It's so true that breakfast is the most important meal of the day: it has to keep us going for the whole morning and sets the mood of the day. Muesli would depress me for hours. A favourite that costs very little and everyone loves is the American raised pancake, base for a hundred toppings. I use a mixture of white and wholemeal self-raising flours to sneak a bit of extra fibre in.
For enough to make eight or nice pancakes put about 100g of self-raising flour in a mixing bowl. Add an egg, a heaped tsp of baking powder, 1/2 a tsp of salt, 6 tsps of granulated sugar, a 3/4" cube of butter melted quickly in the microwave, and if you have it several tbsps to half a large carton of plain yoghourt - I use cheapo Sainsbury's Basic, it is tasty and only 55p a carton so why buy something that looks posher for twice the price when seemingly only the packaging is different? Add a little milk then use a hand mixer to blend it all nicely, adding more milk until you have a very thick double cream texture to the batter. It needs no rest. Cook on a flat griddle or thickly based frying pan. They need turning when big bubbles appear on the surface. Keep finished ones warm in the oven until ready to serve.
Maple syrup and butter are neither austerity products nor that healthy, but they are the most luxurious topping. Alternatives are fruit yoghourt, one little carton will do three or more, slices of banana, a freshly squeezed orange and sprinkle of sugar, or apple slices fried in butter. Shop-bought chocolate sauce is another possibility, or just melt a few squares of good chocolate in the microwave - don't overdo it or you end up with a crystalised mess.
If you have too much batter it keeps overnight in the fridge, but the pancakes tend to be a little flatter though still good. Without toppings I reckon its about 60p at most to make enough for three or four people, a nice warming, cheering filler-upper.
Monday 28 November 2011
Saturday 26 November 2011
Homemade Pizza
Homemade pizza is not supermarket bought then heated in the oven, nor even your own toppings on a readymade base. It is made from scratch, which with a breadmaker is simple. My recipe for enough dough for three thin pizzas is a cup of water, 2.75 cups of strong white flour, 2.5 tbsps of olive oil, a tsp of sugar, 3tbsps of milk powder, 4tbsps of sugar, 1 tsp dried yeast. Dough setting, wait for 90 minutes and then knock back, knead, roll into circles (that is the bit I struggle with, mine look like the outlines of Rohrschach blots), leave to rise for at least 15 minutes then add toppings and cook at or near your oven's max temperature till done - about 15 minutes.
We love a fishy version, made with a tin of sardines (backbones removed) and half a tin of anchovies, plus lightly fried onions and peppers (back to the Basics range) and a cheap Basics mozarella, so about £1.50 for that one.
Cheaper and still great is a version of Napoletana (I think) with half a tin of toms (JS Basics again, or Lidl's are excellent for all of 33p) cooked down to a paste with a teaspoon of sugar added, spread on the base followed by more of the onions and pepper, the rest of the anchovies, and some halved pitted black olives from a jar in the fridge that lasts a week or more of salads and suchlike.
The third uses slices of salami - I buy the JS £1 Try Me packs as they are enough for a whole pizza, or for a starter with crudites etc - the onions and pepper, sliced garlic and another cheapo mozarella, plus a few Parmesan shavings made with a potato peeler.
It's important to cook them on metal pizza plates or at a pinch a metal griddle sheet so they don't end up soggy (as they would with pot or glass carriers). So three pizzas for about £3.50 worth of ingredients, the cost of one from the shop or half a (decent) takeaway pizza. For us a Thursday night treat eaten in front of the TV - it's Big Bang Theory Night - instead of the usual family gathering round the dining table. It's a particular treat for me as I love making them and my careful side likes thinking about how much Pizza Express versions (which are admittedly good) would have cost.
We love a fishy version, made with a tin of sardines (backbones removed) and half a tin of anchovies, plus lightly fried onions and peppers (back to the Basics range) and a cheap Basics mozarella, so about £1.50 for that one.
Cheaper and still great is a version of Napoletana (I think) with half a tin of toms (JS Basics again, or Lidl's are excellent for all of 33p) cooked down to a paste with a teaspoon of sugar added, spread on the base followed by more of the onions and pepper, the rest of the anchovies, and some halved pitted black olives from a jar in the fridge that lasts a week or more of salads and suchlike.
The third uses slices of salami - I buy the JS £1 Try Me packs as they are enough for a whole pizza, or for a starter with crudites etc - the onions and pepper, sliced garlic and another cheapo mozarella, plus a few Parmesan shavings made with a potato peeler.
It's important to cook them on metal pizza plates or at a pinch a metal griddle sheet so they don't end up soggy (as they would with pot or glass carriers). So three pizzas for about £3.50 worth of ingredients, the cost of one from the shop or half a (decent) takeaway pizza. For us a Thursday night treat eaten in front of the TV - it's Big Bang Theory Night - instead of the usual family gathering round the dining table. It's a particular treat for me as I love making them and my careful side likes thinking about how much Pizza Express versions (which are admittedly good) would have cost.
