OS summer food

Tink_04

Thanks some great ideas!

Things im looking to replace is mince / beef heavy meals - casserole/mince and dumpling/shepherds pie - these are the meals I stretch out to save the pennies along with pies. I can bulk out with veg and a little goes a long way.

We have had fish and salad stuff Saturday (which I didnt find cheap for 4) ham, egg and chips (very cheap) just things to class as a family meal.

We dont have a graden so cant BBQ as the kids would love that! Going to SC a chicken and have that with rice and salad one day.

Soworried

Carrot and orange side salad is one of my favourites and most of us have carrots and oranges in.
I grate 1 large carrot per person then squeeze over the juice of half an orange and chop the segments of the other half in to 3 pieces stirred through it.
Very refreshing, cheap and yummy. I love this with ham or salmon.

suki1964

The other thing which I make are veggie Indian dishes. They aren't hot spice wise and most are best served room temp, which with chappatis and home made riata make lovely meals

Now tonight's tea was sliced left over gammon, egg, salad and some oven chips. Was scrummy. Hot enough to feel filling yet light enough to enjoy

meritaten

you can still use the mince - just make it into burgers instead! they can be bulked out to stretch the mince with fresh breadcrumbs or the addition of tinned beans such as haricot or cannellini. just call them cowboy burgers (cos they have the beans in them). if you would normally serve two burgers with a plate of chips - serve them this way - one in a bun, top with a cheese slice (the value ones are cheap and taste no different to maccy Ds), then with some salady bits. skewer with a long cocktail stick and serve with 'French fries'. very economical on potatoes French fries.............just one largeish potato serves two kids I find if you cut them thin enough and fry until quite crispy! my grandkids love these meals as I do not encourage 'junk food' and they think they are getting one on a par with muckDs!

bossymoo

Have you tried growing your own salad leaves? You can get cut-and-come-again types - easy to grow and care for. Snip off what you need and always fresh!
Packets of seeds aren't expensive.

Agree with the pasta / couscous ideas too.

Tinkdh

Have you thought about bulking out mince to make lasagna/spaghetti bolognese/chilli con carne? These can all be served with salad and garlic bread to make them feel a bit more summery!;)

jackyann

I definitely second salad leaves - even with the outlay of a bit of compost (or even gro-bag) they will save money.
I am no gardener, but I also grow spinach - small leaves for salad, then as a vegetable late summer and into autumn / winter.
This last year, I sowed "Winter Density" lettuce at the end of autumn, and was able to begin harvesting in March, and we are still enjoying the last of them now, with the first of the summer salad leaves.

Another OS thing I do (which you can't do everywhere) is buy ugly / ungraded asparagus cheaply. I sort out some to eat steamed with butter, some to cook as a luxury vegetable, and all the remains go to make stock or soup, frozen for a taste of summer when the cold weather comes.

I am a great fan of BBQs that make very ordinary food a bit special. They are not cheap though, and you need careful research as to what kind would work best for you. I am a fan of "build your own" as being cheaper and more stable, but i won't work for everyone.

Like scaredy cats's pulled pork suggestion, you can slow cook a cheap joint (shoulder of lamb is my favourite) then do a last minute brush with sauce & sear on the BBQ.

Any minced meat can be stretched and made into some sort of patties. I make lamb kofta and serve with small rolls / pittas or sliced baguette (I usually make my own bread). You can do the same with sausage meat. Kids prefer the small patties, and it is more economical than making big ones as they take what they want.

HOWMUCH

Hello I second spag Bol, lasagne, chilli served with either jacket potato, rice, crusty bread. Quiche served either with salad and a few new potatoes, HM wedges and baked beans. Omlette served again with salad or baked beans. Gammon (from cooking bacon off cuts) chips and peas. Hot dogs/ burgers with wedges. Jacket potatoes with fillings we like either coleslaw or baked beans and cheese served with salad. Roast chicken served with salad. HM fish cakes either with fresh fish or tinned salmon (pink) or tuna served with new potatoes and peas. Bubble and squeak with brown sauce and a couple of slices of wholemeal bread. Smoked haddock YS of course and a poached egg again with a couple of slices of bread and butter.
Salad is leafs, onion, cucumber, tomatoes, grated carrot, beetroot.
Pasta salad mayo sweet corn, tuna, peppers, onion.
Rice salad as above
Couscous with roasted veg.
Pad meals out with new potatoes.

suki1964

Tink_04 wrote: »

Thanks some great ideas!

Things im looking to replace is mince / beef heavy meals - casserole/mince and dumpling/shepherds pie - these are the meals I stretch out to save the pennies along with pies. I can bulk out with veg and a little goes a long way.

We have had fish and salad stuff Saturday (which I didnt find cheap for 4) ham, egg and chips (very cheap) just things to class as a family meal.

We dont have a graden so cant BBQ as the kids would love that! Going to SC a chicken and have that with rice and salad one day.

Fish isn't cheap is it? Not when you are used to a big plate of mince and tatties

However fish pie IS

I've got 500grs of fish mix for £3.40 ys at lidl this week. Add two eggs , white sauce, cheesy mash and it's going to be a huge filling meal for 3 of us tonight and a small one for the freezer

Tinned Salmon is also cheap ( ESP in multi packs) once again, hard boiled egg, few capers, squeeze of lemon, chopped parsley, added to mash and you have some really tasty fish cakes. Lovely served with fresh bread and butter and a leafy salad

Make pizza bases and top with sardines, cheap as chips

I also cadge free fish from local anglers. Lot of the guys like to fish but don't eat it, costs me a pint

thriftmonster

I make a cold meatloaf from Jocasta Innes' The Paupers Cookbook. I don't find meatloaf economical hot but cold it slices really thinly and is lovely with salads etc. Sort of a pate without the liver (although HM terrine with liver would be good as well)