Meals for a very tight budget...
- Thread starter loobieluck
- Start date
curlylou
Member
Whenever we need to cut down on the food bill, I make a meat substitute I picked up from somewhere years ago. I simmer 1 cup of green lentils, 1 onion, 1 cup brown rice and 5 cups of stock for about 45 minutes until the lentils are tender. Then I use the mixture anywhere where I would use mince. So I add some to an italian style sauce, and serve it with pasta and veggies for bolognaise. The kids love it in a fajita sauce, served in wraps with cheese. It makes a huge batch and can feed the four of us for 4-5 meals. It is lovely, even my meat loving DH likes it and it helps out enormously when we are skint. I made some into a lasagna tonight, and tomorrow we are having some more made into cottage pie.
We are also eating a lot of rice, cooking it with some garlic powder and serving with different types of beans and veggies. On Monday we are having veggie burgers made with kidney beans, along with the frozen smart price veggies and h/m chips.
I like stir fries, but I am the only one in the house who eats them, so I buy the frozen packs of stir fry veg which are surprisingly nice. I have this with some baked tofu (if my budget stretches that far!!) or some toasted cashew nuts as a Hex B, and some more rice! I do adore rice.
My favourite dinner is spicy rice! I make a simple curry paste by blitzing some curry powder, onion and ginger. I fry this for a minute along with some fresh garlic if I can afford it, or I just add some garlic powder which is always in the cupboard. I buy it in bulk from an Indian grocers along with onion powder. Add 125g of rinsed basmati rice, 225ml veg stock and some chickpeas. Stir, cover, bring to the boil and simmer for about 12 minutes until the rice is tender. Add some defrosted spinach (with the excess water squeezed out) and heat up. Serve topped with toasted cashews and plain yogurt.
Our local farm shop sells half sacks of potatoes. I cook the biggest as jacket potatoes in the oven and freeze them, and just microwave when I want one. The next size I make into chips, by cutting up, par boiling and then freezing. I cook these from frozen. The smallest I keep in the cupboard and use for mash, and these tend to get used first before they go soft. I've heard that you can freeze mashed potato but whenever I try they come out all watery so I never bother!
I hope this helps someone. I love reading every one elses tips and suggestions, this forum is fabulous x
We are also eating a lot of rice, cooking it with some garlic powder and serving with different types of beans and veggies. On Monday we are having veggie burgers made with kidney beans, along with the frozen smart price veggies and h/m chips.
I like stir fries, but I am the only one in the house who eats them, so I buy the frozen packs of stir fry veg which are surprisingly nice. I have this with some baked tofu (if my budget stretches that far!!) or some toasted cashew nuts as a Hex B, and some more rice! I do adore rice.
My favourite dinner is spicy rice! I make a simple curry paste by blitzing some curry powder, onion and ginger. I fry this for a minute along with some fresh garlic if I can afford it, or I just add some garlic powder which is always in the cupboard. I buy it in bulk from an Indian grocers along with onion powder. Add 125g of rinsed basmati rice, 225ml veg stock and some chickpeas. Stir, cover, bring to the boil and simmer for about 12 minutes until the rice is tender. Add some defrosted spinach (with the excess water squeezed out) and heat up. Serve topped with toasted cashews and plain yogurt.
Our local farm shop sells half sacks of potatoes. I cook the biggest as jacket potatoes in the oven and freeze them, and just microwave when I want one. The next size I make into chips, by cutting up, par boiling and then freezing. I cook these from frozen. The smallest I keep in the cupboard and use for mash, and these tend to get used first before they go soft. I've heard that you can freeze mashed potato but whenever I try they come out all watery so I never bother!
I hope this helps someone. I love reading every one elses tips and suggestions, this forum is fabulous x
cat yoyo greaves
Gold Member
If your frozen mash Is watery when you microwave just Cook a little longer
curlylou
Member
I did try that, but it was just grainy, a really odd texture. I've tried few times and decided that I must not like the taste of frozen mash!