Tuesday 22 November 2011
Pate Maison Austere-Style
With more than half a pack of Sainsbury's £1.34 'cooking bacon' (so what's the other stuff for?) spare after what was needed for a paella taken out I decided to make pate (if there's a way to do the accent here I can't find it). The bacon pack had been chosen to make big cubes of meat, as it contained just three thick slices that had I asked for them at the counter would have cost a fortune.
No pig's liver at Booth's, so I bought 200g of pork mince (£1.09) to bulk and balance it out, and asked for some back-fat, expecting to pay a few coppers. They gave me free-of-charge a piece of rind about 30cm by 30cm with deep fat and the bonus of a layer of meat. Back home it took just seconds to slice off what I needed and discard the actual skin.
The other ingredients were crumbs from a day-old roll, two fat cloves of garlic, seasoning, an egg and a glass of spiced rum (have several bottles from reviewing job, but a glass of wine, cider, brandy or even gin would do as alternatives). My 27-year-old food processor whizzed the meats and crumbs in turn, everything was then mixed in a bowl and transferred to a solid non-stick loaf tin. Cover with foil, put that container in a roasting tin with boiling water half-way up, and cook at 140C for 80 minutes before uncovering to colour a bit for another 20 at 170C. More than 500g of country pate (the accent thing is annoying - if you know the trick please say) for less than £2.
Sometimes I do something similar with chicken livers, or pig's liver, and play tunes with herbs from the garden - bay on top, thyme and sage chopped and mixed in. It's cheap party food too, but this one will be several lunches and a first course or two, and I may freeze half for a few weeks hence.
No pig's liver at Booth's, so I bought 200g of pork mince (£1.09) to bulk and balance it out, and asked for some back-fat, expecting to pay a few coppers. They gave me free-of-charge a piece of rind about 30cm by 30cm with deep fat and the bonus of a layer of meat. Back home it took just seconds to slice off what I needed and discard the actual skin.
The other ingredients were crumbs from a day-old roll, two fat cloves of garlic, seasoning, an egg and a glass of spiced rum (have several bottles from reviewing job, but a glass of wine, cider, brandy or even gin would do as alternatives). My 27-year-old food processor whizzed the meats and crumbs in turn, everything was then mixed in a bowl and transferred to a solid non-stick loaf tin. Cover with foil, put that container in a roasting tin with boiling water half-way up, and cook at 140C for 80 minutes before uncovering to colour a bit for another 20 at 170C. More than 500g of country pate (the accent thing is annoying - if you know the trick please say) for less than £2.
Sometimes I do something similar with chicken livers, or pig's liver, and play tunes with herbs from the garden - bay on top, thyme and sage chopped and mixed in. It's cheap party food too, but this one will be several lunches and a first course or two, and I may freeze half for a few weeks hence.
Sunday 20 November 2011
Whatever Happened to the Gratin?
The world of the celebrity chef, where everything seemingly has to be either fried before your eyes or include some odd/exotic ingredients, has to my mind seen the relegation of the gratin to the outer regions. Shame. A good potato gratin is a) tasty; b) cheap; c) easy to make. This is a good potato gratin.
Take four or five fist-sized spuds and slice about 3mm thick, then boil for no longer than three minutes and remove from the water. Fry two large onions sliced thinly until transparent. Grate 100g strong hard cheese - cheddar is ideal (and not mild for goodness' sake).
In an oven-proof dish put a layer of spuds, then of onion, and season well. Put on a small sprinkle of cheese, but save most for the top. Repeat until used up, finishing with a layer of spuds. Measure enough milk to cover all bar the very surface of the gratin, beat in an egg, then pour over. Finish with lots of grated cheese on top, and dot with a few dabs of butter. Cook in a hot oven (200C) until the top is browning.
Served with a salad (and it doesn't have to be something green from a bag - make a salade de racines with matchsticks of carrot, turnip and beetroot dressed with a vinaigrette) and some bread to mop up the juices it makes a filling and enjoyable supper. And the gratin costs less than £2 with enough to fill four. Splash out by adding some strips of smoked bacon (use that thrifty standby 'recipe bacon' or offcuts from the butcher or butchery counter) to satisfy the carnivores. Instead of the milk and egg mixture use stock - chicken, ham or vegetable - from a cube or your own labours and it is even cheaper, though I prefer the milky version.
Take four or five fist-sized spuds and slice about 3mm thick, then boil for no longer than three minutes and remove from the water. Fry two large onions sliced thinly until transparent. Grate 100g strong hard cheese - cheddar is ideal (and not mild for goodness' sake).
