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Help I am having DF plus one over for dinner on Saturday. Has to be here as I have no babysitting. I have £20 to feed three of us and want to make them a nice meal (including some nicish plonk from Aldi at about £3/4 ) so really I have £16. I have a reasonable stock of storecupboard basics. DF's plus one hates Indian food which is one of my standbys for cheap but nice food and is also a bit of a foodie. I do like them and would like to offer something good. Oh and I have to bath and put two small kids to bed so can't do something that involves too much faff. Any ideas wise and frugal MNers

Pork belly.

It's about teh cheapest cut of meat around at the moment and it is lovely.

I do this, which is so easy to do (and is also a stick in the oven and get on with stuff dish, which is great.

Unroll the pork and put it (skin up) on a rack in a roasting tin containing an onion, some celery and a carrot, all halved (that's for the gravy). Score the skin in large diamonds if it isn't already.

In a pest;le and mortar, crush a tbsp of fennel seeds and some garlic and a teaspoon or two of chillis (I use the ones out of a jar, in vinegar).

Spread it over the pork belly amd put it in a really hot oven for twenty mins-half an hour.

Then turn it right down (gas mark 3 or 4) and cook it for as long as you can (I've done it for seven hours before).

When you're ready to serve it, make the gravy. Put the pork aside and heat the veg and fat until it sizzles, chuck in a tbsp or so of flour and stir it all up, then pour in the water from whatever veg you're doing, simmer it for ten mins (you can transfer it to a saucepan if you prefer) and then strain it into a jug.

God I'm hungry now.

If you want you can leave out the chillis, and use cumin or coriander seeds instead for a different flavour.

chicken stuffed with soft cheese and herbs wrapped in bacon? a bit dull i know...

Ooh what about teriyaki salmon? We are having this tonight and DH alwayss says how its nice enought to serve for a dinner party (unfrtunately we have annoying friends who don't like fish). salon fillets are approx £3-3.50 for 3 big ones in Morrisons IIRC.

Marinade the salmon in teriyaki sauce (or soy sauce) over night. Grill or oven bake the salmon. meanwhile cut your stirfry veg julienne (I do red pepper, babcyorn, mangetout and brocolli) for a nice mix of colour and stirfry with garlic and ginger. Soak noodles in boikling water and add to wok with veg. serve veg and noodles mixed together topped with the salmon.

If you have an Asda near you you could do a chinese/Thai dish if your friends like

(in Veg section)
Any stir fry bag (mushrooms, mixed peppers)
Any Noodles (egg or rice)
Any stir in sauce (thai,black bean, there are about 6 of them)

All the above £2.50, and the sauces are lovely!

Big bag of King Prawns in freezer section £2.00.

Leaving you £12 odd pounds for any extra's spare ribs etc and a nice pud. Have a great night.

If you have a slow cooker, then this pork dish is gorgeous.

Do stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts and stir fried veg with rice or noodles.

Google ken hom chicken and cashew nuts for a recipe.

Don't bother buying chinese sauces, much cheaper and nicer to make your own from store-cupboard ingredients.

If you have corn flour, soy sauce, garlic and ginger you hav a stir-fry sauce.

Or do a big homely fish pie.

Buy the potatoes from Aldi, buy 200g each of salmon and Coley from fishcounter at tesco,, make an easy white sauce, add chopped up eg and prawns if you have any, and hey presto cheap tasty fish pie. Serve with peas on the side. Add sweet potato to the mashed potato to jazz it up, and add leeks to the white sauce too if you have any. Oh, and nutmeg. A good grating of.

£1 for three of you is loads actually!!! You could do anything really.

£1 <faint>

Imeant £16 lol

Or kedgereee?

no, scrap kadgeree if he doesn't like curry

I would make spanish pork - pork cubed and a tin of tomaot and a small jar or tin of olives and an onion. It is the type of dish that it is easy to prep and walk aay till you serve and will cost under £4 serve with rice and a green veg if you wish.

lemoney surprise pudding a light spongey pudding with a sauce of its own. eggs flour lemon orange butter sugar and some creme to serve

Or go for a real home comfort food and make a really good shepards pie and pipe the pots ontop and serve with home made inion gravey and savoy cabbage, followed by bread and butter pudding

sausage casserole?

Toad in the hole?

Lamb chops with mashed root veg and roasted onions?

Pudding -

I am fan of syllabub as think it is cheap and rarver nice.

If you have Real Fast Puddings or can get access, there is a bog simple way of lightly cooking stoned fruit (plums, nectarines, peaches) which is lovely - the only time I tried to pass it on from memory I got it a bit wrong, which is daft because it's very easy. Again great with cream or yog.

yy spanish pork, I'd add lots of onions while cooking before adding the tomatoes.

Cabbage only 29p in aldi at the moment.