Ok, so this is deviating from the whole '3 recipe' thing, but this is so quick and easy I just have to share. It was inspired by a few recipes I've seen online recently.
You will need:
- A tin of hot dog sausages
- Spaghetti
- Marmite
- 100g cream cheese
- Frozen peas/sweetcorn
- Cheese (for grating)
- A saucepan
Ok, so you might think Marmite is a bit of a weird ingredient. Bear with me. It is more a background flavour and is used as a stock for the sauce more than anything. The cream cheese largely dilutes the taste and using means you don't need to add any salt.
1. Open the tin of hot dog sausages a cut into bitesize pieces.
2. Take the spaghetti and skewer the sausage bits onto the strands like kebabs.
3. Boil a pan of water and put the sausage and pasta in. Cook according to the instructions on the packet. Just before the spaghetti is ready, add some peas/sweetcorn.
4. Drain off most of the water. Hold about enough to fill a shot glass back for the sauce.
5. Add the cream cheese and a dessert spoon of Marmite and stir in.
6. Serve with grated parmesan/cheddar
Voila! The whole meal takes about 15 minutes (eat your heart out Jamie). The most time consuming (and fun) bit is doing the sausage skewers and I enlisted the help of my daughter for this bit.
Wednesday, 5 June 2013
Saturday, 9 February 2013
Bolognaise, Lasagne, Chilli and variations thereof
At the time of writing, Britain is in the midst of a food scandal involving the discovery of horse meat in pre-packaged processed foods. In light of this I thought I would do a few *very easy* recipes.
These recipes are basically extensions of the 'Basic Tomato Sauce' recipe of my previous post. As well as the ingredients for that, you will need:
- Large saucepan
- Knife
- Chopping board
- Wooden spoon
- Vegetable peeler
- Frying pan
- 500g minced beef
- Vegetables (depending on which sauce you plan to make)
Depending on which one you plan to make you will need:
For the bolognaise -
- Spaghetti
- Mushrooms
For the chilli -
- Dried chilli flakes
- Kidney beans
- Bell peppers
- Rice/jacket potatoes/tacos
For the lasagne -
- Lasagne sheets
- courgettes/mushrooms
- oven dish
1. Start making the tomato sauce or 'ragu' by sweating the chopped onion, garlic, celery and carrot. (The celery and carrots are not essential in any of these sauces but they do add texture and flavour as well as contributing to your daily veg intake)
2. If you are making bolognaise or lasagne, add a teaspoon of dried oregano at this stage. As you add more liquid and heat the herb will rehydrate and add flavour. For chilli you can use whatever kind of chilli you like. Chilli powder or flakes are great as they last very well in your store cupboard. Use these in the same way as oregano. Alternatively, (or as well as depending on taste) you could use a chilli sauce or fresh chillis. Add these later in the cooking process so as not to cook out too much of the flavour.
3. Whilst the ingredients are cooking gently, put the minced beef into a frying pan over a medium heat and stir. The aim is to cook the meat just enough so that it releases the water and fat. This is called browning. You will know when it is ready as all the mince will be brown.
4. Pour off the liquid and add the mince to the vegetables.
5. Mix together and add the tinned tomatoes and tomato puree. Stir and allow the ingredients to cook through and the tomatoes to warm up before tasting to add seasoning. Add salt, pepper and sugar to taste. If using fresh chillis, add them now.
6. Chop and add whatever veg you choose to use. Mushrooms and courgettes work well in bolognaise and lasagne. *For chilli, add a tin of kidney beans about 15 minutes before the end of cooking as they are pre cooked and only need warming through.*
7. Leave on a low heat until the meat is properly cooked through and the flavours have developed. These sauces benefit from being allowed to stand for a while. You could even make the day before you plan to eat and reheat.
8. For chilli you could add some chopped bell peppers about 10-15 minutes. They will still have a bit of a crunch to them.
9. Serve with your choice of accompaniment.
10. For the lasagne, cover the bottom of an oven dish with the mixture. Place lasagne sheets on top to make your first layer then add more of the mixture on top of that. Finish the layering with sheets of pasta and then pour a white sauce on top. These are widely available in supermarkets although it is a sauce I plan to do a recipe for in the future. (If you can wait that long)
11. Cook for 45 minutes in a 180-200c oven. Serve with chips/garlic bread and salad.
I will tentatively say that these recipes will serve 4-6 people. By adding more tinned tomatoes and veg you can make it go much further. If you are on a tight budget, always add more of the cheapest ingredients!! I made the tomato sauce recipe stretch to feed 8 by using 2 tins of tomatoes, adding more veg and then liquidising the ragu served with meatballs which were bulked out with breadcrumbs :) Occasionally I will add a tin of baked beans to a chilli. The sauce balances the spiciness with some sweetness.
Cooking veggie is the best way to cut down food bills. Tins of beans and pulses will always be cheaper than meat and contain low fat proteins. Dried lentils are even better value and some require very little pre soaking. For example, you could make a veggie chilli by cooking the tomato sauce recipe and adding a tin of mixed beans. Cook some red lentils in a separate pan (as per the instructions on the bag) and then add to the sauce. The lentils add a lovely sweetness and texture.
