I've been asked to share my cheap recipes, come and share your own

[JamaicanMeCrazy]

On the back of the "how much do your groceries cost" thread, I was asked to share a few of my recipes as I am a very frugal cook

I will add some of my recipes, please feel free to steal them and add your own!

I'll start with cereal bars, excellent for packed lunches and snacks

2 cups oats,
1 cup peanut butter (I use crunchy)
1/2 cup of honey (or golden syrup)
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
1/2 bag of linseed mix (aldi- 1.99 a bag, I like the one with goji berries)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sugar

melt butter, coconut oil and honey in a mixing bowl in the microwave then add all the other ingredients and mix well then press into a small roasting tin lined with baking paper. Bake at 180 for 30-35 mins. Cut into squares/bars while warm then leave to cool before transferring to a tupperware box or freezer bag to store. They keep for about 2 weeks

alternatively:

50g chocolate (I use whatever decent dark chocolate is cheap in home bargains but you can pick your own)
3 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp milk
1/2 cup oats
1 tbsp dessicated coconut
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tbsp raisins

melt 1st 3 ingredients, add the dry ingredients and mix well. Press into bars/roll into balls and refrigerate

[JamaicanMeCrazy]

Banana oatcakes are a really quick way to eat breakfast/make a snack that's filling and cheap.

1 banana, mashed
1 tbsp oats
2 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp dessicated coconut

mix all ingredients, grease a ramekin or a mug and microwave for 90 secs. Let it cool and pop out. Only makes one, but you could use half at a time

[Idontseeanysontarans]

Sausage and butter bean casserole.

2 tins chopped tomatoes with garlic
1 pack sausages (cheap ones are actually best for this)
1 tin butter beans.
1 small onion.

Chop and fry the onion, add tomatoes and butter beans, simmer until slightly reduced and a good thick consistency.
Cook sausages and add them to the sauce, simmer for about 10 minutes.
Serve with crusty bread.

I don't even like butter beans but this is lovely on a cold day. Butter beans and tinned toms are really cheap as well at the moment.

[Triooooooooooo]

Bean chilli.

2 tins kidney beans

1 tin baked beans

Cup of red lentils

Any veg you want to bung in, carrots, onions peppers etc work well.

Garlic

Salt

Pepper

Chilli powder

2 tins of tomatoes.

Serve with brown rice and scoff, its bloody yum. Costs around 2/3 pounds to make depending on what veg you stick in, makes around 6 very generous portions.

[JamaicanMeCrazy]

Vegetable tart

ready made puff pastry (you can use pre-rolled but it's more expensive)
1/2 butternut squash
1/2 onion
5-7 mushrooms (depending on size)
2 potatoes
1/2 a pepper
50g mature cheddar
2 tsp parsley
tsp black pepper
tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
tbsp tomato paste
2 eggs
1 chicken stock cube
100ml boiled water

roll out pastry and put it in a greased pie dish, line with tin foil and baking beads (or dry pasta works as well) and bake for about 10 mins at 220.

Meanwhile, fry off veg in a tbsp butter then add the herbs/spices and stock with the water and cook for 5 mins on high til reduced.

When the pastry is done, remove the foil and beads and prick the base several times with a fork.

Grate the cheese into a bowl and add the eggs and tomato paste. Add the veg and mix through then pour the mixture into the pastry case and bake for a further 10-15 mins.

For an even cheaper and easier meal you can use frozen veg and chips in place of the veg/potato.

[blanklook]

The banana oatcakes sound great, please could you clarify tbsp (tablespoon) or tsp (teaspoon) for the cinnamon and the dessicated coconut?

[erin99]

Thanks for these. Mine are totally inauthentic but filling, tasty and cheap!

Red lentil dahl. Soften a couple of onions, add loads of washed lentils, stir in 1 tbsp turmeric and garam masala and 1 tsp of cumin and ginger, plus garlic and chilli to taste. Cover with cold water to 3cm over depth of lentils, cook 20 mins or so, stirring regularly. Serve with value naan - DC adore it.

Fajitas - Fry off an onion and garlic and stir in some fajita spice mix - we use hairy bikers'. Add grated carrot and any other chopped veg (mushrooms, leeks, peppers), and a can or 2 of butter, haricot or black eyed beans. Add half a can of tomatoes. Serve with tortillas and grated cheese, maybe a spoon of yoghurt as sour cream substitute.

Chicken ramen - bit of onion or leek, finely shredded, softened, and add lots of garlic and ginger and a little chilli. Add chicken stock from cubes and bits of leftover chicken (or use a couple of chicken thighs roasted, between 4 or 5 people). Add dried noodles, breaking them into chunks as you put them in. Add other veg you have in - sweetcorn, pepper, broccoli, peas. Shredded lettuce works brilliantly. Last thing, add a tbsp of soy sauce per adult. Sounds nothing much but is a really satisfying meal and somehow feels like a treat.

