Any simple and cheap recipe ideas or ways to save with groceries appreciated

Dom135246

It was recommended that I post here (hope I’m in right place) to find ideas for cheap meals.

We usually have beans on toast, tomatoes on toast when we try to have a cheap week. 

Looking for some cheap ideas please to save budget, and easy to cook, simple recipes, preferably not hours in the oven to save electric. We don’t have a freezer and no room for one so can’t batch cook unless it can be stored in fridge.

Happy to have repetitive meals like same recipes every few days week in week out, that’s fine and keeps it simple.

We like anything Indian; Chinese; Italian; Mexican; Moroccan; Portuguese (Peri Peri) plus local food meat and mash, toad in hole, fish etc. 

Like the idea of soups and stews I used to make these a lot but have trouble thickening everything. Also don’t like to waste hours of electric.

Stir free is something I like the sound of but struggle to get it to taste nice. 

Also, like curry’s and pasta dishes.

I usually use jars of curry and pasta sauce because struggle to get it nice when I use pasata and herbs. It end up being a cross between curry, chilli and bolognese and watery.

Thought about making the egg curry I saw mentioned but I  would just boil eggs add a jar of curry sauce and make rice, is that right? Any ideas to the simplest way to make this cheaper would be perfect please, I googled it but it was quite complicated to follow.

Tend to have cereal for breakfast or toast. Sandwich or light salad for dinner or crackers.

Also, biscuits, any cheap easy to make biscuits or something similar  would be great too, or ideas for a quick and easy cheap pudding/dessert. Love jelly but used to get it cheap like 10p from Asda a few years ago but it seems costly now.

Thanks any help would be really appreciated so I can save on groceries.

Thank you 

Wicked_Lady

Hi there and welcome; you have come to the correct place

If you look at the first few pages of the July grocery challenge there is a very long list of recipes so I'm sure you can find things to your taste. Here is the link: July 2022 Grocery Challenge — MoneySavingExpert Forum

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Dom135246

Thanks, the egg and lentil curry looks like something I could manage, I’ll try that, looks good, much easier sounding than what I googled yesterday, lol

MovingForwards

I'm glad you found your way over here. Beans on toast is ok for occasional quick food meals, but no way to make eating enjoyable.

Using lentils bulks food out and they're good for you.

I knocked up a lentil curry earlier and an easy way of making it is curry powder, tin of toms, onion, garlic puree/ paste, a bit of water. Throw the spice in the pan first and dry fry for about 15 seconds. Add the onion, garlic and fry for a couple of minutes, add a bit of water and red lentils, quickly get it up to boiling, add the toms, simmer for a few minutes to heat it all through again. Switch the heat off and put a lid on. Check after about 10 minutes to see if there's enough juice and the lentils are starting to lose colour, add a bit more hot water, stir and put the lid back on. You may have to repeat that a few times, but it cooks itself.

A packet of curry powder, garlic puree, lentils etc makes more than one meal and it doesn't matter how cheap the tin of toms are. 

Get a little adventurous and you can add peppers, peas, tins of beans and other items. The more you make, the more portions you have and it keeps in the fridge.

Leave the curry powder out and you'll have a lentil bolognese.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Dom135246

@MovingForwards   Thanks for the recipe, that’s even better for me, I’ll give those a go, I’ll make the lentil curry and lentil bolognese sounds just what I’m looking for. Thanks for the tip on lentils I’ll remember that and will add peppers etc as I get use to it.

Brie

If I'm making a vegetable soup I normally add a potato to thicken it.  It's a bit like adding cream but without curdling.  Obviously this is for a smooth soup (using a stick blender) and I use the left over veg from a roast or from when I'm making tafelspitz/boiled beef.  I actually like the soup from the leftovers better than the beef we have.  I just take the leftover veg and broth, maybe add a loosely chopped onion & potato, cook for a bit, zizz with the blender and then add herbs etc for flavour.

I also make a lentil pie for which the only expensive bit is some cheddar cheese.  But any cheese will do really and you can add more veg too - some chopped and fried courgette, pepper, whatever.  The nice thing about this is it doesn't take too much time and if you don't want it all hot for dinner it's really nice cold for lunch.

·  225g (8oz) red lentils

·  450ml (3/4pt) water

·  1 large onion

·  25g (1oz) butter or margarine

·  100g (4oz) cheddar cheese - grated

·  5ml (1tsp) mixed herbs

·  1 free-range egg

·  25g (1oz) wholemeal breadcrumbs

·  salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the lentils in the measured water until soft and all the liquid has been absorbed.
2. Chop the onion.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan and fry the onion until transparent.
4. Combine all the ingredients together and press into an oiled sandwich tin.
5. Bake in the oven at 190°C (375°F/Mark 5) for 30 minutes.
6. Serve hot or cold, in wedges.

MovingForwards

If you've some own brand veg stock cubes, throw one in if a meal lacks flavour, covers a multitude of things as you get to grips with new meals.

I've sent a few recipes via messaging, cheap, cheerful and easy to make / adapt.

I'm not sure whereabouts you are but if you've an 'ethnic' supermarket nearby, go in and grab herbs, spices as they tend to be cheaper than supermarkets and the packets are bigger.

If you do stir fry veg, a few splashes of dark soy sauce goes a long way. Most noodles can be cooked by putting them in a bowl of hot water and covering; if you've a Chinese supermarket you'll pick up some delights.

If you're near Edinburgh pop in to Real Foods and buy some savoury TVP, a little goes a long way. It's dried veg protein, looks like mince meat and makes meals a little more interesting; buy as much / little as you like and soak the portion in hot water to rehydrate it before adding to whatever you're cooking (saves electric by doing it this way). There may be similar shops near you.
I've found another like it where I live and I stock up on dried food, herbs, spices, they sell rice and pasta loose. Nearly everything is buy by weight rather than a packet / jar.

Dom135246

@Brie   I’ll try make the lentil pie and add courgettes, thanks for the recipe it sounds great. Looking forward to trying everything 

theoretica

One tip for saving electricity is a lot of things don't need to be heated continuously throughout the cooking time.  Rice or pasta or indeed most things being boiled once the water has boiled I take them off the heat, pop them on a wood board and a towel over them and leave them to cook.  Sometimes with long cook rice I need to bring back to a boil once.  Same with things in the oven in boiling water - once it is boiling the oven does not need to be above 100.

Dom135246

@MovingForwards

Thanks for sending the recipes, they’re going to help.

Thanks for the cooking/buying tips too, I’m going to write everything down and remember it as I start to build up, I like these ideas that can be adapted that’s just what I need while I start. 

There are ethnic shops and loose shops nearby I’ll have a look and start to get stocked up 

CapricornLass

A tablespoon of oats will thicken soup.  Add it when you fry off the veg, and then add the stock/water, bring to the boil and then simmer for a while.  Don't be tempted to add any more, or you will end up with thin savoury porridge!