I am not a fan of tofu but added to the layers of pasta and sauce with some blanched spinach makes a very filling and tasty veggie 'superfood' lasagne.
These are very difficult recipes to get wrong but it is all about confidence. The more you cook, the better and more confident you will become. Always always add seasoning a little at a time and taste before adding anything more. Experiment with different seasonings: Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar are good things to have in your store cupboard and will work well with these recipes.
Eating on the cheap doesn't have to mean eating crap. Cooking from scratch may take little more time but at least you will know what has gone in it and it will always be cheaper than buying a ready meal. Also, you have the luxury of tailoring to your tastes. You can choose how much spice etc you put in.
These recipes are basically extensions of the 'Basic Tomato Sauce' recipe of my previous post. As well as the ingredients for that, you will need:
- Large saucepan
- Knife
- Chopping board
- Wooden spoon
- Vegetable peeler
- Frying pan
- 500g minced beef
- Vegetables (depending on which sauce you plan to make)
Depending on which one you plan to make you will need:
For the bolognaise -
- Spaghetti
- Mushrooms
For the chilli -
- Dried chilli flakes
- Kidney beans
- Bell peppers
- Rice/jacket potatoes/tacos
For the lasagne -
- Lasagne sheets
- courgettes/mushrooms
- oven dish
1. Start making the tomato sauce or 'ragu' by sweating the chopped onion, garlic, celery and carrot. (The celery and carrots are not essential in any of these sauces but they do add texture and flavour as well as contributing to your daily veg intake)
2. If you are making bolognaise or lasagne, add a teaspoon of dried oregano at this stage. As you add more liquid and heat the herb will rehydrate and add flavour. For chilli you can use whatever kind of chilli you like. Chilli powder or flakes are great as they last very well in your store cupboard. Use these in the same way as oregano. Alternatively, (or as well as depending on taste) you could use a chilli sauce or fresh chillis. Add these later in the cooking process so as not to cook out too much of the flavour.
3. Whilst the ingredients are cooking gently, put the minced beef into a frying pan over a medium heat and stir. The aim is to cook the meat just enough so that it releases the water and fat. This is called browning. You will know when it is ready as all the mince will be brown.
4. Pour off the liquid and add the mince to the vegetables.
5. Mix together and add the tinned tomatoes and tomato puree. Stir and allow the ingredients to cook through and the tomatoes to warm up before tasting to add seasoning. Add salt, pepper and sugar to taste. If using fresh chillis, add them now.
6. Chop and add whatever veg you choose to use. Mushrooms and courgettes work well in bolognaise and lasagne. *For chilli, add a tin of kidney beans about 15 minutes before the end of cooking as they are pre cooked and only need warming through.*
7. Leave on a low heat until the meat is properly cooked through and the flavours have developed. These sauces benefit from being allowed to stand for a while. You could even make the day before you plan to eat and reheat.
8. For chilli you could add some chopped bell peppers about 10-15 minutes. They will still have a bit of a crunch to them.
9. Serve with your choice of accompaniment.
10. For the lasagne, cover the bottom of an oven dish with the mixture. Place lasagne sheets on top to make your first layer then add more of the mixture on top of that. Finish the layering with sheets of pasta and then pour a white sauce on top. These are widely available in supermarkets although it is a sauce I plan to do a recipe for in the future. (If you can wait that long)
11. Cook for 45 minutes in a 180-200c oven. Serve with chips/garlic bread and salad.
I will tentatively say that these recipes will serve 4-6 people. By adding more tinned tomatoes and veg you can make it go much further. If you are on a tight budget, always add more of the cheapest ingredients!! I made the tomato sauce recipe stretch to feed 8 by using 2 tins of tomatoes, adding more veg and then liquidising the ragu served with meatballs which were bulked out with breadcrumbs :) Occasionally I will add a tin of baked beans to a chilli. The sauce balances the spiciness with some sweetness.
Cooking veggie is the best way to cut down food bills. Tins of beans and pulses will always be cheaper than meat and contain low fat proteins. Dried lentils are even better value and some require very little pre soaking. For example, you could make a veggie chilli by cooking the tomato sauce recipe and adding a tin of mixed beans. Cook some red lentils in a separate pan (as per the instructions on the bag) and then add to the sauce. The lentils add a lovely sweetness and texture.
I am not a fan of tofu but added to the layers of pasta and sauce with some blanched spinach makes a very filling and tasty veggie 'superfood' lasagne.
These are very difficult recipes to get wrong but it is all about confidence. The more you cook, the better and more confident you will become. Always always add seasoning a little at a time and taste before adding anything more. Experiment with different seasonings: Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar are good things to have in your store cupboard and will work well with these recipes.
Eating on the cheap doesn't have to mean eating crap. Cooking from scratch may take little more time but at least you will know what has gone in it and it will always be cheaper than buying a ready meal. Also, you have the luxury of tailoring to your tastes. You can choose how much spice etc you put in.
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