EVERYBODY is having to watch the pennies these days but that doesn’t mean that you have to compromise on cooking tasty meals.
Pinch Of Nom Budget, by Kate and Kay Allinson, is the food bloggers’ latest recipe book and it’s full of meals that can be prepared cheaply.
Wee bring you five delicious recipes from Pinch Of Nom’s latest book – and tips on cooking on a budget[/caption]
Kay said: “It’s so important to us that we only ever use budget-friendly ingredients that can stretch across multiple dishes.
“Turning to store-cupboard staples and thrifty swaps, we’ve created new recipes that bring you value for money, as well as giving a few favourites a little budget makeover.
“We’ve said goodbye to any expensive ingredients that you won’t use often and cut out any garnishes where the extra flavour doesn’t outweigh the additional cost.”
Here, we bring you five delicious recipes from the latest book – and tips on cooking on a budget.
- Extracted by Natasha Harding from Pinch Of Nom Budget: 75 Affordable, Delicious Recipes, by Kate & Kay Allinson, (Bluebird) out now, £17.99.
PESTO & GREEN BEAN SPAGHETTI
Serves 4
OUR take on a north Italian pasta alla Genovese, this pesto and green bean spaghetti is a thrifty game-changer.
Using just a few simple ingredients and one saucepan, you won’t believe how easy it is to prepare this dish from scratch.
By combining Parmesan with garlic, basil and zesty lemon juice, we’ve recreated a luscious green pesto sauce for a fraction of the calories (and price!) of shop-bought versions.
Don’t forget to save some of your pasta water – it gives every twisty forkful an even silkier texture.
Per serving: 210 cal/34g carbs
YOU NEED:
- 50g dried spaghetti
- 170g new potatoes, sliced
- 100g green beans, trimmed
- 60g fresh basil
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 30g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- Juice of one lemon
METHOD: Add the spaghetti and new potatoes to a large saucepan of boiling water. Cook for 8 minutes until the potatoes and spaghetti are nearly done.
Add the green beans and cook for another 4 minutes.
While the spaghetti is cooking, add the basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese and lemon juice to a food processor. Blitz until smooth.
Once the spaghetti, potatoes and green beans are cooked, drain (reserving a little of the cooking water).
Add the spaghetti, potato and green beans back to the pan and pour over the pesto mixture.
Add a tablespoon of the reserved pasta water, stir and add a few extra tablespoons of water as needed (see Tip). The pesto should coat each spaghetti strand. Serve.
Tip: We added 3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water to coat our pasta, but it depends on how thick your pesto is. Start with a tablespoon and go from there.
CHICKEN & CHIPS PIE
Serves 4
WE’VE said goodbye to the pastry (and a fair few calories too) for this tasty take on a classic pub-grub meal.
Instead of serving them on the side, we’ve used thick-cut, garlicky chips as the topping for our creamy chicken and mushroom pie filling.
We’ve used thick-cut, garlicky chips as the topping for our creamy chicken and mushroom pie filling[/caption]
Believe us, this warming dinner tastes so good, you’d never know it was slimming-friendly.
You don’t need any fancy ingredients either – just simple, homely bits that you’d usually pick up in your weekly shop.
Per serving: 320 cal/30g carbs
YOU NEED:
For the filling
- Low-calorie cooking spray
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 large leek, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 200g white mushrooms, sliced
- 500g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, diced
- 2 tsp mustard powder
- 250ml chicken stock (1 chicken stock cube dissolved in 250ml boiling water)
- 75g reduced-fat cream cheese
- ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves, stalks removed and leaves finely chopped
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the top
- 2-3 large potatoes, approx 500g in total, peeled
- ½ tsp garlic granules
- To accompany (optional) 80g steamed green vegetables (add 35 cal per serving)
METHOD: Spray a large frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onion and leek and cook for 6-8 minutes until soft.
Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes until sealed, then stir in the mustard powder.
Lower the heat, pour in the chicken stock and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, until reduced slightly.
Remove from the heat and stir in the cream cheese and thyme until completely blended in.
If the sauce seems too thin, continue to simmer, uncovered, for a few more minutes. If the sauce seems too thick, stir in a little water.
Taste the chicken mixture and season with salt and black pepper if needed. Transfer the chicken mixture into the ovenproof dish and set aside.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220C (fan 200C/gas mark 7). Cut the potatoes into 1cm (½in)-wide chips and place in a bowl of cold water to rinse off the starch. Drain the chips in a colander, then dry them using kitchen towel.
Place them on a baking tray and spray with low-calorie cooking spray, turning to coat all over.
Sprinkle over the garlic granules and season well with salt and black pepper, turning to coat all over.
Place the chips in the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes, turning over once.
They will be slightly tender at this point, but not completely cooked. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Reduce the oven temperature to 180C (fan 160C/gas mark 4). Arrange the chips evenly over the top of the chicken mixture and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the chips are golden and soft inside, and the pie is piping hot throughout.
Serve with steamed green veg or an accompaniment of choice.
Tip: Make sure to cut the potatoes into even 1cm (½in)-thick chips, so that they cook evenly in the time stated. You can use diced chicken breast instead of chicken thighs if you prefer.
CHICKEN, BACON & LEEK SOUP
Serves 4
WITH potatoes and reduced-fat cream cheese blended in, this soup is properly hearty, creamy and warming.
