Stretching the store cupboard

Tiggy10

Hi all,

I have been a lurker and occasional poster here from time to time and everyone seems so helpful. So I thought this would be the best place to ask for advice.

OH and I got hit by some unexpected payouts this month, meaning we cant do our last weeks top up shop. I would love it if I could have some inspiration to make what we have left last 6 dinners for 2 people eating?

(we have porridge & toast for breakfast & dont need lunches)

We have:
cupboard
2 cartons passata
4 cans of chopped toms
1 can kidney beans
variety of herbs/spices etc

carbs
1 sweet potato
approx 250 grams of:
bulgar wheat
rice
pasta

meat
2 pork loins
2 lamb steaks
2 turkey steaks
2 chicken breasts

veg
frozen green beans/ sweetcorn/ carrots
fresh: 2 peppers
2 courgettes

2 eggs.

this probably seems so simple for most of you, but I am still learning to be frugal with food.
thanks for any suggestions and advice to help us learn!

EstherH

I'm sure someone will be along soon who will sort out a full weeks menus but just quickly looking and you have enough meat there to stretch to six days, if your chicken breasts are large enough to have half each, make wedges with the sweet potato, - chop into wedge shape or chip and cook in a little olive oil in the oven. Serve with green beans. Then maybe chop the pork loins up and cook in one if the cartons of passatta with some peppers, herbs, maybe some carrot and courgette grated in, and serve with rice? If you cut up small and add plenty of veg it should do two meals each? That leaves the other chicken breast for another night. Then the lamb and turkey and that's the meat for six nights. Maybe make a sort of turkey chilli with the kidney beans, turkey steak chopped up and tinned tomatoes? Have you got anything for desserts to fill you up if the meals are a bit small? Someone else will do much better but HTH. Esther x

Maitane

Here's what I'd make from that:


Use 1/2 pepper sliced, 1/2 courgette sliced and a little bit of each of the frozen veg. Fry it off (if you have an onion or garlic, add that) Add salt, pepper, herbs and some chilli if you have it and like it. You're aiming for a kind of north african flavour. Stir and coat then add a tin of tomatoes. Use about half the bulgar wheat and make it up like couscous. You could serve like ratatouille with bulgar wheat.

Use the other half pepper and grate the courgette, add some carrots, fry off with cumin, coriander, pepper and chilli. Chop the turkey steaks into small strips, fry a bit. Add the drained kidney beans and a tiny touch of cinnamon then a can of tomatoes. Serve with half the rice but cook all of it.

Take your sweet potato, chop it into thin wedges, toss with a little oil and your preferred seasonings. Place in a roasting tray with your chicken breasts. Serve some of the frozen veg cooked.

Take 1 pork loin, cut it into teeny pieces and marinade in any chinesey spices you have. Whisk the two eggs and heat a wok/frying pan. Cut up your pepper real small and fry off, add the pork to cook then the eggs and whisk well. When the egg is near cooked, add the rice and mix well. Add some sweetcorn and soy sauce if you have some.

Take the second pork loin and courgette and cut then into shapes that suit your pasta, fry them off with Italian style herbs. Garlic would be nice here. Add passata and cook through. Serve with pasta.

Make up the remaining bulgar wheat and season well. Season your lamb with herbs like thyme or oregano and pepper. Grill/fry the lamb, serve with bulgar wheat and some green beans cooked and seasoned similar to the lamb.

Tiggy10

A-maze-ing! Thank you so much to both of you. Great ideas. I had completely lost inspiration!
Maitane- how do you think like that? I need to learn! Im so excited for dinners now rather than dreading how im going to get to payday!

EstherH

Well done Maitane. I knew someone better able would help out. Glad you're encouraged Tiggy. Esther x

Butterfly_Brain

Lamb and Bulgar Pilaff

butter or oil for frying
lamb chops, diced
½ tin tomatoes
½ pepper, diced
½ a courgette, diced
cumin or coriander, I have used mixed herbs before now and it works with that as well
bulgar wheat
approx 750ml of chicken or vegetable stock (If you haven't got a stock cube just use water)

Heat butter or oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. gently cook the lamb Stir in bulgur, and cook about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken stock , tomatoes, courgettes and peppers. Season with salt. Bring to the boil, then put on a lid and reduce the heat and simmer until all moisture is absorbed, about 30 minutes.

If you don't have a lid just use a piece of foil to cover the pan, stir every ten minutes to make sure that it doesn't burn.

This can be done in the oven as well at 160c for half an hour

Maitane

Hi Tiggy,

I wouldn't say I was an expert by any stretch of the imagination - I've just spent a lot of time reading other store cupboard posts and the meals for £7 post when I've had very little in myself. Necessity is someone's mother or something :rotfl:

Some OSers may even be able to stretch that further - the meat you can be really clever with but if it's only 6 days, it'll be grand

meg72

Maitane wrote: »

Here's what I'd make from that:


Use 1/2 pepper sliced, 1/2 courgette sliced and a little bit of each of the frozen veg. Fry it off (if you have an onion or garlic, add that) Add salt, pepper, herbs and some chilli if you have it and like it. You're aiming for a kind of north african flavour. Stir and coat then add a tin of tomatoes. Use about half the bulgar wheat and make it up like couscous. You could serve like ratatouille with bulgar wheat.

Use the other half pepper and grate the courgette, add some carrots, fry off with cumin, coriander, pepper and chilli. Chop the turkey steaks into small strips, fry a bit. Add the drained kidney beans and a tiny touch of cinnamon then a can of tomatoes. Serve with half the rice but cook all of it.

Take your sweet potato, chop it into thin wedges, toss with a little oil and your preferred seasonings. Place in a roasting tray with your chicken breasts. Serve some of the frozen veg cooked.

Take 1 pork loin, cut it into teeny pieces and marinade in any chinesey spices you have. Whisk the two eggs and heat a wok/frying pan. Cut up your pepper real small and fry off, add the pork to cook then the eggs and whisk well. When the egg is near cooked, add the rice and mix well. Add some sweetcorn and soy sauce if you have some.

Take the second pork loin and courgette and cut then into shapes that suit your pasta, fry them off with Italian style herbs. Garlic would be nice here. Add passata and cook through. Serve with pasta.

Make up the remaining bulgar wheat and season well. Season your lamb with herbs like thyme or oregano and pepper. Grill/fry the lamb, serve with bulgar wheat and some green beans cooked and seasoned similar to the lamb.

Lovely recipes. I am really into making what I would normally use,
i.e. 1 pork steak for 1 meal do 2. I find by cutting it really small I dont miss the extra and my purse and waistline are better off.

Maitane

I'm trying to eat less meat too - I find that going to more exotic cuisines like North African or some of the vegetarian Indian dishes you get something where you don't miss the meat as much because there's taste and novelty to hold your attention.

That or as you said, chopping things finely and choosing something with loads of flavour like chorizo. Mmm, chorizo.