Left Over Roast Lamb

Last week Tesco’s had legs of lamb for half price so I bought a whopper for £11.  Now I slow roast this in the oven on low heat with onion, carrot and stock for about 5 hours. 

We have relatives coming tomorrow and I’m making lunch of shepherds pie, I prefer to make shepherds pie with shredded leg of lamb rather than mince.  So for this one meat joint I have managed to make enough shepherd’s pie mix for 2 pies each feeding 6 people.  Dad had a hot lamb and onion sandwich for his lunch. 

I’ve used the rest, in a lamb and veg soup which has made 6 portions.  Taking into account the cost of the veg and stock used (£3.18).  I have made 13 hearty meals for 75p each. 

So this is my Lamb and Veg soup its one of those left over chuck it all in meals and it really does taste delish. 

I start off by boiling the lamb bone in water with an onion, carrot, herbs and black pepper with a lamb stock cube which is the basis of the soup stock for about 40 minutes creating a really rich stock.

Gently fry a chopped onion, 2 sticks of celery, 2 carrots, one diced pototo, add in a litre of the stock you've made and simmer for 30 minutes.  But you can add in any left over veg you have.   

I take out half the mixture and blend to provide a bit of thickness to the soup.  Add in left over chopped lamb meat and simmer again for 10 minutes.  Add seasoning to taste.  Uber flavoursome.  

It's Minestrone Today

Gosh we are having a storm and a half, the rain is lashing down and the wind is well very windy.  So another day to make some nourishing soup.  This is my recipe for a very rustic, chunky Minestrone, it's really filling, makes 4 very hearty portions but can be stretched if you have a smaller appetite.  It's practically a stew hence why it's so filling.  Total cost of all ingredients was £2.86, so 71p a portion but as I say can be stretched to 6 portions particularly if you have a sandwich with it. 

So chop 1 large onion, 2 celery sticks, 2 carrots and a pack of smoked bacon and sweat this on a hob for about 3 minutes. 

Add some garlic, 3 tablespoons of tomato puree, herbs (whatever you have in the cupboard, I added Oregano) and mix and fry this for another minute. 

Add a can of chopped tomatoes and a litre of chicken stock (made with 2 chicken stock cubes.  Add some seasoning and pop a lid on and simmer on low for about 50 minutes.  

Then add in 50g of any pasta you have in the cupboard and a can of cannellini beans and again simmer for about 20 minutes.  Check the seasoning and e voila 

It really is scrummy and whilst not the cheapest soup recipe due to the smoked bacon but as I say its more like a stew and is really filling so for 71p it's not too bad.  Enjoy

Souper Sunday

Well I don’t know what the weather is like where you are but up north its blinking freezing and then some.  On days like these we yearn for hot comfort food and homemade soup is the best. 

I make soup most weeks, it really is a great way to prevent food waste, any vegetables or bits of meat lingering in the fridge and you don’t think you will use up in time before they go off can be chucked into a stock pot. 

So today I went out and bought a ham joint, I cook one each week, it’s only £2.99 in Aldi and lasts us for the whole week.  So today’s recipes are Leek and Potato Soup (6 hearty portions) and Pea and Ham soup (4 hearty portions).   Total cost of ingredients was £2.49 (I only used about 50p worth of the Ham joint in the pea and ham soup), equating to 25p a portion, for a big bowl of soup which tastes far better than any tin you can buy in the shop, I promise.

I know there are lots of recipes for both but these are mine and really yummy

Leek & Potato

Into 2 litres of ham stock I put in (I did add in about 500ml of water to make up the 2 litres and crumbled in a chicken stock cube)

2 roughly chopped onions (I also added in a few spring onions as these where looking past their best)

2 roughly chopped large leeks

2 roughly chopped baking potatoes

Add a few herbs, salt and pepper to taste, bring to the boil and simmer for about 30 minutes.

