Easy And Cheap Recipes?

Question

I am in the process of putting a book together for people who are on benefits or low income, I think that it is much cheaper and healthier to cook food from scratch, from breads and soups to cakes and puddings, I want to include recipes for meals that cost under £2.00 per day per person for 3 meals. No packets or pre bought sauces. preferably not to difficult.

Answer 1

Hi, pasta bake with bacon & cheeses,

Boil pasta, drain set aside, fry bacon with some onion, drain excess fat off, mix in with the pasta, with some grated cheese, place in oven proof dish put some grated cheese on top, place under grill to melt & brown the cheese, cheap & scrumptious

Answer 2

I'm a carer (low income) (only income), I've become adept at cheap meals and my monthly shop comes to about 60 quid. I was very fond of baked bean crumble a few years ago.

A tin of beans, add some onion, salt and herbs. To make the crumble rub some butter in with a little plain flour (I don't use measurements, I've been doing it that long I just 'know' how much to use, sorry) until it resembles breadcrumbs then put into the oven (180 degrees) for 15 minutes - or the microwave for two - you can add some grated cheese if you want.

However, that is not the main recipe for this posting. We had a pudding that Mam called 'foam', it uses just two ingredients, a jelly and a tin of evaporated milk - Carnation's the best. Get a cold bowl; metal, glass or ceramic and start whisking the milk on high ... whisk for about ten minutes. While still whisking the milk melt the jelly slowly; jelly should never boil as the sugar in it caramalises.

When the jelly's fully melted, add it slowly to the milk (which is still whisking and should now have doubled its volume and look a lot thicker and creamier) and keep whisking for another five or ten minutes, then ladle the mixture into glass, ceramic or metal bowls and put straight into the freezer. After half an hour you'll have an unbelievably light dessert.

Even if it goes wrong and you don't have an unbelievably light dessert, you'll still have a delicious blancmange. You pick the flavour of the jelly but it is one jelly per large tin of Carnation

Answer 3

I raised 3 children as a single mother and we had no money. I had to make everything from scatch and find all , what they called, "depression meals"


Pasta e Fagioli

olive oil
celery, diced (optional)
chopped garlic
1 box chicken broth
black pepper to taste
parsley
dried basil
(15 ounce) white can cannellini beans
ditalini pasta

Depending on how many are eating, you can use 1, 2 or 3 cans of beans. You can even combind the red cannellini beans with the white, if you like. The same goes for the pasta. I always used 1 lb. of pasta. You can even add carrots, a small amount of tomato sauce, and/or onion.

Saute garlic (celery) in a small amount of olive oil. I never use measurements, sorry.
Add the beans, when garlic is golden and soft.
Clean out the cans with water or chicken broth and pour it into the beans. Add parsley, basil, and pepper. Cook on medium until beans are soft. It doesn't take very long, maybe about 30-40minutes or so.

In another pot, boil water for the macaroni.
When everything is done, I add a little butter to the paste and I don't mix it together with the beans because the macaroni sokes up the soup. I put some pasta in each bowl, then scoop some beans and soup on top and top it with grated cheese.
My children loved it. We ate it with bread and butter.

Another easy, healthy, and cheap meal is
Lentil soup

1 bag of lentils (washed good)
carrots
onions
celery
1 or 2 packages frozen spinach
1 box beef broth
salt and pepper
basil
parsley

Detalini pasta

Fill a pot with water, about half way. Put lentils in water, making sure water covers them.
Bring water to a boil. Lower the heat.
Add all other ingredients, except the pasta.
Let cook for a few hours.

Top with grated cheese.

ENJOY!

Variations: you can throw some ham, cut up, into this soup and also in the pasta e fagioli

Answer 4

1/4 pack red lentils 18p
medium onion 10p
couple of medium potatoes 20p
2 large carrots 20p
2 heaped tsp bouillon powder 25p
splash soy sauce 5p

Peel & chop all veg, plus any greens you have spare, e.g. couple of brocolli stalks, the dark green top of a leek (well cleaned) or a few sprouts. Make stock with boiling water and make up to about 3 pints in a large stove-top casserole dish or saucepan. Add all other ingredients and simmer for about half an hour. Liquidize. Makes 7-8 good sized bowls of soup for around £1.

Serve with a 44p French stick spread with whatever you usually use, or make into garlic bread.

VERMONT RAREBIT
25g (1oz) butter
2tbs cream
2tbs creamed potatoes
100g (4oz) cheese, grated
1/2 tsp mustard
2 eggs beaten
salt and pepper

melt the butter in a saucepan, add the cream, potatoe and cheese, mix with eggs and seasoning, spread the mixture onto slices of hot buttered toast, browned under the grill.

lovely and if you've got all these in like I usually do then who care's what it cost probably not much as I get everything I can at tesco value, even the cream
Vegetable lasagne


Tesco Value lasagne sheets 27p
Butter beans 27p
Tesco value pasta sauce 27p
various veg (I always go for seasonal and look for cheapest, i.e. carrot, potato, leek, etc. A little veg will go a very long way!) I allow 60p
A little grated cheese 10p?

