Show Jamie How To Cook On A Budget Champagne Contest

DaveAshton · 28 March 2008 at 11:35AM

All prices c/o Mr Tesco

Starter:
Tinned vegetable soup with bread. (Soup 21p per 400g tin, loaf 37p) x4

Main course:
Beef burgers in rolls (beef burgers 58p for 16, rolls 12 for £1.32)

Dessert:
Strawberry whip (plus milk @ 30p) 38p. x4

Total: £4.47

It'd do me, anyway

SE

elona · 28 March 2008 at 4:05PM

Ham hock 1.49 (from Morrisons)

Dried mushy peas 0.34 a packet

Onions

potatoes

carrots about £1 for the lot as I buy them in sacks

Cheese about £1

Eggs about £1 for ten (Lidl)

Make pea and ham soup in the slow cooker using the soaked dried peas,hock ,onions,potatoes and carrots. Makes about six litres.

Take ham hock out of the soup and cool then use half choppped up to make potato,onion and ham hotpot in cheese sauce.

Still leaves some for sandwiches or a home made quiche.

For a fiver I could make at least four meals for six of us.

ifonlyitwaseasier · 28 March 2008 at 5:53PM

Ok, here’s my go. Simple and filling :hello:

Vegetable soup and bread

Shepherds pie

Bread & butter pudding with custard

Potatoes £0.24 per kilo
Carrots £0.62 per kilo
Onions £0.78 per 2 kilo
Bread £0.37 per 800g loaf
Currants 11.6p per 100 g
Custard £ 0.62 per 500g (ready made)
Minced Beef £1.00 per 500g
Red lentils 12.8p per 100g
= £2.23 or as near makes no difference
Store cupboard items
2 x chicken oxo / homemade chicken stock
2 x beef oxo / homemade beef stock
olive oil
butter
ground cinnamon

Vegetable soup
chop 4 carrots, 1 onion, and potatoes. Add olive oil to pan and add onions, soften then add the carrots and potato. Stir and then cover with chicken stock, add 50g red lentils, cook for 30 mins.
Can be blended to serve. Serve with a slice of bread and butter each.

Shepherds Pie
Boil and mash potatoes & carrots and leave to one side. chop onion and fry til golden. Add the mince and brown off. Add the stock and 100g lentils and cook for 30mins
allow mince to cool and then add the mince to a oven safe dish then layer the potato and carrot mash on top.
Cook in the oven for 20-30 minutes

Bread and butter pudding
Butter the rest of the bread and slice into quartered triangles,
layer in a baking dish and sprinkle with cinnamon and the currants. Pour the custard over and allow to soak in for a few minutes. Bake for about 20-30 minutes

prices from my supermarket using tescos (and scaling down to less than a whole pack where appropriate)

cwp500 · 28 March 2008 at 6:26PM

Dead cheap. Dead easy, very nourishing and perfect if you are on tight budgets.
Ingredients;
One onion, 20p
one chicken oxo cube 5p
one small clove of garlic 5p
sprinkle of cheapest dried herbs (max half level teaspoonful)
one stick celery chopped 5P
handful of red dried lentils 5p
handful of yellow dried peas 5p
handful of dried butter beans 10p
packet of bacon mis shapes, you can pick up a very big pack from most of the Heron, cooltrader, and other budget frozen food shops. 100p, most expensive item.

total; £1.55

This will make approximately 1-2 pints of soup (depends how thick or thin you prefer), ideal for 2 peoples lunch or 2 meals for one person on a tight budget.

The secret here is to use the dried ingredients which are massively cheaper than buying tins. Dried butter beans need 24 hours soaking in 2 changes of water but repay the effort with a fabulous creamy taste.

The bacon misshapes are actually not suitable for bacon buttys but will tenderise marvellously well if slow cooked in this soup and taste as good as ribs.
############################################
Ok, soak the yellow lentils and butter beans for 24 hours.

Next day;
dice the onion, and garlic.
Rough chop the celery and add them to the pan.
Add soaked beans to the pan
Add bacon pieces to the pan (minus any fat)
Add sprinkle herbs and chicken stock cube.
Add 1 pint of water to pan
Bring all to the boil. Boil for 10 minutes , keep an eye on it. dont waste any thing!

Then cook on the very lowest light for 90 minutes, stirring every now and then to prevent soup catching on pan.

Add any salt and pepper to individual taste.

Fabulous paupers soup, and healthier than anything you can ever buy!

Looks like a big list but it isnt.

hedgewytch13 · 28 March 2008 at 7:10PM

Starter: Tortilla Chips, with salsa and melted cheese
(Basic Sainsburys Tortilla Chips: 18p / Salsa: 69p / Cheese: Approx 50p's worth (Basic Cheddar)). Total: £1.37
Arrange chips on baking tray, scatter on grated cheese and grill until bubbling, serve with salsa as dip.

Main: Toad in the hole: 2 Eggs, 125g Plain Flour, 1 tsp of mustard, 150ml of milk + 150ml cold water, 6 sausages. Served with mash and peas.
Flour: 36p / Eggs: 50p / Mustard: 25p / Sausages(value): 47p/ Milk: 40p / Potatoes: 50p / Peas: 30p / Gravy: 34p. Total: £3.12

Whisk eggs, flour, milk, mustard. Leave to stand for about 15 mins. Heat oven to 220c. Pour a little oil in cooking tray and heat, then put in batter. Throw in sausages and bake for 30mins or until fluffy and golden. In the meantime make mash, heat peas etc.

Dessert: Fruit Cocktail Jelly, with custard.
Fruit Cocktail: 25p / Jelly: 8p / Custard: 8p. Total 41p
Make Jelly, put in fruit cocktail while liquid then allow to set and serve with instant custard. Sprinkle some crumbled flake on top if budget allows.

Grand Total: £4.90......

Prices based on Sainsburys prices...mainly value range but with free range eggs.

nickym · 28 March 2008 at 8:13PM

Attempt number 2!
The soup is very thick & filling, don't make as a starter!!
Make the mousse a few hours before needed, make the soup just before serving!

Creamy Mushroom soup served with warm crusty rolls

40g butter (10p)
350g potatoes, peeled & diced (20p)
1 onion, peeled & chopped (15p)
1 clove garlic, peeled & finely chopped (hardly anything!)
1.2 litres vegetable stock (15p)
250g button mushrooms (62p)
2 eggs (20p they are £1.20 per doz from my local market)
150ml sour cream or creme fraiche (50p)
4 crusty bread rolls (40p for 4 Asda luxury cheese topped rolls)

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, fry the potatoes, onion & garlic for 5 mins.
2.Add the stock to the pan. Bring to the boil & simmer on a low heat for 10 mins. Meanwhile, wipe the mushrooms with kitchen paper & slice thinly. Add to the soup & simmer for 10 mins.
3.Mix together the egg yolks & cream (or creme fraiche) Stir in a little of the hot soup mixture. Then gradually pour the egg & cream mix into the pan, stirring constantly.
4.Season the soup & pour into 4 serving bowls.
Warm the rolls in an oven & serve!

Chocolate Mousse

275g Plain chocolate (70p)
4 eggs (40p)
small punnet of strawberrys (£1.49 from Asda)

1. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water & allow to cool slightly.
2. seperate the eggs & stir the yolks into the chocolate.
3. Beat the whites to the 'soft peak' stage.
4. fold the whites into the chocolate mix.
5. Divide into 4 serving dishes & chill for 2 hours.
Before serving put a few strawberries on top of each mousse.

Total £4.91 :j

mummy_maker · 28 March 2008 at 11:30PM

Family meal for 4

Salmon Spagetti (Cabonara style)

INGREDIENTS

Tesco Value Spaghetti 500g £0.23

Tesco Low Fat Natural Yogurt 500g £0.73

Tesco Italian Grated Parmesan Cheese 50g
£0.85

Tesco Wild Pacific Pink Salmon 418g £0.80

Chicken Bovril Paste Jar 125g £1.05
May need to look around for this item

TOTAL COST £3.66
Prices got from Tesco on 28/03/08

Cook the pasta and drain
Add the Salmon and 1 heaped teaspoon of chicken bovril stir in well.
Add the Yoghurt and cook gently until nicely warm (around 1 min) then serve with sprinkle of grated italian cheese (very posh) and ground black pepper.

englishmac · 28 March 2008 at 11:39PM

All ingredients ASDA brand products unless stated otherwise - SP indicates Smart Price

Main course: Liver with rice
£
450g frozen chicken livers, defrosted 0.88

1tsp dried mixed herbs 0.02

1 garlic clove, crushed 0.04

100g SP frozen sweetcorn 0.07

100g frozen petit pois 0.17

0.5 pint water 0.00

1 beef Oxo cube 0.06

1 vegetable Oxo cube 0.06

2tbsp olive oil 0.12

70g Heinz Tomato ketchup 0.17

100g easy cook rice 0.09
Subtotal
1.62

Boil a saucepan of water. Add rice, peas, sweetcorn and vegetable oxo cube. Simmer until rice and vegetables are partially cooked. Clean chicken livers. Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Add livers to frying pan with dried mixed herbs and crushed garlic. Fry until livers are browned. Boil kettle and dissolve beef Oxo cube in 3/4 mug of boiling water. Add ketchup to beef Oxo and stir well. When livers are browned, add beef Oxo mix and stir well. Add drained rice and vegetables to liver mix. Simmer until mixture thickens to desired consistency and rice/vegetables have cooked (absorbing the beef Oxo mix). Stir regularly during this time to prevent burning. The secret of the flavour to this meal is in the simmering time. Allow the rice to take up the flavour of the livers/gravy. Serves 4.

Dessert: Strawberries in jelly £

128g SP Strawberry jelly 0.08

406g tin Tesco Strawberries in juice 0.25

Pkt SP Strawberry dessert whip 0.03

250ml Semi skimmed milk 0.17

100g SP Milk chocolate bar 0.23

284ml Elmlea whipping cream 0.72
Subtotal
1.48

Make jelly according to instructions but replace equal amount of cold water with the juice from the tin of strawberries and mix the strawberries into the jelly after dissolving cubes/adding cold liquid. Share the jelly between 4 dishes. Allow to set. Make dessert whip with the milk according to the pack instructions. Share the dessert whip between the 4 dishes. Whip the cream and add grated bar of chocolate to decorate the desserts before serving. Serves 4.

Filling 2 course meal total £3.10

DizzyD_2 · 29 March 2008 at 1:12PM

I can't offer a 3 course menu for under a fiver as we never eat starters or puds in our house, but I can offer some really cheap main courses.

I also should mention I never really measure anything, so its all approximate measurements.

Lentil Casserole
1 cup red lentils
half cup green lentils
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
half swede, diced
1 large sweet potato, diced
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed
half cup frozen peas
veg stock (or whatever you have available)
handful of fresh parsley
Cost - £1.70 approx - will make 6-8 good portions

Basically I prepare all the ingredients (except peas and parsley), chuck them in a pot and add enough veg stock to cover. Cook on a med heat for 30 mins stirring occassionally. Add more stock if required. Finally add the frozen peas and parsley and a little more stock if required - cook for a further 15 mins. The end result should be a thick casserole. It gets even better with age and will keep for 2 or 3 days in the fridge or forever in the freezer.

How to serve - with crusty bread for lunch, or with mashed potato for dinner. You could add the mash to the top of the casserole and put in the oven to make a sort of cottage pie.

It can also be easily made into a soup by adding more stock. Its nice with a pinch of chilli powder to give it a bit of bite too.

Veg stock - I collect the water I use to steam veggies and add stock powder or cube - full of nutrients and very cheap.

Veggie Korma
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 courgette, diced
half a pack mushrooms, quartered
quarter jar Pataks korma paste
100ml water
100ml single cream of creme fraiche
Cost - £3.00 approx

Fry the onion in a little oil for a couple of mins, add the korma paste and cook, stirring constantly for 5 mins. Add the pepper, courgette and mushrooms and stir thoroughly to coat everything in the korma. Add the water, stir well and cook on a low/med heat for 20 mins, stirring occassionally.

When its ready, mix in the cream and serve with rice. My other half isn't veggie and I often throw in some leftover chicken to his and heat through.

Other cheap meal ideas:

macaroni cheese with frozen mixed veg mixed through it
hm potato wedges, poached egg and hm baked beans
pasta and hm spicy veg + tomato sauce

Sorry the measurements/costings aren't 100% accurate.

englishmac · 29 March 2008 at 1:23PM

All ingredients ASDA brand products unless stated otherwise - SP indicates Smart Price

Starter: Bacon and sausage concoction!

½ pkt SP unsmoked back bacon 0.40

½ x 227g Mattessons smoked pork sausage 0.49

100g cherry tomatoes 0.25

1 SP courgette 0.52

1 tbsp olive oil 0.06
Subtotal
1.72

Chop courgette into pieces and fry in olive oil until it starts to soften – do not overcook as it will become watery. Use scissors to cut bacon into small pieces. Chop sausage into small pieces. Add bacon and sausage to courgette and fry until cooked through. Chop cherry tomatoes in half and add to courgette mix. Cook until tomatoes are heated through but still firm. Serves 4.

Main course: Tuna mash

2kgs SP potatoes 0.60

1tsp dried basil 0.02

185g tin Princes tuna in spring water, offer price (2 x 6 tins for £5)0.42

1 leek (market stall) 0.35

28g spreadable butter 0.07

25ml semi-skimmed milk 0.02

2tbsp olive oil 0.12

Subtotal
1.60

Boil potatoes in a saucepan until cooked through. In the meantime, chop the leek and fry in olive oil with dried basil. Keep frying pan covered and stir regularly to prevent burning. When leeks have softened, drain tuna and add to leeks. When tuna has heated through, remove pan from heat. When potatoes are cooked, thoroughly mash with butter and milk. Add reserved leeks/tuna and mix well. Heat through. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Dessert: Chocolate peanut pots

300g SP milk chocolate digestives 0.27

300g fresh bananas 0.24

350g peanut butter 0.60

150ml fresh double cream 0.56
Subtotal
1.67

Crush chocolate digestives. Heat peanut butter until melted. Add crushed digestives and mix well - until digestives are thoroughly coated with peanut butter. Divide mixture between 4 ramekin dishes and press down well. Chill. When ready to serve dessert, turn ramekins out onto larger dishes/plates. Chop bananas and use to top peanut mix. Pour double cream over dessert. Serves 4.

3 course meal total £4.99

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Show Jamie How To Cook On A Budget Champagne Contest

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