Living on next to nought - is that the key?

liltdiddylilt

^ being a cheesecake fan, I usually put half a pack of bashed up digestives in mine!!! :D

Forgot to say earlier, thanks for the chutney idea! We don't use much of it so I think an apple crumblepie would be better, but if I can scrump some more apples I shall be making allsorts!! x

Hopefuljoy

Ooooh! Apple crumble! Here goes with me first recipe share......

This one uses porridge oats as well!

150g valoo butter (don't like marge but could replace if wanted) melted (bear with me here!)
100g plain four
150g porridge oats
100g sugar (I use soft brown but anything will do)

Then you can add any additional somethings you like, have used sunflower seeds to give a nibbleness!

Put oats and flour and sugar on top of melted butter in large bowl. Mix well with spoon and fling (carefully arrange) on top of apples!!

And here is DD recipe for mushroom garlic couscous AKA Vampire Delight!

Add half a veg stock cube (or right amount of marigold bouillion) to the boiled water and por on to the right amount couscous.

Put valoo salted butter and olive oil in pan and add (here goes!) five to ten large cloves of garlic from a fat bulb (sweeter tasting. We tied with small valoo ones and they blasted our heads off - terrible mess!).

Cook until nice and soft then add as many valoo or other mushrooms as you like and cook to the softness you like. Add butter if you like more juice (and are taking regular statins!) as you go.

Mix into couscous and devour followed by a long period away from other humans who haven't eaten this much garlic in a while!

You can of course turn it into a mediterranean couscous by cooking extra veggies either in the pan or baking in oven.

FINALLY - a veggie chicken charlotte based on my Mum's 1970's receipe. A delicious and unashamed cheats curry using quorn (or real chicken if you prefer) It is a slightly eccentric recipe but give it a chance and life will be all the better for it!!

half standard tub creme fraiche
half bag quorn chicken pieces
butter (not marge as ruins taste)
one to two slices brown bread whizzed into crumbs
one flat teaspoon cumin
one flat teaspoon coriander
one flat teaspoon turmeric
two generous teaspoons korma curry paste

Put the creme fraiche in bowl and add the paste, cumin, corainder, turmeric amd mix together well.

Put half the bag of quorn or two to three whole chicken breasts in bottom of casserole. Pour on the curry mixture ensuring all the quorn/chicken is covered. Sprinkle on the breadcrumbs and dot with biths of butter.

Cover with tin foil or casserole lid (VERY IMPORTANT - my mum's capital letters!) and bake for half an hour on 200/190 fan/Gas ??

Ten minutes before end take of lid/foil to allow some crisping.

Serve with rice, breads and bits and bobs! It is delicious and fools people into thinking you are a total culinary genius!!!

Blimey! I seem to be quite up and go today. Well done on shed clearing Greying... I am having purges as well and it is hard work but feels great!

Have lovely days everyone, can't wait for my evening read of what you've all been up to!

little_sweetie

It is delicious and fools people into thinking you are a total culinary genius!!!

Hopefuljoy, I think you ARE a culinary genius! Thanks so much for sharing all those great tips/recipes x

supersaver1000

Hopefuljoy wrote: »

Ooooh! Apple crumble! Here goes with me first recipe share......

This one uses porridge oats as well!

150g valoo butter (don't like marge but could replace if wanted) melted (bear with me here!)
100g plain four
150g porridge oats
100g sugar (I use soft brown but anything will do)

Then you can add any additional somethings you like, have used sunflower seeds to give a nibbleness!

Put oats and flour and sugar on top of melted butter in large bowl. Mix well with spoon and fling (carefully arrange) on top of apples!!

I've been making Annabel Karmel's oat bars for a few weeks now and this is very similar. I love the idea of using this on apple crumble. Plus I love that I won't have to rub the fat into the flour - yayy!

Thanks sooooo much!

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Evening :hello:

A flying visit from me........... life getting a little hectic at the mo....:(

However, I just really wanted to pass on some useful resources to anyone that is cooking on a tight budget, as I came across a reference to some online (PDF) cooking books that are FREE to anyone that wants The first book was authored by a gal named Leanne Brown, who's in the US and she was doing her masters in food nutrition and was taken by how bad folks in receipt of food stamps (the system is now 'renamed' SNAP - but the $4 pppd remains......) ate. So, as part of her degree, she wrote a cookbook to help with budgeting out the SNAP allowance. I'm afraid the costings are in $'s and the measurements in cups etc, but a) there are meat and veg recipes, b) they are interesting recipes and c) the format of the book is really colourful and attractive! So the book for the food program is Good and Cheap and then the gal has produced another one! This is called From Scratch and again, is free

If you'd like to learn more about Leanne, look HERE it would appear that she is one of life's good natured souls, who just wants to make things better for her fellow humans In the US, you can buy a print version of the book, and you can also donate $5 (I think) so that a copy can be gifted to a person in need.

Dear Reader - if you can get something from this resource - USE IT If you know someone that could get something from this resource - PASS IT ON

I'm gonna post on Pippi's thread, as I know she'll be interested and I think it will have values as a student cook book - what do y'all think? I'm also thinking of posting on the Grocery Challenge thread - Rosieben - do you think that is a good idea? And I'm also thinking of letting Tilly know, as I think it would be a good resource for debt management work/food bank work - in addition to our very own 'Miss Monroe' - natch

Catch you laters, I'm all topsy turvy at the mo. Normal service will be resumed shortly....... I HOPE..........

Greying

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Hi Greying, hope the Topsy Turvey period calms down

Will check out the link.

Before I left the UK I took a huge box of stuff to the food bank - work, neighbours, friends - all pitched in as school holidays with mouths to feed more often can be tricky

Will catch up on your thread later.

Tilly x x

little_sweetie

Thanks so much for the link GP. I have downloaded the first book and had a quick peek, there's some interesting stuff in there. The cup measurements might be a bit tricky in places but I have found some plastic cup measures that DD gave me a while ago stuffed in the back of the drawer. We might be ready to go! Muchly appreciated, my lovely

I hope things calm down soon. BH weekend approaching....

rosieben

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

...
I'm gonna post on Pippi's thread, as I know she'll be interested and I think it will have values as a student cook book - what do y'all think? I'm also thinking of posting on the Grocery Challenge thread - Rosieben - do you think that is a good idea? And I'm also thinking of letting Tilly know, as I think it would be a good resource for debt management work/food bank work - in addition to our very own 'Miss Monroe' - natch
...

They both look good GP, I think it would be useful to post them on the Grocery Challenge (I'm not involved in it anymore, I passed the front page recipe list onto Bluegreen143 a long while ago, I think she still keeps the list updated).

Hopefuljoy

Hello Greying I have downloaded both. Not only are they really good they are attractive with really nice colour photos. She reads like a lovely lady just as you said as well! I really hope your topsy turviness resolves soon. We need an injection of you each day!!! Xxx

stressed.mum

Thanks Greying, have downloaded and will have a good look at them later. Need to find ways to cut down food bill big time xxx