Home cooking - Is it cheaper?

googler

butterfly72 wrote: »

I bought a small bay plant years ago for £2.99 Its grown fairly big now and i never have to buy the leaves. Try carboots, people often sell the small cuttings/seedlings they have started off.

Seconded. We needed a couple of leaves earlier today and picked 'em straight off the plant.

meritaten

I have a bay plant out the front, under the kitchen window. The leaves are enormous on it! about four inches long on average. it does have a drawback though - the most ginormous spider I have ever seen lives in it! I am sure my neighbours are most amused at watching me approach this innocuous looking plant with extreme trepidation. Then warily shake the end leaf of a a branch, whip in and snap a leaf off, then do that a couple more times before beating a hasty retreat!

babyshoes

If you find your mince tastes a bit bland, try adding a little beef stock - I use a cheapy cube mixed with just enough water to dissolve it, and/or bovril-type stuff (own brand versions are fine for cooking). I like a dash of soya sauce in mine too, adds a nice colour and saltiness along with the umami flavours.

Also make sure you are cooking off the water in any saucy / liquid ingredients you may add - you may actually not be cooking it long enough! My version of bolognese is not a quick meal, though once it is all in the pan you can just leave it simmering on low and stir it occasionally for at least an hour.

Taste as you go along, and as you get more experienced you will be able to figure out what it needs - whether thats just more cooking to concentrate the flavours, or seasonings such as salt and pepper.

catwoman73

OP you need to ignore the use by dates put on fresh veg by supermarkets and use your eyes to look at the condition of the veg

Seriously, depending on the type of veg and storage conditions, they can last for weeks after the use by date, which is more about getting you to throw it away and buy more than it is about food safety.

Some vegetables are stored for weeks before they are sold so a few days here and there after you have bought them makes no difference.

You are correct that mushrooms go funny after a few days and they don't freeze well either so only buy what you know you are going to need - are you meal planning before you generate your list?

Peppers are generally fine for a couple of weeks at least after the use-by date - take them out of the plastic bag and put them loose in the veg drawer.

I wouldn't buy fresh veg for the freezer, but if you're not sure when you are going to use it you could try already frozen veg (peas beans cauliflower brocolli are fine from frozen)

ALso, I don't think that a 'weekly shop' is necessarily always the best way to shop and you might find it better to plan for 3/4 days and go twice weekly and plan to buy fresh food each time eg bread milk veg salad fruit.
HTH

cutestkids

I do one large shop every two weeks for things like meat, cheese, yogurt, dry goods tins etc, the way it is just small top ups in between for salad fruit and milk.
We have a chest freezer so I also buy bread 12 loaves at a time and freeze it.

Things like onions, carrots and potatoes will last way past the best before the Supermarkets put on them.

I buy the 5kg bags of onions from Lidl and 12kg sacks of potatoes when they have them in and as long as you keep them cool they last weeks.

I also cook in batches, eg last weekend I spent all day Sunday in the kitchen but had enough meals for nearly two weeks at the end of it.
I made

Lasanga
Shepherds Pie
Turkey mince meatballs in tomato sauce x2
Chilli x3
Beef Casserole
Beef and veg Pasties
Chicken in tomato sauce casserole
Chicken curry
Lentil and tomato soup about 12 portions
Leek and potato soup again about 12 portions
Chicken pie

Most poundshops and places like B&M, Home Bargains and Wilkos sell plastic takeaway style containers for freezing 1 portion sizes in, the plastic ones can be used again and the last I bought from wilkos was £1.00 for 6.

Also I when I first started cooking like this evry week I would buy one tupperware style container with my shopping they soon build up so you have something the right size no matter what you are going to freeze.

Don't forget the tiny little plastic containers are great for a small amount of baby food.

One thing you need to be is organized so make a list of what you are gong to cook, make sure you have everything you need before you start and get freezer bags etc.

Also if you have the space make your own wedges, roast potatoes etc and freeze.

For wedges just cut potatoes into wedges, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil some salt and pepper and mix to coat then cook in the oven for about 30 - 40 mins if you are going to freeze them take them out at 30 mins and freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet then transfer to a freeezer bag.

