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Rakey
Nov 9th, 2008, 05:46 PM
Anyone else becoming very poor at the moment?
I'm needing to save money, but I don't want to compromise taste or my nutrition.

Any cheap recipes please post here.

bradders
Nov 9th, 2008, 05:54 PM
baked potatoes with tomatoes and Pure sunflower spread, add chilli powder, black pepper, paprika and parsley to taste. costs about 20p a plate if you get class II vedgies from local greengrocer.

bradders
Nov 9th, 2008, 05:58 PM
versatile tomatoes:
chopped/ peeled tomatoes from can
a few mushrooms
an onion
-chilli/ curry style: add chilli, paprika, ginger and a touch of turmeric and soy sauce to taste

-italian: basil, chilli, oregano, garlic and parsley to taste

serve with rice or pasta

about 30p per plate

bradders
Nov 9th, 2008, 05:59 PM
it's also now cheaper to make bread at home than buy it especially if you use a breadmaker

Risker
Nov 9th, 2008, 06:17 PM
Shepards pie, fry some onion until soft, add drained tinned beans, tin of chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, crumbled stock cube or gravy granules, tabasco sauce, any veg you have lying about, courgette, capsicums, aubergines, carrots etc. chopped. (peas are essential), salt-n-pepa (the band). Either cook until it's thickened or use gravy granules to thicken.

Top with mashed potato (the mash will sink into the filling less if you let the filling cool first)

Heat through in the oven if you need to then brown under the grill (saves fuel browning under the grill rather than in the oven)

You could also deliberately make more mash then you need allowing you to make bubble and squeak the next day. Or before you mash it, boil extra potatoes for making potato salad.

Hemlock
Nov 9th, 2008, 07:47 PM
it's also now cheaper to make bread at home than buy it especially if you use a breadmaker

Not for us it isn't because it's so delicious we scoff the whole loaf:D

We do red dragon pie when we're poor: left over veggies + tin of beans, tin of tomatoes, any herbs and spices in the house suitable (even curry spices), rice and other general leftovers all topped with mashed potato.

Toad in the hole: Toads: vegan sausages in vegan batter with a few frozen veggies.

Sometimes when we simply haven't enough money to buy fresh food we'll buy loads of frozen veg and fruit which doesn't go off, is still healthy and means you can get your veg everyday.

Morrisons 8 pence instant noodles with a handful of vegemince thrown in and some frozen peas or spinach - delicious.

sandra
Nov 9th, 2008, 09:11 PM
I often make Potato and Onion casserole. It sounds simple...........well, it is simple but surprisingly delicious. Cut potatoes into thin slices, layer a casserole dish with potatoes, then add a layer of onions (cut in rings) add a little salt and black pepper. Just keep layering until you've almost reached the top of the casserole dish. Then add 1/2 to 3/4 pint of soya milk. Put on the lid and put in the oven at 200 degrees centograde and cook until the potato is soft. Then remove the lid for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
It's very cheap and very tasty! :)

sugarmouse
Nov 10th, 2008, 08:39 AM
I haev thought about this a lot lately as I am very short on income at the moment, and rather than change that (I am enjoying the free time that comes with not working, for the moment) I have learend to be frugal. I also have more furbabies than usual, so I haev to keep money aside for their upkeep.
I do not like to support supermarkets, most of the stuff is from other sources but, I do buy tomatoe juice etc from supermarkets, because they are so much cheaper than anywhere else, needs must.

I buy:
Tinned Tomatoes
Dried beans of different kinds (in bulk is cheaper)
Frozen peas,frozen onions and chopped peppers, shop around for cheapest ones
Veg stock
Flours
pure spread or olive oil (the most expensive things on my list!
rollseyes_ani:
Tomato juice (cheapest I have found is 36 p per litre
Seasonings/herbs spices, bought in bulk


Obviously I buy other things too sometimes but those basics are cheap. And frozen veg, dried beans minimises on wastage.

With that lot I can make various soup, stews, broths,sauces, salsas, purees for very little money. I also buy popadums as a cheaper healthier alternative to bread, and salad. I try to buy salad from supermarkets or the co-op,late in the day when it is reduced. I have even (this is sad) asked at the market for the stuff they are throwing uot, 'For my guinea pig' and then used it myself. Obviously Muftie got first dibs though! But there was nothing wrong with the veg from there, it was just not quite fresh enough to sell. I use the spread or oil, flour and water to make crispbreads..adding herbs and spices to them for variation.
Note though, I am trying to lose weight at the moment!

BlackCats
Nov 10th, 2008, 10:10 AM
(That potato dish sounds nice Sandra I think I might make that today with maybe a few spoonfuls of that Free and Easy cheese sauce mixed in with the soya milk.:))

I have been buying the value versions of everything lately, tins of beans and tomatoes as they taste exactly the same as the more expensive organic ones. Also you can get value rice and spaghetti and potatoes etc. The local market usually do big scoops of fruit/ vegetables for £1 which might go off more quickly but you could use them to make larger portions of dinners and freeze them.

