I'm having a minor crisis here... I hate cooking dinner... and atm I hate grocery shopping as well, as we don't have much money at all to buy lots of ingredients... so I am soooo out of ideas on what to cook!
Poor DP has been getting the same terrible meals for weeks now...
Does anyone have any new simple and cheap recipe ideas for me?? Please?! 8-[
Ambah.....we are going through a similar thing......I am trying to use everything up in the pantry/freezer before we move, so we are eating bizarre/odd meals........I have emailed you a couple of recipes.
The tricks for me and cooking dinners when inspiration is low are these:
~ Check with DP after each meal you serve up......get him to give the meal marks out of 10.......that we he can't ever moan if you dish it up again!
~ When making a meal (like curry, chilli, spag bol, lasagne etc) always make a big load and then freeze some.
~ Buy meat on special from the supermarket & freeze it when you get home.....sausages and mince and often steak get marked down by a LOT in the evenings....(get DP to take care of Aidyn one evening and go to the supermarket in peace?)
~ Make a two week menu plan and stick to it when you go shopping......that way you spend less and only need to do the boring groceries once a fortnight.
~ Have one night at least when it is DP's turn to "cook".......Andrew does this once a week and it generally means we have soup and toast or something very simple, but it means that I can have a big lumnch that day!
I know what you mean. We make good used of Maggi packets where all you need to add is meat or meat and the odd vegetable(s) and then just have it with rice, plain boiled pasta, or mash spud. They have heaps of different varities you can choose from too, which is great.
Jillian - I LOVE that quiche recipe... I used to make quiche a fair bit for DP, but this recipe you have sounds much more interesting and yummy! I might even give that one a go tonight, as I already have most of the ingredients for it
Cailin - I'd love it if you could email me some of the recipes... I think things turn out much better for me when I follow some sort of instructions Thanks
ok here's an old standard here... tuna mornay...I hope you like tuna!
2 cups milk
90gm cheese
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 tbsp parsley chopped
1 large tin tuna in springwater
2 cups cooked pasta
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1 nob butter
2 tbsp plain flour
2 hard boiled eggs
melt butter in pan, add flour and stir until pale & foamy. Add milk and stir continuously until boiling and then turn down heat and stir and simmer for another minute. Take off heat, whisk in mustard and 60gm cheese. add drained tuna, parsley and chopped boiled eggs, mix with cooked pasta. Put into cassarol dish and top with bread crumbs and remaining cheese. Cook for 15 minutes on 200 or until slightly brown on top.... yum! And cheap, because you usually have the eggs,milk and cheese on hand...
Ooooh Christy......I love tuna mornay but we haven't had it for ages.......your recipe is exactly the same as I make.........you have inspired me for what to cook for diner tonight now!
1 large can tuna
1 375-400gm can creamed corn
6 eggs
2 cups grated cheese
2 potatos
fresh herbs
ok ready, dibble some olive oil in a fry pan, chop potatos & fry up for 5-10 minutes or until they start to go soft, beat the eggs together & add cheese, tuna,creamed corn, herbs, salt & pepper, pour over potatos, cook around 15 minutes, then put under grill to brown the top. yummm
Ambah I can totally relate to where you're coming from. I'm so over it. Cant be bothered cooking, only go to the supermarket to get coffee, milk & bread, cook the same boring stuff all the time. The kid doesn't mind, she loves spaghetti & she loves toasties so that's pretty much all we eat.
I'm in dire need of inspiration! I have no appetite for anything. Except chocolate, natch.
Try homemade hamburgers, the frozen pattys are pretty cheap. I just cook them up and chop some lettuce, onion, tomato and some sauce and cheese all out on the bench, grill some buns. and then it's self assembly. DP loves them.
My current obsession is quesadillas, very cheap and super easy. The mix can be whatever you want, I use shredded chicken, grated cheese, fresh coriander, red onion and a bit of chilli, but really you can throw in whatever you feel like at the time. You stick a couple of handfuls on a tortilla, top it with another tortilla and squish it down a bit, then into a frypan. When one side is toasty, flip it. Then when its nice and crispy, take it out, cut it into wedges, and serve it with sour cream and guacamole and salso, the usual stuff for dipping.
Jillian, your quiche was a huuuuge success on Friday night. I made it for me & Aaron and my parents. My dad is ssoooo fussy & he went back for seconds!
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
500g beef mince
1 cup red wine
400g can diced and peeled tomatoes
400g can tomato puree
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups small pasta shapes (such as penne)
salt and pepper
grated parmesan cheese
fresh basil, chopped
(We also add in things like chopped carrot, celery and capsicum)
Heat oil in a saucepan and cook onion until softened but not coloured. Add mince and stir-fry to brown.
Stir in red wine and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, puree and water and bring to the boil.
Add pasta and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent sticking until pasta is cooked and sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with grated parmesan and fresh basil.
~~~
Beef and vegetable bolognaise
Serves 4
Combine one diced onion with 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 500g lean minced topside, 1 large grated carrot and 1 stick chopped celery.
Serve over steamed zucchini or broccoli tossed with chopped parsley and freshly squeezed lemon.
~~~
Potato and Red Pepper Frittata
Ingredients
Serves 3-4
450g small new potatoes
6 eggs
30ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
30ml/2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic gloves, crushed
2 red peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
salt and black pepper
mint sprigs, to garnish
1. Scrub potatoes, then cook in a pan of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain the potatoes, leave to cool slightly, then cut into thick slices.
2. Whisk together the eggs, mint and seasoning in a bowl, then set aside. Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
3. Add the onion, garlic, peppers and potatoes to the pan and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
4. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and stir gently.
5. Push the mixture into the centre of the pan as it cooks to allow the liquid egg to run on to the base.
6. Once the egg mixture is lightly set, place the pan under a hot grill for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot or cold, cut into wedges and garnished with sprigs of mint.
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Recipes - Simple & Cheap
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