Gravy! Is easy to make, and also cheaper!!

I make it whenever we have a roast (about 3 times a year LOL)...

I don't bother transferring the meat juice to a saucepan, just take the pan that the roast was cooking in and add some flour. How much flour you add depends on how much juice is in the pan, but I'd start with 2-3 tbsp and add more if needed, I like it to be the consistency of playdough.

Heat over a low flame (use an oven mitt to hold the pan) and stir until the flour has gone golden brown, or had a chance to fry off a bit.

Add a little water, then stir until it thickens again. Do this over and over (adding a bit more water each time) until the gravy is about the consistency that you like. Season with salt and bamix/blend to get rid of any lumpy bits.

It's so easy!

Something we eat loads of is chicken curry. I make it in big, school camp sized batches which cost about $25 to make, and I'll usually get 20 serves to freeze. I don't use a recipe (which annoys my husband no end, since it is different each time ) but this is approximately how I do it.....

Cheap and reasonably low fat chicken curry
1 Very big pot
2-3 Onions, chopped
2-3 Chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 packet chickpeas soaked, or 2 cans chickpeas/lentils
2-3 Carrots
2-3 Potatoes cubed
Half a cauli
Any other veggies you want
1/2 - 1 can light coconut milk

Spice mix
Some garlic
Some corriander
Some cumin
A little turmeric
A little chili powder
Some salt
Last time I put mustard seeds in it too, and that was yum!
2-3 tbsp tomato paste

In a bowl mix the spices and tom paste together to taste. Add a little water to help the ingredients bind until it's a paste. We like spicy so use quite a lot of each of these ingredients, e.g. 2-3 tbsp of corriander and cumin, 1-2 tsp of turmeric - but half the fun is figuring out what you find yum. We add chili for heat (I kid you not, half a teaspon of my dad's killer chilli powder does a massive MASSIVE pot, it's lethal).

Fry the onions in a little olive oil until soft, then add the spice mix. Fry off for 1-2 minutes.

Add the chicken and brown off for 1-2 minutes then add chickpeas and a little water. Combine well, and gradually add your vegies stirring each time. Almost cover to the top with water or stock, stick a lid on it and simmer on a low heat until vegies soft (usually 1-2 hours at our house due to the size of the pot LOL).

Before serving stir in the coconut milk.

That's my curry! Not bad for $1.50 a serve (and they're big serves too!).

Roux
Is actually pretty similar to making gravy. This is the way I do it, the same 3 times a year we have roast

Take equal parts butter and flour (e.g. 3tbsp flour = 3 tbsp butter), and over a medium heat cook together stirring all the time until golden NOT brown. Add a little milk and stir constantly until all absorbed. Do this again and again until it's the consistency you like.

The key is not to add any more liquid until the last lot you put in has been all absorbed, and not to add too much at a time.

At this point you can stir in either cheese and nutmeg for cheese sauce, or brandy and a little sugar for brandy sauce!! mmmmm Christmas food...

HTH - I feel very martha stewart LOL. We make this stuff cos we're too tight to buy it!!!!