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Our Family Meal Plan Week of 30/04 - £62

Sunday 29 April 2012
I know, my Meal Plan is late again!  After a hectic week my eldest daughter had her 12th birthday on Friday.  I had to bake her birthday cake that day and then Saturday was spent entertaining her and her friends with a pamper session and a marathon shopping session at the local mall.  Consequently, I cobbled together this Meal Plan on Sunday afternoon then raced around the supermarket before it closed.  I'm using my slow cooker a couple of times this week as I'll be absent at dinner time twice this week.  When I'm not here to cook dinner I need food ready to be devoured by my husband and children as soon as they get home with little effort required by my husband. 

Last week I received a delivery of a lovely Budget Box of meal from Keevil and Keevil to review.  The box retails for £30 and contained the following:

1.25kg Pork Loin
450g Sliced Back Bacon
450g Sliced Honey Roast Ham
16 x Chicken Drumsticks
18 x Premium Cumberland Sausages
500g Minced Beef

I have used some of the Budget Box in the Meal Plan for this week and will use the rest over the coming weeks.  It is fabulous quality and I'm looking forward to cooking with it.  I shall blog about it later this week.  I have included the equivalent items in the shopping list to make it easier for those following our Meal Plan.

Breakfasts this week will be toast or English muffins with spread or cereal with milk, as always there will be a banana or apple for afters.  We'll probably have boiled eggs with soldiers once this week too.  

Packed lunches will be leftovers, cheese and homemade chutney sandwiches/wraps, or homemade rice salad which is cooked rice mixed with cooked mixed vegetables, diced raw pepper, grated carrot and the juice of an orange or lemon mixed with 1Tblsp oil to make a dressing.  All packed lunches will have a piece of fruit and a baked treat as well as some delicious yoghurt from The Collective which I shall blog about later this week. 

Weekend lunches will be Macaroni Cheese and Twice Baked Potatoes because we will probably have guests for lunch on at least one day this coming weekend.

Baked treats will be scones, Lemon Drizzle Cake and a Banana Cake.  As usual I shall bake all our bread, muffins, wraps, rolls, etc and have added the cost of the ingredients to our Meal Plan.

The cost of the 37 items needed for our Meal Plan this week was £62.35 at Asda on 29/04/2012 and I checked My Supermarket as always to compare the price of a similar basket at other supermarkets.  The equivalent 37 Meal Plan items would've cost £73.58 at Sainsbury's and £78.56 at Tesco.

Dinners

Vegetarian Cottage Pie - Monday

1 Tblsp oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 bay leaf
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
250ml vegetable stock
400g can lentils, rinsed and drained
Enough mashed potato to use as a topping for the cottage pie
100g grated cheddar to sprinkle on top

Preheat your oven to 200°C. Put a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the oil. Cook the onion, celery, carrot and garlic for a few minutes. Add the tin of tomatoes, herbs, bay leaf and stock. Stir everything together thoroughly.

Simmer gently for about 15 - 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the lentils, stir them through and check the seasoning. Add salt and pepper if necessary. Pour the contents of the saucepan into a 1.2-litre baking dish and leave to cool slightly while you make the mash topping.

Cook about 750g of potatoes, cut into chunks, in boiling salted water until tender then drain and mash as you normally would. Spread the mash over the vegetable and lentil mixture then sprinkle grated cheese over the top. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese on top is bubbling and golden.


Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole - Tuesday

8 chicken drumsticks
2 Tblsp oil
300g bacon rashers, rind removed and cut into rough dice
500g mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
2 tsp dried mixed herbs

Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the drumsticks all over and then put them into your slow cooker. Put the bacon, mushrooms, onion, chopped and garlic into the frying pan and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion is transparent then add it all to the slow cooker. Put the tins of chopped tomatoes and herbs in the slow cooker too.

Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 4-6 hours on low or for 2-3 hours on high. Check the seasoning just before serving and add salt and pepper if necessary. I usually serve this with steamed mixed vegetables and a wholemeal roll to soak up the juices instead of mash.


Fish Pie - Wednesday

1 onion, finely diced
1 Tblsp oil
425g tin tuna or salmon in water, drained
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
200g spinach
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
700g potatoes for mash topping
1 cup grated cheese to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 200C.

Cook the potatoes in boiling water and mash, seasoning to taste.

Mix together the tuna/salmon, frozen mixed vegetables, spinach and tinned tomatoes in an oven-proof dish.  Cover with mashed potatoes and grated cheese.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top is golden.  I usually serve this with steamed broccoli or cauliflower.


Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry - Thursday

1 Tblsp oil
2 onions, roughly diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 Tblsp curry powder or paste
2 tsp ground cumin
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
juice of 1 lemon
400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly diced
2 carrots, peeled and roughly diced
2 peppers, roughly diced
1 large cauliflower cut into florets
250g mushrooms, sliced
1 head of broccoli cut into florets

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes then add the garlic, curry powder and cumin. Cook, stirring constantly, for a minute or two until the spices are fragrant.

Stir in the tinned tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Add 125ml cold water, lemon juice, chickpeas and all the prepared vegetables. Turn up the heat and bring everything to the boil. Once the curry is boiling carefully transfer it to your slow cooker.

Put the lid on and cook it for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low. Serve with rice and naan bread.


Sausage Pie - Friday

500 grams sausage meat
1 onion, diced
2 sweet potatoes, grated
1 apple, grated – don’t bother peeling it
1 cup grated cheese
4 free range eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to season

Preheat your oven to 180C.

Grease and line a 23cm (9 inch) diameter cake tin with non-stick baking paper. Using wet hands, line the base and insides of the tin with the sausage meat. Put the diced onion, grated sweet potato and apple, cheese, beaten eggs and a couple of grinds of pepper in bowl and mix until well combined.

Put the vegetable and egg mix into the sausage meat case. Gently press it down with the back of a spoon. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes until the top is golden brown and the pie has set in the middle.


Chicken Traybake - Saturday

1kg chicken drumsticks
2 large potatoes roughly chopped into chunks
300g squash chopped into chunks
1 head of garlic, unpeeled and in half widthways
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
125ml chicken stock

Preheat oven to 200ºC. Put the chicken in a large baking dish along with the prepared vegetables. Sprinkle over the dried mixed herbs.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Pour over the stock and bake for another 5 minutes so a gravy forms. Serve with rice or mash and steamed greens or vegetables.


Slow Cooker Sausage and Lentil Casserole

400g good quality sausages
2 onions, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 stalks celery, diced
2 peppers, deseeded and diced
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
1 Tblsp tomato paste
1 1/2 cups uncooked green lentils
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly diced
3 carrots, peeled and roughly diced
500ml beef or chicken stock
1 tsp sugar

Brown the sausages in a large frying pan then transfer to the slow cooker. Put the onion, celery and pepper into the frying pan and cook them in the fat from the sausages until the pepper and onions begin to soften. Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato paste and heat until boiling.

Pour the mixture into the slow cooker, add the lentils, the rest of the prepared vegetables, stock and sugar. Stir everything to combine then put the lid on the slow cooker.

Cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 8 hours. When the casserole is cooked serve with crusty bread and steamed greens.


Shopping List

37 items: £62.35

Tins, Jars and Cooking
1x ASDA Wild Pacific Pink Salmon (418g) £2.17
9x ASDA Smartprice Chopped Tomatoes (400g) £2.79
1x ASDA Chick Peas in Water (400g) 70p
1x ASDA Chosen by You Green Lentils in Water (400g) 47p

Frozen
1x ASDA Chosen by You Frozen Mixed Vegetables (1Kg) £1.10

Dairy and Eggs
6x ASDA British Skimmed Milk 4 Pints (2.27L) £6.00 any 2 FOR £2.00
1x Stork (500g) £1.00
1x ASDA Free Range Mixed Weight Eggs (15) £3.00
2x ASDA English Medium Cheddar (400g) £4.00

Fruit and Vegetables
1x ASDA Smartprice Mixed Fruit (500g) 64p
20 ASDA Smartprice Apples by Weight (100g) £2.00
20 ASDA Bananas by Weight (100g) £1.36
10 ASDA Broccoli by Weight (100g) £1.75
20 ASDA Carrots by Weight (100g) £1.56
1x ASDA Cauliflower Loose 78p
1x ASDA Smartprice Mushrooms (750g) £1.18
10 ASDA Onions by Weight (100g) 76p
2x ASDA White Potatoes (2.5Kg) £2.00 2 FOR £2.00
1x ASDA Celery 68p
2x ASDA Garlic Loose 52p
1x ASDA Smartprice Peppers (700g) £1.50
2x ASDA Sweet Potatoes (1Kg) £2.40
2x ASDA Spinach (350g) £2.00
2x ASDA Mandarins (700g) £2.00 2 FOR £2.00
1x ASDA Unwaxed Lemons (5) £1.00

Packets and Cereals
1x Silver Spoon Granulated Sugar (1Kg) 98p
1x Asda Wholefoods Strong White Bread Flour (1.5Kg) 60p
1x ASDA Wholemeal Bread Flour (1.5Kg) £1.28
1x ASDA Smartprice Self Raising Flour (1.5Kg) 52p
1x ASDA Smartprice Long Grain Rice (1Kg) 40p
1x ASDA Smartprice Pasta Shapes (500g) 30p
1x Asda Home Baking Easy Bake Yeast (6 per pack - 42g) 64p
1x Great Scot Green Lentils (500g) £1.09
1x Sunnybisk Wheat Biscuits (48 per pack - 864g) £1.78

Meat, Fish and Poultry
2x Banham Poultry Chicken Drumsticks (1Kg) £5.96
1x ASDA Smartprice Unsmoked Back Bacon (312g) £1.50
1x ASDA Sausages Cumberland (20 per pack - 1.14Kg) £3.94 any 2 FOR £6.00

Fruit Buns or Hot Cross Buns - FFTO Challenge

Friday 27 April 2012
I love baking Hot Cross Buns, from scratch. It is a yearly ritual here in our household and I bake them in bulk. I bake 2 dozen at a time as they usually disappear quite rapidly. I usually bake 2 batches, one to take to Church, and one to divide up and give as gifts to friends. You can get your children or other helpers to knead the dough as there is a decent amount of it and it will certainly give you a good workout as you prepare to eat your weight in chocolate on Easter Sunday. LOL You can also bake them at other times during the year, just leave the crosses off the top and vary the fruit you put in them. Cranberries and chopped dried apple are a fab combination that tastes delicious, as does chopped dried apricots and dates.