Put your feet up with a bowlful for lunch and we guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
This soup is properly hearty, creamy and warming[/caption]
Per serving: 169 cal/19g carbs
YOU NEED:
- Low-calorie cooking spray
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 medium leeks, trimmed and chopped
- 2 skinless boneless chicken thighs (visible fat removed), about 75g each
- 2 unsmoked bacon medallions, cut into 1cm dice
- 2 medium potatoes, about 150g each, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
- 1 litre chicken stock (2 very low-salt chicken stock cubes dissolved in 1 litre boiling water)
- ¼ tsp mustard powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- 25g reduced-fat cream cheese
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To accompany (optional)
- 60g crusty wholemeal bread roll (add 144 cal per serving)
METHOD: Spray a large saucepan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onion and leeks and cook for 5 minutes, until beginning to soften.
Add the whole chicken thighs, bacon, potatoes, chicken stock, mustard powder, thyme and parsley.
Bring to the boil, then lower the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 35-40 minutes, until the potato is soft, and the chicken is cooked through and shows no sign of pinkness.
Remove the cooked chicken thighs and place on a plate. Use two forks to finely shred and set aside.
Blitz the soup until smooth in a food processor or using a stick blender. You may need to do this in two batches depending on the size of your food processor.
Return the smooth soup to the saucepan and stir in the cream cheese until completely blended.
Stir in the shredded chicken and season to taste with salt and black pepper, if needed.
Serve with a crusty wholemeal roll or other accompaniment of choice.
Tip: We used chicken thighs as we think they have a better flavour than breasts, but you could use an equal amount of chicken breast if you prefer.
MEATBALL MASH BAKE
Serves 4
THIS is everything it says on the tin. A handy midweek alternative to lasagne or cottage pie, it gives two comfort food staples a run for their money.
Baked in the oven until the Cheddar cheese topping is bubbly and golden, we’ve layered our mashed potato over a bed of homemade Italian-style meatballs.
We’ve layered our mashed potato over a bed of homemade Italian-style meatballs[/caption]
To make the hearty filling extra special, we’ve prepared a rich, tomato-based sauce that tastes far too good to be so simple.
Per serving: 414cal/43g carbs
YOU NEED:
For the mash
- 600g potatoes, peeled and quartered
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 40g reduced-fat Cheddar, finely grated
For the meatballs
- 500g 5%-fat minced beef
- 1 tbsp Henderson’s relish or Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp onion granules
For the sauce
- Low-calorie cooking spray
- 2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 300g mushrooms, sliced
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Pinch of granulated sweetener
METHOD: Preheat the oven to 210C/190C fan/gas mark 6. Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water.
Season the cooking water with salt. On the stove bring the pan to the boil.
Reduce the heat so it is gently boiling for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through and tender. Remove from the heat and drain the water.
Add the tomato purée and balsamic vinegar to the potatoes, then mash until smooth.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside. While the potatoes are cooking, take a bowl and mix the meatball ingredients. Use clean hands to incorporate the mix and then shape into small meatballs, around 3cm wide.
Spray a large frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until beginning to soften.
Add the meatballs to the pan and cook for 10 minutes until browned all over.
Add the mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, basil and oregano and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes until the mushrooms begin to soften. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add a pinch of sweetener.
Pour the meatball mixture into the bottom of an ovenproof dish and spread out evenly.
Spoon the mash on to the top of the meatballs and spread it using a fork. Sprinkle over the cheese and place into the oven for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the top is browned.
BISCOFF BANANA BREAD
Serves 10
BANANAS and Biscoff taste like they were always meant to go together.
You can rely on this dreamy flavour combo to satisfy your sweet tooth, especially when it comes in the form of this irresistible teatime treat.
The recipe is best made with sweet, ripe or overripe bananas[/caption]
The recipe is best made with sweet, ripe or overripe bananas, so use up any sorry-looking ones from the fruit bowl.
It’s delicious fresh from the oven, but don’t forget you can also slice it up and freeze the individual portions for a snack emergency!
Per serving: 262 kcal/32g carbs
YOU NEED:
- 100g reduced-fat spread, plus a little extra for greasing
- 2 ripe medium bananas, peeled and mashed with a fork
- 30g caster sugar
- 30g white granulated sweetener
- 3 medium eggs
- 250g self-raising flour
- 50g fat-free Greek-style yoghurt
- 60g smooth Biscoff spread, plus 1 tsp for the top
- 10g white chocolate chips
- 10g milk chocolate chips
METHOD: Preheat the oven to 200C (fan 180C/gas mark 6) and grease the loaf tin with a little reduced-fat spread. Line the base and sides of the tin with non-stick baking paper.
Add the mashed bananas, sugar, sweetener and reduced-fat spread to a large mixing bowl. Whisk with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, flour and yoghurt and whisk again until combined and creamy.
In a small bowl, heat the smooth Biscoff spread in the microwave until just melted (or see Tip for melting without a microwave).
Pour into the banana bread mixture and whisk again until combined.
Next, pour the mixture into the prepared tin, stopping when it sits 1cm (½in) below the rim, then level the surface and sprinkle over both kinds of chocolate chips.
Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until risen and golden brown. Insert a skewer into the centre of the loaf. It should come out clean.
Leave until cool to the touch, then take the banana bread out of the tin.
Remove the lining paper and leave to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Heat the 1 teaspoon of Biscoff spread in the microwave (or see Tip) until just melted. Drizzle over the top of the banana bread and serve.
Tip: If you don’t have a microwave you can melt the Biscoff spread by adding it to a small heat-proof bowl. Place that bowl into a slightly larger one containing boiling water and stir for about 2 minutes until runny and smooth
