BBQ

As were having a BBQ today, I won't be having much time to blog. I've still got a couple of meals left from this weeks meals, so you'll probably see them appear again in this weeks meal plan! 

I'll hopefully be able to share some of these recipes soon, we haven't totally made our minds up on everything yet so some will be a surprise to me too!

I'm really looking forward to relaxing, having a Pimms or two and having some nice BBQ food.

Turkey Mince Chilli

We really like Chilli in our house and think that with the right flavourings Turkey mince can be a good substitute for beef. It's also lower in fat, so good for those of us trying to watch our weight a little bit. 

It's also pretty economical in price as I've used half a 800g pack of Turkey mince, the other portion is in the freezer and will be used to make another meal soon. 

3 servings

Ingredients:

Turkey Mince Chilli 400 g (£3.50 / 800 g) - £1.75

1 Onion, chopped (£1.00 / 4) - £0.25

Tin Chopped Tomatoes - £0.31

Chilli Beans - £0.49

Tomato Purée 15 g (£0.48 / 200 g) - £0.04

2 cloves of garlic, minced (£0.25 / 12 bulbs) - £0.04

1 tbsp Oil  (£3.00 / 750 ml) - £0.06

1 tsp Hot Chilli Powder (£1.10 / 100 g) - £0.06

1 tsp Hot Paprika (£1.38 / 34 g) - £0.20

1 tsp Cumin powder (£0.57 / 41 g) - £0.07

2 Bovril Cubes (£0.92 per 12) 0 £0.15

210 g white Basmati rice (approximate) (£1.78 per kg) - £0.37

A Dash of Hendersons relish (£1.57 /284 ml) - £0.08 (i based this on approx 15 ml)

Salt and Pepper

Total - £3.87

Total Per Portion - £1.29

The above are approximate prices as I found it difficult to cost some of the spices, but in the end I based a teaspoon of spice on 5g. But it's only meant to give a rough cost, this is also based on prices on Asda.com 17/07/13.

Method:

1. Boil the kettle.
2. Put the oil in the pan and start to soften the onions on a medium heat. When the onions have started to soften add the minced garlic.
3. Add the Turkey mince to the pan and cook until it has been browned off or cooked through. Add the spices and crumble in the stock cubes and add the Henderson's relish and stir through. 
4. Add the tomato purée, tomatoes and chilli beans, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 - 15 minutes.
5. Add one cup (mine was about 210 g of uncooked Basmati rice) and 2 cups of the boiled kettle water to a pan, add a little salt and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to low and cover with a pan lid. Cook for approximately 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.

There are definitely ways that you could bring down the cost of this meal even further, for example using the smart price long grain rice at £0.40 for 1 kg instead of Basmati to name one, but this is what we prefer to use.

I like this meal as it is low cost and is easier on the calories that beef chilli.

I may make Turkey burgers with the remaining mince meat, otherwise please feel free to leave your suggestions

Gluten Free Tagliatelle Carbonara

I'm really liking this pasta at the moment, I like the texture of this a bit more than the dried stuff. I also like the fact that it's ready in 3 minutes.

I also really like Carbonara and this was no exception. It was easy to make and the non gluten free other half still liked it.

The original recipe that I adapted is here

Serves 2 - 3

Ingredients:
300 g Free From Tagliatelle
150 ml double cream
2 garlic cloves
100 g Pecorino, grated (you can use Parmesan)
2 eggs
1 small or 1/2 large onion
110 g streaky bacon, chopped (I used this is this as this is all I had left, I'd suggest using 150 g)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Method:

1. Boil the kettle. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions and drain. Keep some of the cooking water to one side.
2. Start to fry the chopped bacon pieces in the oil and cook until it starts to crisp, then add the onions and garlic. Cook until the onion starts to soften. 
3. While the bacon is cooking, whisk the 2 eggs with the double cream and most of the cheese. 
4. Add the pasta to the pan with the onions, add the cream mixture and stir through on a very low light.
5. Season and serve with the remaining grated cheese

I used Pecorino as I like this cheese and it is a bit less expensive than Parmesan. Overall this cost under £5.00 for the both of us as we had half each, I actually think you could get away with 3 servings!

Courgette and Ham Frittata

I really like courgettes and I don't really eat enough of them, so I decided to make a frittata this week. Plus it's a really quick and easy meal to make after work. When we get the garden sorted properly, I wouldn't mind giving growing courgettes a go (though who know's when that will be!).