You can make these Hot Cross Buns by hand or use a stand mixer.

This recipe makes 24 buns.

500ml/2 cups warm water
4 Tblsp caster sugar
2 sachets instant yeast
5 cups plain flour
3 tsp mixed spice
3 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1½ cup mixed dried fruit
50 g softened butter
2 free range eggs

Stir the water and sugar together until the sugar has dissolved.

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl, add the instant yeast and mix in the dried fruit, then make a well in the centre.

Pour in the water, add the eggs and the softened butter. Mix until combined with a wooden spoon and then turn out onto a floured bench and knead the dough lightly.

This is a fairly moist dough so add extra flour if you need to during the kneading process. Knead the dough for about 10-15 minutes until it’s smooth.

Or put all the dry ingredients and the dried fruit mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.



Start the stand mixer on a low speed to mix the dry ingredients before slowly adding the water, eggs and softened butter. Knead on a low speed until everything is well combined and then knead for 10 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth.


Put the dough into a greased bowl and cover with greased cling film. Leave in a warm place till dough doubles in size, this should take around 45 minutes.

I usually leave the dough to rise in my stand mixer as it has a handy plastic cover that seals the bowl and provides the perfect place for the dough to rise. Be careful though, if you leave the dough to rise for too long it may overflow your mixer bowl.


Once the dough has risen, knock it back and then give it a quick knead. Divide the dough into 24 portions and shape them into balls. I usually pat the dough into a rough rectangle, cut that into 6, then each portion into 4. It’s a really easy way to end up with 24 portions and if you get your children help then you have a built in maths lesson for them.



Put the shaped buns onto a greased oven tray and cover with the greased cling film. Leave them to rise for around half an hour, whilst your oven preheats to 200C, and until they’ve doubled in size.



Top the Hot Cross Buns with crosses made by combining:

½ cup plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 Tblsp butter
5 Tblsp of water

I make the crosses mixture whilst the buns are rising. Mix the butter with some hot water so that it melts and combines. Leave for about 10 minutes to cool and then mix into the flour and baking powder.

The mixture needs to be soft enough to be piped. If you haven't got a piping bag, put the mixture into a plastic bag, squeeze it down to one corner then snip a tiny bit off the corner of the bag. Squeeze the mix through the hole making crosses on the top of each bun.



Bake the buns at 200°C for 15 minutes then brush with sugar glaze and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes or until they look cooked.

To make the Sugar Glaze dissolve 2 Tbsp Sugar in ¼ cup (60ml) warm water.

Cool the Hot Cross Buns on a wire rack and then either eat them, give them to friends or freeze them for later in a sealed, airtight bag.

Anzac Biscuits on Anzac Day

Tuesday 24 April 2012
Today is Anzac Day at home in New Zealand and also in Australia.  It's one of the times I feel rather homesick, that and Waitangi Day.  So in honour of those we remember on Anzac Day, here's my recipe for Anzac Biscuits. 

My girls love these biscuits and I've been making them since I was a child. My 8yo can whip up a batch by herself, although I do watch her carefully around the hot oven. They are great with a cuppa and a good energy boosting snack in lunchboxes or after school for both adults and children.

1 cup flour
pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup rolled oats
125g butter
1 Tblsp golden syrup
1 tsp baking soda
2 Tblsp boiling water

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Line 2 baking trays with non stick baking paper.

Put the flour, pinch of salt, sugar, and rolled oats into a bowl and mix them together thoroughly. Make a well in the dry ingredients.

Melt the butter and golden syrup together in a saucepan. Once the butter has melted and is well combined with the golden syrup, dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water then quickly add to the melted butter mixture. Pour it all into the well you made in the dry ingredients. Mix everything together until well combined.

Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls and put onto the prepared trays, leave room for the biscuits to spread. Flatten them with a floured fork.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until the biscuits have flattened out and have become a reddish-brown colour.

Carefully transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool. They will crisp up as they cool. Once the biscuits are cold, store them in an airtight container.



Our Family Meal Plan Week of 23/04 - £62

Sunday 22 April 2012
Our Meal Plan is slightly late this week and I had to go to the supermarket to get everything instead of getting it delivered online as usual. Thanks to our neighbours for a lift to the supermarket.  I was in London on Thursday and Friday then busy sorting out our house and kids homework on Saturday so I left my planning for this week far to late.  Never mind, it has been done now and we're all set.

The cost of all 42 items I purchased for the Meal Plan this week was £62.58 from Asda on 22/04/2012.  I checked My Supermarket to see how much my shopping would've cost elsewhere and a comparable shop would've cost £72.74 at Tesco and £74.58 at Sainsbury's.

Breakfasts during the week will be cereal or toast and spread with a piece of fruit, nothing fancy or faffy. I will probably bake some Cinnamon and Fruit Bagels so we can have those toasted for breakfast too. On the weekend we’ll probably have pancakes or crumpets because we’ll have more time.

Lunches will be ham and homemade chutney rolls, scone swirls or tortilla wraps with carrot, celery and cucumber sticks accompanied by herbed yoghurt dip. Packed lunches will also have a piece or two of fruit and a baked treat. I’ve bought a large gammon and will cook this to have on sandwiches and also in some of the dinners this week.

Lunches on the weekend will be baked potatoes with baked beans and cheese and baked stuffed sweet potatoes.

Dinners

Creamy Bacon and Vegetable Pasta - Monday

500g spaghetti
300g bacon
400g frozen chopped spinach
Handful or 2 of frozen mixed vegetables
300ml pot crème fraîche

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil, add the spaghetti and cook following pack instructions. When the spaghetti has about 3 minutes left to cook toss in a handful or two of frozen mixed vegetables.

Meanwhile, in a deep frying pan, fry the bacon for a couple of minutes then add the garlic, fry until the bacon is slightly crisp. Add the chopped spinach and 2 tablespoons of water, then cover and cook until the spinach has defrosted.

Remove the lid, stir everything together, season to taste, then cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

Drain the spaghetti and vegetables and add to the bacon and spinach mixture with the crème fraîche. Stir to thoroughly combine and serve immediately.


Fish Pie - Tuesday

1 onion, finely chopped
1 pepper, diced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
600ml water
1 vegetable or fish stock cube
1 tsp mild curry powder
200g rice
1 large tin of tuna or salmon in spring water (drained)
4 hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters
100g grated cheese
5 potatoes, cooked and mashed
400g mixed vegetables to serve

Preheat oven to 180C. Sauté onion, pepper and garlic in oil. Mix water, stock cube and curry powder then add to onion, pepper and garlic mixture. Add rice, stirring occasionally until rice has cooked through. Season. Pour in fish and mix until combined. Put the mixture in a casserole dish. Cover with the egg quarters and spread over the mashed potato. Groove the mash with a fork. Sprinkle over the cheese and put in the oven for around 15 - 20 minutes until the cheese has melted and the fie pie is piping hot. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before serving.


Chicken Casserole - Wednesday

1 onion, finely chopped
1 pepper, diced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 Tblsp dried mixed herbs
100g diced bacon
1 Tblsp flour
2 chicken stock cubes dissolved in 1 Litre of boiling water
1 Tblsp mustard
8 chicken drumsticks
4 large potatoes, cooked and mashed
a couple of blocks of frozen spinach
300g frozen mixed vegetables

Preheat oven to 180C. In a casserole pot on the hob sauté the onion, pepper and garlic in a little oil for a couple of minutes, add the mixed herbs and bacon. Cook until pepper and onions are soft. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes. Take the pan off the heat and slowly mix in the stock and mustard. Put back on the heat and make sure everything has dissolved and is well mixed. Add chicken drumsticks then cook in the oven for 45 mins. Remove from the oven and add the frozen mixed vegetables and spinach. Let these heat through with the casserole on the hob for 5 minutes or so before serving. Serve the chicken casserole with mashed potato.


Bean Burritos - Thursday

8 tortillas/flat breads
2 tins chilli beans
3 fresh tomatoes, sliced
diced cucumber
lettuce leaves
small pot of low fat sour cream
1 cup (120g) grated cheese

Heat chilli beans in a pot whilst tortillas are warming in the oven. Put chilli beans onto tortillas and top with tomato, cucumber, lettuce, a little sour cream and a sprinkling of cheese. Fold up and serve.


Macaroni Cheese - Friday

500g pasta shapes
1 onion – finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 pepper, diced
150g bacon
2 Tblsp butter
2 Tblsp flour
350ml hot milk
200g grated cheese
200g frozen mixed vegetables
a couple of chunks of frozen spinach

Preheat oven to 180C. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions, adding the frozen mixed vegetables for the last 3 minutes of the pasta cooking time. Whilst the pasta is cooking, sauté the onion, pepper and garlic in a little oil. Add the bacon and seasoning. In a separate saucepan slowly cook the butter and flour stirring constantly. When mixture looks a bit like biscuit crumbs add the hot milk and whisk until the mixture thickens. Add 200g of grated cheese and simmer for 5 mins, stirring frequently. Add the softened onion, garlic and bacon mixture to the cheese sauce and mix well to combine. Pour the cheese sauce mixture on to the drained pasta and mixed vegetables and stir through until combined. Serve as is or with a side salad.


