I'm not talking hot and spicy. It's quite mild and sweet and the kids will love it. It's from my '70s cookbook which I'm loving at the moment. Such simple recipes, basic, wholesome, and with real ingredients like plenty of butter and salt. You'll need to start this recipe about an hour before dinner.
I use chicken legs that come in a 1.5 kg bag from the local cornerstore. It's real free-range (I've been to the farm) and they don't use chemicals. And somehow they're very economical, about $6 a bag. You could also buy a chicken and chop it into about 8 pieces. If you do, make sure you save that precious carcass for stock.
So, crank up your oven first, to 190deg C. Put your roasting tin on top of the stove on moderate heat, and melt 1/4 cup of butter in it. When the foam dies down add half a cup of honey, 12 teaspoons of German mustard, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of mild curry powder. Mix well together. I don't actually know what they mean by German mustard (but it may mean mild). I just use the grainy stuff in a jar that I keep in the fridge. Seems to work fine.
Take it off the heat and add your chicken pieces. Roll them around so they're coated in the lovely mixture you've made. Arrange them in the tin so they're side by side, and throw them in the oven. Bake for about an hour, or until the meat is tender. You can open the oven every now and then to baste the meat.
Serve it up to your hungry family with some potatoes or rice, and maybe some green beans (which you have skillfully cooked in the meantime). Pour the runny mixture over top of everything, and your family will praise your culinary genius. So will your accountant. This meal does us twice over, so I reckon it costs about $5-$6 each meal. Yum.
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Quick eggy meal for kids
And adults, everyone loves this one. Especially the cook, as it only takes about 20 minutes to make. Chop an onion finely, maybe some garlic, and saute in oil. At the moment I'm using some yummy pasture-fed organic pig fat that I keep in the freezer and just slice off when I need a bit to fry with. The butcher actually gave me a shopping bag full of the stuff for a few bucks. He was going to chuck it out. What a waste! I think he was quite happy when I showed up willing to pay for the stuff. Thing is, it's full of Vitamins A and D. Great for growing kids' brains. Anyway, I digress.
So, while you're sauteing the onions, chop your veges, whatever you have at hand. I used broccoli, zucchini, and red pepper. Nice and colourful for the kiddies. Then as they are frying, beat together 5 or 6 eggs, depending on how many you are feeding, with some salt, cream if you have it (I used some bubbly kefir cream I happened to have) and pour onto the veg mix in your pan.
Wait till it's nearly set, then grate some cheese on top and whip it under the griller for a few minutes to brown on top. I reckon the whole meal would cost under $5. And that's using the best quality pasture-fed eggs.
Nearly forgot, I had a bit of left over ham I threw in, but bacon would also work well. Add 50 cents.
Yum!
So, while you're sauteing the onions, chop your veges, whatever you have at hand. I used broccoli, zucchini, and red pepper. Nice and colourful for the kiddies. Then as they are frying, beat together 5 or 6 eggs, depending on how many you are feeding, with some salt, cream if you have it (I used some bubbly kefir cream I happened to have) and pour onto the veg mix in your pan.
Wait till it's nearly set, then grate some cheese on top and whip it under the griller for a few minutes to brown on top. I reckon the whole meal would cost under $5. And that's using the best quality pasture-fed eggs.
Nearly forgot, I had a bit of left over ham I threw in, but bacon would also work well. Add 50 cents.
Yum!
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Cheap and easy vege soup
This is the meal I make once a week that is so easy. Not to mention very cheap. And the kids love it. (Ok, loves a strong word, they eat it heartily). Usually I make it the day before I go shopping, to use up all those old veges hiding in the bottom of the fridge.
So, cut up an onion or two, garlic if you have it. Fry in plenty of fat (I use either lard, butter or coconut oil, or a combination) until soft. Add cut up veges, whatever you have such as zucchini, broccoli, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, those wilting greens that you forgot to use, anything. Put the lid on and sweat the veges for about 20 mins with the onions. This really makes it flavourful.
Then add stock (see below) or water, and a cup of red lentils (soaked previously if possible). Bring to the boil and let it simmer until it's all soft - maybe half hour or so. Add salt to taste (I use plenty - good for you, and tasty).
