Nourishing meals on a budget

Just bumped this up so I can find crun's recipe tomorrow...

In the summer I buy peppers, courgettes, celery, garlic,tomatoes from the market and make a big minestrone soup by adding some spaghetti and grated cheese on the top. It makes a very good meal with some crusty bread. I also add some smoked bacon for a bit of extra flavour and some fresh basil leaves.

catlover I would say so, but TBH I just bung it in without any measuring. Usually works well.

We grow as much as possible, so all veggies and lots of fruit are home grown for at least 9 months of the year. Lots of these are frozen. Otherwise use local French market. Own hens so lovely free range eggs.

I buy meat as much on possible on offer, which is much better in France for chicken and pork. Mince I get at the butcher. Lidl and Aldi for the first shop of the week, I save so much money using these two shops. and their NZ frozen lamb is very good and better than the French. Really miss English beef, for the most part French beef is not up to scratch so I don't buy it. Sometimes we get homegrown lamb from a friend, we used to have our own and are thinking of having them again. sometimes veal from farmer next door and the odd batch of wild boar from the hunters.

I try and balance meals out, with non meat days, but OH loves his roasts! I do bulk out casseroles of any sort and ethnicity by bulking the meat out with bacon bits and loads of veggies.

I try to cook so we eat one and freeze at least one. Lots of soups with all the veggies.

thanks Crun for the Tarka Dahl, but am wondering what cc of cumin is? is that a teaspoon?

This will depend on where you live, but if there is a good market locally, visit towards the end of the day. There are lots of bargains to be found.

When DD went to university she turned a shopping habit into a bargain hunting habit. She was fortunate to be at university in London and living in Lewisham, which has a fantastic market. On Saturdays she would go to the market at 4.00pm and then ring me up with stories of buying 14lbs of onions for £1, stored in a box outside her back door, luxury meat and fish, like steak, prawns, once even scallops, all for the ubiquitous £1. The freezer section of her fridge was stacked with bargains to be eaten later.

The vegetarian option went on the chicken breasts!

Meant to add, I raided the baking cupboard and luckily had almonds (also cheap at Lidl or Aldi) it served 6 hungry people and there was enough left over to serve on 2 chicken breasts the next day (when it was even tastier, as is often the case with curry!)

I unexpectedly had to rustle up a "hearty meal for many" a couple of weekends ago. Luckily I had ingredients to make this Jamie Oliver curry sauce recipe, and added the tiniest bit of beef mince (having set some aside for a vegetarian), served on rice. It was raved over so well received (delicious) that it will definitely become a standby. The only ingredient that could be expensive is the coconut milk, but even that can be bought cheaply ("own brand"):

www.jamieoliver.com/news-and-features/features/how-to-make-curry-sauce/#megy6FtCGgP5d3Ry.97

If crun is still reading, I made Tarka Dahl today. It was delicious. However, I used yellow split peas, as I had them. ,I've made this dish before, probably a few years ago now, but it's always good to be reminded of something nice to cook. I won't leave it so long till the next time.!

PS I made a big bowl of fresh fruit salad this afternoon which is great for 'afters' with ice cream or for breakfast with yoghurt. Economical too if you select as much home=grown fruit as possible.

granjura I'm with you on seasonal veg. So much tastier as well as cheaper. Since being on my own I have spent more on quality meat and veg but always make enough for 3 days. I had beef casserole with lots of veg on Wednesday and put one portion in the freezer and one in the fridge, which I have just blitzed to have now with a jacket potato. Yummy!

The first cookbook I bought in 1975 when I got married was 'The Paupers Cookbook' by Jocasta Innes. I've still got it, and it's still available on Amazon. All sorts of basic recipes, and weekly meal plans.

I don't mean to hijack the thread but if anyone can think of any rich iron meals, I would appreciate it. I've had enough of steak on its own and this week I got liver and black pudding. Thanks buddies. X

Not a 'meal' but a tip- eat seasonally- whatever is in season, mainly fruit and veg, where there is a glut, is much much cheaper than 'out of season' stuff- and so much better for the environment too. And they taste 'proper' - there is no comparison between a locally grown strawberry in late June- and imported ones in the middle of December.

I agree with Lilyflower, definitely invest in a slow Cooker. If my one broke down tomorrow, I would be out replacing it asap I can promise you.
They are not only very cheap to run, but you can cook all manner of cheap cuts of meat in them. Never throw away those tired old vegetables that are too far gone to be used fresh, use them to make a soup or a casserole in the slow cooker. Believe me, both will taste great
I even 'roast' a cheap cut of beef in mine. It is not only tender, but the gravy that it produces is the real thing believe me.
Also, if you have a freezer ( another must have when trying to save money ) then you can slow cook large amounts of food and freeze the leftovers.
Lastly, thank goodness for Aldi I say ?

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/gigantes_with_tomatoes_47546
This is a Rick Stein recipe. Gigantes are butter beans, by the way. Buy dried beans as per recipe or substitute tinned. They are still cheap. We half the recipe and use two large tins of beans. It's lovely. For even more protein, you could add some sausages.

This is wonderful. Maybe we should put together a 'Gransnet Cookbook'?
Anyone know about publishing?

Great minds, TheGlovers1, I was just going to post this
cookingonabootstrap.com/category/recipes-food/

I tried one of her recipes once, and remembered the name

I love Jack Monroe recipes .Goggle a girl called Jack recipes there are lots on line .She started posting recipes when she was a single parent who wanted to provide a nutritious diet on a shoe string . I believe all of her recipes are costed.We love her mushroom Rogan Josh it is fab and you would never guess it was meat free .
I really enjoy thrifty cooking particularly since I have taken early retirement.We don't miss more expensive food rarely eat takeaways now and feel much healthier.

MarionHalcombe, Please can I have your recipe for "Quinoa and Courgette Fry Up"? Thank You

Once or twice a week I usually make a large amount of roasted veg , parsnips , sweet potato. peppers , butternut squash , carrots and red onion . I buy from the market or Aldi . I can happily just have this for a meal or cook a couple of sausages or chicken with them . Make enough to have for a second meal , you really need to make a lot because they shrink to half their size when roasted . Reheat for 10 mins on the second day .

1 tin of drained Chick peas
A handful of unsweetened grated coconut
Half a lemon
fresh or dried chilli (small amount unless you like it hot !
Olive oil S&P

Fry the chick peas and chilli in the oil
Throw in the coconut and continue to fry for a minute
Let it go cold then squeeze over the lemon . Salt and pepper to taste
Cover with cling film and put in fridge to snack on .
This is a breakfast which is eaten in Sri lanca and is delicious and VERY cheap , it lasts a few days in the fridge .

Jack Monroe has fabulous inexpensive recipes. Her book 'A Girl called Jack' is invaluable.

Thank goodness for Aldi and Lidl. I get a lot of my shopping there since retiring I invested in a soupmaker so I've always got portions. of soup frozen out of a basic tomatoes soup recipe I can make pasta sauce base for a curry or a chilli then add herbs and spices to my own preference