Home made!

[overspender]

Re: Home made!

Can't beat B&M for a few cheap deals, Home Bargains is good too for some bits. xx

[5corpio]

Re: Home made!

My homemade Peppered Chix on Green Salad with Garlic Bread
cost to make [size=5]£1.69 or £6.76 for meal of 4
[attachment=0:2f01ixls]d2qd.jpg[/attachment:2f01ixls]
Spring Onions
Chix
Lettuce (or Watercress)
Garlic Bread ([size=5]Picture shows 2, but there was 3 slices each)

thinly slice the Spring onions into strips, wash lettuce (watercress), and tear the leaves, mix together and place in centre of plate.

Sear the Chix Breast and Pepper, Grill under high heat and turn (Pepper otherside if wish), Centre point onto of salad leaves. accompany with Garlic Bread or Rustic Bread lightly toasted off and dipped into Garlic butter and grilled

Alternatives: Poach the Chix and add a cream sauce, or a Chilli chutney with Dill Greek Yoghurt dressing.....

You can exchange the peppering for Parika, Turmic, chilli

[5corpio]

Re: Home made!

another in expense meal:[attachment=0:3qp5yt3s]wafchix.jpg[/attachment:3qp5yt3s]

[5corpio]

Re: Home made!

Char Grilled Mixed peppers with Diced smoked sausage combined with pasta and sauce

£2.35 meal for x2
[size=5]The picture doesn't do justice (iPhone)
[attachment=2:2k1fmjyy]char.jpg[/attachment:2k1fmjyy]
£1.00 Smoked sausage
£.25p Bag of mixed peppers
£.90p Sauce
£.20P Pasta

Instructions:
Boil pasta in saucepan of salt hot water bring to boil Add diced mix peppers and diced smoked sausage (Seasonal with Cracked pepper). Bring to boil or till Pasta is cooked. reduce heat, Strain liquid and add the sauce stir in till all mixed together turn of heat and serve (with some rustic bread or garlic)

You can add any sauce to these dishes, Tikka curry, Madras, Rogan Josh, Jalfrezi, vegatable sauce if you want to make a vegetarian dish (replace smoked sausage with courgettes or Marrow char grill them)

Hope you like the dish.......

Others:

Stirfry Chix and Spinach served with Garlic Bread £2.80 meal for x2
[attachment=1:2k1fmjyy]stirfry and spinach.jpg[/attachment:2k1fmjyy]
Chix Tikka and Long Whole grain rice £2.00 meal for x2
[attachment=0:2k1fmjyy]chixtikka.jpg[/attachment:2k1fmjyy]

[5corpio]

Re: Home made!

Pasta & Veggie Soup.....

Makes 8 Portions
Costs: £1.02

<Photo later - in process of making>

Dry Wheat Spag Pasta ([size=5]Cost FREE Already in cupboard)
Mixed dry Herbs ([size=5]Cost FREE Already in cupboard)
Veggie Stock x3 ([size=5]Cost FREE Already in cupboard)
Carrots x7 ([size=5]Cost 34p or bag from Farmfoods 69p)
Potatoes x8 ([size=5]Cost 34p or bag from Farmfoods 69p) ([size=5]added some left over from last night tea - nothing goes to waste)
Onions x4 ([size=5]Cost 34p or bag from Farmfoods 69p)

Slowly cook onions off in Butter (do not allow to brown)

Add carrots, Diced Potats, Onions to pot with 2 Litre of Stock (depends on how many your making?). Bring to boil and allow to simmer 30/45 Mins. Add Dry Pasta and simmer again for 20 Mins or until Pasta cooked.

Rosemary & Red Wine Beef Stew Casserole:

Makes 10 Portions
Costs: £6.92

Onions x4 ([size=5]Cost 34p or bag from Farmfoods 69p)
Carrots x7 ([size=5]Cost 34p or bag from Farmfoods 69p)
Potatoes x8 ([size=5]Cost 34p or bag from Farmfoods 69p)
Beef Stew 1Kg Cost £5.90 ([size=5]Cost £2.95p 500g Bag from Farmfoods)
Red Wine 2 Cups (FREE From cupboard)
Mixed dry Herbs ([size=5]Cost FREE Already in cupboard)

<Photo later - in process of making>

Heat casserole and add 2 table spoon of olive oil, 2 cups of water and Lightly brown off Beef with mixed dry herbs or (Fresh Rosemary), saute onions. ADD carrots, potatoes, onions too the beef and cook on Low heat for 45-60 mins half way stir in Beef stock (or gravy granules). Add the red wine and cook for a further 20-30 mins on Low Heat and stir

(Other options, if you wish to ADD Flour, Butter, to make a thick. Also mushrooms, Kidney can be added).

[size=5]ALL, My reciepes that i&#39;ve put on here are homemade and not followed by a book, everything is a trial and error which makes way for the perfect cheap, healthy, fresh at an affordable price.....

[alwaysskint]

Re: Home made!