Bacon and Vegetable Frittata - Saturday

1 pepper diced
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
100g bacon
6 eggs
200g frozen mixed vegetables
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ fan 180°C/ gas 6.

Simmer the potatoes and sweet potatoes in a pan of boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain and leave to cool slightly before slicing thinly.

Meanwhile, put a 25cm non-stick ovenproof frying pan on the hob over a moderate heat. Dry fry the bacon for 5 minutes or so until browned. Remove then from the pan and set aside. Add the onion, pepper and garlic to the pan, and fry in the remaining bacon fat for about 5 minutes until the onion and pepper has softened.

Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl and the softened onion, pepper and garlic. Carefully fold in the potatoes, pumpkin and frozen mixed vegetables. Pour the frittata mixture back into the frying pan and cook over a low-medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until it has cooked through and is set.


Roast Chicken - Sunday

4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
8 chicken drumsticks
100ml oil
1 Tblsp chopped fresh rosemary and thyme
1 chicken stock cube
1 Tblsp mustard
125ml boiling water
400g frozen mixed vegetables, steamed or cooked in boiling water.

Preheat oven to 180C. Place potatoes in cold, salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 mins then drain. Put the potatoes, pumpkin and chicken in a roasting dish and brush over/lightly spray with a little oil. Use separate roasting dishes for the chicken and vegetables if you haven't got a roasting dish big enough to fit everything in. Sprinkle over the fresh herbs. Roast in the oven for around 40 minutes until the chicken and potatoes are golden brown and crunchy.

To make gravy:

Mix cornflour, stock, mustard and water then add to the juice from the cooked chicken. Stir over a low heat until the mixture thickens.

Serve the chicken with roast potatoes and vegetables. Pour over some gravy if you like.


Baking and Treats


Peanut Butter and Choc Chip Biscuits (I'll make 2 batches)

1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Beat the peanut butter and sugar together in a bowl. Mix in the beaten egg thoroughly, then mix in the chocolate chips. The mixture will be quite stiff. I usually use my hand held electric mixer.

Roll tablespoonfuls into balls and put on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Flatten firmly with a fork.

Bake at 180C for 15-18 minutes until the biscuits are cooked and lightly browned. Transfer to a cake rack to cool and then keep in an airtight container.


Rice Pudding (Lunchbox treat, afterschool snack or pudding)

600ml milk
65g long grain white rice
pinch of salt
50g white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
50g sultanas or mixed fruit (optional)

In a medium sized, heavy bottomed saucepan combine the milk and rice with a pinch of salt. Place saucepan over a fairly high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the rice is tender. This usually takes about 25 minutes. Stir the milk mixture frequently using a heatproof rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stop the rice from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.

When the rice is tender (al dente) take the saucepan off the heat and sugar, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon. Mix well to combine. Return the saucepan to the heat and cook until the rice pudding thickens, this should take about 5 - 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the sultanas if you are using them. Spoon the pudding into a bowl to cool and cover with clingfilm to stop a skin forming. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. To make this into more of a Mullerice type treat add some jam or golden syrup to swirl through the rice pudding. You could also add dried apricots or dates instead of sultanas if you have some in your store cupboard.


Bagels

3 tsp instant yeast
310ml lukewarm water
2 Tbsp honey
1½ tsp salt
1 cup wholemeal bread flour
2 cups white bread flour

Measure the first five ingredients into a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover and leave for 15 minutes or longer in a warm place.

Stir in the white bread flour, then add extra flour or water if necessary, until you have a dough just firm enough to knead.

Knead the dough thoroughly, using the dough hook of an electric mixer or kneading by hand on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes, until you have a soft dough which is smooth and springs back when pressed gently.

Turn the dough in 2-3 teaspoons of oil in bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface for a minute or two then cut it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a snake 26cm-28cm long. Dampen the ends with water and press them together firmly, forming the classic bagel shape. Place the rings on individual squares of baking paper and leave in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.

During the proving time bring a large pan containing water 10cm deep to a simmer. Carefully lower 2 or 3 bagels at a time into the boiling water, then lift away the paper, and cook for 30-45 seconds per side, turning carefully once. Drain the bagels on kitchen towels then put them on a large baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper – make sure you leave some space for them to spread.

Brush as far down the sides of the bagels as you can with egg glaze (mix 1free range egg with 1Tbsp water and ½ tsp sugar) and sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds.

Bake at 220C for 10 -12 minutes until they’re evenly browned. Cool on a rack and serve warm or toasted, within 24 hours of making them. You can freeze the bagels in an airtight container once they’re cold.

Cinnamon and Dried Fruit Bagels

Measure the bagel ingredients (from the plain bagel recipe) into a mixing bowl and add ½ cup packed brown sugar, 1 tablespoon each of cinnamon and mixed spice, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Mix and knead the same as the plain bagel recipe. Knead until smooth and then knead through the fruit.


Shopping List
42 items: £62.58

Packets and CerealsGuide price in £
1x ASDA Smartprice Spaghetti (500g) 35p
1x Silver Spoon Granulated Sugar (1Kg) 98p
1x Asda Wholefoods Strong White Bread Flour (1.5Kg) 60p
1x ASDA Wholemeal Bread Flour (1.5Kg) £1.28
1x ASDA Smartprice Self Raising Flour (1.5Kg) 52p
1x ASDA Smartprice Long Grain Rice (1Kg) 40p
1x ASDA Smartprice Pasta Shapes (500g) 30p
1x Asda Home Baking Easy Bake Yeast (6 per pack - 42g) 64p
1x Sunnybisk Wheat Biscuits (48 per pack - 864g) £1.78

Tins, Jars and Cooking
1x Branston Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce (4x410g) £1.00
1x ASDA Wild Pacific Pink Salmon (418g) £2.17
2x ASDA Chosen by You Chilli Beans (290g) £1.36
2x ASDA Smartprice Crunchy Peanut Butter (340g) £1.24

Frozen
1x ASDA Chopped Spinach Leaves (1Kg) £1.12
2x ASDA Chosen by You Freshly Frozen Mixed Vegetables (1Kg) £2.20

Dairy and Eggs
1x ASDA Crème Fraîche (300ml) £1.00
1x ASDA Soured Cream (300ml) £1.00
6x ASDA British Semi Skimmed Milk 4 Pints (2.27L) £6.00 any 2 FOR £2.00
1x Anchor Butter (250g) £1.00
2x ASDA Smartprice Low Fat Natural Yogurt (500g) £1.10
2x ASDA Chosen by You English Mature Cheddar (400g) £4.00 any 2 FOR £4.00
1x Suffolk Farm Large Free Range Eggs (6) £1.00 any 2 FOR £2.00
1x Suffolk Farm Medium Free Range Eggs (6) £1.00 any 2 FOR £2.00
1x Philadelphia Light with Cadburys Chocolate (160g) £1.00

Fruit and Vegetables
1x ASDA Smartprice Mixed Fruit (500g) 64p
1x ASDA Salad Tomatoes (750g) £1.40
20 ASDA Smartprice Apples by Weight (100g) £2.00
20 ASDA Bananas by Weight (100g) £1.36
20 ASDA Carrots by Weight (100g) £1.56
7 ASDA Onions by Weight (100g) 53.2p
2x ASDA White Potatoes (2.5Kg) £2.00 any 2 FOR £2.00
2x ASDA Whole Cucumber £1.80
2x ASDA Round Lettuce £1.14
2x ASDA Celery £1.36
1x ASDA Garlic Loose 26p
1x ASDA Smartprice Peppers (700g) £1.50
1x ASDA Spring Onions 67p
1x ASDA Sweet Potatoes (1Kg) £1.20
2x ASDA Mandarins (700g) £2.00 any 2 FOR £2.00

Meat, Fish and Poultry
15 ASDA Smartprice Gammon Joint by Weight (100g) £5.67
1x Banham Poultry Chicken Thighs (1Kg) £3.36
1x Banham Poultry Chicken Drumsticks (1Kg) £2.98

Could you live on £1 a day - Second Attempt

Saturday 21 April 2012
I blogged about the Live Below the Line Campaign and devised a £35 Menu Plan which means that all 5 of us could live on £1 a day for food for 7 days.  It was a hastily cobbled together plan and I knew I could do better if I gave it a bit more thought and time.  I of course tweeted about the Meal Plan and Monika who blogs at Mum on the Brink tweeted a couple of nutritionists to see what they thought.  All in all they liked the Meal Plan but advised me that it needed more wholegrains and Omega 3.  I've made sure that the plan includes wholemeal bread flour and some salmon to cover the nutritionists recommendations.  There is loads of food so no danger of going hungry.  Normally we would eat loads more fruit and vegetables but the purpose of this plan is to try and Live Below the Line spending £1 a day each on food and doing your best with that, which is what I've tried to do.

Here is the amended Meal Plan:

Drinks will be either water, milk or cheats cuppa soup made with some vegetable stock cube dissolved in hot water. There is no tea, coffee, juice or squash in this Meal Plan. I have included mixed herbs and stock cubes though. We grow fresh herbs and salad so I haven't included that either.  I will of course be baking our own bread, rolls, tortillas and other baked goods needed for the Meal Plan.


Dinners

Mixed Vegetable Pearl Barley Risotto – Monday

50g butter or spread
500g pearl barley
300g frozen mixed vegetables
2 cubes of frozen spinach, defrosted
1 vegetable stock cube
boiling water
Handful of fresh herbs such as parsley, tarragon or sage, roughly chopped

Melt a knob of the butter in a medium pan. Add the pearl barley, stir it around so it's coated with the butter, then cook gently for 2-3 minutes. Dissolve the stock cube in 600ml of boiling water, then pour over the pearl barley.

