Cheap Family Meals 9 – Mediterranean Hotpot

Mediterranean Hotpot

The next of my cheap family meals is Mediterranean Hotpot.

Introduction

I can not honestly say this is an old family stand by as Courgettes, Aubergines and Peppers were considered almost exotic foods when my kids were little and, as a result, cost the earth. I would have also been given a look of horror if I had put such unimaginable things before them.  These days all these ingredients are common place and much, much, cheaper than they were. Sadly, I bet, some of my kids would still look upon this dish in the same manner. We like it though and had it for tea tonight.

Ingredients for 4 People

8-16oz of left over meat

1 medium onion

1 courgette

1 small aubergine

1 small red pepper

A few mushrooms

1 pt passata

Seasoning

A little oil

Method

Chop all the veg into bite sized pieces. Break or cut the left over meat into pieces – not too small. Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion. Sauté for a minute or two over a medium heat. Add all the other veg. Sauté for 5 to 10 minutes to absorb the oil. Add the passata and bring to the boil Add the meat to the pan and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes. If the passata was thin then leave the lid off the pan to allow some evaporation, otherwise keep lidded. Try not to stir too much or your meat may break up, but don’t let it stick and burn. When the meat is heated through and the veg cooked, taste and add seasoning. You may need to include a large pinch of sugar in your seasoning to help enhance the taste of the passata. Serve with rice or pasta.

Variations

You can spice this up with chilli and garlic.

If you add a few potatoes to the pan before adding the meat and let them cook through this can become a one pot meal.

You could just put the pasta into the pan but make sure there is enough liquid in there if you are going to do that. Perhaps part cook the pasta first.

You can use any meat for this, not just left overs. I used some fresh lamb scrag end which I boiled straight from frozen, with herbs and veg, for a couple of hours to make some stock for soup. I then broke the meat up for this dish.

Instead of meat try adding some small pieces of fish, after the veg is cooked ,and just a few minutes before serving.

Tips

You can use any veg that needs used up in this just make sure you adjust your cooking times if using longer cooking veg like carrots or turnip. You can make this more rustic by leaving the vegetables in bigger pieces.

If you are looking for a few Christmas goodies to make then check out my InfoBarrel Articles

Christmas Truffles

Christmas Cherry Kisses

Fridge Cake

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Cheap Family Meals 8 – Dumplings and Leftovers

Dumplings

Dumplings and Leftovers

The next of my cheap family meals is Dumplings and Leftovers.

Introduction

Dumplings can extend a small amount of meat into another meal. I often use leftover meat, gravy and veg from Sunday lunch. Any type of meat in gravy is suitable. You do need a reasonable amount of gravy though.

Ingredients per person

1oz of fat  (See Tips)

2oz Self Raising flour

Cold water

Salt, Pepper, Herbs (See Tips)

Left over meat, veg and gravy.

Method

The meat is diced or sliced and added to the gravy in a pan, with the vegetables, and heated through gently. Make sure you have plenty of gravy. If not add some stock or, water and a stock cube. While the meat is heating through make your dumplings. Do not make them in advance as they need to be put straight in the pan after the water is added.

If the fat is hard fat, then grate it into the flour, if soft then rub it in with your fingertips. Season with salt, pepper and any herbs you would like and mix well. Now add cold water a little at a time until a sticky dough is made. Use a spoon for this and just stir and mix well. You can now either make the mixture into balls with floured hands or simply push spoonfuls off the spoon into the pan For each 1oz of fat you should make 3 reasonably sized dumplings. You now have a choice of cooking methods. If you like soft dumplings then simply put the lid on the pan and continue to cook for at least 20 minutes. If you like crispy topped dumplings then put the pan in the oven at 200C for 20-30 minutes (if your pan is not oven proof then pour the meat and veg into an oven proof dish before adding the dumplings).

Now serve and enjoy.

Variations

As mentioned they can be crispy topped or soft. You can flavour them with any herb that compliments the meat you are serving. They can be large (allow a longer cooking time ) or small (shorter cooking time).  You can simply add some mini dumplings to a pan of soup to make it more substantial.

