feed a family of 4, almost vegan, on a rather small budget! Old Style!

phizzimum

you have been busy!

Wanted to let you know I really enjoyed my porridge this morning, loved the fact that it cooked itself while I got on.

Shame OH wasn't keen on the recipes. With meal planning, sometimes I get everyone in the family to pick a meal for the week. If they pick a favourite then they are happy. Although often they'll say "I don't know, we'll eat whatever" which means they can't complain

Look forward to seeing your meal plan. (I'm not vegan, not even vegetarian, but I'm trying to cook meatless meals more often)

elsiepac

Good morning all

I'm so loving this thread! Lots of brilliant ideas!

Last night for tea I had this delicious tomato and mushroom sauce on courgette spaghetti (obviously you could use pasta or rice or anything really!) - it's from the Oh She Glows cookbook and is really quite MSE!



The recipe was as follows:

200g cooked lentils

I used red lentils and cooked from dry, so used just under 100g and boiled for 20 mins, then drained and put aside

1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil

Saute the above for 5-6 mins until onion translucent

225g mushrooms, sliced

Add to the onion mixture and cook until the juice released from the mushrooms has all but evaporated

10g chopped fresh basil (I guess you could sub dried, but fresh is so yummy!)
6-8 tbsp tomato puree
2 tins chopped tomatoes (or use whole and break them up)
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp chilli flakes or cayenne (optional)
2 tbsps chia seeds (optional)

Add all the above plus the cooked lentils to the onion/mushroom mixture, mix well, and simmer for 20 mins or so.

shandyclover

Here is a recipe I use with my mostly vegan family...

http://penniesandpancakes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/crockpot-refried-beans-019-per-cup.html#.V9fJMzUe1vM

I buy the pinto beans dry from a local ethnic shop, and throw everything together in the slow cooker. When cooked we mash the beans a bit, and serve with wraps (cheapest in Aldi and Home Bargains) lots of lettuce, chopped tomatoes, peppers, red onions, coriander and everyone makes their own wraps - the beans make them surprisingly filling! We tend to plan this meal when Aldi has lots of 'salady' things on offer in it's 'super 6' offer.

missymoo81

elsiepac wrote: »

Good morning all

I'm so loving this thread! Lots of brilliant ideas!

Last night for tea I had this delicious tomato and mushroom sauce on courgette spaghetti (obviously you could use pasta or rice or anything really!) - it's from the Oh She Glows cookbook and is really quite MSE!



The recipe was as follows:

200g cooked lentils

I used red lentils and cooked from dry, so used just under 100g and boiled for 20 mins, then drained and put aside

1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil

Saute the above for 5-6 mins until onion translucent

225g mushrooms, sliced

Add to the onion mixture and cook until the juice released from the mushrooms has all but evaporated

10g chopped fresh basil (I guess you could sub dried, but fresh is so yummy!)
6-8 tbsp tomato puree
2 tins chopped tomatoes (or use whole and break them up)
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp chilli flakes or cayenne (optional)
2 tbsps chia seeds (optional)

Add all the above plus the cooked lentils to the onion/mushroom mixture, mix well, and simmer for 20 mins or so.

Oooh thank you! Sounds amazing!
Currently making jam using power from the solar panels! And cutting up the donated apples for the freezer, washing machine is on. Still haven't heard about OHs job!!!! No news is good news. Going to the beach this afternoon, and we're going to share a rare bag of chips for tea. Got to think of easy teas for tomorrow and Thursday as at work til nearly 6pm...

missymoo81

shandyclover wrote: »

Here is a recipe I use with my mostly vegan family...

http://penniesandpancakes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/crockpot-refried-beans-019-per-cup.html#.V9fJMzUe1vM

I buy the pinto beans dry from a local ethnic shop, and throw everything together in the slow cooker. When cooked we mash the beans a bit, and serve with wraps (cheapest in Aldi and Home Bargains) lots of lettuce, chopped tomatoes, peppers, red onions, coriander and everyone makes their own wraps - the beans make them surprisingly filling! We tend to plan this meal when Aldi has lots of 'salady' things on offer in it's 'super 6' offer.

We love wraps, and do a very similar thing with kidney beans! Usually our picnic staple! Such amazing ideas, thank you.

purpleybat

missymoo81 wrote: »

Morning,

Well I couldn't sleep last night so, peeled around 80 bananas and put them in the freezer ready for smoothies, also looked in the deliciously ella book for inspiration. Found a stew, carbonara snd paella recipe, although just put it to OH and he doesn't look keen. 'Sigh'.

give him the cheapest fish fingers or sausages every day solidly for 2 weeks, he'll soon change his mind and eat nice food with the family. or the old 'eat what's on your plate or go hungry' trick. a mixture of the two tactics worked well with a husband I had

missymoo81

purpleybat wrote: »

give him the cheapest fish fingers or sausages every day solidly for 2 weeks, he'll soon change his mind and eat nice food with the family. or the old 'eat what's on your plate or go hungry' trick. a mixture of the two tactics worked well with a husband I had

Ha ha ha divorce would be on the cards lol.
Had some amazing wraps for lunch. Just got some wraps, layered on a bit of hummus, put in some yellow stickered lettuce, mixed a ton of sweet corn, baked beans and kidney beans, with a little ketchup, paprika and curry powder, Which made like a veggie chilli wrap! Had some left over so will eat it for lunch at work tomorrow!

purpleybat

missymoo81 wrote: »

Ha ha ha divorce would be on the cards lol.

oddly enough we are now divorced..... the biggest money saver ever!! chortle

jackyann

missymoo - I have tried not to ask, but curiosity got the better of me.
Couldn't sleep, so peeled some bananas I had by me.... that I understand.
But 80 bananas - did you buy them beforehand - maybe because they were on offer? where did you put them all whilst waiting for a sleepless night? did you rush out to an all-night supermarket and buy 80 bananas to perform this amazing feat?
Enquiring minds wish to know, even though it is unlikely they will ever do such a thing.
Oh, and well done

missymoo81

jackyann wrote: »

missymoo - I have tried not to ask, but curiosity got the better of me.
Couldn't sleep, so peeled some bananas I had by me.... that I understand.
But 80 bananas - did you buy them beforehand - maybe because they were on offer? where did you put them all whilst waiting for a sleepless night? did you rush out to an all-night supermarket and buy 80 bananas to perform this amazing feat?
Enquiring minds wish to know, even though it is unlikely they will ever do such a thing.
Oh, and well done

Ha ha ha ha ha! My Tosco close to me are rubbish at stocking bananas properly and always have a surplus. They sell off bags of 7 for about 13p. I currently have 2 in a smoothie every day. So I bought 11 bags of them as I use them from frozen, so stashed them in the garage, then woke up thinking I need to sort those! And when I couldn't sleep, I peeled them and rammed them all in the freezer!!!!! I hope that satisfies your enquiring mind