Lilt and Jellytots most excellent adventure...

supersaver1000

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

?........
So, to dinner this evening On the menu tonight, were Jack's Smoky Red Lentil Burgers, accompanied with sweet potato fries, lettuce, cucumber, grated carrot, and half a tomato.

Verdict? Smashing. Knew they would be, as they are not dissimilar to the Turkish dish of red lentil kofte - which I always cook anyway (but are normally served 'raw'). The only real difference is the carbohydrate - Jack used bread, I normally use whizzed up oats, or bulghar if I have no oats

Picture here;



The only *amendments* I made, was that I made them at the start of the month - when I had no lemon. So you can see the wedge of the lemon on the plate to add after Plus, I was a bit confuzzled by the name *smoky* burgers. I couldn't see what of Jack's ingredients would impart this - so, Dear Reader, I did *cheat* and used smoked, rather than sweet paprika to impart smokiness. Was the right choice - they were good

If you'd like to make these burgers, see Jack's recipe HERE As I *knew* the recipe, I made double, it made 7 1/2 burgers (each full burger 100g of mix).

.......

Greying

Here is Greyings post re. Jacks burgers. I'm sure she wont mind. I'll post up my soup recipe soon. X

supersaver1000

Spicy Tomato and Lentil Soup
1 teaspoon of sunflower oil
1 onion chopped
1 or 2 garlic cloves
1 inch of ginger chopped (or pur!e/jarred root ginger)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
450g tin of tomatoes (or fresh if you prefer - or mixture)
115g red split lentils
1 litre of chicken stock (add more if you prefer a runnier soup)
1 tbspoon of tomato pur!e (or ketchup if you don't have pur!e)
Salt and pepper
Low fat natural yoghurt (optional)
Fresh parsley (optional)
1. Fry the onions until soft (about 5 mins)
2. Stir in the garlic, ginger and cumin seeds
3. Followed by the tomatoes and lentils
4. Stir in the stock and tomato pur!e. Bring to the boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 30 mins until the lentils are soft season with salt and pepper.
5. Pur!e the soup with a stick blender (add more stock if you like.
If you like, garnish the portions with a swirl of yoghurt and some chopped parsley.

Serves 4 - 165 per portion

Enjoy!

Greying_Pilgrim

liltdiddylilt wrote: »

Oooh I shall have to wander over. I've looked but Pilgrims thread is a bit daunting!

Whereas GP isn't the least bit daunting at all Glad you made it over and ask away, what do you need to know? DP and I are veggie and use the sort of ingredients that you have in store. we also work to a small budget, so know how to make the pennies squeak and feed us interesting grub

Greying

liltdiddylilt

Not in the least bit daunting. Like a cuddly friendly forum teddybear!

This month coming I really need to make the pennies squeak! I have mountains of dried foods. Pasta, rice, arborio, quinoa, red lentils, coucous, noodles, gnocchi. Him is a firm believer in the values of meat with every meal. And detests things like red kidney beans, black eyed beans etc which again I have whole bunches of! But he only eats 3 nights per week so after that I am open to any much cheaper veggie suggestions!

My self imposed grocery budget is £130. Last month it was £180 and I just overspent it. Usually if i cared to check, it is more to the tune of £250-£350 :eek: hence the cupboards full of dried goods. I really want to eat well, and try new things! I've just discovered creme fraiche :rotfl:

I am going to try some of your recipes tomorrow GP and report back! I have lots of takeaway containers and work has a lovely empty freezer in the kitchen. I feel a months worth of cooking coming on

Night all!!

And Supersaver, thank you again!!

Greying_Pilgrim

lilt - I've put together a list of recipes that use some of the ingredients that you said that you had. I realise some may be too spicy for Jellytot - but I have every confidence you can adapt as necessary. Everthing in pink is a link to the on-line recipe. I have cooked all of these dishes at some point.

Ethiopian sweet potato and lentil wat - can be made with red lentils or split yellow peas - either is delish.

Nigerian Peanut Stew

Ramja - good as a curry on its own, or as a curry plate with rice

Spicy Man-Approved Black Bean Burger - promise I didn't make the name up for this one

Bean and Chorizo Jambalaya - I use cooked, chopped up veggie sausages in this dish, and add at the end of cooking.

Black Bean Ragout

African Black-Eyed Bean Salad

Hope that helps you use up a little of your store cupboard. If you need further inspiration, the thread is too long, but if you scroll through some pages, where there are pictures, there is usually (if I can find a link) a recipe with it. You may see some dishes that catch your eye.

Greying

liltdiddylilt

Hey GP!!

I just used Supersavers recipe for spicy tomato and lentil soup. Adapted a bit, as you do. I had all the ingredients but poured in WAY too many lentils which required a reshuffle of everything else. It is delish though! Enough made for work this week, plus a bit more besides.

Thank you so much for all of those links! I am sure I can adapt, although Jellytot loves wasabi coated peanuts (where I crunch to get rid of the worst of the heat, she sucks?!?!?) , so maybe she will be ok with a bit of heat!!