In an oven-proof dish put a layer of spuds, then of onion, and season well. Put on a small sprinkle of cheese, but save most for the top. Repeat until used up, finishing with a layer of spuds. Measure enough milk to cover all bar the very surface of the gratin, beat in an egg, then pour over. Finish with lots of grated cheese on top, and dot with a few dabs of butter. Cook in a hot oven (200C) until the top is browning.
Served with a salad (and it doesn't have to be something green from a bag - make a salade de racines with matchsticks of carrot, turnip and beetroot dressed with a vinaigrette) and some bread to mop up the juices it makes a filling and enjoyable supper. And the gratin costs less than £2 with enough to fill four. Splash out by adding some strips of smoked bacon (use that thrifty standby 'recipe bacon' or offcuts from the butcher or butchery counter) to satisfy the carnivores. Instead of the milk and egg mixture use stock - chicken, ham or vegetable - from a cube or your own labours and it is even cheaper, though I prefer the milky version.
Savoury Rice
It sounds like the old racist denial: I am not a vegetarian but.. Vegetarian food tends to be more economical than something served with a slab of expensive meat, and I try to cook something vegetarian at least once possibly twice a week. Don't we all? How virtuous. Cheap, simple and somehow beautiful to look at this is a take on Chinese fried rice - on my business travels in South East Asia in a previous life I was jokingly chided for requesting this at a meal, but it's something I really enjoy if made well. And for three of us I reckon the cost is less than £2. The biggest cost is the two peppers so it could be even cheaper substituting another carrot and/or a red onion to keep the colour thing going.
Boil enough rice for everyone and then some left over (the next day or even the day after rice kept in the fridge makes a great basis for a packed-lunch salad). Washing it well before cooking helps the grains separate which is pleasing to the eye and the fork, though it reduces the nutritional value a little.
In a wide and deep non-stick frying pan heat some vegetable oil over a medium flame and throw in a finely chopped onion or even two, a carrot in tiny dice, and a pepper likewise - ideally two of different colours. I buy a pack of the miss-shape 'basic' peppers every week from Sainsbury's, a bargain and no different in terms of taste or freshness. Cook until the onion is transparent, then add a chopped clove of garlic. Crumble in the rice and stir so it gets coated in oil and mixed with the veg. Defrost a handful of frozen peas and/or sweetcorn and add them, mixing into the rice near the end of cooking - they need to warm through not cook. Flavour the rice according to what you have and what you fancy, but soy sauce is all but a must: one or two of the following is adequate - not please more than that: 5-spice powder, sesame oil, cayenne pepper, cumin seeds, turmeric, even curry powder if push comes to shove. Be gentle with the spicing, don't overwhelm the rice.
If you need some protein a few thin strips of bacon is good, or some small prawns. As with so many dishes you can play tunes with this, one of the best being turning it into mushroom fried rice (which means you can do without one or even both peppers) by adding near the end of cooking half a dozen or so thinly sliced mushrooms sauteed gently in another pan. Tip in their juice of course.
Boil enough rice for everyone and then some left over (the next day or even the day after rice kept in the fridge makes a great basis for a packed-lunch salad). Washing it well before cooking helps the grains separate which is pleasing to the eye and the fork, though it reduces the nutritional value a little.
In a wide and deep non-stick frying pan heat some vegetable oil over a medium flame and throw in a finely chopped onion or even two, a carrot in tiny dice, and a pepper likewise - ideally two of different colours. I buy a pack of the miss-shape 'basic' peppers every week from Sainsbury's, a bargain and no different in terms of taste or freshness. Cook until the onion is transparent, then add a chopped clove of garlic. Crumble in the rice and stir so it gets coated in oil and mixed with the veg. Defrost a handful of frozen peas and/or sweetcorn and add them, mixing into the rice near the end of cooking - they need to warm through not cook. Flavour the rice according to what you have and what you fancy, but soy sauce is all but a must: one or two of the following is adequate - not please more than that: 5-spice powder, sesame oil, cayenne pepper, cumin seeds, turmeric, even curry powder if push comes to shove. Be gentle with the spicing, don't overwhelm the rice.
If you need some protein a few thin strips of bacon is good, or some small prawns. As with so many dishes you can play tunes with this, one of the best being turning it into mushroom fried rice (which means you can do without one or even both peppers) by adding near the end of cooking half a dozen or so thinly sliced mushrooms sauteed gently in another pan. Tip in their juice of course.
Saturday 19 November 2011
Austerity Cooking
I have written so many posts concerned with austerity cooking recently on my Northern Eco blog that I feel the need for a space dedicated to the topic. So this new blog will focus solely (or as solely as my magpie mind will allow) on cooking on a very very limited budget indeed, with each post including at least one recipe, and maybe topical tips.
