Show Jamie How To Cook On A Budget Champagne Contest

chelsea.housewife

This reminds me of my school dinners. Old-Fashioned Stylee.


Beef Stew

Ingredients
500g Waitrose Beef Mince (£1.65)
4 onions, sliced or chopped small (15p, market)
4 carrots, sliced or chopped small (15p, market)
30ml/2 tablespoons flour (cupboard)
450ml stock or 5ml yeast extract in hot water (97p Marmite 125g jar)
15ml/1 tablespoon tomato puree (34p Waitrose Tomato Pure 200g tube)
salt and pepper

Method
Fry the beef in its own fat until well browned. Reduce the heat, add the onion and carrots and fry gently 10 minutes, stirring.
Remove the meat and vegetables from the pan, sprinkle the flour into the remaining juices in the pan and stir well. Add the stock, tomato puree and season.
Simmer gently for 2 minutes until the sauce is smooth, stirring constantly. Return the meat and vegetables with any juices.
Bake in an oven-proof dish gas mark 3 (170c) for just over 1 hour, or simmer on the stove for about 1 hour until you have a rich stew.

Approximate cost: £2.26 if you have to buy a jar of Marmite and a tube of tomato puree or £1.11 if you already have them in your cupboard.


Variation
Use up to half a pint of any leftover wine, beer or cider in the stock (these can by kept in ice cube tray in fridge).

Or make Cheat’s Beef Pie with 4-6 slices of leftover French bread spread with margarine. Place on top of casserole, butter side up, and bake for about 30 mins, or until the bread has a golden crust


Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
900g/2lb potatoes (30p, market)
56g/2oz margarine (69p Waitrose Sunflower Spread 500g)
salt and pepper

Method
Wash and eye potatoes. Chop them quite small and boil for about 20 mins in plenty of water till tender.
Drain the potatoes. Add the margarine and seasoning and mash with a potato masher immediately till the potatoes have no lumps and are smooth and firm. Serve hot.

Approximate cost: 99p if you have to buy a tub of margarine or 38p if you already have margarine.



Steamed Cabbage

1 small green cabbage (45p, market)

Rinse the cabbage well and chop quite large. Place into a large lidded pan, sprinkle with a little salt. Top with no more than a small cupful of water.
Cover, bring to the boil and simmer gently 5-10 mins until cabbage is tender but not soft.

Approximate cost for Beef Stew, Mashed Potatoes and Steamed Cabbage is:
£3.70 if you have to buy all ingredients from scratch or £1.94 if you already have some ingredients.


Flapjacks

Ingredients
140g/5 oz butter or margarine (already bought)
56g/2 oz brown sugar (£1.19 Waitrose Demerara Sugar 1kg)
15ml/2 tablespoons golden syrup (£1.05 Lyle’s golden Syrup 907g tin)
225g/8 oz rolled oats (64p Scott’s Porage Oats 1kg)

Method
Melt the butter with the sugar and syrup. Remove from heat, add the oats and mix well. Turn into a greased, shallow cake tin and press down well.
Bake at gas mark 4 (180c) for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Mark into fingers or squares with a sharp knife and loosen round the edges.
When firm, remove from the tin. Cool on a wire rack, then break into fingers or squares. Will keep for a week in an airtight container.

Approximate cost: £2.88 if you have to buy ingredients apart from margarine or 35p if you have ingredients already.

Of course, it’s a good investment to buy ingredients as you keep them in your store cupboard for further use.

Whenispayday

Ok, here is my shot at this. Its on an "American Theme". I've based this on prices from Sainsbury's online. To feed a family of 4

Main Course

Potato Wedges.
4 Baking Potatoes, cut into wedge shapes, tossed in hot oil, and cooked in oven until crispy (about 15-20 mins)

Chicken Drumsticks
Defrost chicken overnight (on a covered plate in the bottom of the fridge)
Toss defrosted chicken in seasoning
Cook in oven (220 degrees) for 20-25 mins

Dessert.

Key Lime Pie
juice and zest of 2 limes
100g digestives
150ml double cream
100g condensed milk
50g butter, melted

Crush the digestives, and add to melted butter.
Use to line the bottom of a 6 inch pie/flan dish
Mix the condensed milk and cream together
Add this to zest and juice
Stir well until mixture thickens
Spoon on top of crushed biscuit base, flatten out, and chill for at least 2 hours

Costings.
Potatoes: 55p
Chicken drumsticks £2.55
Seasoning 25p (10g of a jar of schwartz chicken seasoning @ £1.42 a jar)
2 limes- 30p
Cream- 56p
Condensed milk- 30p (1/4 a can of Carnation light condensed milk 405g @ £1.20 per can)
Digestives: 6p (1/4 a packet of Sainsbury's basics digestives @ 22p a packet)
Butter: 19p (1/5 a packet of unsalted butter @ 95p a packet)

