Recipe ideas for budget meals, everyday cooking and a little indulgence. Travel inspiration and restaurant reviews too.
First impressions are terribly important, but then so is not judging a book by its cover. This may look, on first glance, like a bowl of indistinct yellow mush but trust me, don’t judge this bowl of incredible-ness by its ‘rustic’ appearance. When I have a bowl of dahl it has to be three things: comforting, frugal and full of garlic. My Yellow Split Pea Dahl, which I have been trying and testing for some time now, fulfils all of my dahl needs and wants. Absolutely dahl-icious.
I tried something similar to these Mexican black beans at a restaurant a few weeks ago. They were so tasty and I loved the frugality of them that I really wanted to try and make them at home. Attempt one tasted fine but the texture was all wrong, attempt two was an improvement but the spicing wasn’t quite right. By the third attempt I’d got it; tasty, slightly spicy, cheap and easy to make. Does it get much better?
You will need (for 2):
Total for two: £2.05
Heat a little oil in a saucepan on a medium heat and add the garlic. Fry for a minute or so and don’t let the garlic catch. Add the chilli and spices and keep everything moving.
Add the beans, stock, a little salt and pepper then pop a lid on and leave to simmer lightly for 15 minutes.
Take the lid off and continue to cook for another five minutes; lightly mash most of the beans with the back of the spoon until it’s like a very thick soup.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly and thicken up a little more, stir through the fresh coriander and serve.
I had this on the side with my enchiladas recently but the previous versions were served with rice or quinoa (both good choices) and a fresh tomato salad. I left the chilli out of the first batch I made and it still tastes great but adding it does give that lovely fresh chilli flavour to the beans and along with the spices, garlic and coriander this is a very tasty bowl of stuff. And I bet you’ve got most of the ingredients in your cupboards already. I would be tempted to thicken these beans up further, spread them over a wrap, top with some leftover shredded chicken and fresh tomato salsa, roll and enjoy.
Can you eat organic while also making sure you don’t break the bank? I think you can. And not only that I think you can make some really delicious and different meals too. The answer to eating organic on a budget is about sourcing the ingredients cost effectively and a good meal plan. I wanted to put it to the test and see what I could make with one week’s worth of organic meat and veg. One way to make things easier is to use a veg box company; the time you save needing to go to the shops can be spent planning what you’re going to cook up.
(The Abel & Cole boxes were gifted).
Abel & Cole kindly sent me the ingredients for this post and below is what I got for the week. I had one Keen Cooks Box (£14.25) and one Marvellous Meat Box (£14) so all I needed to do was work out how to use these ingredients to feed two of us for a whole week. The veg box came with a sprig or two of mint which was very handy for my tabbouleh! The meat was actually not organic, but it was high welfare which is what I would normally buy if I couldn’t get my hands on organic.
Chicken Legs (2)
Lamb Steaks (4)
Gammon Steak
Purple Spouting Broccoli
Fennel
Courgettes
Chestnut Mushrooms
Baby Plum Tomatoes
Sweet Mix Salad
Mango
Bananas
Pears
The meals we had are listed below, we had these in the evenings. For breakfast we had porridge or homemade granola and lunch was either sandwiches or salad with fruit. I had to buy a few extra ingredients on top of the two boxes (bread, milk, a few bits of extra fruit, potatoes, cheese and the like) and the rest of the ingredients were already in my fridge and cupboards. I spent around £17 on a top up shop which meant the total cost for two people for the week was £45 (roughly).
Chicken legs are not something that I would usually buy so it was great to have a different cut in the house. I’d had some orzo hanging around for a little while so a lovely green minestrone seemed like a great idea. I browned then removed the chicken, added leeks and fried gently. Popped chicken back in with some stock and simmered then added the orzo, a few minutes later I added some chopped courgette and broccoli. I added some parsley right at the end.
As I had four lamb steaks I wanted to stretch them for two meals rather than one. First up was Harissa Lamb and Tabbouleh which was a great way to use various bits from the veg box and fridge along with some leftover harissa paste.
The other lamb dish I made was my Lamb, Lentils and Flatbreads. I used lentils to bulk this dish out as I used the two smaller lamb steaks. Delicious with the ripe tomatoes and fresh salad.