Tips

Fat – This can be Shredded Suet, Lard, Margarine, Butter, Beef Dripping or rendered fat.  If you cooked the meat the day before and have any fat that you drained or skimmed off after cooking, you can use this for added flavour. I render any fatty pieces I cut off the meat over a gentle heat, which releases the fat which can then be used for this. Using your own rendered fat makes them even cheaper to make.

Herbs – You can add any appropriate herb at this point. Sage for a pork or chicken dish. Mint for a lamb one. What ever takes your fancy. I like simple plain dumplings.

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My Cheap Family Meals 7 – Fried Rice

Fried Rice

Bacon Fried Rice

The next of my cheap family meals is Fried Rice

Introduction

Time to use up those leftovers!

Raid the fridge and see what needs used up. This is a frequent flyer in our house and has been for many years. It is also a favourite. It is the perfect vehicle for using up left over meats or vegetables from the Sunday dinner. It can also be vegetarian, vegan, and/or gluten free. You don’t have to use left over meat, fresh meat will work just as well. We often add in eggs but these can also be the main stay of the protein element. I am sure you could add in soya chunks instead of meat.

Ingredients for four portions

8oz (dried weight) of cooked hot long grain rice (See Tips)

A large onion, chopped

Some oil

1 Tablespoon of Sesame oil (optional)

A couple of garlic cloves crushed

A small chilli finely chopped

A couple of tablespoons of grated fresh ginger (See Tips)

A selection of veg.  (See Tips)

8oz of cooked meat (See Tips)

4eggs (optional -see Tips)

Soy Sauce

Method

Cook or reheat your rice. Prepare your veg – peel and chop fresh veg or simply chop left over veg, Cook your meat, if required in a little oil and remove. Add a little more oil to your pan, if you need to (a wok is the best pan to use here but make sure it is a big one) and if you are using any raw root vegetables then add them at his point and cook over a low to medium heat, to taste. Some people prefer them crunchier than others. Now turn up the heat and add the onion, garlic, chilli, ginger and sesame oil, if using. Cook for a minute or two. Add in the rest of the veg and your cooked meat and stir and toss about until you are happy they are cooked to your taste and well heated through. Now add your eggs, in what ever form you wish, and mix through. Finally add in your hot rice and as much soy sauce as you like and mix well. I don’t over do the soy sauce at this point as people can always add more on their plate. Now serve to the ravening hoards. This dish seems to go cold very quickly so make sure the table is set and the kids ready and waiting when you are finished. Using heated plates also helps.  If you use left overs for this dish then do not keep any that is not eaten as it can’t be reheated again. Our dog loves fried rice!

Variations

Infinite - see tips on rice, meat, veg and eggs

Tips

Ginger – I buy a large hand of fresh ginger and freeze it, as is – no peeling!. It can then be grated, from frozen on a fine grater and added into your dish. This makes it more economical to use as you use the skin as well and also means less mouldy or dried up ginger rotting away in the bottom of the fridge or veg basket. The taste of fresh ginger is far superior to the powdered kind.

Rice – I use long grain as it is usually available under an own brand basic range and is the cheapest rice to buy. You can use whatever rice you prefer. Just cook it and no more. Do not over cook it as it will still absorb a little more moisture when added to the final dish and will end up too sticky and stodgy if over cooked. It will still be edible though and it is not the end of the world if this happens. Cook for 12-14 minutes in a large pan of salted boiling water). You can also add stock or stock cubes to the water to add extra flavour to the rice. The absorption method is better for this. Add 1/4pt of stock per 2oz of rice and cook in the microwave for 14-15 minutes on high. Stirring half way through. Leave covered with a plate when cooked. You can also use left over rice for this dish. Either refresh in boiling water for a minute or microwave to heat through. Be careful though as you do not want to use rice that has been sitting around in a warm kitchen for a couple of days. I only use left over rice  when it is  a day old and has been in the fridge, any older and I throw it away – just to be safe.

Veg – You can use fresh, frozen, tinned or left over vegetables in this dish. As much or as little as you like. Suggestions include carrots, turnip, courgette, butternut, mushroom, peppers, peas, sweetcorn or beans, and any more you can think of. I would steer clear of potatoes though as they can disintegrate and make the dish too sticky. Remember if using root veg to either parboil them first or let them stir fry a little before adding the other ingredients, as they do take longer to cook through.