Total: £4.76

DdraigGoch

If Jamie/Sainsbury's decides to weigh into this debate I'm sure we'd all be interested to hear their ideas. If "they" are saying that all the meals are fully costed, ie the full cost of all the ingredients bar a few staples is included, then the idea of allocating £5/4 per main meal brings me back to the week's menu I put up earlier [p4, I think *blush*] but how about the Old Style Weekly Menu? If you can have [£5x7]+[7x£2]+[7x£2.50]] then that gives us a massive £66.50/week, if one calculates lunches at £2.50/4 and breakfasts at £2.00/4.

What could we make with THAT? I'm going to go away and have a good think about quite how luxurious I could make my "restricted" purse.

Back later to see what everyone else can do with that much money for a whole week. I'll probably be very ashamed of my offerings, you're such a very inventive lot.

DG

Former_MSE_Andrea

Drum roll please.... And the winner, as picked by the MoneySavingExpert.com connoisseurs, is....

jenid's 3 course Indian style takeaway for under a fiver! Congratulations jenid!

jenid wrote: »

OK, this is only my 2nd post so please have patience with me! Here’s 3 courses that will feed 4 - 6. We’re normally too full to have a desert but I thought I should include one as everyone else has!

STARTER - Lamb Koftas & chutneys
MAIN - Yellow split pea & coconut dhal
Spicy potatoes
Rice
DESERT - Lemon curd ice cream

LAMB KOFTAS WITH CHUTNEYS
KOFTAS
400g minced lamb £0.84 (Tesco Value Minced Lamb 800g £1.68)
3tsp medium curry powder £0.08 (Tesco Medium Curry Powder 80g £0.85)
2tsp finely grated ginger £0.11 (Ginger root loose £0.33)
2 cloves crushed garlic £0.05 (Tesco Garlic each £0.35)
1 small onion grated £0.04 (Tesco Value Onions 2 Kg £0.78)
TOTAL £1.12

Mix all the ingredients together. If you have metal or wooden skewers then take the mixture and shape around the end in a sausage shape, if not then just shape them into sausage shapes. They should make at least 12. Chill for at least 30 minutes or until you are ready to cook the main course. When ready to eat then either cook on a griddle or under a grill for 8 - 10 minutes.

CHUTNEYS
5g chopped Fresh Coriander £0.14 (Fresh Coriander 25g £0.69)
125g chopped Cherry Tomatoes £0.34 (Cherry Tomatoes 250g Pack £0.68)
½ small finely chopped onion £0.02 (Tesco Value Onions 2 Kg £0.78)
½ jar mango chutney £0.39 (Tesco Spicy Mango Chutney 230g £0.78)
TOTAL £0.89

Mix tomatoes, coriander & onion to make a chutney. Serve with mango chutney & Lamb Koftas.


YELLOW SPLIT PEA AND COCONUT DHAL
1 sachet creamed coconut £0.10 (Pataks sachets x 4 £0.38)
600ml veg stock (one cube) £0.02 (Tesco 10 Value Veg Stock Cubes £0.19)
250g yellow split peas £0.20 (Tesco Yellow Split Peas 500g £0.39)
2tsp finely grated ginger £0.11 (Ginger root loose £0.33)
2 cloves crushed garlic £0.05 (Tesco Garlic each £0.35)
2 onions finely chopped £0.08 (Tesco Value Onions 2 Kg £0.78)
1tsp garam masala £0.05 (Tesco Garam Masala Spice Blend 38g £0.85)
1tsp ground turmeric £0.04 (Tesco Ground Turmeric 45g £0.68)
1tsp ground cumin £0.04 (Tesco Ground Cumin 45g £0.68)
1tsp ground coriander £0.04 (Tesco Ground Coriander36g £0.68)
2tbsp cooking oil £0.03 (Tesco Pure Vegetable Oil 1 Litre £0.98)
TOTAL £0.76

Gently fry the onion, ginger and garlic until soft. Add the spices and fry for a minute, then add the yellow split peas and cook for another minute. Add the stock and coconut and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 50 minutes until the peas are soft but not mushy. If the mixture gets too dry during cooking add some more water.