As we like our soups smooth I then but it in the blender, check the seasoning and e voila

Pea and Ham soup

Into 1 litre of ham stock 

1 roughly chopped onion (again added in a few spring onions)

1 roughly chopped potato

A few herbs salt and pepper

Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

I then put in 500g of frozen peas from the freezer, I don’t cook these just leave them in the hot stock for a few minutes this ensures that after you’ve blended you have a luscious green colour and a very pea flavour.  (Photo doesn't do it justice due to poor lighting)

From the ham joint I chop up a couple of slices of ham, I then check the seasoning and again e voila a fab soup.

In this weather hubby likes to take soup to work to reheat for his lunch, filling, nutritious and on cold days like this feeds both body and soul. 

Days without agenda

I love days like these, free days, days when I am committed to no-one but me, a day to do exactly as I please (well kind of).  I started the day early, cut hubbies hair, now I am no hairdresser but he is, shall we say, folically challenged ha hum J and all it takes is a number 3 over his barnett once every 4 weeks, it looks grand after and saves an easy £70 - £80 per year. 

Whilst hubby was in the shower I whipped through the downstairs with the hoover, tidied the house, loaded the dishwasher, made the bed and generally put everything in order.  I then showered and got ready before we went to mass.

Returning home I decided to do some batch cooking, I made cottage pie and sausage and bean hot pot to stock up the freezer, along with making hubbies couscous salad for this week’s lunches (only 4 this week as he’s taking his kids on a field trip on Friday so I will be making him butties for ease), before tackling the ironing. 

Now all of this may not be everyone’s choice of a free day, but whilst I have been as busy as the busiest bee it has been completely my choice, I could have just curled up with a book – something I plan to do after posting this, it was the choice that is the liberating thing.

Cooking master class – well more amateur class

Cottage Pie

There are a million different tweaks to this recipe, this is just mine, I love cottage/shepherd’s pie, its filling, hearty and nourishing, real soul food and considering we seem to be still in winter, is a suitable recipe for this time of year.

So I start by gently sweating one large chopped onion

I then chop 10 carrots and half a swede, but just add whatever amount you want

Add a pack of mince; this one is 800g and brown

Add a dollop of tomato ketchup; this really gives the mix a kick and mix through

Sprinkle a large tablespoon of plain flour and mix and cook out

Slowly add 800ml of stock (2 beef stock cubes with boiling water) mixing all the time

Add seasoning and some mixed herbs, pop the lid on and simmer on a low heat for 30 mins before portioning out into dishes

Now you can make a batch of mash, but I really couldn’t be bothered and decided to top the pies with thinly sliced (half a cm) potatoes, bake in the oven for 25 mins, quick, low fat and easy.  This batch has made 7 hearty portions.

Sausage and Bean Hotpot

I really enjoy this recipe, again hearty winter food; it’s healthy, nourishing, and low cost and tastes so good.  This makes 2 meals (4 portions) on the ratio of hubby has 3 sausages to my 2.  All you need to add is a wedge of bread and you have a cracking supper,

Select 10 sausages, try and make them quality sausages, I would rather eat less meat i.e. reduce the quantity of meat and have several veggie meals a week than reduce the quality.  Mine are finest pork and herb

Gently colour in a pan with 2 large onions sliced

Add 2 cans of chopped tomatoes, chicken stock (400ml made with one chicken stock cube), herbs, a good pinch of chilli flakes and seasoning

Rinse two tins of Cannellini Beans and add, stir, cook without lid on for 20 mins

And portion up

Now time to just curl up with a book, you will note that I don't advertise, no ad ons, no advertisements, if I recommend anything its just a genuine post I am not nor will I ever be paid to recommend anything, I see this as just two friends chatting over coffee J I am currently reading Emma Kennedy's The tent, The bucket and me - if you were a working class child of the 1970's it will completely resonate, it is a cracking read, I picked up a copy from the library yesterday and have struggled to put it down, its funny, real and warm, so if you are popping to the library I would recommend picking up a copy - Have a great week Cxx

Weekly Meal Plan and Couscous to go !