Answer 5

I usually use quorn but normal beef / lamb sausages are what my mother used to make this.... Fry some onion & garlic in a saucepan until lightly browned. Slice up the sausages (about 4 or 5) into bite sized pieces and fry for about 5 minutes with the onions and garlic (add some chilli if you like). Add two tins of baked beans and warm through. Serve with rice, toast or bread. Serves 4. Really cheap, especially with rice as the rice and beans combo is really filling.

Answer 6

I know what it is like to be so poor you can not rub together 2 pennies. I have developed a skill of being able to use whatever i have as left overs and stick it together to make a half decent meal.

Students- normally you will have no money or very little food, good tips...
Potatoes, carrots, onions any root veg. If these are going a little manky and wrinkly, peel them, take out the rotten bits, and then boil what you can. (not onions though!!) mash together. It actually taste very nice with a little salt and pepper. Always add salt to the water as it boils. Onions, if you dont want to eat them in a salad and there isnt enough to use in anything else, why dont you fry it off and put it ontop of your mash potatoes?

Pasta is so versatile and is cheap. £1.99 for a 2kg bag in some places! Buy cheap tinned soup- tomato is the best. Add some boiled pasta, onions, parsley, sweetcorn, veg, anything left over. This can make 2 tins of 8p soup stretch to 5 people!

Make sauces from tomatoes, bulk things up with sweetcorn and tomoatoes.

Don't buy fresh fruit and veg from supermarkets. Go to a market, you can get better stuff a lot cheaper!

My favourite pasta recipe... Boil pasta and shape or size. In another pot, melt some cream cheese (not a lot at all) add mustard, black pepper and pinch of sugar and salt. Fry some onions and garlic, and chilli if you wish. Add the pasta, then the 'sauce' and some black olives if you have any. Tastey, cheap meal.

Answer 7

That is a great idea. Wish it was around when I was a student!. Anyway hears my contribution.

Any variety of vegetables that's around or the cook likes,e.g carrots, swede, onions, frozen peas, leeks
1 Tin of tomato soup,
1 Tin of tomatoes,
Pasta (can be spaghetti broken up, penne etc)
1 pint of vegetable stock (from a stock cube will do),

1. Boil the selection of vegetables in the stock until veg are slightly soft.

2. Add the tin of tomatoes and tin of soup

3. When the soup is boiling add the pasta and let cook until its soft. Should take 10mins. Now it's ready to serve.

If people want they can add meat (chicken or beef) but I find it's quite filling as it is. Also if people don't like tomatoes they can use what ever soup they like. This meal used to last me three days when stored on the fridge.

Good luck on your adventure!

Answer 8

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Answer 9

Chick Pea and Sweet Potato Curry
1 tin Chick peas
2 Large sweet Potato
1 Onion
Tomato Puree
Curry Powder
Cumin
Fresh Coriander
2 Cloves Garlic
chilli- if preferred

Fry Onion on low heat for 5 minutes then add chopped Garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes add 1 tbsp tomato puree, 1 tbsp curry powder and 1/2 cumin. Fry this for a few minutes then add small cubes of sweet potato and tin of chickpeas. Cover with water and add small bunch of fresh coriander. Simmer for about 1 hour add another small bunch fresh coriander and then serve with rice.

This can also be made with chicken and spinach- omitting the chickpeas

Answer 10

Sloppy Joe's
1 lb. ground meat
1 small onion diced small
1 green pepper diced small
1 tsp worsectershire sauce.
About 1/2 cup ketchup..(if it seems too dry, add little more)
Brown meat and onions and pepper together till onions are transparent. Add rest of ing and simmer about 5 minutes or so. Serve on hamburger buns as a sandwich. A side of french fries and you have a meal. Can get 6 BIG sandwiches out of this.


Calico beans

1/2 # bacon diced
1 lb hamburger
1 TBL prepared mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
2 TBL vinegar(cider)
2 lbs. lima beans
1-15 oz can kidney beans
32 oz pork and beans in a can
15 oz butter beans in a can
(Basically you can use ANY kind of beans you like, just mix few different kinds)
Brown bacon and drain. In same skillet brown hamburg and onion and drain. Mix bacon and remaining ing. except beans with hamburg. DRAIN lima beans, kidney beans, butter beans. DO NOT DRAIN AND RINSE pork and beans. Add beans to meat mixture. Bake uncovered about 40 minutes.
Makes a great big pot full and is a meal in itself with a piece of bread if you like.

Answer 11

Here is a cheap and very tasty recipe that my family love.
Tin corned beef
Tin chopped tomatoes
teaspoon crushed garlic or garlic salt
level teaspoon turmeric
small onion finely chopped
Long grain rice.
tbsp oil
method
Chop the corned beef into small cubes and fry in the oil with chopped onion until the corned beef has started to break down. Add tinned tomatoes, turmeric and garlic, and bring to boil. Simmer for approx' 15 mins stirring occasionally until most of the tomato juice has evaporated.
Cook the rice in the usual way.
Place rice onto a plate and spoon on the corned beef mix.
This a lovely meal and is so cheap.