On a rainy day we made a Broccoli Macaroni Cheese using up the rest of the broccoli and one tomato I had saved just to put on the top!
The other half of the salad needed to be used up so was perfect alongside some Gammon Hash. Really easy to make this used the gammon, an onion, some potatoes and sweetcorn.
My Mozzarella Mushrooms were a great success. Baked in the oven with plenty of garlic then covered with mozzarella for the last few minutes, served up alongside some mashed potatoes which were mixed with blended spinach.
Lastly we had Fennel Risotto. Made with a normal plain risotto base I baked the fennel slowly until it was soft and gently caramelised, I threw some peppers in there for good measure too, then simply topped the risotto with the veg and a good handful of parmsesan.
If we assume that your fridge contents aren’t exactly the same as mine so you might need to pick up a few extra bits (the harissa paste, a tin of sweetcorn and some mozzarella for example) I think you could easily feed two people, organic, for around £50 a week. And that includes breakfast and lunch. And you don’t (necessarily) need to go to a big shop to pick up the extra bits and bobs; you could use a little local one. Meal planning is key to sticking to a budget; I have a previous post with some tips for doing your own meal planning if it’s something you’re new to.
When you’re working through your meal plan and your getting to the end, sometimes you can be faced with some strange combinations, but that’s the beauty of saving time at the shops. You can have a think, a ponder and a look through some books to choose exactly what you want to do with some mushrooms and a few potatoes or decide how you can make a fennel bulb the star of your meal. Veg boxes do make you think outside the box (pun intended) to try a new recipe or two which can only be a good thing.
Thank you to Abel & Cole for the boxes. I wanted to have a go at eating organic on a budget and all opinions expressed and words are my own.
I love paneer. If I see a menu and it has paneer on it, I will order it without a doubt, preferably alongside a thick, garlicky daal of some description. As the cheese itself is quite flavourless it lends itself to being mixed with punchy flavours and spices. This Tikka Paneer and Pilaf is one of those meals which you start in the morning before work (mixing the marinade) and then finish off in the evening. And, as usual, it’s ready in around 30 minutes and won’t break the bank; a perfect vegetarian midweek meal.
You will need (for four):
Wholesome food always makes you feel good; it’s made from humble ingredients and is full of good things like beans, vegetables and whole grains. I normally eat slow cooked, what I would describe as wholesome, meals in the autumn and winter but this easy white bean stew with purple sprouting broccoli is the perfect dish for this time of year. It’s quick and easy to make, is full of seasonal vegetables and is absolutely delicious. Using seasonal veg not only makes the best of what’s around but means it’s super cheap to cook up too, feeding four people for around £4.50 (most of what I used was organic too!).
You will need (for two hearty bowls):
Total price £4.65
Get a casserole pan on a medium heat and add a little oil. Stir the garlic in and stir briefly before adding the carrots, leek and bay leaves. Add a dash of water (2-3 tbsp is all) then leave everything to soften for around 10 minutes.
Add the beans and stock and then simmer everything for 10-15 minutes with a lid half on.
Fill a pan with a steamer with a little water then get it on to boil.
Check the stew, it should be like a thick soup, you can add a little water if you need to thin it out then season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and keep warm. Stir through the parsley.
When the water is boiling steam the broccoli for 2 minutes then remove and squeeze over the juice from the lemon and a good grinding of black pepper.
Serve with nice crusty bread.
This is one of my favourite dishes and one that I can see myself returning to again and again. It’s also vegan, which I realised afterwards so if you’re looking to expand your vegan cooking repertoire then I can recommend this as an excellent place to start! It’s lovely to have the seasonal purple sprouting broccoli as the star of the dish and the acidity the lemon brings cuts through the comfort of the bean stew. I also normally have some sort of white bean in my cupboards and I think it would work with any of them. If you make double the amount it’s also very tasty served as a soup the next day. I would advise serving this with crusty bread so you have something to mop up the juices from the stew.
I’m not sure quite what’s happened but all of a sudden I find myself spending over £50 a week on food shopping. I know, it’s not a shocking amount and it’s certainly less than I know other people spend but it’s twice as much as I used to spend. I didn’t really notice it creeping up over time and I haven’t really changed what I eat (less meat if anything) but it irritates me nonetheless. There’s only so many beans and lentils one person can eat in a week so thrifty meals are essential to give plenty of variation. My sticky chilli pork is quick, tasty and feeds four people for less than £6.