Breakfasts

Hubby – Weetabix, skimmed milk and Cranberry Juice

Me – Porridge and coffee

Lunches

Hubby – Couscous Salad, 2 bananas, 2 apples

Me – Soup and granary bread

Dinners

Monday – Left over Lasagne with salad and garlic bread

Tuesday – (from the freezer) Sausage and bean hot pot, veggies

Weds – (from the freezer) homemade soup and granary bread

Thurs – (from the freezer - sauce) Pasta Amatriciana

Fri –  (from the freezer) Veggie Curry, rice and naan bread

Sat – Homemade Pizza

Sun – Homemade plate meat pie and veggies

Couscous Salad

This is my own recipe, its vegetarian and has a distinct nod to India.  I don’t think it would suit everyones palette, it certainly doesn’t suit mine as I find it a bit too sweet, however hubby loves it.  Couscous is a really cheap, healthy lunch and a little different from the boring old butty J .  I make this each Sunday and make (usually) 5 portions – this week it was only 4 portions, as hubby has training on Thursday and lunch is provided.  So lets get on with the concoction

I pour in half a bag 250g of couscous in large bowl

Pour on boiling water, you can use measurements but I prefer Jamie Olivers top tip, pour on water quickly so there is about 1cm water on the top. 

It absorbs within minutes and I just fork through to fluff it all up and leave it until cold.

Add seasoning and slice one red onion and then add 2 teaspoons of garam masala spice, a good pinch of chilli flakes, two handfuls of sultanas and 3 tablespoons of mango chutney and again with your fork mix through

 and portion it out into individual plastic tuppaware (these are reused takeaway containers)

I then boil 5 eggs for exactly 6 minutes, I like my boiled eggs softly boiled. Once cool I quarter and position on top of the couscous. 

Put the lids on, pop in the fridge and e voila hubby just grabs and go each day with a healthy, tasty, homemade lunch which costs 48p per portion.

Birthday Baking

It is my beloved nephew’s 9^th birthday tomorrow and my sister has asked me to make his birthday cake, Yikes!  It started just as that but I am also making sausage rolls and stuffed baked potatoes as well, so I’ve booked the day off tomorrow to ensure all is freshly baked and arrives for his family birthday tea after school at 4pm.

I have to say I am feeling the pressure of baking the cake, I love baking and my sponge cakes (thanks to Mary Berry recipes) always seem to come out light and scrummy, but I am by no means a cake decorator and my sister has been quite specific in what she wants, simply icing his name and age.  Please don’t laugh too hard at my first practise attempt – I’m scared (lol). 

He has asked for a vanilla sponge with chocolate cream filling and icing.  The cake and sausage rolls will be baked tomorrow.

Tonight I have made the stuffed potatoes which has become somewhat my signature dish and is requested whenever we have Jacob joins soirees, very simple to make and oh so delish.  Not so much a recipe, more of a compiling.

• Bake your potatoes in the normal way
• Once cooled, scoop out the potato leaving a rim of a couple of millmetres so it creates a sturdy case.
• Mash the potato with butter , season and stir in grated cheese and spring onions.

• Fill back into the potato case, sprinkle some cheese on and when I get to my sisters tomorrow I will pop them in the oven to bake again for about 20 minutes so they are warmed through and the cheese on top is golden brown. Ummm  

Give Peas a Chance!

Yeah sorry about that ;) ….  Today has been a cold, wet and miserable day; my last day of leave (back to work tomorrow, it wont be any surprise that I haven’t missed the daily commute one little bit) and I had an urge for some homemade soup, so I plumped for a favourite of pea and ham.  I had half a bag (500g) of petit pois, I bought these accidentally instead of garden peas, my darling hubby is a bit of a pea snob (or just plain fussy lol) and only likes garden peas!!! So I thought it would be a great way to use these up. There are various different ways of making pea and ham soup and I’m sure you have your own favourite recipe, this is mine:

4 hearty portions

2 onions chopped and sweated in olive oil and butter for a couple of minutes

Add a litre of chicken stock (2 stock cubes) and a bay leaf, put a lid on and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Take out your peas from the freezer and allow to thaw a little.

Put the peas straight into a blender, take out the bay leaf and add all the stock and chopped up ham (I just had value range wafer thin) blitz, finish with 3 tbsps of half fat crème fraiche, seasoning and some more chopped ham.

