A recipe challenge!

[Arimeh]

Ok I need recipes for my monthly meal plan - however they must fill this criteria:-

1. Be cheap. And I mean it, DH is a student getting $439 a fortnight so we need super cheap.

2. Be kid friendly.

3. Be reasonably low fat. I know a lot of the cheap meals are pasta based ones which aren't exactly fantastic for my fat arse.

4. Be simple. I suck at cooking.

Okie dokie - anyone got anything for me?

Thanks!
Mel xxxx

[Lulliloo]

i will be looking at this thread too... always looking for new recipes..

my go to cheap meal is curried sausages... very easy

boil sausages and skin them.
in a different sausepan cook some diced onion and 2 tablespoons of curry powder.
add 2 cups of stock. and add cut up cooked/skinned sausages.
bring to boil and cook a little while. add some cornflour to thicken sauce. add apple or saltans for some sweetness.
i usually serve with mash or rice. very tasty and all my nieces love it.

[Joeve]

My hubby loves this one.... It's cheap as and we fed it to my nieces and nephews and they liked it so kid friendly!

Mince
A tin of diced tomatoes
Carrots and broccoli
2 tins spagetti like Heinz although homebrand works just as well.

Cook mince add others and cook for 10 mins.

It's a simple spaghetti Bol but not so tomatoey in taste due to tin spagetti. I freaked out when I first saw DH making it but now it's one of my easy quick cheap fall backs!

[Floweryfields]

Do you buy your meat in bulk Nerd? For example at the moment my IGA has whole rumps for $6.99/kg. You get a nice sized one for about$40 and that will do alot of meals:
Use some as steak
Some as beef strips (stir fry, casseroles, curries, etc)
Then mince up the less 'nice' bits in the food processor for mince. And you'd rarely find mince for this price per kg but it's much nicer as you can avoid alot of fat this way.

Also chicken breasts are usually around $7/kg here and they go along way too.

[Arimeh]

Thanks for the recipes guys awesome start!

Ausgirl - we've only just moved to Brisbane and got settled in our own place, so we haven't checked out any bargain places for meat yet. If anyone knows some on the northside/caboolture region I'm all ears!

[briggsy's girl]

chow mein! i'll get DH to give me the break down - but we make chow mein and e loves it. you can make it very mild. use basmati or even brown rice, and we can get four meals out of one tray of mince (about 800g) plus the vegies in it

[Stevie]

actually keen to see some ideas
My idea of a cheap, quick and easy meal, for DD and i anyway (DH works away and does the deciding of what we eat when hes home)
sausages (DD loves sausages) mashed potato and frozen peas and corn, im a terrible person i know.. clearly i need help lol

[Doing my best]

Thanks for the recipes guys awesome start!

Ausgirl - we've only just moved to Brisbane and got settled in our own place, so we haven't checked out any bargain places for meat yet. If anyone knows some on the northside/caboolture region I'm all ears!

Sign up tp the Meat City weekly mail list (or txt message).. They often have cheap meats..

[Maruschke]

Buy your fruit and veggies at the Cab markets on a Sunday morning, they are really cheap. There is a bulk meat place in Morayfield (near the KFC) which is good value.

We go through lots of pasta, rice and potato. We mix it with stuff from our garden and cheap mince / sausages.

[Cherished]

If you haven't already I'd be investing in lots of diffferent spices/herbs then you can make loads of curries and other dishes like moroccan etc and then you just need to add whatever meat, vegies, and whatever grain you want to serve with such as lentils or couscous. You end up with so much variety that way. Rice dishes are always really cheap so experiment with rice bakes too. I love this one

Cooked rice
Can tom
fresh basil and parsley (dried is ok if not fresh)
can of 4 bean mix
half a jar of tahini mixed with water (the most expensive part of the dish but you can make this dish 2 times and the meal will feed the family so worth it)
lemon juice
salt & pepper

chuck it all in the oven dish and back on about 190 I think for 45 mins. Can't get up right now to check that but will look at it later and come back and change if need be.

A yummy cheap dessert idea is tapioca cooked with apricot juice and or coconut milk or the juice from any canned fruit if you eat it. Semolina & oats mixed together with some dried fruit cooked up is also cheap and yummy and filling, drizzle honey over the top and custard

[Maruschke]

Forgot to say, everytime we eat mince we double it out by adding either lentils or beans.

[nothing2lose]

Tuna is a great cheap option. You can make : -

Fritters - mix drained tuna with an egg, couple of tbs flour, little bit of milk, grated cheese, grated onion, grated zucchini, finely sliced spring onion (optional), spices as desired, pepper. You can also add peas or corn kernels. When mixed it should be like a thick batter. Spoon batter onto lightly greased hot frying pan. Cook until brown on each side. If still a little wet inside, finish off in oven.

Tuna macaroni - tuna in a mornay sauce. Add whatever veg you want.

Tuna patties - mashed potato, egg, milk, drained tuna, onion, teaspoon curry powder, cheese. Form into patties. You can crumb these but you don't have to. Lightly fry - same as fritters.

Beef:-
Chilli con carne. If you don't have mince you can use cooked sausages.
Cheaper cuts like bolar blade are really good when slow cooked for casserole, curry, chilli, Ragu.
Home made sausage rolls

Soup - pea and ham
Minestrone
Potato and leek
Pumpkin

To fill it out you can make pinwheel cheese and ham scones.

