It seems everybody’s trying to save money these days and this is something the supermarkets have twigged to. In fact, saving money is ironically something of a big money spinner, for the shops anyway. The duopoly of supermarkets compete for our business by luring us in with the promise of savings beyond our wild imagination, the most successful of which seems to be that of the $10 meal as presented by the prominent young chef with the Ken-Doll chin.
But can they actually deliver on the promises they make or is it all just baloney aimed to make us think we can afford steak instead of… um… baloney? I decided to do a test.
Prawn Fried Rice
Four ingredients in, I was already off to a bad start. We only buy organic eggs as we know too well that “free range” doesn’t always mean free range. At 90 cents a pop, I was already over budget. I also struggled to find 2 small bunches of bok choy. Funnily enough, the supermarket in question only sells them in packs of 3, so rather than allow the remaining bunch to become a foul slime in the vegetable crisper, I added it to the mix. Ok, over $10 now. So would it feed four? Possibly.
I divided the finished product in to four equal servings, two for my partner and I to enjoy for dinner, the other two as leftovers for lunch the following day. All this would have worked out perfectly except my partner really enjoyed the meal and, seeing the extras cooling on the bench, assumed we had adequate supplies for seconds and helped himself.
Spring Zucchini & Leek Fettucine
I’m sure I could just buy the homebrand pasta but in my experience the quality is just not the same. Yes, I am a fusspot, but I blew the budget buying good, chewy, whole egg fettucine instead. It was worth it.
The basil set me back too, the recipe calling for 75 cents worth. Unlike all the other fresh produce, when it comes to fresh herbs, you can’t just buy as much as you want. $3.50 later I was stuck with a huge sleeve of basil which, despite smelling absolutely divine, simply was not going to get eaten within the week.
You can’t really go wrong with pasta, basil and ricotta and it was very tasty but unfortunately, my partner had just been to the gym that day and was on a muscle-building protein tirade. “Where’s the meat?” he demanded loudly and proceeded to raid the pantry for tins of tuna.
Chicken Tacos with Pickled Carrots & Cabbage
Mexican is always a favourite of mine for delivering big on taste without a lot of expenditure, so I figured this would work well. The pickled vegetables were a surprising change, offering a cheaper alternative to the usual fresh tomatoes and lettuce that I would have stuffed into my tacos.
Technically, this dish was on the money. Of course I say “technically” because I can never stick to a list. I bought organic chicken instead (although I was pleased to see RSPCA approved being recommended) and we may have used a wee bit more sour cream than the recipe suggested (read: we ate the whole tub like a pair of pigs!) but otherwise, it was pretty close.
The only problem? Once again, my partner felt unsatisfied. A growing young man has a big appetite to fill and two little tacos simply wasn’t enough to satiate the roaring fire in his belly. Four tacos later I figured if I didn’t eat some more now, the lot would be gone and helped myself to a third taco too and somehow that dinner for four became dinner for two…
Lentil Stew with Spicy Sausage
This dish was delicious and of the four was the only one that I did actually manage to keep under $10! Of course, I note that the “tip” suggested I serve it with a fresh green salad, but all that frilly lettuce and olive oil was sure to put me over the el-cheapo limit.
After a big bowl of lentils and sausage, my partner and I were both adequately satisfied and didn’t feel the need to continue eating which was great for the budget but then again it may have been because of the drinking… That’s right. The recipe called for 200ml of red wine and, well, once the bottle’s cracked you have to have a glass!
Money Saving Conclusion
Can you really feed a family of four for under $10? It would seem it depends very much on who that family is! If your family consists of say, two adults and two very young children, you should be ok. I’m led to believe children don’t eat as much as grown-ups (although that’s not my recollection of my childhood, but then I have always loved to eat!) and if that is the case, this arrangement could work quite nicely.
If however, your family contains anyone with a large appetite, anyone who is bodybuilding or, those bottomless pits of the feeding world: teenagers, then you may have a problem.
I conclude these “under $10” recipes are a great start for budget cooking but the reality is, you’re probably going to go over most times depending on what your family is like. Build around them and take them as great inspiration.