Pour some cream on top to serve, chives if you have them. Maybe some toast. Total cost I think would be about $3.50. And if you're cooking with stock, very, very nutritious.
STOCK: This is a way to cut your budget big time. It's a very cheap, very nutritious meat meal, without the cost of the meat. You can actually get a shopping bag of bones from the butcher for about $2. They will make 3 weeks worth of stock! Will post stock recipe tomorrow....
So, cut up an onion or two, garlic if you have it. Fry in plenty of fat (I use either lard, butter or coconut oil, or a combination) until soft. Add cut up veges, whatever you have such as zucchini, broccoli, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, those wilting greens that you forgot to use, anything. Put the lid on and sweat the veges for about 20 mins with the onions. This really makes it flavourful.
Then add stock (see below) or water, and a cup of red lentils (soaked previously if possible). Bring to the boil and let it simmer until it's all soft - maybe half hour or so. Add salt to taste (I use plenty - good for you, and tasty).
Pour some cream on top to serve, chives if you have them. Maybe some toast. Total cost I think would be about $3.50. And if you're cooking with stock, very, very nutritious.
STOCK: This is a way to cut your budget big time. It's a very cheap, very nutritious meat meal, without the cost of the meat. You can actually get a shopping bag of bones from the butcher for about $2. They will make 3 weeks worth of stock! Will post stock recipe tomorrow....
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
Eating well on $150/week
Not just eating well. Eating delicious, wholesome, organic, fresh food on just $150 a week for a family of three and a half (myself, dearly beloved, Miss Four and bubs). Sound alright?? Well if you want to know more, then you've come to the right place. I've had a small break from my blog, but I'm back, with more food ideas, more budgeting tips, and more yummy recipes to help you along your eating and health journey. Glad to have your company. I was originally posting everything we ate for each day, but I have had a reality check, and now I'm just going to do what I can, most likely one meal/recipe a day, whatever I enjoyed cooking or eating the most. Cos that's what life's all about isn't it? Keeping it fun...short, simple, sweet!
Home-made Icecream
Icecream is so easy to make yourself. So you no longer have to eat the stuff from the shop which is yummy, granted, but full of weird components that you really don't want to be giving your kids. Ever wondered why icecream is so easy to scoop out? Yes, it's the anti-freeze they add to it. When you make icecream at home, it's hard as ice, which might be a bit harder to scoop out, but at least it's REAL. And it melts beautifully.
So, all you do is buy the best quality cream you can find. Preferably raw unpastuerised, or organic as a second option. But just real cream will do. Pour 3 cups into a container that's able to be frozen (I use a large stainless steel jug) and add 3 raw egg yolks (from pasture-fed hens), and some sweetner to taste (at the moment I'm using about 1/3 of a cup of rapadura sugar, as organic maple syrup is so expensive these days). Blend with your hand held blender, then put in the freezer! Easy, cheap, yummy, and, can I say it, NOT ENTIRELY UNHEALTHY, depending on the quality of the ingredients you use.
It's also a good idea to take it out of the freezer periodically (every 40 mins or so) for the first few hours, and re-blend it. The more times you do that, the less it has those icy bits. But still good if you don't get around to doing that at all.
PS Add any flavourings you like.
So, all you do is buy the best quality cream you can find. Preferably raw unpastuerised, or organic as a second option. But just real cream will do. Pour 3 cups into a container that's able to be frozen (I use a large stainless steel jug) and add 3 raw egg yolks (from pasture-fed hens), and some sweetner to taste (at the moment I'm using about 1/3 of a cup of rapadura sugar, as organic maple syrup is so expensive these days). Blend with your hand held blender, then put in the freezer! Easy, cheap, yummy, and, can I say it, NOT ENTIRELY UNHEALTHY, depending on the quality of the ingredients you use.
It's also a good idea to take it out of the freezer periodically (every 40 mins or so) for the first few hours, and re-blend it. The more times you do that, the less it has those icy bits. But still good if you don't get around to doing that at all.
PS Add any flavourings you like.
