3 rashers of bacon chooped and fried 1 can of watties very special pumkin soup a little parsley
fry the bacon and add the soup and parsely to make a sauce. you can thin it down with a little milk if wanted. Pour over cooked pasta
earthangel4,
Feb 22, 12:51pm
Thank you so much to you all,am very very grateful.
beachbay,
Feb 22, 1:14pm
many thanks for all t hese ideas I am going to try the vege pie tonight with mince - last night we atepork chops - (2 kg freeflow $17 from the m ad butcher)1 chop each is enough) sweet corn, courgettes, peppers, maori potatoes, all came from our garden
earthangel4,
Feb 22, 6:27pm
beachbay,may I ask you what Maori potatoes are,I have seen them posted in here before,and would like to try them. Can you buy them,as I have never seen them in the supermarkets. Many thanks in advance.
gerry64,
Feb 23, 9:22pm
bumping for the poster with the CHCH visitors
elliehen,
Feb 23, 9:26pm
Do you have an old-fashioned toastie machine?You can put all kinds of ingredients inside two slices of wholegrain bread and make a delicious hot 'pie' in minutes.Good for using up leftovers too.
cookessentials,
Feb 23, 9:32pm
Courgettes are reasonably cheap at the moment, you could do the crustless quiche which has a little bacon, eggs, cheese and onion and grated courgettes.
motorbo,
Feb 24, 12:13am
countdowns brand of baked beans are cheap and they taste very close to the watties brand, so worth swapping over to, esp when they are on special
angela137,
Feb 24, 2:34am
Grated potatoe and corgette (and any other veg if you likecut into small pieces or grated) mix with egg, flour and season witha little chicken stock powder or a teaspoon or two of maggie soup (dependng on the flavour you want - could try onion soup, chicken, mushroom, bacon etc...whatever flavour soup powder you add tothe mix try to include a bit of the real stuff chopped up in the mix too to compliement).Shallow fry in oil......soooo yummmyyyy, I rekon your two year old will love em too.Basically you are making a flavouredgrated potaoe pattie. Just make sure you sqeeze the excess moisture off potaoes before adding other ingredients and it'll get too wet othr wise and wont crisp up.
angela137,
Feb 24, 2:41am
All so a sliced potatoe ometlette with salami or spanish sausage (a bit expensive around $3 for one but sooo nice add chillie for spicy lovers).Just slice potatoes and fry - not till crispy you want them cooked through and slightly coloured so keep them moving and have the pan covered and potatoes on a low heat add your pre cookedmeat slices (salami, ham whatever)at around this stage -as they near being cooked add 5-6 eggs (alot ...I know but an egg meal can be economical as it would be cheaper than a cut of meat or piece of chicken)add the beaten eggs and cover again let it cook through then you have to try and "flip" it so loosen it at the bottom with a fish slice and place a large plate over the top of the pan and with the aid of a teatowel tip the pan onto the plate and then slide the "omlette" back into the pan and brown for a few minutes then onto your serving plate or slice and serve from pan.the dish is a spanish omlette a freind told me it but I've forgotten the proper name -oh dont forget garlic and onions when started to cook potatoe....it is soooooo yummy!!! And so budget - especailly if you grow your own potatoes!! Add veg too so serve veg seperatly.
angela137,
Feb 24, 2:45am
Pumpkin soup with cheap as bread toasted from bakery - get the marked down stuff as you are toasting and wont notice if its a bit dry.Add bacon bits- sometimes butcherys have back or salami bits makred down and they are nice and chunky to put into a pumpkin/ butter cup . butter nut soup. Buttercups are so cheap at the moment, make bulk and freeze- save up for some cheese (is so expensive now) to sprinkle on top!!
angela137,
Feb 24, 2:46am
Always buy cheap 1kg blocks of cheese if you like it and grate and freeze it lasts forever and you can stretch it out by mixing with a cheaper colby or edam - although its always harder to gratesoft cheeses.
jwn1,
Feb 24, 3:38am
I buy mice on special, form into meatball with a couple of slices on whizzed up fresh bread (our is gluten free, but whatever is fine), 1 onion, herbs, pour over a packet of oxtail gravy mix mixed with 300ml of cold water - serve with mashed potatoes and greens... I thought oxtail soup would be yuk, as a gravy its fantastic... I can use a kg of mince and make a roasting pan full - freezes too and kids love it!
dalkemade,
Feb 24, 3:37pm
Ha Ha jwn1 got a real shock when I read the 3rd word until I realised!
cookessentials,
Feb 24, 3:44pm
From the pasta thread. Vegetable Lasagne
This one is a bit quicker to make as it uses a bottled pasta sauce.