Easy peasy Basic white sauce
I always got lumpy sauce when doing it the traditional way -melt butter, mix in flour till forms a roux etc, so I do it this way now - soo much easier and even my DD did better with her sauce (my way) than her cookery teacher (traditional way) - who wasn't impressed hahaha
Old school (oz) New School (g & ml) (My way haha)
1.5 oz plain flour (40g) (Heaped Tablespoon and a bit lol)
1oz butter (40g) (one knife scrape along length of not quite butter spread tub)
1/2 pint milk 290ml (1/2 pt)

Put flour into saucepan
add a dash of milk and mix into flour
keep adding a dash of milk and mixing until all milk is in saucepan
Add butter
Heat on stove (med heat) stirring all the time until thick and creamy and butter has totally melted
Turn heat to lowest setting (on the smallest ring) and let simmer for about 5 mins, stirring occasionally
DONE!

Grated cheese can be added if you wanted to make a cheese sauce - stir in until melted and mixed
Add a pinch of mustard powder too if you want - yummy

Also used if I want to thicken home made soups


Another easy peasy one is rice.
I have used 'smartpriced' rice and found I had to decrease the 'lid on' time to just 5 minutes so depending on the quality of rice, depends on the lid on time it seems - that may be why people struggle with rice

Enough for 4 people
1 mug of rice
2 mugs boiling water
pinch of salt
tablespoon oil

Heat oil in medium sized saucepan (that has a lid that fits) on a high heat
add rice, and stir until oil has coated the grains, and the rice appears to look clear ~(approx 1 minute)
Carefully add boiling water - will spit to start so be careful
add pinch of salt if required and turn heat to lowest setting
Stir, and put lid on with vent closed
SET TIMER FOR 15 MINS for good quality rice, 10 minutes for ok quality, or 5 minutes for 'smartpriced' quality

Do not be tempted to peek just leave well alone
When timer goes off:
Good quality - Done
Ok quality - taste check, and if happy, done, if not, put lid on for a bit longer, check regularly
smartpriced, taste check, and if happy, done, if not allow to simmer with lid off until you're happy it's done, rinse with cold water

[5corpio]

Re: Home made!

Sound nice plan skint
(tip: towards the end when heat turned off, place a paper kitchen towel over pan and put lid back on. For 3-5 mins subject to how much rice is cooked though. The moisture will be soaked up and the rice will stick together 'stuck Thai rice' bay leaves or if really lucky lotus leaves. Or put wrap rice in lotus leaves stitch together put in wicker box and steam the rice towards the end)

[diddlydee]

Re: Home made!

Pan fried pork fillet, in a port and paprika sauce.

You will need a good sized heavy frying pan for this plus:

Pork fillet cut into 1/2 inch slices
Handful of mushrooms, sliced
A medium onion, sliced
A red pepper, sliced
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp paprika
large glass of port (plus one to drink)
1/2 pint of chicken stock (I use a stock cube!)
good slug of double cream (to taste)
1 tbsp of tomato puree

Fry pork slices in batches over a high heat in a little butter or oil, until sealed and browned - remove and keep on a warmed plate then, using the same pan, reduce the heat and soften the onions and peppers - takes about five minutes (a pinch of salt will speed the process) - have a drink of port )
Once soft, add the flour and paprika, and stir throughly whilst cooking out the flour for a minute or two.
Slowly stir in the stock, then add the tomato puree and port, increase the heat and bring to a boil. Have another drink of port.
Chuck in the mushrooms, and the pork slices, and come back to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer for 20 minutes (the pork should be cooked through)
Stir in the cream, to taste (I like quite a lot) and allow a couple of minutes simmering to warm through. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Serve with runners, crispy potatoes or rice, whatever takes ya fancy.
Have a good chunk of bread handy to mop up the juices )

[LooLoo]

Re: Home made!

Thanks Diddles will try on Sunday and let you know how i get on with it!!

sounds soooooooo lush

xx

[5corpio]

Re: Home made!

All for less than £2.00

Pork medallions with New Potatoes and Mushrooms in Course grain mustard and Garlic

Pork Medallions £1.39
Potatoes £.12p

Salad leaves Left over, mushrooms left over, Jar mustard in cupboard

[LooLoo]

Re: Home made!

Question for Jen and anyone that might be able to help

Why do sponge cakes sometimes "sink" in the middle or have a bit "air bubble" in them??

x

[jen_br]

Re: Home made!

Common Issues loo-- when you get an airbubble its from there being too much air in the batter or a "space" best way to solve this is gentle bang the pan on the counter so that the sponge settles a wee bit don't have to hit too hard but just enough you should see it collasp a wee bit...

With regards to sinking few issues:
This happens when we take cakes out too early-- try leaving them in fora few more minutes or until a knife comes out TOTALLY clean

If your cooling your cake in a drafty place try not too...

If your oven is too hot the batter cooksand rises too fast therefore causing it to collapse..

If you open your oven door too often whilst baking especially in the first half.

If your recipe is sound and your sure its not that then I would turn down the oven a wee bit and leave it in there a bit longer!

[LooLoo]

Re: Home made!

Thanks chick - I knew you would help.

I think it maybe - oven a bit too hot and taken out a bit too early

xxxxxx

[diddlydee]

Re: Home made!

Cakes are scientific blighters, ain't they! One more tip from me.......
If a recipe calls for an 8" tin, then that is what it needs. if you try it in a bigger or smaller tin, it more often that not won't work propertly!

Diddles x

[LooLoo]

Re: Home made!

Cheers my domestic Goddess Diddles.

I knew that you and Jen could help.

I am going to try a different recipe for my cupcake for next weekend (the giant one) the reason I never used it this time was instead of butter it uses Veg oil?? is that ok??

xx