Simmer over a medium heat for 25-30 minutes until the pearl barley is tender. Keep topping it up with another 800ml hot water, ensuring the barley is covered. When the pearl barley is cooked, remove the saucepan from the heat, taste it and adjust the seasoning. Add the frozen mixed vegetables and spinach, then set aside with a lid on for about 10 minutes. When you're ready to serve spoon the into bowls and top with chopped fresh herbs.


Salmon Fish Cakes with Vegetables - Tuesday

1 packet of salmon trimmings
500g large potatoes
1 tsp dried mixed herbs or 1 Tblsp fresh herbs
100g wholemeal breadcrumbs

Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling water until soft.  Drain well and mash until smooth, then leave to cool. Finely chop the salmon trimmings and mix into the cooled mash potato along with the herbs.  Shape the mix into fish cakes.

Coat each fish cake in a little plain flour, dip into beaten egg and coat in the breadcrumbs.  Fry the fish cakes in a little oil or butter for 2 minutes on each side. Then put them on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 10 minutes on 175C. Serve with cooked mixed vegetables or spinach.


Lentil Bolognese with Spaghetti– Wednesday

This is so versatile! It can be served with pasta, baked potatoes, polenta or homemade gnocchi. I sometimes made double because it freezes well and is great to have in your freezer as a quick fix meal option. If you really have to you could add some beef mince or soy mince to bulk it out more.

2 cups red lentils, uncooked
2 Tblsp oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 carrots, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
2 Tblsp tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Pour in the lentils and stir them around to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Boil the lentils for 8-10 minutes or until soft.

Heat the oil in a medium pan and sauté the carrot, celery, onion and garlic until softened. Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and mixed herbs, then stir in the lentils. Season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes. Serve with coooked spaghetti (400g for 5 of us).


Bean Patties with Potato Wedges and Vegetables - Thursday

2 cups cooked mixed beans
1 onion, finely diced
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
100g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs

Sauté the onion and pepper in a little oil for a couple of minutes until it softens then leave to cool for a bit. Mash the mixed beans with a potato masher, leave it a little lumpy – not too smooth. Add the cooled sautéed onion along with the breadcrumbs to the mixed beans and mix everything together thoroughly. Shape into 5 burgers and fry in a little oil for a couple of minutes on each side, until they’re golden brown. Then put them in the oven at 180C for about 10 minutes until completely cooked through. Serve with homemade potato wedges and cooked frozen spinach or a salad.


Root Vegetable Soup- Friday

1 swede
2 parsnips
2 sweet potatoes
2 potatoes
2 carrots
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 cups cooked mixed beans
1 tsp dried mixed herbs or a handful of fresh herbs
1 litre boiling water
1 vegetable stock cube
1 tsp butter or spread

Peel the root vegetables and cut them into a 1cm/half inch dice.  Finely dice the onion too.  Heat the butter or spread in the saucepan over a moderate heat. Add the crushed garlic and all the chopped vegetables.  Cook, stirring regularly for about 5 minutes.  Dissolve the stock cube in the boiling water and add to the saucepan with the cooked mixed beans.  Stir in the dried herbs. 

Lower the heat and simmer the soup, covered, for 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are soft.  Blend the soup until smooth in a blender or with a hand blender.  If the soup is too thick add a little more boiling water to thin it out.  Serve with homemade wholemeal rolls.


Rice and Vegetable Bake – Saturday

2 cups cooked rice
2 onions, finely sliced
1 Tblsp butter or spread
2 handfuls frozen mixed vegetables
2 cubes frozen spinach, defrosted
6 eggs
1 cup grated cheese

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Grease a large baking dish.

Cook onions in the butter until soft and slightly caramelised.

Combine all the other ingredients except ½ cup of cheese. Spoon into prepared dish and flatten. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of cheese.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until firm in the middle and lightly browned.


Minestrone - Sunday

If you have any vegetables leftover at this point in the week that need using up, put them in this soup.  It is a great way to ensure that nothing is wasted and adds more flavour to the soup.

1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, finely sliced
2 x 400g tins diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock
2 cups cooked mixed beans
2 handfuls frozen mixed vegetables
100g dried pasta (any shape you have is fine)
1 tsp dried mixed herbs

In a large saucepan, gently fry the onion and garlic over a low heat until the onion softens and becomes transparent. Throw in the chopped carrots, celery, and any other vegetables you have that you need to use up or want to put in.

Make sure that the vegetables are all cut to the same size so that they cook evenly. If some vegetables are denser than others, dice them a little bit smaller. Cook all of the vegetables over a medium heat until the carrots start to soften.

Add the tin of tomatoes, tomato paste and vegetable stock and bring it up to a gentle simmer. Add cooked mixed beans and whatever pasta you are using. Simmer everything gently for at least 20 minutes or until the pasta has softened.

Lunches

Versatile Scone Swirls made with Vegemite and Cheese

There is enough flour to make loads of bread/rolls, scones and tortillas (made with melted spread instead of oil) for lunches or snacks. I have allowed a piece of fruit each to have with lunch and some carrot sticks too. We can use salad greens from our garden to bulk out wraps and supplement the lunches. 

There is enough rice to have rice and vegetables for lunch on the weekend.  Cook the rice according to packet instructions in vegetable stock instead of water.  Add some cooked frozen mixed vegetables and spinach as well as some herbs.  Serve warm.


There are enough supplies for an uniced plain Traybake Sponge and some Flapjacks using the following recipe:

Flapjacks

170g butter or baking spread
225g rolled oats
170g sugar

Melt butter in saucepan over very gentle heat. Mix in the sugar and oats. Stir well and tip mixture into a greased swiss roll tin. Press lightly together, I use either a spoon or potato masher to do this bit. Smooth the top and bake at 190C for 30-35 mins.

When the flapjacks are golden brown remove them from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before marking into squares. Cool completely before you turn it out and cut into portions.


Breakfasts

Breakfasts will be porridge and a banana or toast with vegemite, plain toast with butter or banana on toast. There is some yoghurt which could be used with grated apple or chopped banana and the porridge oats for an alternative to porridge.  Two mornings during the week we will have either omelettes or boiled eggs and soliders.

Shopping List

The cost of all 33 items used in the Meal Plan was £34.98 online from Asda on 21/04/2012.  I used My Supermarket as usual to compare the price of my shopping list at other supermarkets, at Sainsbury's my shopping would've cost £35.74, a and at Tesco would've cost £36.71.


Packets and Cereals
1x ASDA Smartprice Porridge Oats (1Kg) 75p
1x ASDA Smartprice Spaghetti (500g) 35p
1x Silver Spoon Granulated Sugar (1Kg) 98p
1x ASDA Wholemeal Bread Flour (1.5Kg) £1.28
1x ASDA Smartprice Plain White Flour (1.5Kg) 52p
1x ASDA Smartprice Self Raising Flour (1.5Kg) 52p
1x ASDA Smartprice Long Grain Rice (1Kg) 40p
1x Great Scot Pearl Barley (500g) 58p
1x Great Scot Red Split Lentils (500g) £1.10
1x Asda Home Baking Easy Bake Yeast (6 per pack - 42g) 64p
1x Great Scot Salad Bean Mix (500g) 98p

Frozen
1x ASDA Chopped Spinach Leaves (1Kg) £1.12
1x ASDA Frozen Mixed Vegetables (1Kg) £1.10

Tins, Jars and Cooking
4x ASDA Smartprice Chopped Tomatoes (400g) £1.24
1x ASDA Smartprice Dried Mixed Herbs (18g) 19p
1x Kraft Vegemite (220g) £1.97
1x ASDA Double Concentrated Tomato Puree (200g) 48p
1x Knorr Vegetable Stock Cubes Low Salt (6x11g) £1.00 was £1.38

Dairy and Eggs
5x ASDA Semi Skimmed Milk 2 Pints (1.14L) £4.45
3x ASDA Smartprice Mixed Weight Eggs (6) £2.55
1x Anchor Butter (250g) £1.00
1x Deli Cheese Company Mature Cheddar (350g) £2.00

Meat, Fish and Poultry
1x ASDA Smartprice Smoked Salmon Trimmings (120g) 90p

Fruit and Vegetables
20 ASDA Smartprice Apples by Weight (100g) £2.00
20 ASDA Bananas by Weight (100g) £1.36
20 ASDA Carrots by Weight (100g) £1.48
7 ASDA Onions by Weight (100g) 53.2p
3 ASDA Parsnips by Weight (100g) 45p
3 ASDA Swede by Weight (100g) 25.5p
1x ASDA White Potatoes (2.5Kg) £1.35
4 ASDA Sweet Potatoes by Weight (100g) 51.2p
1x ASDA Celery 68p
1x ASDA Garlic Loose 26p



Traybake Sponge for Cake Stalls and Birthdays

Sunday 15 April 2012
This Sponge Traybake recipe is fab for cake stalls, birthdays, coffee mornings and shared lunches.  I realised this morning in total panic that I needed to bring some cakes to Church for our shared lunch after the APCM.  I made two of these sponges, one chocolate and one plain vanilla.  You can also make other flavour vairations, I've put suggestions at the end of the post. 

This recipe uses a bung it all in and beat it together method that makes it really quick to make and idea for when you need a large cake at short notice.  You can either bake it as a large rectangle before icing the top and slicing it, or cut it in half and put one half on top of the other with buttercream in the middle and on the top.

175g really soft butter or baking spread
225g self raising flour
1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
175g caster sugar
2 free range eggs
3 Tblsp/45ml milk

Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas Mark 4.  Grease and line a roasting tin approximately 12 x 9 inches or 20 x 22cm.  Alternatively you can buy foil trays from the supermarket which are disposable and use those.  I normally use the foil trays if I am baking for a cake stall or shared lunch.  Spray the foil tray well with cake release spray. 



