Budget meal ideas?

[obbie]

mmsie, you can save money with a bit of planning.
substitute ingredients to what ever you have in the pantry.

well done..

[droverjess]

Budget disaster tonight. No food wasted but adaptation failure.

Tried to do a version of Shonans light carbonara, half quantity with chicken. No wine, just more stock, too much evaporated milk, no courgette, used other veg.

Looked and felt like strange risotto, eatable? - only just!

ha ha.

DS said why can't we have all the usually meals.....
I said nothing (DH would be proud of me but he's not here) !

Roast chciken tomorrow when DD home. £3.63 for a good sized chicken. Will make 2 meals plus soup.

[Halex]

DH loves the budget but always says can we ave this & that, I just give him the look.

I have now decided that one meal per week can be eggs on toast or something similar.

I really want to come back to hawaii in 2 years to fully enjoy it.

So am hoping to keep under $100.

H

[obbie]

Great idea Hally, we will keep at it too.

[trudy]

You poor thing - I just hate packing and then having to unpack and find homes for everything.  I have recently been checking out an American site that has some great ideas.  It's called The Amish Cook.  I have only made the pumpkin bread (made three loaves) .  We found this very good although I did put in a cup of sultanas but the recipe didn't call for it.  This cake freezes well and once unfrozen keeps well.  There is a poor mans steak dish that is on the to do list for the coming week recipe below:-

Poor Mans Steak

1-1&1/2 lbs mince
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1 small chopped onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or use the SOS mix and make your own)

Mix all ingredients (EXCEPT SOUP) together.
Shape into a narrow loaf pan.
Set aside in fridge for 8 hours or overnight.

Slice into pieces and grill or fry just enough to brown each side.
Put these slices in layers in a roaster pan and spread the mushroom soup over without adding water.

Bake 1 hour for 325F

This looked and sounded interesting so thought I would give it a go.

[mcmich]

Does sound good Trudy.

[achookwoman]

DJ,  hang in there.  Many of are trying to help from afar as we have been where you are now.  At the time it seems like there is no end,  but there is. If you have the time,  you might like to make this pastie.  i made it today and everyone enjoyed it.  Most of the veggies i had and you can use precooked meat if you wish. This recipes made enough for 6 meals.

[droverjess]

Thanks chookie
I often make pasties with beef skirt, but will look for out of date sour cream when out next to try this one. Just not sorted enough yet to make this. Rolling pin still packed!

My harvest slice is onions, carrots, swede, pepper, leek or variation plus whatever veg I can find in fridge or garden put through the food process grater  ( or tmx, but have only used grater) mixed with sausage meat, about 1/3 meat to veg sometimes only a 1/4, bind with egg, lots of seasoning and slapped in between two layers of pastry in whatever sized dish works depending on quantity. Bake until done and cut into squares. No precooking. Sometimes I do sweat the onions, depends on time.

I can't tell you all how much I truly appreciate the kind words, comments, help and recipes. It is helping hugely. You are now all the equivalent of my neighbours now only I don't see you face to face.

Thanks a million to all
DJ xxx

[droverjess]

I thought you'd like to know the budgeting is going much better.
Since last week unpacking more kitchen equipment has helped a lot.
And all the kind suggestions and books have helped think of new things to make. And am much better now at rolling anything over into next thing to make.

Used my pressure cooker twice today to boil up the half leg bone of the gifted lamb and then made scotch broth tonight with the stock, veggies, barley and lentils etc and 1 portion of left over meat.

Just need to get spare parts for the pressure cooker as seeps steam. Over 10 yrs old and not used for few years. Glad I kept.

Been given a three fruit marmalade today. We don't eat a lot of marmalade so need to think of a pudding maybe. It will be good I am sure.

Also making bread regularly now, which is cheaper and I enjoy.
Thanks again

[Halex]

Aaagghhh just typed message & gone

Glad your budget is doing well. Its a great feeling isnt it

Love my oc, stocks are the best & so,easy.

Bread, saves a fortune making it.

Well don DJ

H

[obbie]

Its amazing what we can live on, (how little) when we need too.

Our budget is tight, but you add pasta, rice, lentils, and heaps of fresh veges.. 

Its a fun game, seeing how little I spend at the supermarket now..

[Halex]

Must admit I impressed myself

I have made 15 pasties & 1 meat & potato pie that is just enough for the 3 of us with extra veg.

I had about  350g of mince left over from meatballs, so I blitz onion, carrot, celery & potato, threw in mircorwave for 2 mins. Added peas & the mince & some thyme & parsley, some ledt over stock fromthe rissotto & wrapped in puff pastry (store bought )

H

[droverjess]

You are right Robyn.
But it's not like I was a big spender before. Always been a careful cook, just had to take it to another level that's all, with all your help been easier.

Looking at the braised beef leftovers and wondering if pies the best use?
Probably next time as my best use of time today is having a massive tidy and sort before DH comes home to cheer him up. Still so much to do.

[obbie]

I make up casseroles alot, then into pies for work lunches.

Leftovers are always for work. 
Cakes and biscuits , slices for work. we have a coffee shop next door, and I have not been in it since July last year..

[droverjess]

Fridge soup on the go.

2 carrots, I onion, 3 leeks, 1 potato and one corner of a swede.

Sweated onion and leeks 2 mins, added other veg and blitzed on 4 until done. Sweated another 2 mins. Speed 2 varoma.

Added 3 cups JELLIED chicken stock ( from bones) now cooking on speed 2 100 ' for 20 mins.

Will season, add milk and blitz, report later.

DS probably won't like it!

PS this is the famous chicken that went on and on!
Still got some stock left.