Sunday, 20 September 2009
Old fashioned stew
I found a recipe in one of my 70s cookbooks from an op shop. It was for an old fashioned English stew and it turned out to be just delicious. Very simple too. But quite meaty. I browned about 750g of beef and 250g of bacon and some onions, then put them into a slow cooker with some chopped potatoes, carrots, cabbage (out of the garden, last of the season) and a good dose of salt and pepper, thyme and bay leaves. Oh, and stock. It called for beef stock, but I'm always trying to use up my fish stock, so I put 750ml of that in. Sounds weird I know. But when I took it out of the slow cooker the next day, it was delicious, and not even vaguely fishy. So we have the yumminess of the beef and bacon and the goodness of the fish stock. And very reasonably priced too folks. Lasted two meals, nearly three, so probably $5-$6 per meal.
I've been time poor looking after littlies, so I've been on easy street with the lunches this week. All it said on my meal plan was 'sandwiches'. Some of them have been quite yummy though I must say. Ok, I'll admit here that dearly beloved made most of them. Bread, butter, avocado, fresh sliced tomato, some sort of meat (ham, proscuitto), cucumber etc. Very tasty and economical.
Breakfasts. I've been all out of ideas here. But loving the eggs at the moment. Fried eggs on toast with bacon have been a staple this week. Yum, yum, good fats, good for you.
I've been time poor looking after littlies, so I've been on easy street with the lunches this week. All it said on my meal plan was 'sandwiches'. Some of them have been quite yummy though I must say. Ok, I'll admit here that dearly beloved made most of them. Bread, butter, avocado, fresh sliced tomato, some sort of meat (ham, proscuitto), cucumber etc. Very tasty and economical.
Breakfasts. I've been all out of ideas here. But loving the eggs at the moment. Fried eggs on toast with bacon have been a staple this week. Yum, yum, good fats, good for you.
Delicious, Simple Dal
Ahhh dal. Such a simple meal, peasant food, but it can be so delicious, nutritious, and yes cheapskates, it's cheap as chips. The key to a delicious dal is CONDIMENTS. Our favourite at the moment is a lime pickle I made a few months ago. Really simple recipe (will fill you in another day), and very authentic tasting. Goes extremely well with a simple dal. So, for dinner I cooked some split mung beans in fish stock (I've found a good use for fish stock! - very nutritious, and I can finally get rid of some of the hoards of it in my freezer). Separately I fried up some onion, ginger, garlic till soft, then added ground cumin, coriander, tumeric, paprika, mustard seeds, and cardamom. I left out the chilli so that Little Miss Four would eat it (alas, I was wrong). Finally added the cooked dal. Done. Earlier I fried some brown rice in ghee for 10 minutes, then added water and cooked on a low heat for 45 mins. At the last minute I steamed cauliflower and carrots, and put it all together, with, of course the lime pickle, some yoghurt, and lots of fresh coriander out of the garden. I made double so we'd have leftovers, and I reckon the meal would have only cost $3.
Lunch was a very simple and quick sandwich. Fresh home made sourdough bread, topped with plenty of butter, avocado, sliced tomato, and some very yummy home-made cheese (more about that another day too). Salt and pepper. I could eat that all day.
Breakfast is always a tough one. I get a bit bored with the same old same old. Need new ideas. Today I was short on ideas, so we had overnight-soaked porridge, cooked in milk (makes it creamy). Topped with cream (raw is best), raw honey, and a spoon of coconut oil (good way to get good fats into Littlies). Yummy and nutritious, but yes, quite obvious.
Eat on, cheapskates.
Lunch was a very simple and quick sandwich. Fresh home made sourdough bread, topped with plenty of butter, avocado, sliced tomato, and some very yummy home-made cheese (more about that another day too). Salt and pepper. I could eat that all day.
Breakfast is always a tough one. I get a bit bored with the same old same old. Need new ideas. Today I was short on ideas, so we had overnight-soaked porridge, cooked in milk (makes it creamy). Topped with cream (raw is best), raw honey, and a spoon of coconut oil (good way to get good fats into Littlies). Yummy and nutritious, but yes, quite obvious.
Eat on, cheapskates.
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