Put the butter/spread, flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs and milk in a large bowl.  I put the bowl of my stand mixer on my scales and zero it after adding each ingredient, so quick to get everything ready to mix.




Beat well for 2 minutes until completely combined and well beaten. 




Pour the mixture in to the prepared tin or foil tray and level the top. 



Bake the sponge for about 25 - 30 minutes until the cake has shrunk away from the sides of the tin slightly and springs back in the centre if you press it lightly with your fingertips.



Leave the sponge to cool in the tin and then ice as you like.  I usually use 225g of icing sugar and add enough water to make a pourable icing. 



Flavour variations:

Chocolate Sponge

Mix 3 Tblp of cocoa with 3 Tblsp of water and add this to the mixture instead of the milk.  If the mixture seems a bit too thick then add 1 Tblsp milk.  Make the recipe as above.

Chocolate Icing

Melt 75g butter and stir in 50g of cocoa until well combined.  Add 225g of icing sugar and 2 Tblsp/30ml milk.  Beat well and then spread over the cake.  Leave to set.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Add the zest of 2 lemons to the cake ingredients.  When the cake is cooked and just out of the oven mix the juice of the 2 lemons with 200g of caster sugar and pour it over the hot cake. 

Fruit Cake

Add 200g of currants to the other ingredients and beat together as normal.  Half way through the cooking time take the cake out of the oven, sprinkle 2 Tblsp of demerara sugar over the top of the cake, then put back into the oven for the rest of the cooking time.

Our Family Meal Plan for This Week 16/04 - £62

Friday 13 April 2012
Please note: This Meal Plan, along with most of the other Meal Plans on my blog, does not include drinks, condiments or the cost of some herbs and spices. I make our jams, chutneys and pasta sauces, and we grow our own fresh herbs and salad greens. I’m also not a nutritionist or dietician so you will need to consult a professional if you have specific dietary or calorie controlled dietary needs.

Our Meal Plan for this week is fairly low faff and simple because my daughters are back at school after the holidays, I’ve got two events in London, two shifts at work and several other volunteer work things to fit in as well.  There is repetition of dinners, cooking once and eating twice, which will also save my sanity as it means that when my husband is doing the dinner and bedtime routine he will only have to reheat a dinner and perhaps cook some mash or pasta.

I did think about getting my daughters to have school dinners but they were adamant that they wanted packed lunches so I’ve caved in, besides it’s cheaper for them to take packed lunches.

Packed lunches this week will consist of either homemade egg mayonnaise sandwiches or cheese with homemade chutney sandwiches along with crudités, a pot of yoghurt and a homemade muesli bar and a piece of fruit. I know the packed lunches are hardly gourmet fare but it’s what my daughters wanted and it’s relatively cheap and low faff so I’m happy to go along with it.

I will of course be making all our own bread, rolls and tortillas which will keep costs down. Despite having a busy week I can fit baking in as and when required to make sure we are fully stocked with goodies. If I have time on a Sunday afternoon or any spare time during the week I tend to bake and freeze things so that they are available for later in the week.

We’ll be having lunch in town on Saturday and lunch on Sunday will either be homemade pizza or baked potatoes.

Breakfasts this week will be cereal and milk with a banana for afters or toast and spread. It will be a busy week so I’m going for the get it done quick approach to breakfast but still keeping things filling and healthy. We might have pancakes one morning over the weekend or homemade crumpets whichever is easiest for me to manage.

The cost of the 43 items I purchased for this Meal Plan was £62.41 from Asda online on 13/04/12.  I used My Supermarket to compare the prices of a similar basket of shopping at different supermarkets and my shopping would've cost £68.71 at Tesco and 72.61 from Sainsbury's.

Dinners

Spicy Rice with Chickpeas and Spinach – Meatfree Monday

This is a quick, healthy and delicious family dinner for a Meatfree Monday or any day of the week. My daughters like it with some poppadoms on the side and mango chutney. Give it a go, it works well as a side dish too.

1 ½ cups basmati or long grain rice
1 Tblsp olive oil
3 carrots, roughly diced
1 pepper, roughly diced
1 leek, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp mild curry powder
400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
400ml vegetable stock, made with 1 stock cube
300ml water
200g spinach (fresh or frozen)
2 Tblsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
2 Tblsp chopped fresh mint leaves

Put the rice in a sieve and rinse it under cold running water until the water runs clear. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the roughly diced carrots, pepper, leek, garlic, raisins/sultanas and spices. Cook, stirring it occasionally for about 8 – 10 minutes or until the vegetables, especially the carrots, are tender.

Once the vegetables are tender add the chickpeas, rice, stock, and water. Bring everything to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook everything with the lid on the saucepan for 12 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and put the spinach over the top of the rice. Replace the lid on the saucepan and stand for 8 minutes. Uncover the saucepan again and add the chopped fresh herbs. Stir everything together until well combined.


Lentil Bolognese - Tuesday

This is so versatile! It can be served with pasta, baked potatoes, polenta or homemade gnocchi. I sometimes made double because it freezes well and is great to have in your freezer as a quick fix meal option. If you really have to you could add some beef mince or soy mince to bulk it out more.

1 cup red lentils, uncooked
2 Tblsp oil
1 onion, diced
1 pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
2 Tblsp tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
salt and pepper to taste

Pasta and 2 handfuls of frozen mixed vegetables (cooked), to serve.

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Pour in the lentils and stir them around to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Boil the lentils for 8-10 minutes or until soft.

Heat the oil in a medium pan and sauté the pepper, onion and garlic until softened. Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and herbs, then stir in the lentils. Season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes until the flavours develop.

Serve with pasta cooked according to packet instructions. When the pasta has about 3 minutes left to cook toss in a handful or two of frozen mixed vegetables.


Spicy Sausage Hotpot – Wednesday and Thursday

This recipe makes a pack of sausages go a long way. You can use whatever vegetables you have available and also use vegetarian sausages if you like. It's a recipe that can be easily bulked out if you have unexpected dinner guests. I’ll be doubling the recipe so that it will last us two nights. The first night I will serve it with rice and the second night It’ll be reheated and served with mash.

450g pack good quality sausages
1 Tblsp oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 carrots, diced
1 leek, sliced
1 pepper, diced
400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tins chilli beans
2 cups/handfuls frozen mixed vegetables
4 baking potatoes, cooked and mashed - to serve

Grill or bake the sausages until they are cooked. Leave to cool for a few minutes and then slice into pieces around 2cm thick. Set aside.

Add oil, onion and garlic to a saucepan over a medium heat. Cook for a few minutes then add the carrots, leek and pepper. Sauté for another couple of minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes and chilli beans. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Add the sausages to the saucepan with the frozen mixed vegetables. Cook for a final 5 minutes. Serve with cooked rice or mashed potato/sweet potato.


Creamy Bacon and Vegetable Pasta - Friday

I can have this dinner on the table in under 20 minutes from whine to dine LOL Great for those nights when you are really tired or really busy with a low tolerance for faffy dinners.

500g spaghetti
200g unsmoked back bacon
200g spinach
Handful or 2 of frozen mixed vegetables
300ml pot crème fraîche

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil, add the spaghetti and cook following pack instructions. When the spaghetti has about 3 minutes left to cook toss in a handful or two of frozen mixed vegetables.

Meanwhile, in a deep frying pan, fry the bacon until the fat starts to run and then add the garlic, fry until the bacon is lightly golden. Add the chopped spinach and 2 tablespoons of water, then cover and cook until the spinach has wilted.

Remove the lid, stir everything together, season to taste, then cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

Drain the spaghetti and vegetables and add to the bacon and spinach mixture with the crème fraîche. Stir to thoroughly combine and serve immediately.


Slow Cooker Meatballs - Saturday and Sunday

500g beef mince
½ cup uncooked long-grain rice
¼ cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, oregano, etc) or 3 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 large onion, finely diced
1 pepper, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
1 stick celery, finely sliced/diced
500g homemade or store bought pasta sauce
375 ml beef stock or water

Turn the slow cooker on to low to preheat whilst you chop all the vegetables.

In a bowl, mix together the mince, rice and fresh herbs with a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Roll tablespoonfuls into balls and set aside for a few minutes.

Put the onion, pepper, carrot and celery Into the slow cooker. Mix together the cook-homemade pasta sauce and beef stock then pour into the slow cooker. Stir to mix thoroughly with the vegetables.

Put the meatballs on top of the sauce in the slow cooker and then cover with the lid. Cook on low for 6–7 hours or on high for 3–4 hours. Serve with mash/pasta/baked potatoes and steamed mixed vegetables.


Baking and Treats


Homemade Muesli Bars

1 x 397g tin of condensed milk
500g muesli
100g mixed dried fruit

Preheat your oven to 130C/Gas Mark 1/2 and lightly oil a large baking tin. Mine measures 23cm x 33cm x 4cm.

Mix the dry ingredients and fruit together until well combined. Warm the condensed milk in a pan then mix with all the other ingredients and use a spatula to make sure everything is well coated.

Press the mixture into the tin and level the surface. The mixture is really sticky so you might want to wet your hands or lightly oil them so that you don't end up a sticky mess.

Bake the muesli bars for 1 hour then set aside for 15 minutes to cool slightly. Cut into bars and store in an airtight container.


Quick and Easy Banana Cake

I have several kilos of over-ripe bananas lurking in my large chest freezer. I was given them by a friend and have been using them as a base for smoothies as well as baking muffins, caramelising them to have with pancakes as well as baking this cake.

125g butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
500-600g (unpeeled weight) spotty over-ripe bananas
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a round 23cm square cake tin with non-stick baking paper.

