Save Money, waste Less

Save money, waste less

My challenge this week has been to spend as little money as possible on meals for the week and still provide a healthy and tasty evening meal. Planning the menu was done from what I had in the cupboards, the fridge and the freezer and the only spending for these meals was £38.27.

Monday was Chilli and baked potatoes, a favourite classic of ours.

1 large onion chopped

1 clove of garlic

2tsp chilli powder

1 chilli deseeded and finely chopped 

1tsp ground cumin 

450grams mince

1 tin of chopped tomatoes 

1 cinnamon stick 

1 tin of red kidney beans.

Fry the onion and garlic, add the chilli and spices. 

Add the mince and brown then add the tomato puree and cook this stirring for 5 mins.

Add the tinned tomatoes and the cinnamon stick, cover and cook for 20mins and then add the beans. 

Serve with baked potatoes with melted butter.

This was also Tuesdays dinner and it is always better the next day!!!!

Wednesday was the turn of the old frozen trout I found in the bottom the the freezer, given to me at some point after a fishing trip my dad was on. I have already posed this recipe Thai Style Fish Cakes with Honey Dipping Sauce.

They were wonderful with the dipping sauce and cool salad. This recipe made enough for another meal so the rest are back in the freezer awaiting their turn.

Thursday was a Chicken and prawn noodle stir fry and again it was done with stuff I have sitting in the cupboards, fridge and  freezer. 

1 knob of ginger finely chopped 

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 chilli deseeded and finely chopped 

2 spring onions finely chopped 

2 chicken breast (or one large one) cut into strips 

12 prawns (my prawns were cooked)

1 carrot cut into fine matchsticks

cherry tomatoes halved 

Noodles of your choice

oil for frying 

1 beaten egg

Chopped parsley 

sesame oil for drizzling 

Heat the Wok and put in some oil stir fry the ginger, garlic, chilli and half of the spring onions cook for 2 mins and then add the chicken .

Mean while cook the noodles in boiling water until tender, tip into a colander and run cold water over them.

When chicken is cooked though add the carrots to the wok stirring constantly then add the tomatoes.

Beat the egg and drizzle over the pan keep stirring scraping the bottom of the wok, you want the egg to be scrambled and mixed in with the other ingredients. 

Add the prawns and then the noodle get them all warmed through. 

Chop the parsley and sprinkle on top mix in. 

Serve with more chopped parsley and the remaining spring onions and drizzle with sesame oil. 

So nice it was all eaten before I remembered to take a photo!

Friday tea is always the same in our house nice bread, cheese and olives, ham and peas pudding and wine! Most of that meals had to be bought in but I did make the Peas Pudding.

300g Yellow split peas

50g butter

1 onion chopped

1tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

salt  

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

4 cloves

1 beaten egg 

Freshly ground black pepper

Soak the split peas over night.

Heat 25g butter in a pan, drain and rinse the split peas. Add the onion, thyme and bay leaf to the hot butter add a sprinkle of salt and cover and cook very gently for 15 min, sit occasionally.

Add the drained split peas to the pan and cover with 1 litre of water, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and then simmer for 30 to 40 mins until the split peas are soft and the liquid is greatly reduced.

Remove the bay leaf and the cloves and puree in a food processor return to the pad and beat in the nutmeg, egg and remaining butter.

season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and leave to set in the fridge.

Saturday was a treat, we went out and meal of choice in the afternoon was Tapas- very disappointing all I could think of was how little it would cost if I did it myself. We had tomatoes with goats cheese, fries with egg, chorizo, prawns and garlic bread (which was fried bread). 

This meal has really inspired me to plan next weeks menu and do it better so off to my kitchen research was to be done, with a glass of wine of course!

I always try to do something special on a Sunday Evening so tonight it is Green Thai Chicken Curry Thailand is one of our favourite places in the world, the food is fantastic a place you can eat very well for very little.
I always make my own Curry paste and this is a good one

3 green chillis deseeded and chopped
4 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped
3 shallots peeled and chopped
2 lemon grass stalks peeled, bashed and chopped
2 tsp ground corriander
1 tsp cumin seeds
2cm knob of ginger peeled and chopped
Coriader stalks and leaves
blitz all of the above in a blender with some oil to bring it together until it is a smooth paste.

4 cloves of garlic
4 mushrooms sliced
1 carrot diced
4 chicken breasts cut into strips
1 tin of coconut milk
300mls chicken stock
1tsp palm sugar
2 Kaffir lime leaves
1 tbsp fish sauce
l large handful of coriander chopped
2 tbsp basil

Heat a pan and some oil and add the curry paste and cook this out for 3 mins.
Add the garlic, mushroom and carrots and cook for 3 more mins.
Add the chicken and cook for 3 another 3 mins.

Plan made and shopping list written lets see what next week.

Add the coconut milk and mix well and cook for 5 min then add the stock and palm sugar, lime leaves and fish sauce, simmer for 30 mins.
Stir in the coriander and basil

Well that is a whole week over my plan for next week is ready to go...........