1 tablespoon olive oil 2 onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 x 400g tin tomatoes 1 x large jar pasta sauce 1 tub tomato paste 1/4 pumpkin, peeled & sliced 2 potatoes, peeled & sliced 3 carrots, peeled & sliced 250g frozen peas 250g frozen corn 1 kumara, peeled & sliced 1 block frozen spinach 200g button mushrooms, sliced 80g butter 80g plain flour 1 litre milk 2 handfuls of parmesan cheese 2 cloves garlic, crushed 500g cheddar tasty cheese, grated Approximately 5 lasagne sheets
Preheat oven to moderate 180°C. Heat oil in a large, deep pan.
Fry the onion and add the garlic. When fragrant add the tomatoes, sauce and the tomato paste. Stir to combine.
Add the pumpkin, potatoes, carrots, peas, corn, sweet potato, spinach and mushrooms. Stir through the vegetables until well combined. Simmer until just tender, approximately 35-45 minutes.
Meanwhile make the white sauce. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over a gentle heat. Add flour; stirring to combine. Gradually add milk, stirring continuously. Add parmesan cheese, garlic and 2 handfuls of cheddar cheese. Stir to combine and melt cheeses, set aside. Add extra milk or some water if the sauce is too thick.
To assemble the lasagne, place a layer of the vegetable mixture in the base of a large rectangular baking dish, followed by the white sauce and lasagne sheets. You will create approximately 2-3 layers.
Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese over the top of the dish and bake for 45 minutes in a moderate oven. Serve with a green salad
darlingmole,
Feb 24, 3:47pm
earthangel4 wrote: beachbay,may I ask you what Maori potatoes are,I have seen them posted in here before,and would like to try them. Can you buy them,as I have never seen them in the supermarkets. Many thanks in advance.[/qu]
I highly doubt you'll find them at a supermarket ever~! I've bought them from the Avondale market and occassionally out at Kumeu and Riverhead fruit/vege shops.They are absolutely delicious and I think only have 2 yields a year (hence they are pricey but DEF worth it for the taste).They are usually small and purple and very waxy, you don't peel them and tend to boil them slightly longer than a regular potato.Hope this info helps and good luck getting some when they're in season!
darlingmole,
Feb 24, 3:53pm
We (still) have a large family of 8.We alternate by having meat one day, an egg or pasta or vegetable meal the next.Vegetable soup served with croutons (ie; your old state bread toasted up with a few herbs in the oven) is more than acceptable!Pasta with any seasonal vege you like with herby tomato sauce and served a sprinkle of cheese or dollop of sour cream (yes, a bit of a luxury) is great.Eggs any style (frittata is especially good because you can use leftover root veges - carrot/kumara/parsnip/potato - all of which are filling) with a green salad.Sweet corn fritters (use wholemeal flour) with some home-made wedges ... Meat for us is largely chicken and mince (meatloaf is good and filling and if you add red lentils it will really bulk it up) with the occassional corned silverside or pot roast. Oh and lentil curry is brilliant and rediculously cheap!Especially nice if you add a tin of coconut milk to it (normally around 1.20 at pakn'save)
earthangel4,
Feb 24, 4:38pm
Ah thank you for have try try them,but will wait tell I go back to work. Will just buy enough for me,as hubby likes his potatoes peeled.
earthangel4,
Feb 24, 6:13pm
should I say use to,as now he only eat all things wholemeal,I would like to follow him,as he is looking remarkable well today,as for me I am a basket case,my brain is in over drive.