Eggs – These can be missed out if you don’t like eggs, or are allergic to them, or simply don’t have any.  If making this a vegetarian dish then I would increase the eggs to at least one per portion. I like crispy eggs bits so I scramble my eggs in a heavy pan with a little oil and continue cooking them, scrapping then up from the bottom of the pan,  until they have formed small crispy lumps. I then have to resist eating these while cooking the rest of the dish.  You can just stir the raw eggs into the hot rice and mix through to cook.

Meat – This can be left over meat from the Sunday roast simply cut into bite size pieces. It can also be pieces of bacon fried until crisp. Fresh  meat should be sauted in a little oil in the pan you are going to use for your dish. Don’t wash away any residue as it will all add to the taste, just remove the meat with a slotted spoon when cooked leaving behind any fat or oil.

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Cheap Family Meals 6 – Baked Beans

Cannellini Beans baked with Passata and Chorizo

Baked Beans

The next of my  cheap family meals is Baked Beans.

We had these for tea tonight and they were superb!

A slight misnomer there as they don’t actually have to be baked but can be if you want. With Supermarket own brands, you can actually buy baked beans cheaper than you can make them but the taste is incomparable. The cost of making these can be greatly reduced if you grow your own beans, garlic, onions and tomatoes, as we do here at North Wald Self Catering on Orkney. Use whatever beans you like, or have to hand. I used Cannellini beans tonight but I have used, dried butter beans, fresh haricot, fresh runner bean seeds and fresh Barlotti beans before. You can even use a mixture.

Ingredients

1lb of dried beans, soaked over night or 3lb of fresh beans

8oz-1lb of Chorizo or whatever diced protein you would like – this is optional.

2 large onions – finely chopped

A few cloves of garlic – very finely chopped

1 small red chilli – very finely chopped

1 teaspoon of paprika – preferably smoked

¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Black Pepper

1 tablespoon of black treacle

About 1 ¾ pints of passata

A little oil.

Method

Cook the beans until tender in a large heavy pan with plenty of water. This could take well over an hour for dried beans. Remember to boil them rapidly for at least 10 minutes before simmering to kill the wind causing enzymes. DO NOT ADD SALT! 

Drain the beans reserving the liquid. Put the pan back on the heat and add the oil. Now sauté the onions, garlic, chilli and any meat you may be using. When the meat is cooked and the onions are soft add the paprika and cayenne and mix well. Now add the beans back in and mix well. Stir in the passatta and the black treacle. If the beans are not fully covered then add a little of the reserved liquid until they are just covered and no more. Season with the black pepper. Still do not add salt or the beans will toughen! 

The mix can now be simmered gently on top of the stove or put in the oven (180C / 350F for 1hr) for further cooking, but stir often and add more of the reserved liquid if getting too thick. 

Serve on its own, with bread and butter, with garlic bread, with a salad or even the old standard of Beans on Toast!

Variations

For the protein content you can use Chorizo, bacon bits, pork belly or even sausages, again whatever you like. You can leave meat out and make it vegetarian.

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Cheap Family Meals 5 – Cheesy Rice

Cheesy Rice

The next of my  cheap family meals is Cheesy Rice

In reality Risotto!  We ate so much of this when the kids were little that they are, to say the least, no longer enamoured of it. However it is a cheap and filling meal.

Ingredients:

3oz of rice per person (You can use risotto rice but that can be expensive – I use pudding rice)

1 large onion per 4 portions

A little oil

A large knob of butter

Hot Stock or stock cubes dissolved in hot water about 3/8pt per portion.

1oz cheese per portion, any kind you like.

Method:

Heat a heavy based pan on a medium heat. Add a small knob of butter and a little oil to the pan. Finely chop the onion and saute in the pan. Do not let it burn. Add the rice and stir until the fat is absorbed. Add some of the stock and stir gently until absorbed then add more stock. Continue adding stock, stirring, until the stock is absorbed and the rice is cooked, about 20-30 minutes sometimes a little more. When the rice is cooked, I prefer it fully cooked and not al-dente, stir in the cheese and a large knob of butter, then serve. You can serve on its own or with veg or a salad. Again my lot preferred it with bread and butter.

