Meal Planning Help

mrsd

I agree with takeaway recipe book, bought it for DD to help her save money at Uni, most of the recipes are very good, we all look forward to her coming home and making us a non takeaway treat.

threellamas

Thanks all. Have looked at all the recipe links-yummy amd alot actually use part of what we already have in. Im definately going to order the take away book, and am making a jamie oliver and a hairy biker curry tomorrow (one is veg as a side dish for main curry).

Rather than get excited and spend all their money straight away I have written.a list of everything we have in and am going to use that up first-its all fancy nice foods anyway. At the end of the month anything I have not spent will go towards a theatre trip.

Thanks again!!

jackyann

If you have a decent market, use them for seasonal veges & fruit. If not, look very carefully at the supermarkets.
I often do a good vege dish that can be reheated / frozen and used again. A good batch of mince with plenty of flavour will stretch a long way. at the moment I layer it, lasagne-style with sliced courgettes & peppers.
Instead of a roast, cook up some gammon (or, simpler, an unsliced side of bacon) in cider or Coke. You can glaze it with anything nice (apricot jam & mustard for instance). So it does first of all as a roast, then with a nice potato dish & substantial salad, then with a ratatouille or piperade & nice bread, sandwiches in between (thin slices with salad because it is delicious). Finally I gather the little bits and do a risotto or Spanish omelette.
And as we come into autumn, remember slow cooked casseroles made with cheaper cuts of meat. I often add sausages to casseroles, partly to bulk them out, but also to add flavour. I buy different sausages, adding paprika ones to Spanish dishes, herby ones to italian etc. I always add black pudding to my beef casseroles.
For something a bit "cheffy" buy duck legs and slow cook them with salt. You can keep them in the juices / fat for several days (or freeze). Then make a cassoulet (I like Rick Stein's version on the BBC site best) eked out with plenty of belly pork or bacon & smoked sausage. Delicious!

Butterfly_Brain

Have a look at the £20 a week thread it might give you a few ideas.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4148389

Shop seasonally and use the market, greengrocer and butcher instead of the supermarket, it can save you lots of money.

We eat vegetarian a couple of times a week and that helps keeps costs down, tonight I did an egg and potato curry which was lovely.

Buy joints of meat and slice them rather than buying the meats in plastic.

Make your own bread it is super easy and if you follow this link it takes only five minutes a day

http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2014/01/artisan-bread.html

Butterfly_Brain

Buy a whole chicken rather than pieces it works out a lot cheaper