EASY WALLET-FRIENDLY MEALS BASED ON THIS WEEK'S BARGAINS

Three suggestions for easy and fairly budget-friendly meals for partners & kids to prepare for Mum on her special Day.  Two of the recipes feature this week's supermarkets bargains.

Budget Beef Meatloaf & low-fat scalloped potatoes: 

Prepare ahead, bake in oven; lots of leftovers for another meal 

One stop slow-roasted joint of meat: prepare a day ahead; everything goes in the oven at different times and basically cooks itself.  

Feast of Three Vegetarian Pizzas: Choose between carnivore, vegetarian, vegan or all three fillings.  Make your own pizza bases (easy & cheap, recipe included) or try ready-made bases.

from top left, clockwise: Sausage, Onion & Grape;  Mushroom; Potato & Pesto

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This recipe has been adapted by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission

4 CHEERFUL AND MOSTLY CHEAP LETTUCE & TOMATO-FREE SALADS

In these frigid times probably no one is hankering after conventional salads.  These three alternatives are worth a try.

 

Beetroot & Orange :  Remember how much we love beetroot when we are unexpectedly served it? 

 

Radish Salad (at top of post): one bag of radishes, a bit of creamy dressing and a few seeds equals crisp crunchiness.  No one will miss lettuce & tomatoes

Oriental Crudites: healthy, pretty, appealing; kids will enjoy making these

Cabbage Carrot Slaw with Peanut Lime Dressing:  One for a meal that's a little more special -- Crunchy Vegan, raw & cooked veg in peanut-y dressing, prep ahead

 Serve dressing on the side and it'll keep, refrigerated, two days 

This recipe has  been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission

PENSIONERS'/TWOSOMES' MAKE-IT-YOURSELF GIANT FISH FINGERS: easy, quick, wallet-friendly, low salt & preservatives

Everyone loves fish fingers, and they're even better and cheaper home-made...

first posted 1/23; updated 12/24

Easy-peasy fish fingers using unprocessed white fish & crisp cornflake coating
'...deliciously crispy; the fish was beautifully cooked' Taster

Coley is one of those fishes that is prized by the budget-conscious shopper. 

A member of the cod and haddock family with a similar nutrirtional profile, coley is less popular and much lower in price.   

Treated well, it tastes great.     

Coley is not necessarily frugal to buy, however., coming in packets of 6 portions.   A 552gm/19.5oz packet of 6 frozen coley portions is over £6, and although that's just a pound a portion, it could take a big chunk out of your protein budget.   Fresh filets are over £5 for a 400g/14oz packet. (Feb/23).  (A fish monger may provide lower prices for individual filets.)

67 likes coley portions for giant fish fingers; they're just the right size and easy to deal with - no fuss, no bother; the only thing you need is a very sharp knife.  

If you're using fresh white fish filets which are not at least a generous 1/2 inch/1cm+ thich, try layering them in a loaf pan and freezing them before slicing and battering (67 has not tested this method but the egg & crumb mix should hole the filets together.  OR you could make fish gougons instead of fish fingers.)

Giant fish fingers are great for using up end-of-the-packet cornflakes, polenta or breadcrumbs   

Cost: £2.50'ish (!2/24)

Makes: 4 large fingers; recipe multiplies easily

Ingredients:

2 defrosted Waitrose coley portions 

1/3 cup flour, well-seasoned with salt & pepper

1 egg beaten (or equiv milk or yoghurt)

1/2 cup crushed cornflakes (or polenta or fresh/purchased breadcrumbs)

Optional: lemon zest, parsley, chilli flakes

3-4 tbsp oil (sunflower or olive or a mixture)

Method:

AIR FRYER KALE: quick and easy, diabetes/weight friendly

A great way to get greenery into kids...or adults.

Crispy Kale: A terrific way to add to your 5-a-day
'Crispy, more-ish and delicious!' Taster

Kale has never been very high on the list of favoured 67 veg after an experience washing vats of it three times to remove dirt, and then ripping the leaves from countless stalks.  

To eat, the taste and texture was fine but the prep was completely off-putting. 

Kale now comes in nicely cleaned and only needs rinsing.  It was time to have another go, despite its not extravagant but definitely not frugal price.

Kale is like a heartier spinach, with a stronger, earthier taste.  It's considered a, nutritional superstar, containing Vitamins, A, K B6 & C, calcium, potassium,copper and maganese. 

A cup has just 33 calories and only 7 grams of carb, so its diabetes/weight friendly.  

67 has used it to replace spinach in soups and stir-fries, where it works quite well.

But the most appealling way of cooking kale has got to be air frying.  The leaves go all crispy and crunchy, reminding one of the fried 'seaweed' in Chinese restaurants of old.  

If you've never tried kale, maybe it's time to give it a go. 

Cost: £1'ish (6/23)

Feeds: 2-3; recipe multiplies easily 

Ingredients:

1/2 bunch kale - about 3 cups or 8-10 oz

1/2 tbsp oil oil 7.5 ml

1/8 tsp salt 

 

Method: