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Cook the larder dry!

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MSE_Martin
MSE_Martin Posts: 8,272 Money Saving Expert
Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
As all Old-Style MoneySavers will know, there's nothing worse than continually stocking up on food, leaving the old things to simply pile up and go past their use by date. So here's a couple of nifty sites to help
  • Cooking By Numbers: Here you enter what basic ingredients you've got left and it'll attempt to come up with a recipe for you to make a meal out of them.
  • BBC Recipes. While not built around the same concept, it can work in the same way as it allows you to search for recipes via ingredients.
  • Old-Style Recipe Index. Of course there's this sites own Old-Style recipe index, where regular OS Delia's and Jamies, have hundreds of recipes for great food on tiny budgets.
If you know any more, easy beginner suggestion sites, please note them below.

Martin

What is MoneySaving Old-Style? For those who've not been in Old-Style before, this section of the Forum is slightly different. Rather than concentrating on system playing and beating the system, this is all about thrifty and nifty. Living a less cluttered, less consumerist, easier, cheaper, more ethical lifestyle. It's worth exploring some of the topics that the regular users and board guide volunteers have indexed.


Quick Note To Regular Old-Stylers: I know both these have been mentioned in OS many times before. Yet I thought it'd be nice to start one thread to bring them together to go in the weekly e-mail - especially for novice cooks (like me!)
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Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert.
Please note, answers don't constitute financial advice, it is based on generalised journalistic research. Always ensure any decision is made with regards to your own individual circumstance.
Don't miss out on urgent MoneySaving, get my weekly e-mail at www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips.
Debt-Free Wannabee Official Nerd Club: (Honorary) Members number 000
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Comments

  • I do a big shop once a month (maybe longer) and so I do stock up on certain ingredients that i use a lot of, such as tinned tomatoes & pasta.

    Its always best to stick the newest ones at the back of the cupboard and the bring the oldest ones to the front, so they should never go past thier best before date.
    Your home is at risk if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or other loan secured on it.
  • foreverskint
    foreverskint Posts: 1,009 Forumite
    500 Posts
    http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/home.asp

    A good one for Restaurant secret recipes. Very American, and some parts of the site are pay for a recipe, but plenty of free ones on there. The taco bel Fajita sauce mix is a real hit in this house.
  • sandieb
    sandieb Posts: 728 Forumite
    I would recommend SeeWeed's Monthly Meal planner thread on this forum
    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=238605

    It's a plan for economical, healthy menus for a whole month WITH recipes and WITH a shopping list.

    Brilliant and recommended for post of the month.
  • nickj_2
    nickj_2 Posts: 7,052 Forumite
    try out the bbc's ready steady cook w/site ,you can find recipes by your fave chev , or what ingredients you've got handy
  • CAHA
    CAHA Posts: 45 Forumite
    I always go to http://www.recipezaar.com/ in the first instant. Apart from it being predominantly American it has never let me down yet and I have put some really obscure requirements in. If you are interested in Thai food http://www.thailand-uk.com/ offers good advice on what to cook, how to cook it and where to buy the ingredients.
    Regards

    Chris
  • Kazonline
    Kazonline Posts: 1,472 Forumite
    I'm glad this thread was brought back to the front - I'd never heared of the first site and I'm sure I'll have plenty of use for it!
    Kaz x
    January '06 Grocery Challenge (4th - 31st) £320.
    Week 1 - £73.99 Week 2 £5.10 (so far :p )
    Someone burst my bubble and I lost the plot so no idea what I spent now... :(I will try to work it out.
    Other Jan :- Petrol £20.41, Clothes £8.50, House £3.
  • Glad
    Glad Posts: 18,925 Senior Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Mortgage-free Glee! Name Dropper
    Delia Smith's site is very useful with different sections for beginners, meals for one etc
    Deliaonline
    I am a Senior Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Wales, Small Biz MoneySaving, In My Home (includes DIY) MoneySaving, and Old style MoneySaving boards. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
  • Brilliant:T What a fantastic website! Have added it to my favourites. Thanks
    Total Debt £2178
    Barclaycard - £1978
    Amex Card - £200
    Debt free date: April 2010:j
  • finc
    finc Posts: 1,095 Forumite
    I like Astray Recipes. You just type in the key ingredients and hundreds of recipes pop up!
    :smileyhea
  • chickadee
    chickadee Posts: 1,447 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Try the tesco website https://www.tesco.com for recipes. Go to groceries and you should find the link on the left hand side. You need to be logged in but there is a great selection. They are listed by ingredient, (meat, fish, etc) or by country (Indian, Italian, Thai etc) or by chef.
    Sealed Pot Challenge #8 £341.90
    Sealed Pot Challenge #9 £162.98
    Sealed Pot Challenge #10 £33.10
    Sealed Pot Challenge #11 Member #36
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