Cream the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, mash the bananas and beat well in to the mixture. It will look curdled but don't panic. Beat in the eggs one at a time adding 1/2 a cup of the flour so the mixture comes together. Add the last 1 cup of flour (and vanilla if using) then beat for one minute on low speed or until well combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin & gently shake to level, don't bang it. Bake in oven at 180°C for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside in the cake tin for 10 minutes to cool slightly before transferring the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.


My Favourite Tea Bread

1 cup sultanas or raisins
1 tsp mixed spice
1tsp cinnamon
25g butter
1 cup hot strong tea (without milk)
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 or 2 1/4 cups self raising flour

Measure the sultanas, mixed spice, cinnamon and butter in to a medium sized bowl. Pour hot recently made tea over them and leave to stand until cold.

When the mixture is cold, add the brown sugar and self raising flour. If you use 2 cups of flour the tea bread will be more cake-like, whereas if you use 2 1/4 cups of flour the tea bread will be more bread like. Mix gently until just combined, don't overmix or the tea bread will be tough.

Line a 20cm cake tin, or a 23cm x 12cm loaf tin with baking paper and pour the mixture evenly in to it. Bake at 180C for 35-45 minutes in the cake tin, or 1 hour in the loaf tin, until a skewer pushed in to the middle comes out clean.

When cold store in an airtight container. It's best left 24 hours before cutting but never lasts that long in our house.


Shopping List

43 items: £62.41

Packets and Cereals
1x ASDA Chosen by You Wheat Bisks (48x18g) £2.68
1x ASDA Smartprice Swiss Style Muesli (1Kg) 98p
1x ASDA Smartprice Spaghetti (500g) 39p
1x Silver Spoon Granulated Sugar (1Kg) 98p
2x Asda Wholefoods Strong White Bread Flour (1.5Kg) £1.20
2x ASDA Smartprice Self Raising Flour (1.5Kg) £1.04
1x ASDA Smartprice Long Grain Rice (1Kg) 40p
1x ASDA Smartprice Pasta Shapes (500g) 30p
1x Great Scot Red Split Lentils (500g) £1.10
1x Asda Home Baking Easy Bake Yeast (6 per pack - 42g) 64p
1x ASDA Wholefoods Brown Bread Flour (1.5Kg) £1.28

Frozen
3x ASDA Chosen by You Freshly Frozen Mixed Vegetables (1Kg) £3.54

Tins, Jars and Cooking
4x ASDA Smartprice Chopped Tomatoes (400g) £1.24
2x ASDA Chosen by You Chilli Beans (290g) £1.36
1x ASDA Smartprice Mayonnaise (500ml) 48p
1x ASDA Chick Peas in Water (400g) 70p

Dairy and Eggs
1x ASDA Crème Fraîche (300ml) £1.00
6x ASDA British Whole Milk 4 Pints (2.27L) £6.00 any 2 FOR £2.00
1x ASDA Rich and Creamy Salted Butter British (250g) £1.20
1x Carnation Sweetened Condensed Milk (397g) £1.00
1x ASDA Smartprice Low Fat Natural Yogurt (500g) 55p
1x ASDA Low Fat Strawberry Yogurt (6x125g) £1.00 was £1.12
1x ASDA English Medium Cheddar (400g) £2.00 any 2 FOR £4.00
1x ASDA Chosen by You English Mature Cheddar (400g) £2.00 any 2 FOR £4.00
1x ASDA Low Fat Autumn Fruit Yogurts (6x125g) £1.00 was £1.12
1x Suffolk Farm Large Free Range Eggs (6) £1.00 any 2 FOR £2.00
1x Suffolk Farm Medium Free Range Eggs (6) £1.00 any 2 FOR £2.00

Fruit and Vegetables
1x ASDA Smartprice Mixed Fruit (500g) 64p
2x ASDA Baby Spinach (180g) £2.00
20 ASDA Smartprice Apples by Weight (100g) £2.00
20 ASDA Bananas by Weight (100g) £1.36
20 ASDA Carrots by Weight (100g) £1.56
5 ASDA Leeks by Weight (100g) 75p
7 ASDA Red Onions by Weight (100g) 60.2p
2x ASDA White Potatoes (2.5Kg) £2.00 any 2 FOR £2.00
2x ASDA Whole Cucumber £1.60
2x ASDA Round Lettuce £1.14
1x ASDA Celery 68p
2x ASDA Garlic Loose 52p
1x ASDA Smartprice Peppers (700g) £1.50

Meat, Fish and Poultry
1x ASDA Chosen by You Sausages - 1.14Kg £3.33 any 3 FOR £10.00
1x ASDA Unsmoked Back Bacon Thick Cut (12 per pack - 530g) £3.33 any 3 FOR £10.00
1x ASDA British Beef Steak Mince (900g) £3.33 any 3 FOR £10.00

Check out the Meal Plan Monday linky on At Home With Mrs M! for more fab Meal Plans from other bloggers.

Quick and Easy Homemade Tortillas

Monday 9 April 2012
This is the recipe that I normally use when I need to make my own tortillas.  It works out much cheaper than buying them and they're also fairly low faff to make.  My daughters love making them and they are fab for school lunches, quesadillas, burritos and fab when cooked until crispy to make your own tortilla chips to eat with salsa or homemade hummus.

3 cups self raising flour
250ml/1 cup milk
75ml/5 Tbsp olive oil

Mix everything together until a nice soft dough forms and give it a good knead for a couple of minutes.  You want a good strong dough.  Divide the dough into 12 equal portions.
 
 
Roll out each of the 12 portions, one at a time, until they are about 8 inches in diameter.  They should be really thin. 
 

Stack up the rolled out tortillas and heat up a non-stick frying pan over a medium/hot heat.  I don't normally use any oil because it can make the tortillas greasy.  


Cook the tortillas one at a time.  Small bubbles will form inside the tortilla, flip it over after about 30 seconds and cook the other side for between 30 seconds and a minute.  The tortilla should have golden brown patches on it when it's cooked through.  


 
You can whip up a batch of these in no time. They're ideal for a quick dinner, when turned into quesadillas, or for those times when you've no bread for packed lunches.

Versatile Savoury Scone Swirls

I make these often as they are a great way to make a few ingredients feed us well for lunch, either packed lunches, an impromptu picnic or lunch at home.  I use a basic scone dough and method to make them and they are the ultimate filling and frugal lunch.  I've used ham, pepper and tomato paste in this version - however the combinations of fillings are endless.  My daughters like vegemite and cheese or pesto and parmesan, but if you use these combinations leave out the mixed dried herbs.  I've added chopped mushroom, olives and salami in the past for a slightly different version.

I've included step-by-step photos because the recipe is easy enough for young children to make with a little supervision.  If they're not old enough to read well they can always just follow the pictures instead.

2 cups self-raising flour
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
50g butter, finely diced
3/4 cup milk
1 Tblsp tomato paste, diluted with 1 Tblsp water
100g ham, finely chopped (optional)
1 pepper, finely chopped (any colour will do)
50g grated cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

Put the flour and mixed herbs into a large bowl. 



Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.



Make a well in the centre and add the milk. 



Stir everything together with a wooden spoon until a soft dough has formed. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it gently for a couple of minutes.  Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a rough 30cm/12 inch square.


Spread with the tomato paste then top with the ham and pepper, or whichever savoury fillings you like. 



Starting from the side closest to you, roll up the dough firmly to form a log.  Cut the dough into 12 even portions.


Put the swirls cut-side up on to the baking paper lined tray.



Sprinkle the swirls with the grated cheddar cheese.



Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until they're lovely and golden. I usually serve these with some crudites and dip or salad.


Our Family meal Plan for School Holidays Week 09/04 - £70

Saturday 7 April 2012
You would be forgiven if you thought we were feeding an army this week, we're not, it just appears that way.  Last week my 3 girls and some visitors throughout the week ate so much that we almost ran out of food from the Meal Plan before the end of the week.  This week I am determined to be better prepared! 

Breakfasts will be filling and our lunches will be really substantial too, this will cut down on snacking and ensure our tums are full for longer.  Hopefully it will also mean that we will have sufficient supplies to last the week, no matter who calls in for a feed visit.  Most of the lunches can be easily expanded should unexpected guests arrive.

There is plenty of fruit that we can have to snack on and of course spare vegetables for crudites too, should the need arise for some vegetable snacks.  We've got salad greens available from our garden and of course fresh herbs from the garden too.  Now that the hosepipe ban is in force we are using watering cans instead to water them which is good exercise. 

As usual I am baking our bread, this week I will also be baking bagels, English muffins and fruit bread.  This saves us loads as all of those baked goods would cost rather a lot from the supermarket.  Because I'll be baking quite often and the lunches are fairly substantial I've kept the dinners fairly low faff and simple.

The cost of the 51 items needed for our Meal Plan this week was £70.64 from Asda on Saturday 7th April.  I used My Supermarket to compare the cost and find out how much a similar basket would've been at other supermarkets and it would've cost £77.72 at Tesco and £83.80 at Sainsbury's.


Simmered Mince Many Ways – Cook this Sunday Afternoon

This is my basic simmered mince recipe that I can transform into loads of different meals and can feed us well for several dinners and a lunch or two. It makes 1kg of mince stretch a long way and is great if you are counting pennies or are starting to use Meal Plans to cut your household spending.

3 Tbsp oil
3 onions, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped into smallish chunks
3 celery sticks, finely sliced
2 peppers, chopped into smallish chunks
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 kg beef mince
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
1 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce
3 beef stock cubes dissolved in 1 litre of boiling water

Heat half of the oil in a large pan over a high heat. Add the onions, garlic, herbs, carrot, celery and pepper. Sweat until softened. Put into your slow cooker. If you're not using a slow cooker, just take the pan off the heat and set it aside.