ruby19,
Feb 25, 1:19pm
This is a fav in our house.I use the drumsticks which makes it economical when they are down to 4.99 kg. 4 rashers bacon (* i ran out last time and just added 3/4 tsp paprika, & 1/4 tsp smoked paprika hubby loved it) 2 tbsp oil 50 g butter 300g small mushrooms halved 1.5kg chicken peices 2 onions chopped 2 cloves garlic crushed 1 400g tin chopped tomatoes in juice 1 cup chicken stock 1 cup cream ( I use sour cream and probably only use about a 1/4 cup it what I usually have in fridge) 2 tbsp fresh parsley fresh thyme leaves. chop bacon and cook in large frying pan remove & set aside on paper towels. heat half the oil & butter cook mushrooms until softened & golden remove. Add remaining oil &brown the chicken pieces over high heat until skin is browned and a little crisp. Add remaining butter and add the onion & garlic cook over med heat until softened pour in tomatoes, stock, cream,and return the bacon, mushrooms, & chicken . simmer over med heat for about 25 min or until sauce has thickened season with salt and pepper, and a little sugar* to taste. (Just something I do) Add fresh herbs and simmer for another 5 min. I
motorbo,
Feb 25, 2:49pm
[For those that have the time, i used to make my own pasta for lasagne, its 1 cup of flour to 1 egg, so if you want more its 2 cups to two eggs etc i always mixed it on the bench top so well in the middle, it takes paitence, once its mixed together you want to using pretty much one hand to do the roll out and wrap it back (only way i can describe the action to it it nice and smooth) when done wrap in cling film and pop in the fridge for at least half an hour, i then used my wooden rolling pin to roll out sections into sheets, the result is seriously the nicest pasta you will ever eat - i also made my own mix for the tomatoe sauce from cheap tinned toms
Vegetable Lasagne
This one is a bit quicker to make as it uses a bottled pasta sauce.
1 tablespoon olive oil 2 onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 x 400g tin tomatoes 1 x large jar pasta sauce 1 tub tomato paste 1/4 pumpkin, peeled & sliced 2 potatoes, peeled & sliced 3 carrots, peeled & sliced 250g frozen peas 250g frozen corn 1 kumara, peeled & sliced 1 block frozen spinach 200g button mushrooms, sliced 80g butter 80g plain flour 1 litre milk 2 handfuls of parmesan cheese 2 cloves garlic, crushed 500g cheddar tasty cheese, grated Approximately 5 lasagne sheets
Preheat oven to moderate 180°C. Heat oil in a large, deep pan.
Fry the onion and add the garlic. When fragrant add the tomatoes, sauce and the tomato paste. Stir to combine.
Add the pumpkin, potatoes, carrots, peas, corn, sweet potato, spinach and mushrooms. Stir through the vegetables until well combined. Simmer until just tender, approximately 35-45 minutes.
Meanwhile make the white sauce. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over a gentle heat. Add flour; stirring to combine. Gradually add milk, stirring continuously. Add parmesan cheese, garlic and 2 handfuls of cheddar cheese. Stir to combine and melt cheeses, set aside. Add extra milk or some water if the sauce is too thick.
To assemble the lasagne, place a layer of the vegetable mixture in the base of a large rectangular baking dish, followed by the white sauce and lasagne sheets. You will create approximately 2-3 layers.
Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese over the top of the dish and bake for 45 minutes in a moderate oven. Serve with a green salad[/quote]
dec1066,
Feb 25, 3:03pm
One thing that I do is I make my own (basically a vege) stock.
You need to invest in some big zip-lock bags, although one bag will usually be able to be reused a couple of times. Then you start to fill it with left over vege bits and such. Things like carrot tops, onion tops, cellery, the couple of drying up mushrooms in the fridge, silverbeet stalks, left over corriander, broccolli stems, that last bit of ham that will be slimy tommorrow, chicken bones etc. You just keep the bag in the freezer and add to it till its full.The idea is to end up with a mixed bag.When your bag is full empty into a big pot, cover with water, season well and boil for an hour or so.
Then strain through a sieve and you have the most delicious and free stock.At this point you can turn it into soup with whatever you have, or freeze and use later.
motorbo,
Feb 25, 3:05pm
good idea dec1066 for those that have leftovers etc, i rarely do as i plan meals to use what is there, i started this a couple of years ago when it dawned on me how much i was throwing out
trading_gibsons,
Feb 25, 3:11pm
You can really stretch a chicken breast when adding to any sort of asian/stirfry recipe by cutting up & battering with the crisp batter from the Edmonds book. post note sesame seed in the batter is really nice
biggles45,
Feb 25, 3:22pm
Cheap and cheerful and uses leftovers too - in oven proof dish, make layers of sliced part boiled potatoes, leftover or cooked veg, leftover meat of any sort (I usually find I have 3 or 4 rashers of bacon or a couple of slices of a roast left - you don't need much meat), salt/pepper, plus you can add anything else you have left in the fridge (a few mushrooms, tomato, whatever). Grate cheese on top and bake for about 20 minutes.
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