You will need:
For the dressing:
Total cost: £4.35
Cut any fat off the pork chops and slice into strips. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a frying pan or wok and add a little oil. Add the pork strips and fry until golden.
While the pork is cooking cook the noodles according to packet instructions.
Mix the ingredients for the dressing together.
When the pork is cooked through, add the sweet chilli sauce and continue to cook until the pork is coated and glossy. The sauce will thicken a bit.
Drain the noodles and stir the dressing through to stop them sticking.
Serve the noodles with the pepper, spring onion and sesame seeds and top with the sticky chilli pork.
I think this is a pretty well balanced meal; veg, carbs, protein and a little bit of naughty sweet chilli sauce on the side. For something to enjoy in the week when I want something quick and simple this is the kind of thing I cook. It is also delicious with chicken and I’m yet to try it with tofu. I’ve got a few other budget meals to see here and I’m trying to grow these recipes more and more. If you’ve got anything you’d like to see thrifty, let me know!
I’ve never much been a fan of chilli cone carne; I’ll eat it but usually it’s a bit harsh and acidic for me because of the tinned tomatoes and I’m not that keen on kidney beans. However, I love the principal of it; plenty of chilli, spice and flavour and I’ve been working on my own version for a while. I think I’ve cracked it. My Lentil and Black Bean Chilli has all the same flavour but none of the meat; I promise, you won’t miss the minced beef at all. I’ve said this is enough for four but actually it’s probably enough for six and it’s amazing with homemade guacamole and plenty of rice.
You will need:
I don’t know about you but during the week when it comes to cooking dinner I want something quick, easy and full of flavour. It’s also a winner if it’s cheap to make and uses up a few bits and bobs I have hanging around in the fridge too. Keema rice is one of my guilty pleasures; I love the heavily spiced lamb, golden onions and fragrant rice. I thought it was about time I attempted to make it at home.
You will need (for 4):
Total £3.89
Gently fry the cloves, cardamom and bay in a saucepan with a little oil. Add the rice and stir well to coat in the oil and spices.
Pour in 500ml water and put a lid on. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer.
Simmer for 10 minutes, check occasionally and top up with water if needed. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for five minutes; the rice should be perfectly cooked. Remove the spices.
Put the onion and garlic into a large frying pan and fry for 10-15 minutes on a medium heat.
Add the mushrooms to the pan and turn the heat up. Keep everything cooking until golden brown.
Mix the lamb mince with the cumin, salt, pepper and garam masala. Add the lamb to the frying pan and fry until brown.
Add the peas for a minute or two before adding the rice and giving everything one final mix.
Serve up and top with some fresh coriander.
I really liked the flavours and textures in this; the rice had a lovely fragrance from the spices it was cooked with, the peas added a sweetness, the mushrooms gave an earthy flavour and the coriander a freshness. The lamb was nicely spiced; I’d be tempted to add a little chilli powder next time for a bit of heat. Although not identical to my takeaway favourite at less than £1 a portion this will be making a regular appearance on the dinner table.
In case you were wondering, I would have preferred to use frozen peas but as I now don’t have a freezer I have switched to tinned peas. They aren’t quite as green but for dishes like this or cottage pie they add a lovely texture and sweetness. I think I’m officially a tinned pea fan.
I always like seeing sweetcorn growing in the fields near where I live; it’s one of my absolute favourite vegetables. The only thing that is a little irritating is the inevitable corn-stuck-in-the-teeth situation which ensues after consuming corn from the cob. Particularly irksome if surrounded by unfamiliar company. Worth it though; especially if you’re lucky enough to have a 50:50 butter to corn ratio. If you’re looking for something different to try with your cobs, this sweetcorn chowder is my most favourite soup ever.
I don’t know about you but I find it difficult to know what to cook when it’s hot. I don’t want to be hanging around the oven or hob making unnecessary heat but I also don’t want to eat cold food all the time. The worst thing about it is having to do the washing up (no dishwasher in my house!) when all you really want to do is sit outside. I think this meal of Greek salad, hummus and pitta bread is a great compromise; there isn’t too much clearing up afterwards and the toasted pitta bread means that it’s not an entirely cold meal.