Roast potatoes are much the same but I would parboil these for 5 mins before putting in the oven.

You can also do carrots, parsnips and fresh beetroot in the same way.

As you become more confidant cooking it will get far easier, I am completely self taught and now cook 99% from scratch.

happy35

i have bought the value mixed herbs and they are fine Sainsburys is my favourite and about 15p, Lidl and Aldi also sell dried herbs and spices cheaper than the Supermarkets if you are not near any ethnic shops. I tend to buy cumin, ground coriander etc in the asian supermarket, oregano or sage etc in Lidl or Aldi. Aldi have the biggest choice but Lidl have a few that Aldi doesnt sell and vice versa think a largeish jar is about 50p.

I add a handful of lentils to mince as it cooks as gives extra fibre and thickens sauces up well.

Nanamia

OP have you looked at the Annabel Karmel books? She has some fab recipes for your little one which are suitable for the whole family to eat. I've used for both our DGDs and batched baked freezing in ice cube trays till frozen then turning out into large ziplock bags -freeing the trays up ready for the next batch I've found through trial and error that the sainsburys ice cube trays although a little pricier to start off with have lasted the longest. Hth

heavenleigh

katep23 wrote: »

Mushrooms can be sliced and frozen as they are and then put into dishes from frozen.

Peppers too, just slice and freeze in portions then add frozen to dishes whilst cooking, no need to defrost x

Eliza_2

Chop up a mixture of celery, onion, pepper, carrots, garlic, bung in freezer. Then every time you want to make a stew, soup, mincemix or whatever, you chuck in a handful. I always have a pack of this in the freezer, it means you can take advantage of the 39p Aldi veg offers which are great.

For instant meals, what's wrong with eggs? Omelette, poached or scrambled egg on toast, egg and chips - yumm. Or good old beans on toast, a complete meal if ever there was one.

But there are so many varieties of stews you could never get bored, I've got beef, mincemix, pork/apple/cider, and some fish stuff (can't remember what's in it, will find out when I eat it) in my freezer at the moment. As well as lots of fruit, apples, plums etc stewed, other soft fruit from garden raw. All in portion sizes. Into pan with a bit of water while I remove coat and change into pjs after work, add some pasta/ rice /spuds and dada instant dinner.

A friend of mine meets his wife after work every day and they both go to Sainsbury's to decide what they fancy that night for tea - can't think of a worse way of wasting my time. When I've suggested stocking up the fridge and freezer so you've always got something in, his retort was 'well I might not fancy any of that' - and then wonders why he's always broke.

You can't tell some people!!!

trolleyrun

Here's what I made the other evening:

1/2 an onion, sliced quite thinly
1 pork chop (escalope or other cuts are good too), sliced fairly thinly
Approx 4/5 mushrooms, sliced
Paprika powder (about a teaspoon)
125ml of creme fraiche

Shallow fry the onions in a little oil, for about 3 minutes. Add the sliced pork and cook for a few minutes, stirring to make sure the pork gets cooked evenly. Add mushrooms and paprika powder, stir. Add creme fraiche and heat until it's starting to boil. Ready! I had this with rice. I call it pork stroganoff.

The above recipe is for one person and you can serve with rice, potatoes or whatever you like. You can add steamed veg or a salad for more vitamins if you so wish. This dish can be ready in 10 minutes and I surprised myself with how tasty it was You can substitute the pork for beef or chicken for variety.

Regarding date labels on food: I agree with the other posters on here and I also go by the sniff and look method. I've got peppers in the fridge that have been there for weeks and they're still perfectly fine to use.

Home made meals are cheaper most of the time and it has the added advantage of knowing exactly what you eat. All ready-meals and sauces in jars & packets have too much salt and other additives, so making them from scratch will make you all healthier. When you feel more confident with your cooking you can make your own recipes or alter the ones you like. Pound shops sell take-away style tubs cheap, which is great for freezing. You could then put them straight in the microwave to heat later.

Do you have a slow cooker? It's excellent for batch cooking and I do my spag Bol sauce in mine. Put everything in the SC and leave it to do its own thing, freeing you up to do whatever you like