I had a slice of ham leftover in the fridge, which wasn't really going to be used for anything so I decided to chuck that in too.

I used a small frying pan for the above as I was making a single portion.

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1 medium courgette, chopped
• 1 handful of grated cheddar cheese (I used mature cheddar)
• 1 slice of ham, torn / chopped into pieces
• 3 medium eggs
• 1 small glug of milk
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 tablespoon of oil for frying (I used oilve oil)

Method:

1. Put the frying pan on a medium heat, add the oil and cook the courgettes for approx 10 minutes until they start to soften.
2. In the meantime, beat your eggs with the milk. You can season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the egg mixture over the courgettes, sprinkle with the cheese and ham.
4. Cook until most of the egg has cooked through, then pop under the grill for a few minutes until the top has cooked.

If you're going to make this for more than 1 person, you'll need to use a bigger pan. Other than that, you can just double the recipe. You can always chuck in some leftovers that you have in the fridge too. 

Menu 14/07/13 - 20/07/13

So this last week has been glorious weather wise, we've had some much needed sunshine. There's only 5 meals this week, as we decided to make the most of the weather and have a mini BBQ for the 2 of us today on the Sunday. We're also planning to have a bigger BBQ on Saturday (weather permitting).

While the weather is warmer, we're also tending to eat more salads for lunches to take to work. This week, we're going to BBQ some chicken thighs, then have these with the salads with some crispy streaky bacon. 

Please bear in mind that some of the below list is for my other half who is not gluten free and although I do not eat gluten I am not Coeliac.

Meal Plan 14/07/13 - 20/07/13

Tagliatelle Carbonara

Broad Bean and Bacon Risotto

Chickpea, Potato and Spinach Curry

Courgette Frittata

Turkey Chilli

Breakfast: Cereal, Smoothie

Lunch: Chicken and Bacon Salad, Leftovers, Jacket Potato with Cheese and Beans

Leftovers / Store Cupboard Items: Spinach, Bacon, Tomato Puree, Yoghurt, Frozen Fruit, Baked Beans, Madras Paste, Jacket Potatoes

Fruit and Vegetables:

2 x carrots (0.145 kg) - £0.12

1 Garlic Bulb - £0.25

Asda Cripps Apples (550 g - 5 apples) * 2 - £2.50

Lettuce * 2 - £1.00

Bananas (1.53 kg) - £1.04

Mixed Peppers - £1.00

Spring Onions - £0.50

Smart Price Small Potatoes - £0.69

1 * Courgette (0.2 kg) - £032

Onions (4) - £1.00

1 * Cucumber - £0.50

Chilled:

1 * Orange Juice - £1.00

Free From Tagliatelle - £1.78

Meat:

Turkey Mince (350 g) - £3.50

Chicken Thighs (515 g) - £3.58

Eggs and Dairy:

2 x 500 g Asda Extra Mature Cheese £5.00

160 g Pecorino - £2.00

Double Cream (150 ml) - £0.60

12 Pack of Free Range Medium Eggs - £1.98

Cereal, Tinned, Dried:

Gluten Free Choc Stars - £2.00

Crunch Nut Cornflakes (750 g) - £2.00

Basmati Rice (1 kg ) - £1.78

Risotto Rice (500 g) - £1.10

3 x SP Chopped Tinned Tomatoes - £0.93

2 x tins of sweet crisp sweetcorn - £1.00

Chilli Beans - £0.48

Condiments, Sauces & Seasonings:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - £3.00

1 x pack Knorr Vegetable Stock Cubes - £1.67

1 x pack of Chicken Stock Cubes - £1.67

Frozen:

Broad Beans (750 g)- £1.00

Total - £44.99

Just as  note, all of the above were bought from my local Asda on 14/07/13 and prices were correct at time of publication. I've not included the BBQ items that we bought as we will not be using them all, some will be used in next weeks BBQ.

Some of the prices in the above are offers and some will be stored away for use in future weeks. Some items will replenish the store cupboard.

I will only be using half of the Turkey Mince (the other portion has been put in the freezer and will be used next week). I also don't expect to be using all of the cheese I have bought and actually expect this to last about 2 - 3 weeks. I have also opted to buy frozen broad beans instead of a tin, this means that I will have some more in the freezer to use in some upcoming recipes

I'm going to have a full stock take of my fridge, freezer and cupboards before planning properly for next week. With the warmer weather here, we'll be having some BBQ's, so I just want to make sure that I use up the food that I already have to make sure I'm not just buying food that will not be used.