Brown the mince in a large pan over a medium heat, about a third at a time. Fry until there are no pink bits left. Don't brown all the mince at once or you will crowd the pan and it will take longer to brown. Put the browned mince in your slow cooker. If you aren't using a slow cooker, add the vegetables you sweated off earlier to the mince at this point.

Add the tinned tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and stock to the mince and vegetable mixture, either in your slow cooker or in a large saucepan on the hob, mix until well combined.

Either simmer uncovered on the hob for one hour until the volume of liquid has reduced slightly and the sauce has thickened or cook in your slow cooker for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low. You can thicken the sauce with a little cornflour mixed with cold water then stirred into the sauce.


Dinners

Cottage Pie - Monday

Spoon about a third of the above mince mixture into a baking dish, top with about 750g mashed potato and bake at 190C/375F/Gas 5 for 30 minutes, until bubbling and golden-brown on top. Serve with mixed vegetables or peas.


Chilli Con Carne - Tuesday

Use 1/3 of the simmered mince mixture and stir a tin of kidney beans in chilli sauce, or a tin of kidney beans and enough chilli powder to suit your taste, into a third of the mince mixture and warm through. Serve with rice or tortillas topped with little soured cream.


Spaghetti Bolognese - Wednesday

4 cloves of garlic, crushed
300ml red wine
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
1 beef stock cube
300ml boiling water
1/3 batch of simmered mince (recipe above)
500g dried spaghetti

Heat a saucepan and add the lardons, let the fat run out and then sauté the garlic for a couple of minutes. Drain off as much oil as you can and then add the red wine. Boil the wine until it has reduced to about 2 Tblsp of liquid and then add the tinned tomatoes, braised mince and stock.

Simmer for 45 minutes - 1 hour or until the mince has thickened to Bolognese sauce consistency. Whilst the mince is thickening, cook your spaghetti according to the instructions on the pack. Check the mince mixture for seasoning then serve over cooked spaghetti. Top with grated parmesan if you want.


Vegetable Stir Fry - Thursday

I've bought Garlic and Soy Stir Fry Sauce, noodles and stir fry vegetables from the supermarket and will make a thin omelette to have with it.  I will heat a large, oiled frying pan or wok to over a high heat. Add the vegetables and noodles and cook them for a few minutes before adding the sauce.  Heat the sauce through and dinner is done.  I make a thin omelette and then roll it up and slice it thinly then mix it through the stir fry vegetables and noodles. 

 
Pork Curry - Friday

25g butter
1 onion, peeled and finely diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon each ground chili powder, coriander, ginger, garam masala
600g diced pork pieces
2 peppers, diced (any colour will do)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 cup cream

Melt the butter and cook the onion and garlic until the onion has softened.  Mix the ground spices together and toss the pork pieces in the spices to coat them.  Add the pork to the onion and garlic in the pan and cook the pork until it has browned and the spices are fragrant.

Add the peppers and tomato paste along with the cream.  Stir everything together and make sure it is well combined.  Simmer the curry for 10 - 15 minutes or until the pork is completely cooked through.  I usually serve this with rice and mixed vegetables or wilted greens.


Salmon and Pesto Fishcakes (MSavers Recipe) - Saturday

1 packet of salmon trimmings
500g large potatoes
50g pesto
100g breadcrumbs

Dice the potatoes and cook them in a pan of boiling water until soft. Drain well and mash until smooth, then leave to cool. Finely chop the salmon trimmings and mix into the cooled mash potato along with the
pesto. Shape the mix into four fish cakes.

Coat each fish cake in a little flour, dip into a beaten egg and coat in the breadcrumbs.  Fry the fish cakes in a little oil for 2 minutes on each side. Then, place on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 10 minutes on 175C.  Serve with mixed vegetables.


Photo courtesy of Morrisons

Chicken Casserole - Sunday

1kg chicken drumsticks, skin removed
500g pumpkin, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp paprika
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
500g frozen mixed vegetables
420g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Put all of the ingredients, except the chickpeas and frozen vegetables, in slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours.

If you don't have a slow cooker, put all of the ingredients in a casserole dish and cook in an oven at 180C for about 1 hour.

Add the chickpeas and frozen vegetables towards the end of cooking and cook for another 30 minutes in the slow cooker, or 15 minutes in the oven.  You want the chickpeas and vegetables to warm through completely.  Serve with cooked rice.


Lunches

 Quesadillas (We will have these twice this week)

8 tortillas, wholemeal wraps or burritos
1 can whole kernel corn
1 tin chilli beans
1 cup grated cheese
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 spring onion, chopped

Preheat a non-stick frying pan or sandwich press.

Top four of the tortillas with the chilli beans, corn (drained), chopped tomato, spring onion and grated cheese.  Cover with remaining tortillas (to make a tortilla sandwich).

Spray frying pan with a little oil.  Cook tortillas one at a time in frying pan. Cook on one side for 2 or 3 minutes, then turn with a spatula and cook the other side for another 2 or 3 minutes, or until fillings are hot and cheese has melted. Repeat with other tortillas.

Allow to cool for a few minutes.  Cut each tortilla into four wedges (or smaller pieces for smaller kids). Eat and enjoy!


Vegetable and Egg Bake

1 potato, cubed and cooked
1 small sweet potato, cubed and cooked
1 cup baby spinach leaves
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 onion, finely chopped
3 free range eggs
180ml milk
2 Tblsp plain flour
½ cup cheese
pinch salt
couple of grinds of pepper
¼ cup cheese, extra

Put all the vegetables in a large bowl. Combine the eggs, milk, flour, cheese, pepper and salt. Beat until thoroughly combined. Gently stir into the vegetables, being careful not to bash about the cooked potato and sweet potato too much. Tip the mixture into a lightly greased 23cm pyrex dish or lined cake tin.

Bake in the oven at 180°C for 40 minutes, then sprinkle with the extra cheese and put under the grill for a couple of minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden. Serve immediately.


Storecupboard Hotpot

This is a really useful recipe when your cupboards and fridge are nearly bare and money is tight. I can usually find all the ingredients to make it in my pantry or can they can be bought really cheaply from the supermarket. It's a filling lunch or dinner that is really easy to prepare and can be on the table within 15 minutes.

½ Tbsp oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp flour
1 tin (400g) tomatoes, chopped
1 tin (425g) beans, drained (e.g. mixed beans, butter beans, haricot beans or chickpeas)
1 large tin (400g) sweetcorn, drained
1 pepper, diced (red, orange or yellow)

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and sweat the onions until soft and transparent. Add the diced pepper and mushrooms and cook gently until softened.

Sprinkle in the flour stir for 1-2 minutes before adding the drained tins of tomatoes, beans and sweetcorn. Cook for another 5 minutes until everything is well heated through and the stew thickens slightly then serve.

I usually serve this with bread rolls or baked potatoes. You could also serve this over thick wholemeal toast, cooked rice, cooked pasta or baked sweet potatoes.

This is an easy lunch or dinner, and the recipe can be easily adjusted depending on how many you're cooking for. You can use whatever you have available as fillings for the sweet potatoes so they are economical too.


Stuffed Kumara (Sweet Potatoes)

4 large kumara (sweet potatoes) washed
1 onion or spring onion, finely chopped
1 handful grated carrot
1 handful grated courgette
1 small tin of sweetcorn, drained
1 handful grated cheese
1 handful of ham, chopped cold meat or tinned tuna
4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce, or alternatively tomato or BBQ sauce (to taste)
1 handful of chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Wash the sweet potatoes well, prick the skin in several places and bake them at 180˚C for 45-60 minutes, or until soft inside (prick with a fork to check). A quicker method is to microwave the sweet potatoes for 5 - 7 minutes and then bake them in the oven for another 15 minutes.

Once they're cooked, let the sweet potatoes cool. Cut along the middle and scoop out most of the soft flesh and put it into a bowl. Leave enough sweet potato inside the skin to help keep the shape and hold the sides up. Add whichever fillings you are using to the scooped out flesh along with half of the cheese and mix together well in a bowl.

Carefully Put the mixture back inside the sweet potato and add some extra grated cheese to the top. Bake in an oven preheated to 150˚C for further 30 minutes so that the filling is piping hot and the cheese melted.


Baked Potatoes with Baked Beans and Cheese

Baked Beans on Toast

Breakfasts

English Muffins

4 ¼ cups plain flour
1 sachet instant yeast
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
500ml warm milk
1 free range egg, beaten
50g butter

Dust 2 baking trays with plain flour.

In a large bowl combine the yeast, sugar, flour and salt.

In a small pan, melt the butter then add the milk and heat gently.  The liquid should be warm but not hot. If you are not sure, hold your little finger in it and count to 10.  If it’s uncomfortably hot by the time you get to 10 allow it to cool a little, if it doesn’t feel warm at all, heat it up a little.

Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the butter and milk mixture with an egg. Use a large metal spoon to mix everything together until a soft dough forms.

Knead the dough lightly for 2 minutes then put the dough into a large greased bowl, covered with greased clingfilm, and allow to rise until doubled in size.  Either set it aside in a warm place to rise or use the microwave rising method.

Preheat your oven to 190C.

When the dough has doubled in size knead it lightly to knock it back and roll the dough out to 1cm thick on a floured work surface. Cut into circles using a large cutter, I use a 10cm cutter, roll up any trimmings and cut out more circles.  You should end up with about 16 muffins in total.  Put the muffins on to the floured trays to rest for 10 minutes.

Bake the muffins for 7 minutes then take the trays out of the oven and turn the muffins over.  Bake the muffins for another 7 minutes.  They should be lightly golden.

To serve the muffins, split them and top them with your favourite spread.  You can also make them a savoury treat by topping with a poached egg, ham, etc.

You can freeze these muffins in an airtight container.  If you decide to freeze them split the muffins beforehand because it makes them defrost so much quicker.