SPICY POTATOES
500g potatoes, boiled £0.23 (Cornish White Potatoes 2.5kg £1.12)
2tsp finely grated ginger £0.11 (Ginger root loose £0.33)
1tsp garam masala £0.05 (Tesco Garam Masala Spice Blend 38g £0.85)
1tsp ground turmeric £0.04 (Tesco Ground Turmeric 45g £0.68)
1tsp ground cumin £0.04 (Tesco Ground Cumin 45g £0.68)
1tsp ground coriander £0.04 (Tesco Ground Coriander 36g £0.68)
1tsp salt £0.01 ?
2tbsp cooking oil £0.03 (Tesco Pure Vegetable Oil 1 Litre £0.98)
5g chopped Fresh Coriander £0.14 (Fresh Coriander 25g £0.69)
TOTAL £0.69

Cut the potatoes into medium size chunks and gently heat the oil. Add the ginger and spices to the oil and stir well, add the potatoes and fry gently until lightly golden. Stir through the coriander and serve.

Serve with 400g rice £0.27 (Tesco Easy Cook Long Grain Rice 2kg £1.35
Cook the rice according to instructions.

LEMON CURD ICE CREAM (best made at least the day before)
Tin of custard £0.19 (Tesco Value Ready to serve custard 396g £0.19)
500g Greek Yoghurt £0.95 (Tesco Greek Style Natural Yoghurt 500g £0.95)
1/3rd jar Lemon Curd £0.12 (Tesco Value Lemon Curd 411g £.035)
TOTAL £1.26

Whip all the ingredients together and freeze for a few hours (or until it starts to go hard) in a shallow container. Mix up the semi frozen mixture with a fork and then put back in the freezer to go hard.

GRAND TOTAL £4.99! (I hope my maths is correct!)
Far cheaper and healthier than anything you’ll get from a takeaway! Every Friday is curry night in our house, I hope you enjoy.:D

ploddingalong_2

Yes a wonderful meal, but I'm sorry you couldn't go with your £5 in your hand and buy the ingredients!!!!!!!!!!!! Shops won't sell you 1 teaspoon of a spice, so the initial outlay ( have you looked at the cost of the spices alone!!) will be hugely higher. Jamie's recipes are costed for walking into the shop and out again with all the ingredients, and you may have some left for another time.;) ( and I'm not even a big fan of his)

Something about level playing fields springs to mind

jo1972

Excellent choice of winner imho, although I've been loving all the recipes posted.

I think if you are a true OS'er, you'll have most of the ingredients in the cupboard already

jenid

ploddingalong wrote: »

Yes a wonderful meal, but I'm sorry you couldn't go with your £5 in your hand and buy the ingredients!!!!!!!!!!!! Shops won't sell you 1 teaspoon of a spice, so the initial outlay ( have you looked at the cost of the spices alone!!) will be hugely higher. Jamie's recipes are costed for walking into the shop and out again with all the ingredients, and you may have some left for another time.;) ( and I'm not even a big fan of his)

Something about level playing fields springs to mind

Yes you are right, the total cost of the shopping basket came to about £15. I already have all the spices in my store cupboard, but if you have to buy them then all the spices etc would keep you in curry nights on a Friday for ages, and you would probably have rice, onions, potatoes etc to keep you going for curry Fridays for the rest of the month! But remember this also produced 3 courses to Jamies 1!

I am so excited to have won, thank you very much to all who run MSE for a fantastic website. My hubby will be dead chuffed to hear he'll be getting champagne with his curry next Friday!!:j

trying-very-trying

ploddingalong wrote: »

Yes a wonderful meal, but I'm sorry you couldn't go with your £5 in your hand and buy the ingredients!!!!!!!!!!!! Shops won't sell you 1 teaspoon of a spice, so the initial outlay ( have you looked at the cost of the spices alone!!) will be hugely higher. Jamie's recipes are costed for walking into the shop and out again with all the ingredients, and you may have some left for another time.;) ( and I'm not even a big fan of his)Something about level playing fields springs to mind

Well, I got Jamie's recipe cards in Sainbugs, and they use store cupboard stuff as well. In fact it seemed to me that the store cupboard items varied depending on the cost of the other ingredients, i.e in one recipe the price for eggs was shown in the price list, but in another recipe using eggs these were considered as a store cupboard item.

crafty_swan

We have a healthfod store near us and they sell herbs and spices by weight I've gone in before now and asked for a teaspoon of several ingredients i needed and they were most helpful:T:T

clair2305

jenid wrote: »

OK, this is only my 2nd post so please have patience with me! Here’s 3 courses that will feed 4 - 6. We’re normally too full to have a desert but I thought I should include one as everyone else has!

