£30 til the end of the month.....

VintageBelle

Hello


Right, I've got £30 to last me over a week and I need inspiration.


I'm veggie, my boyfriend isn't...I need some dinner ideas on a budget that will cover us both (we both normally eat something different at dinner time due to our differing diets). I also hate white savoury sauces.


I know there's spag bol, chilli, jacket spuds, beans on toast, cheese and potato pie etc but I'm not feeling very mentally creative right now so I'm looking for your food budget knowledge. Pinterest has been visually helpful but you guys are the money saving connoisseurs


xx

redfox

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Doom_and_Gloom

Go through your fridge, freezer and cupboards and put what you already have up. With that people will be able to help you more.

ariarnia

You might also find it cheaper (and nicer) to consider having the same meal with a different 'bolt on' protein source.

Thinking a vegi curry with chickpeas and use a bit of the sauce to marinate a chicken drumstick for him to have on the side.

Or a home made pizza where you top it half and half (or individual calzone)?

bexster1975

Hello

Fajitas are also a great way of going either veggie/meat.
Pasta dishes also lend themselves well to having meat added at the end if desired. In place of meat beans of all types are good to bulk out and add protein. Omelettes can go veggie or not. A good homemade soup is very affordable and great with some stale bread croutons. I agree with previous poster, if you list what you have already people will be inventive without you buying anything much else!

Good luck

Bexster

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Squirty tomato Bolognaise.

If BF does not like it, squirt the toms at him. It will get messy and fun!

System

Carbonara? Thats what we are having for tea tomorrow (err today:o).

jackyann

Buy a pack of those bacon offcuts that are sold cheaply in many places. Chopped up and fried, they can be scattered or stirred in to a lot of veggie dishes, giving a hit of meaty flavour.
Risotto
Omelette (make 2, or put them in his half) or scatter them on a Spanish omelette
Carbonara as suggested - just have them frying alongside whilst you make it, also any veggie pasta dish

My all time favourite, piperade and all the many versions:
fry a chopped onion gently, add a chopped up pepper and cook until soft (you can use up a soft wrinkly pepper for this). Add a tin of chopped tomatoes (if whole, chop in the can with scissors). Boil until there is no visible liquid, and then turn down low. Pour in whisked up eggs and scramble together in the low heat - or make indentations and slip whole eggs in to poach.
Plenty of salt and pepper, and any seasoning you like - using chilli turns this from a Basque dish to a Latin American one.
Lovely as it is, but can be used to cheer up a left over sausage, last bit of ham, and of course, you can scatter the bacon bits on it!
We eat traditionally with lots of bread, but can be served with rice (useful if you have some left over risotto)

Cook some chicken drumsticks or wings in tandoori (cheapest to use tandoori spice mix and yoghourt rather than ready made sauces)
Make a vegetable biryani and / or veggie curry and serve alongside. Left over cold chicken is great in sandwiches, or with jacket potatoes.


I am used to cooking for veggies and rarely do 2 separate dishes. It's always something that goes together, such as above, and often that generates left overs.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

Your bloke isn't going to die from eating vegetarian meals for a week. Much cheaper and simpler for you to eat veggie together.

VintageBelle

Thanks for all the suggestions. We do sometimes eat the same just with meat added to his, but quite often due to working hours I'll just do myself something separately.


In the cupboards I've got rice, pasta, flour, (lots of herbs and flavourings), beans (various), tinned toms. Then I try to make sure I always have eggs, milk, bread and potatoes as well, and often some cheddar. I think I'm just getting bored too as I tend to make the same things. I find it difficult to pre plan meals too as if I don't fancy something I feel physically sick trying to eat it (I swear I'm not just an awkward/fussy person, it stems from a childhood eating disorder where some aspects just haven't gone).


My bf to be fair will eat almost anything I cook, he really isn't fussy at all. He just has a really big appetite and loves his meat more than anyone I know haha. He is a good cook but only really knows how to cook meat dishes (sounds mad I know, he's from Eastern Europe where his mom did all the cooking and the only things he learned were big meat dishes where there aren't really veggie alternatives). I am trying to show him the things I like and he has tried.


I have just had a new big freezer so I'm planning on making things that I can take out of the freezer and defrost which I am hoping will save me a lot of money if I can make things in bulk.


I'm not good at making things like carbonara as I hate white savoury sauces so much I can't even cook them for other people, otherwise it would be really useful to make things like mac and cheese or lasagna as well.

joedenise

Might be worth having a look on the Jack Monroe website (Cooking on a Bootstrap). There are loads of veggie meals on there which are really tasty for carnivores! One which comes to mind is the mixed bean goulash which my DH really likes even though he's a bit meat eater.

Lentil shepherds pie is another possibility, or even using soya mince which you could both easily eat.

If your OH is happy to eat anything you cook why not just stick to veggie until the end of the month.

Denise