If you would prefer to make spicy fruit muffins, add the following to the dry ingredients:

2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
½ cup sultanas (soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drained)

I normally use one batch of dough and divide it to make 8 plain and 8 spicy fruit muffins which saves me making two batches. 



Fruit Bread

2 tsp mixed spice
3 1/4 cups plain flour
2 tsp instant dried yeast
1/4 cup sugar
375ml (1 1/2 cups) warm water
2 cups of mixed dried fruit
1 Tblsp milk
1 Tblsp each cinnamon and sugar mixed together

Sift mixed spice and 3 cups flour into a bowl. Stir in yeast and sugar. Make a well in the centre. Add water then mix to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Add remaining flour. Knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. I use my stand mixer to knead my bread if I'm not in the mood to knead it by hand.

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. I leave my dough in the stand mixer, with the plastic shield on it the dough proves quite happily. Grease a 6cm-deep, 9cm x 19cm loaf tin.

Using your fist, punch the dough down. Knead until smooth. I just knead the dough a little in my stand mixer. Turn out on to a lightly floured surface. Gradually knead in the dried fruit. Again, I just use my stand mixer. Shape then put in to the prepared loaf tin. Cover with lightly greased cling film and set aside in a warm place for 15 minutes or until the dough rises to the top of the tin.

Meanwhile, your preheat oven to 200C/180C fan-forced. Once the dough has risen, brush the top of it with milk. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 170C/150C fan-forced. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and hollow when tapped on top. Stand in tin for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Serve with butter and jam.




Bagels

3 tsp instant yeast
310ml lukewarm water
2 Tbsp honey
1½ tsp salt
1 cup wholemeal bread flour
2 cups white bread flour

Measure the first five ingredients into a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover and leave for 15 minutes or longer in a warm place.

Stir in the white bread flour, then add extra flour or water if necessary, until you have a dough just firm enough to knead.

Knead the dough thoroughly, using the dough hook of an electric mixer or kneading by hand on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes, until you have a soft dough which is smooth and springs back when pressed gently.

Turn the dough in 2-3 teaspoons of oil in bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface for a minute or two then cut it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a snake 26cm-28cm long. Dampen the ends with water and press them together firmly, forming the classic bagel shape. Place the rings on individual squares of baking paper and leave in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.

During the proving time bring a large pan containing water 10cm deep to a simmer. Carefully lower 2 or 3 bagels at a time into the boiling water, then lift away the paper, and cook for 30-45 seconds per side, turning carefully once. Drain the bagels on kitchen towels then put them on a large baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper – make sure you leave some space for them to spread.

Brush as far down the sides of the bagels as you can with egg glaze (mix 1free range egg with 1Tbsp water and ½ tsp sugar) and sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds.

Bake at 220C for 10 -12 minutes until they’re evenly browned. Cool on a rack and serve warm or toasted, within 24 hours of making them. You can freeze the bagels in an airtight container once they’re cold.

Cinnamon and Dried Fruit Bagels

Measure the bagel ingredients (from the plain bagel recipe) into a mixing bowl and add ½ cup packed brown sugar, 1 tablespoon each of cinnamon and mixed spice, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Mix and knead the same as the plain bagel recipe. Knead until smooth and then knead through the fruit.




Baking and Treats


Fruit Muffins

1 cup of any fruit (fresh, tinned, dried or frozen)
3/4 cup sugar
100g melted butter or 100ml oil
250ml milk
2 cups plain flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 free range egg

Mix all of the ingredients together gently but thoroughly until well combined. Spoon into lined muffin tins.

If you want to be fancy you can mix together 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 Tblsp sugar and sprinkle it over the top of the muffins.

Cook for 12 minutes or so at 180C, depending on the size of your muffins.


Rice Pudding (Lunchbox treat or pudding)

600ml whole milk
65g long grain white rice
pinch of salt
50g white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
50g sultanas or mixed fruit (optional)

In a medium sized, heavy bottomed saucepan combine the milk and rice with a pinch of salt. Place saucepan over a fairly high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the rice is tender. This usually takes about 25 minutes. Stir the milk mixture frequently using a heatproof rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stop the rice from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.

When the rice is tender (al dente) take the saucepan off the heat and sugar, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon. Mix well to combine. Return the saucepan to the heat and cook until the rice pudding thickens, this should take about 5 - 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the sultanas if you are using them. Spoon the pudding into a bowl to cool and cover with clingfilm to stop a skin forming. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. To make this into more of a Mullerice type treat add some jam or golden syrup to swirl through the rice pudding. You could also add dried apricots or dates instead of sultanas if you have some in your store cupboard.


Cornflake and Sultana Cookies

125g butter at room temperature, diced
2/3 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups self-raising flour, sifted
1 Tblsp milk
1 1/2 cups cornflakes
1/2 cup sultanas

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line two large flat baking trays with non-stick paper.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until creamy. Add the flour and mix on low speed until just combined. Add the milk and mix until the dough just comes together. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the cornflakes and sutanas, and mix until well combined.

Roll the mixture into balls, I usually use 1 Tblsp at a time. Put onto baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper. Allow room for the cookies to spread. Flatten the cookies slightly with a floured fork. Bake for 12-14 minutes until light golden. Remove from the oven and stand for 5 minutes on the baking trays before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.


Hokey Pokey Biscuits

These are a kiwi classic! Great biscuit tin fillers that always go down well. Perfect for lunchbox treats, coffee mornings and when friends come around for a cuppa.

125g butter
½ cup sugar
1 Tblsp golden syrup
1 Tblsp milk
1½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Combine the butter, sugar, golden syrup and milk in a saucepan stirring constantly. Heat until the butter is melted and the mixture is nearly boiling.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm.

Sift the flour and the baking soda together and add them to the cooled mixture. Stir the ingredients well to make sure they are thoroughly combined.

Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls and put them on an oven tray lined with non-stick baking paper, then flatten the balls gently with a floured fork.

Bake the biscuits for 15-20 minutes or until they are golden brown. Cool on the trays and then once they have cooled completely, store in an airtight container.



Shopping List

51 items: £70.64

Packets and Cereals
1x ASDA Smartprice Cornflakes (750g) 46p
1x ASDA Smartprice Porridge Oats (1Kg) 75p
1x ASDA Smartprice Spaghetti (500g) 39p
1x Silver Spoon Granulated Sugar (1Kg) 98p
1x Asda Wholefoods Strong White Bread Flour (1.5Kg) 60p
1x ASDA Wholemeal Bread Flour (1.5Kg) £1.28
2x ASDA Smartprice Plain White Flour (1.5Kg) £1.04
1x ASDA Smartprice Long Grain Rice (1Kg) 40p
1x Asda Home Baking Easy Bake Yeast (6 per pack - 42g) 64p

Tins, Jars and Cooking
1x ASDA Chosen by You Green Pesto Sauce (190g) £1.00
1x Branston Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce (4x410g) £1.28
1x ASDA Wild Pacific Pink Salmon (418g) £2.17
5x ASDA Smartprice Chopped Tomatoes (400g) £1.55
3x ASDA Chosen by You Chilli Beans (290g) £2.04
3x ASDA Smartprice Sweetcorn (326g) £1.11
1x ASDA Chick Peas in Water (400g) 70p
1x ASDA Double Concentrated Tomato Puree (200g) 48p
1x ASDA Mexican Style Bean Mix in Water (400g) 53p

Frozen
2x ASDA Smartprice Mixed Vegetables (907g) £1.36

Dairy and Eggs
1x ASDA Soured Cream (300ml) £1.00
1x ASDA Fresh Whipping Cream (300ml) 95p
2x ASDA Rich and Creamy Salted Butter British (250g) £2.40
6x Marybelle Fresh Semi Skimmed Milk (2L) £6.00 any 2 FOR £2.00
1x Suffolk Farm Large Free Range Eggs (6) £1.00 any 2 FOR £2.00
1x Suffolk Farm Medium Free Range Eggs (6) £1.00 any 2 FOR £2.00
2x Cathedral City Mature Yet Mellow Cheddar (350g) £4.00

Fruit and Vegetables
1x ASDA Smartprice Mixed Fruit (500g) 64p
1x ASDA Baby Spinach (180g) £1.00
1x ASDA Salad Tomatoes (750g) £1.40
20 ASDA Smartprice Apples by Weight (100g) £2.00
20 ASDA Bananas by Weight (100g) £1.36
15 ASDA Carrots by Weight (100g) £1.17
3 ASDA Courgettes by Weight (100g) 46.5p
10 ASDA Onions by Weight (100g) 70p
2x ASDA British King Edward Potatoes (2.5Kg) £2.00
7 ASDA Butternut Squash by Weight (100g) 67.9p
1x ASDA Celery 78p
2x ASDA Garlic Loose 52p
1x ASDA Smartprice Peppers (700g) £1.50
1x ASDA Spring Onions 67p
1x ASDA Sweet Potatoes (1Kg) £1.20
2x ASDA Mandarins (700g) £2.00 any 2 FOR £2.00
1x ASDA Fresh Tastes Crunchy Stir Fry (250g) 83.3p any 3 FOR £2.50

Meat, Fish and Poultry
1x ASDA Smartprice Smoked Salmon Trimmings (120g) 90p
1x Banham Poultry Chicken Drumsticks (1Kg) £2.98
1x ASDA Diced Pork (600g) £4.00
1x ASDA British Beef Steak Mince (900g) £3.60

Bakery
2x ASDA Plain Tortillas (10) £2.00

Ready Meals
1x ASDA Fresh Free Range Egg Noodles (410g) 83.3p any 3 FOR £2.50
1x ASDA Soy and Garlic Stir Fry Sauce (180ml) 83.3p any 3 FOR £2.50

Drinks
1x La Comida Red Wine (250ml) £1.47
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