**By not cooking the peas you have a lush green and really pea flavour soup and it’s oh so delish

This pan is 4 portions, which will be tomorrow night’s tea

This was my portion for lunch today with some fresh bread ummmm    

Lazy (ish) Days

I can get used to this being off on Friday’s – it’s a perfect way to start the weekend J  I had planned to blitz the house to free up the weekend.  I usually spend all day Saturdays deep cleaning the house from top to bottom (obviously in case the Queen pops in for a brew), friends, family and hubby all think I’m mad, as its just the two of us with a non shedding dog and they always protest it really can’t need it every week!  As the Queen hasn’t RSVP’d this weekend I decided to give it a miss (I cleaned the bathroom and kitchen and did a quick whip round with the hoover but that’s been it).  I instead ventured out to Tesco’s mainly because I had a £6 voucher which needed spending and I decided to stock up with a big shop to see us through April (with the exception of fresh fruit, veg, milk and bread I am done J) at a cost of £57 – not bad.   I say that now probably with mis-placed confidence, but I will do my best not to stray.

I spent the afternoon baking, I’ve made a lemon cake and a tray of flapjacks.  Tonights tea is veggie curry (batch cooking from the freezer) with naan bread and as it is Friday night I decided to make some homemade onion bharjis (for the first time may I add).  I used a Nigel Slater recipe which can be found here.  I’ll let hubby be the judge if they are any good.

As its such a fabulous afternoon/evening hubby has texted me and persuaded me to go for a walk (to the pub and back ;), with the exception of my birthday lunch its been 2 months since we went to the pub for a pint, so whilst unplanned and not very frugal I'm really looking forward to it - a couple of pints and then a saunter back home in the sunshine for tea. 

We are promised a scorching weekend – enjoy J

Curing a cold ..... Nature’s Way

Half of my team at work are down with some dreaded lurgy and I myself today have battled on despite feeling a tad rough.  I decided to delve into the freezer this morning in preparation of tonight’s tea and unearthed some homemade chicken soup. 

I am a firm believer in the powers of what is fondly referred to as Jewish penicillin.  A huge bowlful of this sooo tasty broth really has made me feel so much better.  It maybe all psychosomatic but I don’t care – it works for me J 

Recipe

I always make chicken soup after we have had a roast dinner, left over meat I often make a pie and then the carcass is put in a big stock pot with an onion chopped in half, bay leaf, pepper corns and a chicken stock cube, filled with cold water until it just covers the chicken.

I then boil for about an hour. 

Once boiled and cooled a little, I take the chicken out and strip the carcass of every last bit of chicken, putting the chicken back in the  stock pot (I remove the bay leaf) and the rest in the bin.

I then add whatever veg I have, potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and peas tend to be the norm.  I then cook for about 20 minutes, blend, season and e voila yummy, heart warming, food that feeds the body and soul. 

Cx

Loving Leftovers

I used to throw everything away; it wasn’t that I lacked imagination nor culinary skills to transform leftovers into another meal – I was just lazy; I used to say I didn’t have the time but my new frugal (ish) ways now demonstrate where there is a will there is always the time.

I had leftover single cream from the weekend and it was this that initiated todays cook fest J.

Currently bubbling on the stove is a huge batch of vegetable curry; its my own recipe and I am sure it wouldn’t past the muster in any Indian household, but its really tasty , has just the right amount of heat and it’s a good way to have a meat free dinner:

Veggie Curry. 

2 onions cut into chunks, quite rustic

Half a jar of Madras Paste (make sure its paste not sauce)

4 cans of chopped tomatoes

Bag of baby potatoes (you can use any potato cut into chunks – I’ve used baby, as a bag was discounted to £1

Cauliflower Florets

Green Beans

Tub of half fat crème fraiche (usually) but today 300ml single cream

Now I have to say that my cauli and green beans are frozen, purists would never dream of stocking their freezer with frozen veg, insisting on fresh, preferably organic etc, however I am a fan of (some) frozen veg, not only are they fresh (being frozen within a couple of hours of being picked, you really cant get better unless you grow your own), but it means I always have veg despite the fact that I work 12 hour days and shopping more than once a week is just not on the cards. 