First topical tip on this sunny November Saturday is make the occasional visit to your local market. Not the farmer's market where you'll see olives that it's reasonable to think were not grown nearby, jams you could make better yourself, and fancy charcuterie. No, go to your town centre market where you'll find loads of bargains - when I lived near Bury the market there sold chicken frames - the central bony bit left after a bird has been jointed. They cost 20p, made fabulous stock, and yielded enough meat for a curry or a risotto, or a good sarnie. Cheap veg too, much of it the stuff the supermarkets won't accept because it is slightly knobbly or with minor colour variations, and often from very local sources.
First recipe, unashamedly lifted (with a few changes) from my other blog because it is so good and so cheap: leek and bacon risotto. One large onion; one carrot, half a packet of Sainsbury's recipe bacon (£1.34/2 = 67p of bacon). I used small leeks from the garden but one medium leek would suffice. Half a box of own brand risotto rice, so about 60p for that.
Chop the onion and carrot finely and sweat in a tablespoon of oil in a deep and wide frying pan over a low-medium heat for five minutes, then add the bacon cut into roughly equal strips or squares until it starts to colour - don't let it crisp, the rest of the cooking finishes it off and lets the bacon flavour infuse the rice. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil and start it cooking, just a minute at max. Make up some stock with a good cube or use home-made if you have it but it must be piping hot, and start to add and stir in until the rice sucks it up, then add more until it is nearly cooked through - just a tiny bit of chalky core left in a grain - which is when you add the leeks cooked separately. Reckon on about 20 minutes over a medium heat, and don't forget that a risotto needs to be on the wet side. The leek is cooked in another pan, very thinly sliced, for just a couple of minutes in a knob of butter. Check it is cooked right through, then season to taste and serve with a bit of parmesan if you have it, but it tastes great without. Enough for a main course for three or four at a stretch, and for considerably less than £2.
If you precede this with a first course of grated (then squeezed in your hands to dry them a bit) and dressed carrots, some strips of red or green pepper (the odd shaped cheapo ones) strips, and a couple of fresh raw mushrooms cleaned, sliced and drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with a few turns of pepper and some salt, and you have a dirt cheap Italian meal.
In the very unlikely event that you have leftover risotto it makes good fritters moulded into a ball, rolled in flour then beaten egg then breadcrumbs, and fried pretty slowly until brown. They are even better with a bit of cheese added to the rice mixture.
First topical tip on this sunny November Saturday is make the occasional visit to your local market. Not the farmer's market where you'll see olives that it's reasonable to think were not grown nearby, jams you could make better yourself, and fancy charcuterie. No, go to your town centre market where you'll find loads of bargains - when I lived near Bury the market there sold chicken frames - the central bony bit left after a bird has been jointed. They cost 20p, made fabulous stock, and yielded enough meat for a curry or a risotto, or a good sarnie. Cheap veg too, much of it the stuff the supermarkets won't accept because it is slightly knobbly or with minor colour variations, and often from very local sources.
First recipe, unashamedly lifted (with a few changes) from my other blog because it is so good and so cheap: leek and bacon risotto. One large onion; one carrot, half a packet of Sainsbury's recipe bacon (£1.34/2 = 67p of bacon). I used small leeks from the garden but one medium leek would suffice. Half a box of own brand risotto rice, so about 60p for that.
Chop the onion and carrot finely and sweat in a tablespoon of oil in a deep and wide frying pan over a low-medium heat for five minutes, then add the bacon cut into roughly equal strips or squares until it starts to colour - don't let it crisp, the rest of the cooking finishes it off and lets the bacon flavour infuse the rice. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil and start it cooking, just a minute at max. Make up some stock with a good cube or use home-made if you have it but it must be piping hot, and start to add and stir in until the rice sucks it up, then add more until it is nearly cooked through - just a tiny bit of chalky core left in a grain - which is when you add the leeks cooked separately. Reckon on about 20 minutes over a medium heat, and don't forget that a risotto needs to be on the wet side. The leek is cooked in another pan, very thinly sliced, for just a couple of minutes in a knob of butter. Check it is cooked right through, then season to taste and serve with a bit of parmesan if you have it, but it tastes great without. Enough for a main course for three or four at a stretch, and for considerably less than £2.
If you precede this with a first course of grated (then squeezed in your hands to dry them a bit) and dressed carrots, some strips of red or green pepper (the odd shaped cheapo ones) strips, and a couple of fresh raw mushrooms cleaned, sliced and drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with a few turns of pepper and some salt, and you have a dirt cheap Italian meal.
In the very unlikely event that you have leftover risotto it makes good fritters moulded into a ball, rolled in flour then beaten egg then breadcrumbs, and fried pretty slowly until brown. They are even better with a bit of cheese added to the rice mixture.
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