Budget meals using ingredients you already have
As we check our receipts at the checkout, it really looks like this cost of living crisis is going away no time soon. The food shop bill is really starting to soar.
The luxury of strolling around the supermarket, mindlessly adding items to the trolley is no longer an option. The only way to curb the spending in my opinion is by meal planning.
Another great tip is to check your supplies before hitting the shops, know exactly what you have already in the freezer and food cupboard and work your meal plan around that first.
I asked my social media followers, “What uninspiring items do you have in the back of the freezer or store cupboard that are just screaming to be used up?” Why not put those items on the weekly meal plan first and start cooking what we have before we stock up on even more?
The most common items that came back to me were turkey mince, tinned lentils, chicken thighs, tinned butter beans and tinned tuna.
So, I sprinkled a little culinary magic and created delicious recipes using these very items. With prices set to continue rising, let’s try to ease the squeeze of the “big food shop” and make the most of what we have already.
Spiced lentil crispy tortilla wraps
Ingredients
- 1 large wrap of choice
- 1 small wrap of choice
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 white onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 can of lentils drained and rinsed
- ½ red pepper diced
- ½ green pepper diced
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
- 100 g cheddar and mozzarella mixed
- 1 egg yoke
Instructions
- In a little rapeseed oil fry the onion and garlic
- Add the drained rinsed lentils and fry for a minute
- Season and add the red and green pepper
- Sprinkle over your spices and oregano and give a good mix
- Add the tomato puree and give a final mix
- Get your large wrap and add the filling
- Finish with a sprinkle of cheddar and mozzarella
- Place the smaller wrap on top and brush the edges with egg yolk this will act like a glue and hold both wraps together
- Add a little rapeseed oil to a clean non-stick frying pan
- Place the wrap onto the pan egg side down to seal it, and cook for around 2 mins each side until the wraps are crispy and golden
Tuna and pasta melt
Ingredients
- 400 g pasta shells
- 1 head of broccoli
- 320 g tins of tuna 2x 160g tins
- 1 white onion diced
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 100 g frozen sweetcorn
- 1 red pepper
- 1 chicken stock pot
- 2 tbsp crème fraiche or cream cheese
- 60 g cream crackers crushed
- 1 tbsp butter melted
- 200 g mature cheddar
- 1 handful of fresh snipped chives
Instructions
- Cut the broccoli into florets and boil it with the pasta in salted water until the pasta is cooked
- In a separate oven-proof, heavy-based saucepan fry the onion and garlic until soft and golden
- Add the diced red pepper and corn and season with a little salt and pepper
- Drain the tuna and add it to the saucepan and mix
- Add the stock pot and let it dissolve with the heat of the pan
- When the pasta is cooked add a little pasta water to the pan to loosen the mix
- Drain the pasta shells and broccoli and add them to the saucepan with the tuna mix
- Add a good dollop of creme fraiche (or cream cheese)
- Sprinkle the crushed crackers and grated cheddar on top and drizzle with the melted butter
- Place under the grill until bubbling and golden