STARTER - Lamb Koftas & chutneys
MAIN - Yellow split pea & coconut dhal
Spicy potatoes
Rice
DESERT - Lemon curd ice cream

LAMB KOFTAS WITH CHUTNEYS
KOFTAS
400g minced lamb £0.84 (Tesco Value Minced Lamb 800g £1.68)
3tsp medium curry powder £0.08 (Tesco Medium Curry Powder 80g £0.85)
2tsp finely grated ginger £0.11 (Ginger root loose £0.33)
2 cloves crushed garlic £0.05 (Tesco Garlic each £0.35)
1 small onion grated £0.04 (Tesco Value Onions 2 Kg £0.78)
TOTAL £1.12

Mix all the ingredients together. If you have metal or wooden skewers then take the mixture and shape around the end in a sausage shape, if not then just shape them into sausage shapes. They should make at least 12. Chill for at least 30 minutes or until you are ready to cook the main course. When ready to eat then either cook on a griddle or under a grill for 8 - 10 minutes.

CHUTNEYS
5g chopped Fresh Coriander £0.14 (Fresh Coriander 25g £0.69)
125g chopped Cherry Tomatoes £0.34 (Cherry Tomatoes 250g Pack £0.68)
½ small finely chopped onion £0.02 (Tesco Value Onions 2 Kg £0.78)
½ jar mango chutney £0.39 (Tesco Spicy Mango Chutney 230g £0.78)
TOTAL £0.89

Mix tomatoes, coriander & onion to make a chutney. Serve with mango chutney & Lamb Koftas.


YELLOW SPLIT PEA AND COCONUT DHAL
1 sachet creamed coconut £0.10 (Pataks sachets x 4 £0.38)
600ml veg stock (one cube) £0.02 (Tesco 10 Value Veg Stock Cubes £0.19)
250g yellow split peas £0.20 (Tesco Yellow Split Peas 500g £0.39)
2tsp finely grated ginger £0.11 (Ginger root loose £0.33)
2 cloves crushed garlic £0.05 (Tesco Garlic each £0.35)
2 onions finely chopped £0.08 (Tesco Value Onions 2 Kg £0.78)
1tsp garam masala £0.05 (Tesco Garam Masala Spice Blend 38g £0.85)
1tsp ground turmeric £0.04 (Tesco Ground Turmeric 45g £0.68)
1tsp ground cumin £0.04 (Tesco Ground Cumin 45g £0.68)
1tsp ground coriander £0.04 (Tesco Ground Coriander36g £0.68)
2tbsp cooking oil £0.03 (Tesco Pure Vegetable Oil 1 Litre £0.98)
TOTAL £0.76

Gently fry the onion, ginger and garlic until soft. Add the spices and fry for a minute, then add the yellow split peas and cook for another minute. Add the stock and coconut and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 50 minutes until the peas are soft but not mushy. If the mixture gets too dry during cooking add some more water.

SPICY POTATOES
500g potatoes, boiled £0.23 (Cornish White Potatoes 2.5kg £1.12)
2tsp finely grated ginger £0.11 (Ginger root loose £0.33)
1tsp garam masala £0.05 (Tesco Garam Masala Spice Blend 38g £0.85)
1tsp ground turmeric £0.04 (Tesco Ground Turmeric 45g £0.68)
1tsp ground cumin £0.04 (Tesco Ground Cumin 45g £0.68)
1tsp ground coriander £0.04 (Tesco Ground Coriander 36g £0.68)
1tsp salt £0.01 ?
2tbsp cooking oil £0.03 (Tesco Pure Vegetable Oil 1 Litre £0.98)
5g chopped Fresh Coriander £0.14 (Fresh Coriander 25g £0.69)
TOTAL £0.69

Cut the potatoes into medium size chunks and gently heat the oil. Add the ginger and spices to the oil and stir well, add the potatoes and fry gently until lightly golden. Stir through the coriander and serve.

Serve with 400g rice £0.27 (Tesco Easy Cook Long Grain Rice 2kg £1.35
Cook the rice according to instructions.

LEMON CURD ICE CREAM (best made at least the day before)
Tin of custard £0.19 (Tesco Value Ready to serve custard 396g £0.19)
500g Greek Yoghurt £0.95 (Tesco Greek Style Natural Yoghurt 500g £0.95)
1/3rd jar Lemon Curd £0.12 (Tesco Value Lemon Curd 411g £.035)
TOTAL £1.26

Whip all the ingredients together and freeze for a few hours (or until it starts to go hard) in a shallow container. Mix up the semi frozen mixture with a fork and then put back in the freezer to go hard.

GRAND TOTAL £4.99! (I hope my maths is correct!)
Far cheaper and healthier than anything you’ll get from a takeaway! Every Friday is curry night in our house, I hope you enjoy.:D

Hi jenid

can you tell me how much ice cream you get, what size tub should I use, 1 or 2 ltr?

And can it be made with low fat custard and low fat greek yoghurt?

Thanks