Cooking on a low budget?
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Cooking on a low budget?
Cooking on a low budget?
02-11-2011 2:56 PM
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I am already using my slow cooker to make bulk curry’s, stews etc. But am looking for some "different" or at least new to me ones.
I tend to buy meat in bulk (when it is cheaper anyway) and freeze into manageable packs to make stew or curry with.
Starting off with:-
I have found the Morrisions value/cheap/why curry sauce (about 9p a jar!) makes a very nice curry, with (value pack) chicken thighs and some fruit added.
Use two jars and 1Kg of thighs, with raisins and/or some apple into the slow cooker for about 6hours on low. Makes 3 meals for the 2 of us

That and my home made soups for lunch - tastier and cheaper than packet mixes, one pot lasts for 3 days, kept in the fridge. (With home made bread a couple of times a week as well)
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
02-11-2011 3:09 PM
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I imagine you could do this in a slow-cooker but I can knock this up in a large frying pan and have it served up with some spaghetti in less than 30 mins.
Adam Walker Plusnet Help Team |
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
02-11-2011 3:28 PM
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(I also have a halogen oven, and a "toaster" over that will hold a small caserole dish, along with a George Foreman "oven" for doing roast chicken etc in)
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
02-11-2011 3:30 PM
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TV is used for promoting aswell as entertaining. Food programmes seem to do both and then we keep hearing about the nation is getting fat.
Coincidence?
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
02-11-2011 4:00 PM
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Well I have tried not eating but it didn't workout, what with me being a diabetic

I think cooking programs are CHEAP to make, like make over programs. And better value than ANY <throw up>big brother</throw up> type



Re: Cooking on a low budget?
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
02-11-2011 4:05 PM
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2 cloves of garlic - crushed as fine as you can
Good quality olive oil - about 5/6 tablespoons
Basil leaves
Any pasta you want
Heat the oil gently, when it's hot add the garlic until it's nearly all dissolved in the oil. Pour flavoured oil over cooked pasta and toss together adding some sliced basil leaves into it.
Serve with crusty bread.
Chris Parr Plusnet Staff |
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
02-11-2011 4:28 PM
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Quote from: Hairy @Sprite
Well I have tried not eating but it didn't workout, what with me being a diabetic
LOL (and at the BB remark)
There's no doubt we need food.. but we're having so many food programs shoved in our face every day that people will surely become convinced that they can eat just as much as they want and then proceed to do so.
When I was young we didn't have all this and the country wasn't suffering with an obesity problem. Now we have celebrity chefs and food programs on almost every channel the country is fattening up and all we hear about is britain getting fat.
Has no-one else actually noticed this?
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
02-11-2011 4:45 PM
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While supermarkets (etc) are promoting "ready meals" or quick meals, which have high sugar/salt/fat content, and we are a nation of TV addicts who take little (if any) exercise then it will continue.
I grew up in the country, we didn't have fast food restaurants (or any restaurants

We didn't have all these TV channels (3 if you were lucky) and they only broadcast for short periods (remember the test card).
Now kids have computers, games consoles etc and hardly ever walk anywhere. And if they don't have sat tv then they think they are deprived

Re: Cooking on a low budget?
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
02-11-2011 5:17 PM
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That programme showed families how to cook for less. Mind you the families they found to convert had mostly spent a fortune on take-aways and ready meals and filled their fridges with food that they threw away a week or two later. There were also the "bleeding obvious" tips which it seems were it seems not obvious to the families featured. While the programme was flawed it seemed to me more worthwhile to show people basic cheap dishes that are easy to make than the "special occasion" recipes featuring dozens of ingredients that take all day to make.
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
02-11-2011 5:35 PM
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Pretty simple video here
I use muslin cloth and a rubber band as a filter cap
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
02-11-2011 5:43 PM
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Just used some BBE (about a month+ ago) blackberrys in some muffins just now (in the toaster oven now, have to do them in batches of 6

Re: Cooking on a low budget?
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
02-11-2011 5:45 PM
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Re: Cooking on a low budget?
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
02-11-2011 5:58 PM
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You ever look at the banner at the bottom of a cake/bun? The sugar content may surprise you (usually about 30-50g of sugar/portion) (for me enough to send me to sleep

Being a diabetic I avoid (mostly) shop bought cakes etc. Thats why I am making muffins (using a sugar substitute) at the moment (while SHMBO is making the tea, baked tatties tonight yum yum)
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
02-11-2011 6:24 PM
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The wheat free pasta fall apart so I do not use it but wish that someone would make some that cooks nicely as you can have economical meals with pasta.
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
Re: Cooking on a low budget?
02-11-2011 6:42 PM
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That and shell fish can't eat them, or at least I can but not expect to feel well for next couple of days.

The rice one, I am not 100% with, about 30 years ago I had a spoonful of fried rice, then after about 5 hours it decided to leave in a hurry, but it may have had shell fish (prawn or shrimp) in with it, I don't know and I have avoided it since. It was something we didn't have as kids so I wasn't used to it. I keep meaning to try it one day but don't really want to be ill for a couple of days, so have always chickened out of it.
Mind you I LOVE rice pudding


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