[Geeky]

I'll be watching this with interest! Once Mini Geek is born we will be going to one income, so creative and cheap will be great!

[Rouge]

Tuna is great. I make creeps instead of tortillas and fill with tuna and salsa. Top with a light sprinkle of cheese, bake and serve with some green leaves.

You have a TMX so there are HEAPS of ways to save money by cutting out packets and processed foods. I can feed a family of 2 adults 2 teens and 2 kids on $150/fortnight, when I need to.

Get some different grains and pulses into your diet. Buy ingredients that are on sale and make recipes from that. Beans, lentils, rice are all great fillers. Baked polenta chips are also another great side. I will post more when I get home (on my break at work). But it can be done. And it's not hard. I promise.

[nothing2lose]

There were seven in my family growing up and not much money. My mum used to make something that I loved...

Using a greased loaf tin or small baking tray with sides (like something you would use for lasagna), layer an inch or so of sausage meat (you can mix herbs through it if you like or leave plain), on top layer a tin of tomatoes, then some mushies, spinach, lightly cooked sliced onions, then top the whole thing with finely sliced potato (it's best to have it as thin as possible). Drizzle olive oil or oil spray over potatoes so they crisp up. Bake

[MrsFabuloso]

Homemade Baked Beans

Ingredients:
450 gm dried haricot beans,
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons tomato puree
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons French mustard
Salt to taste

Method:
Pour boiling water over the dried haricot beans sufficient to cover them. Leave for one hour, strain beans. Put beans back into bowl, cover with more boiling water and leave till next morning.

Drain and rinse beans. Add fresh water and cook until tender for about one and a half hours.

Heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Drain the beans but reserve 2 cups of the liquid. Heat the oil in a deep pan and cook the onion until soft. Add drained beans, the reserved liquid plus all remaining ingredients. Mix well and bring back to the boil. Place in a casserole dish and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove lid from casserole dish and cook for a further 20 minutes.

Serves 4 - 6.


Noodle Omlettes

Ingredients
2 packets of two minute noodles
200 gm mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon oil, to cook mushrooms
1/3 cup diced ham
6 spring onions, chopped finely
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup finely shredded cabbage
6 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon oil to cook omelettes

Method:
Cook two minute noodles without using the flavour sachets. Drain and cool slightly. Keep the sachets aside.

Cook the mushrooms in a small pan with the teaspoon oil.

In a large bowl place cooked mushrooms, the warm noodles, ham, onions, carrot, cabbage, eggs, noodle sachets, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Gently place large spoonfuls of mixture in hot oil in your frying pan. Turn over when golden brown and set underneath. Before doing each batch ensure that the mixture is well stirred as the egg will drain to the bottom of the bowl quickly.

Serves 4

**My kids love these,and it's one way to get my egg-phobic son #1 to eat eggs! I don't use the mushies or cabbage, but add other veggies like zucchini.


Potato and bacon Bake

Ingredients:
6 large potatoes (large means very large)
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons oil
200 gm bacon pieces
1 can baked beans in tomato sauce
2 cups of grated cheese



Method:
Pre heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

***** the potatoes all over and micro-wave till cooked. Leave aside until cool enough to handle.

Fry the onion in the oil till turning golden and add the bacon pieces. Cook for 3 minutes more.

Slice the potatoes and then assemble everything in a deep oiled casserole dish in this order:

Place one-third of the potatoes over the base, top with half the onion and bacon mixture, then half the baked beans, and one-third of the cheese. Repeat this layering. Top with the remainder of the potatoes and then the remainder of the cheese.

Cook at 180 degrees Celsius for about 35 minutes.

Serves 4 as a total meal or more if you add salad or hot veges on the side.

[Doula Kelsey]

Ok, so this is quick and really easy and hell yummy, but a little naughty, but my kids and Hubby love it.
It's a hit with them all (and that says a lot as we are 2 adults, 3 teens and 2 youngins!)

Tuna pie with potato topping (no pastry)

6 Med Potatoes cooked and mashed
salt and pepper to taste
1 Leek thinly sliced
1 carrot diced
2 sticks of celery diced
1 Tablespoon of plain flour
300 millilitres of thick cream
2x185 grams of tuna in oil
310grms corn
1.5 cup of frozen peas
6 tablespoons of grated cheese
2 tablespoons of diced parsley
20 grams of butter

Melt butter, add leek, carrot, celery. cook til soft (bout 5 mins) add flour
and cook 2 mins. Stir in cream, simmer til thick. Stir 1 min, add tuna
corn peas, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. cook 5 mins. Transfer to
casserole, top with mash. Sprinkle remaining cheese and place under grill for 2 mins

Alternatively (and i cook regularly..for my family/army!!)
Baked Spuds. Always cheap and easy. Add whatever you like from basic butter and sour cream to baked beans,
feta, bacon pieces, red onion....whatever you like....easy and well loved and very filling!!

Have a quick cake in one pot type option too called Choc porridge cake if your interested

[Phteven]

The $120 Food Challenge

Every week I aim to post 7 main meals, 2 desserts and 1 sweet treat such as a cake or slice for lunches that will combine to a total cost of approximately $60 per week. In addition to this budget, I post one or two recipes from the following categories: Breakfast, Something Special, In Season, Kids in the Kitchen and Recipe Basics. That’s up to 12 recipes and ideas every week.