So I drizzle some garlic infused olive oil in a big stock pot, throw in the onion and cook for a minute or two – put in the half jar of paste and heat through to release the spices then I put in the chopped tomatoes; then the potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes, I then add the cauli and simmer for a couple of minutes before lastly adding the green beans and simmering for another 5 minutes – I then pour in the cream and cook through, add some salt and e voila huge batch of veggie curry – this size pan produces 8 portions, 4 very hearty meals for me and hubby, which I serve with rice or homemade flat breads – the total cost of the curry is £4.23, so per portion 52p, not bad

Cheese and Onion Quiche

I can’t claim this recipe it is a James Martin one which I have adapted (I make more pastry so I can make a couple of cheese and onion pasties as well)

Shortcrust pastry – I make mine by 250g plain flour; 150g fat (I use half lard, half butter), pinch of salt and enough cold water to bind.

Filling

350g cheese – any cheese preferably mature so you can taste but is a really good way to use up the remnants of a cheese board – mine today is just plain old mature cheddar cheese J

5 eggs

300ml milk – I am using cream so a very rich quiche today

Salt, Pepper and tyme – freshly picked from my herb bed

After you have blind baked the pastry – put in a layer of onion

Then add your cheese

Carefully and slowly poor in your eggy mixture and top with tyme

Bake in the oven for about 25 mins, but until golden brown on top

Pasties

I used a small plate to cut two rounds (ish) and put in cheese and onion

Fold pastry and crimp

Cook in the oven – I sprinkled over some left over cheese from the quiche, save wasting it and it makes the pasty extra cheesy

So back to reality tomorrow as I’m back to work (big sigh) but at least tomorrow night’s tea (quiche) is made so we have soomething very yummy when I get home at 7pm J

I Don't Like Mondays !!!

Usually that is my mantra, I really don’t like Mondays; the weekend always go’s far too quickly and the thought of the long week ahead at work makes getting out of bed on a Monday morning an arduous task.  I normally spend at least 10 minutes each Monday morning thinking up of any reason not to go, can I pull a sicky? Have I any leave left and make up an emergency? Fake car breakdown? Lol  – I never do any of these and always go to work, but I always go through the same Monday morning ritual. 

Now it’s not that I hate my job, I mean it doesn’t light up my world, but the job is ok, I’m good at it and have really good colleagues.  It’s the commute which is a killer, 3 hours round trip.  My commute is neither frugal nor environmentally sound, however following a restructure at work I was moved to another city (I was grateful I still had a job, many didn’t), I constantly look for work nearer home, however in this economic climate there really isn’t much out there, beggars can’t be choosers – the commute is a bitch but at least I have a job J.

However today was an exception as I still have two days leave (back to work Wednesday) so this morning I was looking forward to a lie in – this unfortunately didn’t really happen as hubby's boss rang at 7.10am (hubby had already left for work) and I couldn’t get back to sleep.  Ah well lie in tomorrow.

Today was a good and productive day – I spent the morning, stripping the bed, laundry, tidying up, making 6 thank you cards which took me to lunch time – I then popped to Sainsburys to pick up essential supplies and stamps; returned home, walked the dog and posted the cards and came back and hovered and mopped the floors (I live such a rock and roll lifestyle) I then tackled all the dreaded ironing.

I then heated up the sausage and cannelloni bean hot pot – recipe below,(the recipe is based on 6 portions, I always try and make extra so we can have a meal and then I can freeze, in this case 2 more meals for me and hubby), with the commute that I have, its always a must to have homemade ready meal that just needs warming through when I get home usually around 7pm each evening.

Cost for recipe £3.86 (this doesn’t include stock cube, herbs and chilli which are all store cupboard ingredients) – 64p per portion

15 sausages (hubby's portion has 3 sausages, mine 2)

2 onions

2 cans of cannelloni beans

2 cans of chopped tomatoes

Herbs

Chilli

400ml chicken stock (from a cube)

Slice your onions and sautee in some olive oil, add sausages and colour; add the chopped tomatoes, stock and the cannelloni beans (rinse the beans before you add), add the herbs and chilli and season to taste, simmer for 20 mins – It is really hearty and delicious – we had this tonight with some left over crusty bread and it was yumm