[IneedAwittierNickname]

I don't think I have any recipes to share (well I probably know some but not off the top of my head and I'm more of a take it out the freezer and cook it kinda mum - wish I wasn't)
But these look great so am place marking so I can try some :)

[Vole3]

Jamaican - you sure about the quantities in the banana oatcakes? 2 tbsp cinnamon seems a lot!

[JamaicanMeCrazy]

Oh gosh yes, sorry! Autocorrect methinks. It's 2 tsp for the cinnamon

[JamaicanMeCrazy]

Veggie burgers are great fun to make with the kids, we also make the rolls but bought ones will work too

1 cup of lentils or yellow split peas
any mix of 5 veg, I tend to use frozen peppers, onion, mushrooms, sweet potato and broccoli
one egg
tbsp garlic powder
tbsp tomato paste
tbsp parsley
any other spices you fancy
50g cheese (any type you like)

cook the lentils/split peas until soft then blend them. Fry off the veg until soft. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and form into burgers. If the mix is a bit sticky add a wee bit flour. Bake in the oven for 20 mins at 180 or fry for 4 mins on each side

[JamaicanMeCrazy]

Veg curry (also works well if you add in some meat, but veg is the cheaper option)

1/2 butternut squash
1 onion
1/2 pepper
1 decent sized sweet potato
about 1/3 of a savoy cabbage
1/2 can coconut milk
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 stock cubes (veg or chicken depending on your taste)
tbsp garlic powder
tbsp turmeric
tbsp cumin
2 tbsp coriander
tbsp ginger
tbsp parsley
(I make this for dcs so don't add chillies but you can add them or chilli powder to your taste)

Fry off the veg for 5 mins or so then add about 100 most of water and the stock and herbs/spices and tomato paste. Cook for 5 mins or so then add the coconut milk and cook for about 10 mins. Serve with rice

[JamaicanMeCrazy]

The veg tart is also good if you add in some bacon, ham or chicken

[MrsBertMacklin]

Would you mind if this got moved to food/recipes OP, so it doesn't disappear?

[MrsBertMacklin]

Egg chorizo quesadillas.

Fry chorizo, onion, potato. Scramble in an egg. Put on top of a tortilla, fold in half, press down in very hot griddle to seal. Thanks Nigella

[furcoatbigknickers]

My cheap meals tend to be jacket spuds, spag bol or chilli with lots of veg, omlettes oven chips and beans so just marking!

[JamaicanMeCrazy]

Cheese biscuits (like mini cheddars!)

115g plain flour
55g grated strong cheese (cheddar is best)
55g unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
A pinch of salt
A pinch of black pepper
A pinch of paprika
tsp mustard

Preheat oven to 180C. Mix the flour, cheese and butter until it looks like fine crumbs (you can do this in a food processor but I just do it by hand).Add salt and pepper to taste, and paprika. Add the egg yolk and mustard and mix until it forms a soft ball. You may need to add a little water if it's slightly dry. Roll the mix on a lightly floured surface until fairly thin (definitely less than 1 cm) and cut the biscuits with a cookie cutter (I sometimes do them with a small cutter but also with a digestive sized one). Place the biscuits on a non-stick tray or on a tray with baking paper and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Absolutely delicious and excellent for lunch boxes on their own or with a bit of cream cheese

[JamaicanMeCrazy]

Of course, I'll report and ask

[NeedABumChangeNotANameChange]

Your recipes do not sound cheap they sound normal. Cheap would be feeding a family of four for under a £5 surely?

[NeedABumChangeNotANameChange]

Don't get me wrong they sound tasty but not cheap.

[JamaicanMeCrazy]

Just as an aside, one excellent way to keep your coats down with shopping is to fill your freezer with various frozen veg from Iceland or farmfoods. Cuts wastage massively and each bag is about £1 each so you can get a couple weeks worth for very little

[JamaicanMeCrazy]

Need it depends on how you shop I suppose, I only use frozen veg apart from things I can't get frozen like the butternut squash and sweet potato. And I shop in cheap shops. I suppose if you were to make these from shopping fresh at tesco it would cost, but I don't!

[JamaicanMeCrazy]

And I can't afford to be fussy about where my food comes fron either, I used caged eggs because I can't afford not to, you can buy 30 eggs from asda for less than £4. And cheese is around £5 for just less than a kilo, and I buy a couple of those blocks, cut it and freeze it and it lasts about a month. It's as much about frugal shopping as it is the recipes really

[wubwubwub]

@needabum What's not cheap about the veggie burgers? I'd estimate the cost is about 50p for 4! Rolls would be maybe 10p each. Sojust the burgers are costing about £1 for 4 people. Then it is only a case of bunging some chips/wedges/whatever on the plates - Two potatoes, costs what? 50p?

You're feeding four for easily less than £3.

[wubwubwub]

@needabum - Same goes for the veggie curry... Ingredients there would cost maximum £2, and pop some rice on...50p? Again a meal for less than £3