Eat Well for Less...Live on MSE

suki1964

freyasmum wrote: »

Oh now I really do feel like a right piggy pig :eek:

We have 1kg lean mince, 1kg of carrots, four onions, 4 peppers, half a big tub of mushrooms and four tins of tomatoes for ten portions of Bolognese

Hold on, I do add mushrooms, onions, carrots and peppers as well

I was just giving an example of how much lentils I use without anyone actually noticing

im not a huge eater and I find too deep or too big a portion of lasagne just too much. In work it's 5lb of mince and they only cut 20 portions.

So I'm obviously not the norm

freyasmum

suki1964 wrote: »

Hold on, I do add mushrooms, onions, carrots and peppers as well

I was just giving an example of how much lentils I use without anyone actually noticing

im not a huge eater and I find too deep or too big a portion of lasagne just too much. In work it's 5lb of mince and they only cut 20 portions.

So I'm obviously not the norm

Ahh, I get you now! I find huge plates of food like those you see piled high at an all you can eat buffet really off putting - I wouldn't know where to start! And I don't snack between meals, but I do like a decent portion for dinner.

I might try adding some next time being as you say they are undetectable - he says he doesn't like lentils. We have them in the house anyway so might as well use them. I did try before (many, many moons ago) and put too much in, so I genuinely could have rivalled Jesus with his loaves and fish for the 5,000... :rotfl:

Wow, that's a big portion!

purpleybat

hello
just an idea if you like various pulses, have you thought about buying a pressure cooker? my family thought I was mad asking for one for crimble but now I can soak and cook beans cheaper than having the gas on for ages.
they take a bit of getting used to (thinking they're going to explode), I bought my ex husband one for crimble last year (was cheap throo poundland) and he loves it for stews etc.
they're quite expensive but I think mine in 2 years has paid for itself in saving can prices and gas costs.

ash28

catkins wrote: »

I freeze chickpeas, kidney beans and other types of beans. Because they have to be soaked for a long time, I soak them overnight, cook them the next morning then put "portions" into plastic bags and freeze. It means I've got them ready to use if I decide to make something on the spur of the moment and don't have to worry about the soaking. It also cuts down on the cooking cost by cooking in a large batch rather than individually each time.

I don't do that with lentils because they don't have to be soaked for that long and don't, usually, take much time to cook.

Just some advice for those new to dried kidney beans. Kidney bean either raw or undercooked are toxic and can make you ill - from both ends.

If you are using dried kidney beans change the water they have been soaking in and they must be boiled rapidly for at least ten minutes before simmering.

Sorry if I'm teaching your granny to suck eggs here but perhaps not everyone is aware of the potential hazard in dried kidney beans.

tattycath

ash28 wrote: »

Just some advice for those new to dried kidney beans. Kidney bean either raw or undercooked are toxic and can make you ill - from both ends.

If you are using dried kidney beans change the water they have been soaking in and they must be boiled rapidly for at least ten minutes before simmering.

Sorry if I'm teaching your granny to suck eggs here but perhaps not everyone is aware of the potential hazard in dried kidney beans.

Thanks Ash. I didn't know this.

ani*fan

Day 1

£250 in the pot. :j Well actually in the bank but I'll withdraw it later.

I need some milk and some pouches for the purrball so will probably swing by Aldi later today. The soya milk tasted good to me on cereal and in tea, so I'm sticking with that.

Bring on the challenge!!

mirry

Was it the Aldi soya milk you used in tea? As I tried it two weeks ago and it it curdled in my coffee? Can you let me know how you get on with it as I may try it again if it works for you

Today's menu plan ...
Breakfast 1 egg on 1 slice toast = 15p

Lunch: Homemade large cheese/veg pasty 20p & large pear from my tree.

Dinner: (to serve three)

Sweet potatoe fries (got 7 large ones from the market for £1), will use half of them.
Served with lightly dusted sole fish 55p each,found in reductions.
Served with peas. Works out Approx 75p per person.

2 Oat biscuits and a latte in the evening =10p

I buy sainsbobs latte sachets , 10 in a box for £1 but find they are quiet strong so use half a sachet & add a dash of milk.
Also Aldis oat biscuits are exactly like hobnobs but only 35p per pack

mirry

Can someone tell me how much the dried kidney beans are that they buy, because I looked in Sainsburys and they were 5 times more expensive than the basic can....weight for weight?

ash28

mirry wrote: »

Can someone tell me how much the dried kidney beans are that they buy, because I looked in Sainsburys and they were 5 times more expensive than the basic can....weight for weight?

If you have 500gms of dried kidney beans they should produce roughly 2 to 3 times the amount once you have soaked them.

A can of kidney beans weighs 400gms including the liquid. According to Tesco the drained weight of a can is 240gms.

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=259061829

35gms of dried kidney beans equal 80gms when they are cooked.

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=259061829

So roughly 100gms dried kidney beans will equal 1 tin drained.

Cost wise that is about the equivalent of 23p for a tin of kidney beans - slightly less than the cost of a basic tin. If you buy basics kidney beans there probably isn't much in it cost wise but if you buy a premium brand then dried is considerably cheaper.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

Dry beans - slightly cheaper, the ability to add a few more, in control of what goes into them when cooking, less packaging. On the other hand, you have to plan ahead.

Canned beans - Quick and easy, usually canned in water with nothing added. However, they are slightly more expensive, produce more packaging waste and some of the basics kidney beans can be broken.

I use canned.

C_J

Whilst I am a huge fan of Aldi, I think it only fair that I point out the negatives I've found with shopping there. Apart from the obvious, that they don't stock absolutely everything I want, i.e. dried pulses/beans or much of a range of herbs amd spices (although this is improving) the main drawback I've found is that their fresh produce doesn't stay as fresh for as long as the big supermarkets. Soft fruit and cherry tomatoes especially will go soft or mouldy quite quickly.

I have wondered whether this is maybe because they don't sell fruit which has been irradiated (which would be a good thing) but I'm not sure.