I agree with what everyone is saying about just keeping it basic and adding herbs etc for flavour. I'm quite unadventurous and I basically just use passata as a base and add different things to make it a curry/chilli/ bolognaise etc. Sometimes dishes gain more flavour with how much time you leave it to simmer rather than having expensive ingredients I think.

beanstew
Nov 16th, 2008, 02:09 PM
See below

beanstew
Nov 16th, 2008, 02:14 PM
This is a recipe I got off my Mum.

You will need:



1 onion
A few potatoes
A cup of boiling water
A decent sized teaspoon of yeast extract
A splash of veggie Worcestershire sauce
Black pepper
Vegetable oil

Method:



Chop onion and fry in a frying pan until starting to brown
Slice potatoes and layer on top of onion
Dissolve the yeast extract in the water. Add the sauce and some black pepper and stir well
Pour the mix over the spuds and onions
Cover the frying pan
Simmer until the potatoes are soft


This doesn't sound like much but is very yummy and filling and just dandy on a cold wet day like today.

bradders
Nov 16th, 2008, 02:15 PM
that sounds great

Ruby Rose
Nov 16th, 2008, 04:20 PM
I want marmite potatoes now. And Sandra's potatoes too. Potato and potato.

bradders
Nov 16th, 2008, 04:24 PM
being Irish I shouldn't encourage this behaviour but ah well here goes
"patasoes patasoes patasoes!"

twinkle
Nov 16th, 2008, 04:27 PM
I often make Potato and Onion casserole. It sounds simple...........well, it is simple but surprisingly delicious. Cut potatoes into thin slices, layer a casserole dish with potatoes, then add a layer of onions (cut in rings) add a little salt and black pepper. Just keep layering until you've almost reached the top of the casserole dish. Then add 1/2 to 3/4 pint of soya milk. Put on the lid and put in the oven at 200 degrees centograde and cook until the potato is soft. Then remove the lid for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
It's very cheap and very tasty! :)

Ah, that's a variation of what my mum calls "hunter's pie"! I've always thought it was a strange name for a vegetarian dish. You can also make it with stock instead of soya milk, add a layer of carrots, or (extra delicious, though more expensive) add in a layer of smoked tofu. Perfect winter food :)

bradders
Nov 16th, 2008, 04:28 PM
yummy

twinkle
Nov 16th, 2008, 04:35 PM
I would like to champion red lentils in this thread, as they are so cheap (esp in bulk), quick to cook and good for you (fibre, iron, protein... erm, probably lots of other good stuff too).

Can't get easier than lentil soup - fry an onion, add any herbs and spices you like with salt pepper, throw in lentils, cover with water (add stock poweder/cube if you like), cook until they're soft, fab with some nice bread. Good with peanut butter stirred in too.

You can make double quantities of the above with less water, and reserve some of the lentil goop before adding more water. That can then be used later on as a sandwich filling/dip depending on how much it's firmed up as it's cooled. Add in an equal quantity of breadcrumbs and fry up as tasty lentil rissoles (extra nice with fresh herbs).

Hemlock
Nov 16th, 2008, 05:02 PM
There is always wild food of course, me and Corum pick apples, sloes, elderberries, blackberries and mushrooms from the wood and gather seaweed and sea kale and make rissoles and stuff like that out of them!

Stu
Nov 16th, 2008, 05:26 PM
Is it just me, or is everyone being somewhat suggestible? I don't feel that I'm any worse off at all.

bradders
Nov 16th, 2008, 05:29 PM
Is it just me, or is everyone being somewhat suggestible? I don't feel that I'm any worse off at all.
I don't either but I think a lot of people out there who work for agencies or in construction or in any shaky job will be and will want to save any penny they can until the worst is over.
(truth is of course the media talked this into happening in the first place, just like the tories are talking down the pound right now)

Roxy
Nov 16th, 2008, 05:33 PM
The cost of living seems to have gone up considerably here. Whilst petrol has come down in price, groceries seem to have gone up. Fresh produce seems to have gone up in price too. The local produce season is now dwindling, and the amount of produce we get from California is now limited too. Produce is being shipped from Florida, Mexico and other far off places - which adds to the cost.

bradders
Nov 16th, 2008, 05:40 PM
I've noticed bread is coming down in price as it fruit juice and cereal at the moment, nothing else I buy has gone up at all

Stu
Nov 16th, 2008, 05:41 PM
I don't mean to belittle anyone who is affected. It's just that I personally haven't seen any difference, from my perspective. Everything I buy seems to be the same price.

Risker
Nov 16th, 2008, 05:45 PM
There is always wild food of course, me and Corum pick apples, sloes, elderberries, blackberries and mushrooms from the wood and gather seaweed and sea kale and make rissoles and stuff like that out of them!

I went mushroom picking earlier, now I feel funny. :dizzy:

bradders
Nov 16th, 2008, 05:49 PM
i did pick apples and blackberries recenly, thinking of nettle picking soon too (makes a great broth)