Variations:

If you have a little wine you can add it before the stock. You can also stir in some frozen sweetcorn or peas for the last five minutes of cooking.  I now like to sauté some chopped chorizo with the onion, or some chopped butternut squash and mushrooms, or any mixture of these. I also now stir in a little Parmesan at the end but that is too expensive to make it cheap.

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Cheap Family Meals 4 – Jam Roly Poly

Jam Roly Poly

The next of my  cheap family meals is Jam Roly Poly.

Although not a meal this is a cheap and easy pudding to extend your dinner with.

Ingredients:

8oz Self Raising Flour + some for dusting

4oz Chilled Margarine or Butter + a little more for greasing

Pinch of salt

4-5 Tablespoons of cold water or milk

Jam

Method:

Grease a large piece of strong foil or doubled up greaseproof paper.

Put the flour and salt in a bowl and finely grate, or rub in, the fat you have chosen.

Mix in enough water to make a soft dough and tip out onto a floured surface.

Pat and roll out to a fairly thin oblong and spread with Jam. Do not get the filling too close to the edge.

Roll it up like a Swiss roll and seal the ends lightly.

Place the roll, seam down, in the middle of the foil or greaseproof and pull the sides upwards. Roll or fold the sides together toward the dough but do not make the parcel too tight as it needs to expand.  Either twist the ends, carefully, like a cracker to seal them or tie them with a bit of string. Be careful not to tear the paper/foil.

Steam for 1hr 30minutes to 2 hours.

NB: Remember not to let the pan boil dry - so keep checking it.

Serve with custard, cream, evaporated milk, or ice cream.

Variations

Use Lemon Curd, Honey, Golden Syrup or Chocolate Spread instead of Jam.

You can also add a little sugar to the dough but the filling will be quite sweet enough.

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Cheap Family Meals 3 – Pancakes

Pancakes/ Dropscones/Scotch Pancakes

The next of my  cheap family meals is pancakes.

As you can see from the heading people call these by many different names. I called them scotch pancakes as a kid but I am sure they have many other regional names.

We often ate them as a cheap lunch with jam, lemon curd, syrup or peanut butter if we had it or simply margarine if we didn’t.

The beauty of these is that you can make them as rich and sweet if you want or keep the quite plain if you want a healthier cheaper option.

Again quantities are pretty vague as it depends on money and taste.

Ingredients:

Self Raising Flour

Baking Powder

Sugar

Egg/s

Milk

Lemon Juice/Golden Syrup/Honey/Vanilla Essence/Maple Syrup.

Butter/Marg/Oil

Method:

Get a large bowl and put in about 8oz of flour for each two to three people. For each 8oz of flour add an egg, a dessert spoon of sugar, a teaspoon of baking powder and which ever flavouring you would like to use or have available. Add a little milk and beat with a wooden spoon or whisk, until there are no lumps. Then add a little more milk until you have the consistency of un-whipped double cream. That is thick, but pourable. Heat a heavy frying pan on a high heat then turn it down a little. Grease the pan with what ever fat you have chosen and place small spoons of the batter around the pan. Not too much they need to be about a large tablespoon of mix, and will spread to be about 3 inches in diameter. Let them cook until bubbles form on the top then flip them over to cook the other side. Cook the second side until golden and then place on a clean tea towel or a plate and cover with another towel. This will keep them warm and moist. Grease the pan and cook the next batch.  You may need to increase or decrease the heat depending on the pan and the heat source you are using. You may also find that the first batch sticks no matter what you do – so eat them as cooks perks! When they are all ready just put them on the table with whatever spreads you have to hand and watch them vanish. You may even have to make more – good thing they are quick to throw together.

Variations.

You can make them sweeter with more sugar or syrup. Richer with more egg or a little melted butter mixed in. You can also add a handful of dried fruit or chopped nuts. Add some cocoa powder and/or some chocolate chips. Butter them  then stack them up and serve with syrup poured over and ice cream on the side. Whatever you do you will enjoy them as much as your children.

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