Recipe ideas?

emily_jackson

I'm looking for some recipe ideas for one person. My husband and I don't tend to eat at the same time. For ages now I've been living on ready meals, and they are costing me far too much money (about £2 a meal). I've been making homemade pizzas recently (although buying prepacked bases) and have enjoyed them and they are saving me money, but I want to do other meals as well. I don't have a lot of freezer space. Does anyone have any ideas? Thank you!

Stephen_Leak

There is lots of advice on this all over this forum, but the following thread should be of particular interest ...

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=659091

ladymarmalade

I used to cook for just myself when i lived in halls at university and i never used to eat ready meals. There are many things you can make:
-noodles with chicken (buy a pack of dried noodles.....usually 6 servings for about 99p and add a sauce if you like)
-a jacket potato with various filings like beans, coleslaw, cheese etc (i used to do mine in microwave and finish in oven for ease)
- I also used to make a homemade tandoori (chicken pieces marinated in nat yog, ground corriander, cumin, turmeric, chilli powder, garlic, lemon juice and a tiny bit of ginger....baked in oved for 35 mins at 200) i would have some for tea in a pitta bread with salad in it and then have the rest on sanwiches the next day
- I used to cook pasta and then add a tin of tuna to it and then season to taste (you can add sweetcorn/mayo/passata)
- Dont forget simple things like cheese on toast, baked beans on toast. My favourite was scrambled egg and mushrooms on toast
- If you dont feel up to cooking the dried packet pastas in the supermarkets are a lifesaver.....and a lot cheaper than a ready meal.
-

Cruiksl

Sometimes my DH is in later than dinner time. I just make a meal for both of us and kids, feed kids and myself and his dinner is just put on a plate. He puts it in the microwave when he comes in.

He does the same for me on the night that I work.

the_other_mce

I love cous-cous with oven roasted peppers and onions and tinned tuna. I batch cook load of yellow and red peppers and onions and freeze them in portions until I need them.(really good tip to make life easier!)
Cous-cous is easy - I add one chicken oxocube per portion of cous cous, pour on boiliong water until it's 4mm above the level of the cous cous, and leave it to rest for 5 minutes. Then I add a knob of butter, my warmed peppers and onions and 1/2 tin tuna. Zap it all in the microwave to warm it up and 'VOILA!!'
I also bung in a dash of KETJUP MANIS (indonesian soy sauce) or normal soy sauce will do - sounds weird but tastes lovely - honest!!!

the_other_mce

You could also try scrambed egg in a warm pitta - delicious!! and it's really worth batch cooking chilli con carne, bolognaise sauce and mince and onions. Freeze in cheapy bags in individual size portions. They all go well in a toasted pitta, jacket potatoes or with a wrap. Mince and onions is lovely with mash (batch-cooked and frozen in individual portions! - boil a kettle and add some oxo gravy if you want!).
Plus you can always take out two portions if you want to eat together - frozen chilli wraps are lovely if you pour some passata over it and top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

the_other_mce

Hi - I wanted to add that you don't need to batch cook loads 2/3 portions will help - so you don't need lots of freezer space! (MSE won't let me add to my posts at the moment - so I have to keep making new ones!).!!!
Most meals will last 3/4 days minimum in the fridge and if you freeze things carefully in bags (use freezer bags packed into small boxes - getting rid of any excess air - you can always re-use the boxes once the food is frozen and it stacks really neatly) you will be surprised at how much you can get intio a small freezer / ice box.:j