squash – 0.69p (@ldi super 6)
Carrots – 0.17p
Curry Powder – 0.05p
Red Lentils – 0.22p
Veg Stock – 0.01 (MrT value)
Coconut Milk – 0.34p (I used the creamed coconut block approx ¼ of the block and made up my own milk)

Total cost = £1.53 this serves 6, and at 25½p per portion along with a couple of slices of toast a nice warming autumnal lunch at a good price – or in my case its 1 for lunch and 5 for the freezer :j