cat yoyo greaves
Gold Member
As my hubbs only had 3 hrs work this week usually does 40 we have once again hit hard times so done a stock up shop while i still have pennies spent 32 quid altogether in my Local Asian veg shop and farmfoods and heres what i got
10kg bag of washed potatoes
9kg bag of onions
14 apples
14 satsumas
30 eggs
2 melons
6 packs of darylea light triangles
A pack of muller lights
A pack of crunch corners (high syn theyre the hubbys )
And 10 bags of frozen veg .... I got 2 x carrots... cauli. Brocoli peas corn spinnach swede greenbeans and leeks
This lot will last ages with a few bits of meat and tins of beans too
10kg bag of washed potatoes
9kg bag of onions
14 apples
14 satsumas
30 eggs
2 melons
6 packs of darylea light triangles
A pack of muller lights
A pack of crunch corners (high syn theyre the hubbys )
And 10 bags of frozen veg .... I got 2 x carrots... cauli. Brocoli peas corn spinnach swede greenbeans and leeks
This lot will last ages with a few bits of meat and tins of beans too
curlylou
Member
As my hubbs only had 3 hrs work this week usually does 40 we have once again hit hard times so done a stock up shop while i still have pennies spent 32 quid altogether in my Local Asian veg shop and farmfoods and heres what i got
10kg bag of washed potatoes
9kg bag of onions
14 apples
14 satsumas
30 eggs
2 melons
6 packs of darylea light triangles
A pack of muller lights
A pack of crunch corners (high syn theyre the hubbys )
And 10 bags of frozen veg .... I got 2 x carrots... cauli. Brocoli peas corn spinnach swede greenbeans and leeks
This lot will last ages with a few bits of meat and tins of beans too
Wow, that's an amazing shop! I live in the middle of nowhere, and whenever we venture out to civilisation I get really excited and hit all the cheaper shops! Otherwise it isn't worth the 1.5 hours worth of petrol it takes me to drive to the shops and back. I've just done my shopping for the next four weeks, and spent £127 which leaves me with £23 for milk and fruit and anything else I'm desperate for! I did a tesco shop this time, as I can have it delivered, and if I do end up snowed in living in the back of beyond then we won't starve! I got a chest freezer off freecycle, so that means I can do a lot of bulk cooking and then freeze it. I tend to eat different meals from the rest of the family quite a lot, and if I don't have some meals ready cooked for myself then I tend to fall off plan. I've also bought some seeds from the garden shop so that I can try and grow some vegetables again this year, now I've got the big freezer I can hopefully freeze lots to help out next winter. Fingers crossed!
cat yoyo greaves
Gold Member
If you cut the eyes off potatoes and plant them they will grow into more potatoes ..... Thats what my mum does
curlylou
Member
Really? Will have to give that a go as well then, cheers
Jupiterdrops85
Full Member
A really cheap lunch when I really cant be bothered, Pasta and baked beans you can even cook the pasta in the micro at work if your feeling lazy the night before. I take jacket potatos with me quite often and then add either leftovers or I mix some smart price tuna chucks (64p) with some light mayo and away you go. At my local greengrocers I can get quite a few jacket potatos for 50p. They do require a little washing but so cheap and good quality!
definately visit the butcher they can advise of good cheap cuts, just cos cheapt doesn't mean it is not nice i had shin the otherday and it was beautiful, did in the slow cooker, was sooooo tender and cheap, plus butcher cuts all the fat of for me so in effect can turn any emat in to lean meat. also minced pork is cheaper than beef and again butcher can lean it up and mince it for you, I usually get 2lb and split it and freeze it as easier fo r butcher to mince that amount.
cat yoyo greaves
Gold Member
I love cheap cuts and find shin and neck end are sooooo much nicer in flavour in stews
I also love kidney and liver
Liver bacon and onion is a fave meal of mine
lisa_swims
Member
Here is a simplified recipe for Adas Polo.
Make a 1/2 cup of lentils.
Make small pieces of either chicken or beef.
Boil rice. When you drain the rice and go to steam it, add in the lentils and meat.
You can add nuts, raisins, onions, tumeric or any other spices. I find lentils more tolerable mixed in with rice.
I don't know if ground beef is on the SW plan but it's a good way to stretch a little bit of ground beef.
Make a 1/2 cup of lentils.
Make small pieces of either chicken or beef.
Boil rice. When you drain the rice and go to steam it, add in the lentils and meat.
You can add nuts, raisins, onions, tumeric or any other spices. I find lentils more tolerable mixed in with rice.
I don't know if ground beef is on the SW plan but it's a good way to stretch a little bit of ground beef.
bc201
Silver Member
In morrisons had a Huge TURKEY LEG for £3
It was in 2 portions the large leg and the thigh
Froze the thigh bit then yesturday skinned the leg bit (had to chop end bit to fit in slow cooker!!)
Added carrot onion leek broccoli chicken stock cube garlic salt pepper mixed herbs sage bay leaf water potato
Hey presto 6 hrs later a lovely casserole (the veg added was anything available in the veg drawer?)
I did SYN some corn flour 1tbsp (4syn) in a little water added last 30 min
Was gorg! And was enough meat for 2 (1 normal and one 6'5" hungry male!!) yesterday and enough again for 2night
And still only half the £3 turkey used!!
TASTY BARGAIN I WOULD SAY??
It was in 2 portions the large leg and the thigh
Froze the thigh bit then yesturday skinned the leg bit (had to chop end bit to fit in slow cooker!!)
Added carrot onion leek broccoli chicken stock cube garlic salt pepper mixed herbs sage bay leaf water potato
Hey presto 6 hrs later a lovely casserole (the veg added was anything available in the veg drawer?)
I did SYN some corn flour 1tbsp (4syn) in a little water added last 30 min
Was gorg! And was enough meat for 2 (1 normal and one 6'5" hungry male!!) yesterday and enough again for 2night
And still only half the £3 turkey used!!
TASTY BARGAIN I WOULD SAY??
lisa_swims
Member
Is a jacket potato a baked potato? I've seen it several times on here!
caroline71
Full Member
Is a jacket potato a baked potato? I've seen it several times on here!
Yes it is
GILLYBEAN635
Member
Thanks so much for this thread guys, really helps me out as a newbie on a bidget
xx
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