This is a very special article by Benjamin Christie, an Australian celebrity chef with amazing Australian recipes. Here he discusses ways for Savings Guide readers to save money on food and cooking while still eating like royalty.
For many, the global economic crisis is still very real for most people, even though those in the media say that the worst is behind us. For some putting family meals on the table that are nutritious, taste great, whilst being cheap can be a challenge.
So I thought today that I’d share some cheap meal ideas that are easy to make and cost around $10 or so.
For me, vegetables are the key in developing cheap meal ideas and are obviously nutritious as well. Proteins like meats, poultry and seafood are obviously important, but they tend to be the most expensive cost in any recipe. So going down the vegetarian path is the first part and then adding them to pasta, rice, nuts and even lentils also keeps the costs down.
Cheap Meals don’t have to taste cheap, so here are some Cheap Meals Ideas which have a gourmet flavour and don’t cost a lot to make;
Oven Roasted Pumpkin Risotto with Thyme
Everyone loves risotto and pumpkin is ultra cheap. If you oven roast the pumpkin together with some fresh thyme it will give your risotto a great flavour. As an addition, try freshly chopped spinach which will give it a great colour as well. If you wanted to add some other ingredients, then you can add bacon, chicken or mushrooms.
Zucchini Slice
My favourite vegetable is zucchini and I love making this slice. It’s kind of like quiche and you can make it with a pastry or without. I simply grate a couple of zucchinis, onions and carrots then combine them with eggs, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. I then pour into a baking tray. I bake for about 35 minutes at 180 degrees. Once again you can flavour with something like ham if you don’t want it vegetarian. Zucchini Slice can be served by itself or with something a protein on the side.
Mixed Mushroom Linguine
Pastas are considered by many as a cheap meal idea and this mixed mushroom pasta is no exception. Using a mixture of button mushrooms, oyster mushrooms and enoki mushrooms, sauté these in a little butter and garlic till golden brown. Then deglaze with a little white wine and cream and reduce till a think creamy sauce. Then toss in a hand full of linguine, chopped Italian parsley and serve with parmesan cheese.
Chopped Salad
Relatively unknown in Australia, the Chopped Salads is well know at diners across the USA as it accompanies most meals, however the chopped salad can be served by itself. The Chopped Salad is exactly as it suggested with all the salad ingredients chopped usually into bit sized pieces and tossed together with a dressing of some sort. I like a simple balsamic. My chopped salad includes tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, cucumber, celery, Spanish onions, avocado, dill and crumbled feta cheese.
Sweet Potato and Corn Soup
We couldn’t have written about Cheap Meal Ideas without including a soup of sorts. I regularly make this Sweet Potato and Corn Soup at home and is simply peeled sweet potato, corn, stock and cream. I bring it to the boil for approx 35 minutes, and then blitz it up in the food processor. My secret is to only put half the corn in first and reserve half for after it’s blended. Add cream and some fresh herbs for added flavour. Serve with butter and freshly baked French stick (or just plain old toast!)
Burgers
Ok, I mentioned that I was going to avoid proteins and concentrate on vegetables, but the humble burger is a great cheap meal. I find the key is in the burger patty. I commonly use two different minces – lamb and beef, breadcrumbs, fresh herbs, egg, salt and pepper. Then stack your burger up with fresh lettuce, tomato, bacon, cheese and ketchup and you’ve got a great cheap meal.
Quiche Ideas
Everyone loves a quiche and the best thing about a quiche is the flavours ideas are endless. There are of course your classics like tomato, Florentine (spinach) and Lorraine (bacon and cheese); but there are many others. Why not try caramelized onions and roast capsicum or pumpkin, pinenuts and asparagus. For mushroom lovers, why not make a mushroom quiche. Quiche ideas are endless and the fillings can be from using leftovers in the fridge. Serve with a freshly tossed side salad.
Quesadillas
I first experienced Quesadillas at a small hole in the wall Mexican diner in Los Angeles and since then I always frequent that place when I’m in California. Quesadilla is a toasted tortilla with melted cheese inside and some sort of filling. Quesadilla’s are traditionally filled with chicken, pork or beef, but they can also have mixed fillings. You can make some great fillings using mushrooms, Spanish onions, asparagus, pumpkin, zucchini, tomatoes and olives to name just a few. The herb of choice here is coriander and don’t forget to serve with sour cream and guacamole on the side.
Frittata
Unlike a quiche which is baked in the oven, a frittata is like cooked on the stove in a frying pane or skillet. But like a quiche, frittata fillings are endless. Some people like adding cooked pasta for texture and others just add the fillings. Try a frittata with roasted Spanish onions, thyme and goats cheese or roasted capsicums, mushrooms and spinach. If you want to try adding some proteins how about chopped smoked salmon and dill or even ham and cheddar cheese.
For more recipe ideas, visit www.benjaminchristie.com
