Five Low Budget Recipes

Hello readers, hope you are well and ready for the weekend.

My post is late this evening as I have had an absolutely mad day today.  

Here are some low budget recipes as I promised. There are actually six recipes and this is because I have given two soup possibilities as these are my two easy soups.  I have tried to add measurements/weight as accurately as possible, however I do tend to guess and flavour to taste so you may need to add a little more/less water to your recipes - especially the soups.  The recipes should feed four people.

Please remember that as this week is my #sharingiscaring week, these are just my own recipes that I use so they wont be perfectly written, as I am just sharing these with you.  I am aware that they will not be to the taste of everyone, but cooking to me is all about experimenting with what you have so don't be afraid to adapt them, just ensure everything is cooked.  I would definitely say that these are our family favourites.  I apologise if I have missed anything off the shopping list at the end.  I have quite a large store cupboard and often forget that people may not have these, and may have to buy.  

Spaghetti Bolognese (feeds 4)

Ingredients

Spaghetti Pasta

Mince (I use pork but you can use beef or turkey based on your preference)

Chopped Tomatoes

Stock Cube

Basil (optional)

Garlic (2 Cloves)

Spray Oil

Onion

Tomato Puree

Method

Fry off the mince in a frying pan with chopped onion and garlic, with a couple of sprays of oil.  Once the mince is browned off, and then break up a stock cube, sprinkle it over and stir it in.  Then sprinkle over a little basil as you prefer (optional).  Add in the chopped tomatoes and stir again.  Bring your mixture to boil, and then turn down to simmer for around 15 minutes. 

Cook your pasta spaghetti in boiling water as instructions suggest and then drain well before serving. 

Ideas 

I often serve with garlic bread and sprinkle a little cheese on top which as the cheese is already on my shopping list and you will not use a whole block on the shepherd’s pie recipe, means it is already available so just add 38p for a value garlic bread to the price.  If you want to bulk out your recipe as you are cooking for more people, add a handful of red lentils, grate a carrot, then add an extra tin of chopped tomatoes and a further stock cube – obviously you may need to buy further garlic bread too.  This would add 12p for one carrot, 38p for a garlic bread, the lentils are already bought, 38p for a further tin of chopped tomatoes and then another stock cube from your packet.  This often feeds 6 in my house for an extra 88p. 

Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients

Mince

Stock cube

Onion

Carrot

Peas

Potatoes

Cheese

Gravy

Method 

Peel some potatoes and chop into quarters or eighths, then boil for 20 minutes (for mash).  Fry off the mince with an onion until brown.  Peel and chop two carrots, and add a handful of peas.  Boil the kettle and add the stock cube to 300ml of water and stir it together.  Poor over the mince mixture and simmer for around ten minutes.  Drain potatoes and mash.  Put the mince mixture into a suitable sized dish and top with the mashed potato.  Grate the cheese and sprinkle over.  Bake in the oven on 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes. 

Ideas

Serve with gravy and a portion of mixed vegetables.  Sometimes I also serve with Yorkshire puddings too. 

Chicken Curry

Ingredients

200g of chicken.

1 Onion.

Two cloves of garlic

Curry powder

water and/or milk

Method

Fry around 200g of chicken pieces in spray oil.  Cook for around 5 minutes and ensure the outside is white all over.  Turn the heat low on your frying pan and boil some water in your kettle.  Chop one onion and add to the pan.  Dice two cloves of garlic and add.  Once the mixture has sweat down, it should be quite moist.  If not add a few further squirts of spray oil.  300ml of boiling water into a jug and stand to the side.  Put Sprinkle over some curry powder over your mixture (about two table spoons) – I use Maykways but not all supermarkets stock this.  Stir quickly into your mixture and then add the water slowly.  You may need a little more or a little less water so make sure to keep stirring and add slowly.  Bring to the boil and then simmer for around 3 minutes. 

Ideas

You can add anything you want or have left over to curries but remember to ensure everything is added early in the recipe and cooked thoroughly.  You could add another meat, mushrooms, vegetables – based on your preference.  If you like hotter curries add some chillies or chili powder.  If you like mild curry’s then you could replace the some or all of the water with cold milk. 

You can serve this dish with rice or chips. 

Soup 

Leek and Bacon - ingredients

1 Leek

Bacon (1/3 of a packet)

1 potato

Milk

2 Stock cube

Water (use discretion)

Corn flour

butter

Method

Chop your leek and fry in the pan with a little butter.  Chop your bacon into tiny pieces and add to the mix.  Break up two stock cubes and sprinkle in along with two teaspoons of corn flour.  Stir well.  Peel and chop a potato into small cubes, give them a good rinse and then add them to the mixture.  Add 100ml of milk, stirring well and making sure your hob is on a low heat.  Add the warm water (about 300ml) and stir.  Bring to the boil, and then simmer for 20 minutes.  Salt to taste.

Bacon and Lentil - ingredients

Bacon (1/3 of pack)

Lentils (2 handfuls)

Two Stock cubes

Method

Dice the bacon and add to the pan with a little spray oil.  When cooked, add your hot water and stir in the lentils.  Sprinkle in your two stock cubes and stir well.  Bring to the boil and simmer for around half an hour or until the lentils are well cooked and the mixture is quite thick.  You do need to keep an eye on your soup to ensure it isn’t thickening too much so be sure to give it a good stir every 5 minutes and add more water if necessary. 

Omelette's

Ingredients

Bacon (1/3 of pack)

1 Onion

2 Mushroom

2 eggs

Cheese

Milk

Method

Again, chop your bacon small, dice and onion and mushrooms.  Fry everything in the pan.  Meanwhile, crack your two eggs in a jug and add a splash of milk.  Mix well.  Grate your cheese and leave to the side.  Once your ingredients are cooked, add your egg mixture to the pan.  Sprinkle over your cheese and wait for the egg to cook. You then need to try and fold your omelette in half to ensure the egg on the top is cooked.  You may wish to flip it if you are brave or if you have a grill friendly pan, you may wish to cook the top of your omelette under the grill.  Just ensure that everything, especially the egg is cooked well. 

Shopping list of Ingredients

Spaghetti                                 

Stock cubes (chicken)             

Chopped Tomatoes                  

Basil (optional)                                    

Mince (2 packs for £3 in Iceland)                      

Potatoes                                 

Gravy                                      

Chicken pieces 200g             

Bacon (Value cooking)          

Leek                                       

Onions (at least 4)                  

Garlic                                      

Cheese (300g)                          

Eggs (15)                                

Milk                                         

Curry Powder                         

Lentils                                    

Spray Oil                                 

Frozen mixed veg                    

Carrots                               

Peas (frozen)                         

Butter   

Mushrooms                                    

This shopping list totals under £30.00 in my experience if you go for the cheaper options.  

The trick is to make your food go as far as possible, so if you are a smaller family, you may only use 2/3 of mince from each pack giving you an extra portion for another meal.  The bacon too as it is chopped small and only used in moderation as an addition to your recipe, you should make this go as far as you can.  My children also like the value noodles for around 20p in the supermarket and you can serve these with the curry, or as a separate meal too with what leftovers you have.  

You can also use what you would have left to cook eggs, baked potatoes, home-made wedges.  Try not to throw out what you can freeze, so your soup for instance, could be used for dinner later in the week.  Remember you would also need to buy bread and any drinks you need to last the week too. 

I really hope you enjoyed reading my recipes, even if they all weren't to your taste.  Feel free to share your low budget family favourite below - #sharingiscaring 

Have a great weekend! 

Laters, Janet