I've got work for 3 days and Him cooks these nights, which invariably means chicken curry of some kind, a take away and me helping out a lot/cooking one night in a rush after work... Lol. I shall stick to my budget for groceries I swear. I will disappear into the back pages of your diary and discover more gems!

liltdiddylilt

Ah... *settles in*

Hello diary.

Today I had a heated debate with Him on what size unicorns are. Yes... seriously. He maintains that they are the size of horses. He quotes films which depict Unicorns as his source of information, and asks me if I have ever seen a horse the size of my hand. I personally say that they don't exist and therefore if I want a Unicorn that is the size of my hand, I shall have one. :rotfl: - I asked him to tell me what size fairies are, and how big in comparison to elves. He said 'but that is irrelevant as they don't exist!' :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: We were walking for a wander around the local shopping estate... It is rubbish but we went to B&Q, got a lamp for the desk which is SO bright it blinds me... and £20 of bits and bobs from Home Bargains. Oh and a cheese burger from McD's - none of which cost me anything as didn't even take my purse hehehe.

Sill even though I didn't 'spend' I benefited so today is not a SFD for me. I have one more to chae down in the next 2 days. I reckon I can do 2!

I heard from First Utility today. About 4-5 months after I signed up with them, they have finally decided to bother switching me. Since the product I signed up for now has just a year to run, and I have had at least 3 alerts from the energy club on here telling me I could save at least £75 per month... I think they can shove it. I've 14 days to make up my mind, before clicking the helpfully supplied link in the email. Would it be super bad form to switch from NPower as they install me a new boiler free of charge? :rotfl:

Told nursery today that Jellytot is leaving at the end of August for the 2 year old funding at a local nursery. The (lovely) manager who happened to be on duty, and the only one I shall miss was the one who got the news. I felt sick. She was upset as she is phoning in the next couple of weeks to sign them up for the scheme, but she understood my urgency to get it sorted 'now'. I didn't make any fuss about the various issues we have been having. I said if we had any problems at the new place we would be right back. I lied. Today I found a cardigan on a peg which has been missing for weeks... It is covered in floury glue. We have lost another of Jellytots drinks bottles, (I say we... they!) and today she came home minus another cardigan. Her nether regions are a little red as well... par for the course it would seem when the younger ones are there looking after the kids. I will be glad when she leaves.

Taking a leaf out of Applemunchers book. Today I am grateful for good friends getting in touch, for being a strong enough woman to take the next door neighbour (man) to task for dumping his tree cuttings in our garden and making him remove them, in front of a bunch of roofers (also men) and for being provided with such a lot of lovely recipes I shall never need to buy meat again!

Night diary, lurkers and posters... xx

pennywisepoundstupid

Hi liltdiddylilt, just popped on to say I have read all your diary and think you are doing incredible well and what a fantastic mum you are, your daughter is totally adorable you must be very proud of her.

I hope you don'y mind but I've subscribed and will keep popping back to see how your doing.

Take care.x.

giblet1979

Hey lilt,

Poor Jelly....sorry to hear she's been poorly but glad she's feeling better. It does sound like, as nice as you find the nursery manager, that she's better off in the new place. Less worry for you too!

I'm following the recipe ideas with interest. My DH isn't too keen on veggie recipes either, but I've been threatening to try and introduce a few tasty and more frugal ideas, and I think he might be on board (thanks Greying for a very helpful post!)

Hope everything else is going well for you x

liltdiddylilt

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!! *whizzes in excitedly and does a happy dancy jig*

My very most special of bestest of friends in the land I live now just had her baby!!!! It was such a quick labour she made it as far as the car to go to the hospital before giving up and going back inside to push! 2 midwives, an ambulance, and precisely 1 hour and 38 minutes between her text to tell me she had gone into labour and was having contractions 10 minutes apart, and the one where her mum text me to say 'We have a baby!!'

She is INCREDIBLE! I am so happy and so excited and so PROUD of her! A new little girl is in the world. and she is gorgeous and has lots and lots of hair! Happy 0th Birthday Mia!


Pennywisepoundstupid welcome aboard! I never mind anyone joining the party, and that you have read this diary of gibberish is fabulous! I shall be off across these boards after work this afternoon to see your own diary (do you have one/!) and say hi!

Giblet Jellytot appears to have recovered nicely and today we are off to have her 2 year old check ups at the health visitors! I am very excited about the new nursery and less and less guilty about the old place. This week they lost her one remaining drinks bottle. And she came home minus her cardigan. Another cardigan of hers I found slung over a peg covered in glue... 'Oh that might be Jellys, yes... Take it anyway' .... And I wonder why her things keep going missing even when labelled :rotfl:

I've got the morning off work and start at 1:15. I don't know how people who work part time hours and start at all funny times of the day do it. I feel on tenterhooks like I can't do anything all day! Lucky manages trips to the beach and all sorts before she goes to work!!!

Tonight I have to meal plan. I will be incorporating as many of lovely GP's meals as I can manage, and trying not to spend money. Today is already the 1st Spend Day of August as £6 of teabags is winging it's way to me via my colleague who shops in Mr T's where teabags are cheaper and nicer than my usual shop. I am not going all the way there for teabags!!

Right, off I trot. I am going to do my best to get new baby stuff sorted out tonight etc so that 1 spend day is all it takes.

See you tonight!