Beef burger casserole

Well, I love a bargain - and yesterday it was bargains galore in the supermarket.  If you get there at the right time things which are out of date that day get their second discount... and this particular supermarket doesn't remove the 2 for £4 etc calculation - so you get even more money off - let me explain - 2 lots of 4 burgers at 2 for £4 reduced to £1.25 per pack.  They usually sell for £2.59 so you also get £1.18 extra back - which brings the pack price down to 66p ... chortle.  so, one pack for tea, one pack for the freezer - job's a goodun.  However, I did not fancy burger (per se) for tea, so chucked a load of stuff in a pan and called it casserole.  Most of the other stuff were fantastic bargains too, so it was a casserole dictated by bargains, rather than anything else.  Add the side of sweetcorn cost 2p using the same mechanism.

Served 5:  To cook:  45minutes cos I just bunged it in and left it.  Approx price per portion:  28p

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 chopped onion
4 Aberdeen angus burgers
1 pack runner beans, sliced
7 baby courgettes, chopped
1 tin tomatoes
1 pint chicken stock

Steamed rice
Sweetcorn

Method

Sautee onion in olive oil, when a bit soft add chopped up burgers and garlic.  Add veg (whatever you are using), stock and tomatoes - lid on, simmer or stick in medium oven for a while.  I was watching Corrie so it stayed in for half an hour (Tyrone should not be taking Kirsty back IMHO).  Meanwhile I had cooked rice and sweetcorn.  Yum.  Victim looked at it quizzically but did not complain - and the plate was cleared.

You've gotta love leftovers

Working from home, and on a tight deadline, so needed something quick.  Fortunately, despite some people's protestations, there is nearly always something in the fridge which will take minutes to whip up into something both tasty and healthy.  Today was no exception - our own eggs - left over veg from Sunday dinner - a spring onion - dah dah - garden omelette.

I calculated the price by (over)estimated amount used from  a standard supermarket packet.  What this reminds me is not that this was pricey - but the importance of not wasting leftovers etc.

Garden omelette, with a bit of salad

Serves 1:  Preparation time:  7 minutes.  Approx calories 399:  Approx price: £1.07 (if you had to buy the eggs, and the veg wasn't already costed into another meal - I think it's more like 35p)

1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 spring onion
Big handful of cooked green beans (or other veg)
Torn sections of mozzarella (optional, or use other cheese)
3 eggs
Seasoning
Lettuce and radishes

1. Toss spring onion into hottish olive oil and fry.
2.  After a minute or so add leftover green veg and flip about a bit.
3.  Tear in mozzorella
4.  Pour over whisked eggs.  Wait until the edge has cooked a little and pull into the middle, tip pan to allow uncooked egg to move to the edges.  Either continue like this until cooked, or stick under a hot grill for a minute or so.
5. Serve.  scoff.

Prawny stir fry with noodles

An interesting day all round.  Victim may have the opportunity of an adventure of a lifetime, but we can't say much yet.  A mate has had an amazing invite to an International trade thingymajig... but not allowed to say anything about that either!  There was a traffic jam on the way to the pool, so swimming training was stalled for the day (only 160 lengths this week.. smug grin).  Then, we were going to go out for dinner, but couldn't decide where to go - and came to the conclusion that it is usually quite disappointing, so opted for a nice spicy prawny treat  instead.  Victim didn't say much - but I think that is mostly down to me insisting on a Corrie overdose rather than a reaction to the dinner - cos it was all eaten.

So, prawny stir fry with noodles:-

Serves 2:  Takes:  about 20ish mins - start to finish - 10 mins cooking time: Approx calories per serving:  395  approx price per serving: £1.90

Ingredients (indicative, not exhaustive - use veg you have available, amounts approximate to say the least)

1 tbsp peanut oil
Vegetables: spring onions, orange pepper, carrot, courgette, mushrooms, green beans, radish, beansprouts
handful of prawns
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger puree
1 finely chopped chili
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp rice wine
2 "cakes" of dried noodles
pinch of sesame seeds

Method:

1. Chop veg, and mince garlic and ginger, finely chop chili.
2. Put water on for noodles, heat peanut oil in large frying pan/wok
3. When the oil is hot chuck all veg in and toss around a bit.  Add garlic, ginger, chili and toss around a bit more.
4. After a couple of minutes add tomato puree, soy sauce and a splash of rice wine - and about half a cup of water.
5. When noodle water boils chuck noodles into it - and chuck prawns into veg (if you are using frozen prawns thaw them out in boiling water first - boil kettle pour onto frozen prawns, swirl about, leave for 30 seconds or so, check they are soft - then chuck into veg).
6. Chuck veg about happily, and a minute or so later add beansprouts.
7. Drain noodles and add to stir fry.
8. Toss energetically, sprinkle on sesame seeds, and more soy sauce if you think it needs it.
9. Scoff

Chicken and mushroom stroganoff with cavolo nero

Day 3 of "training" for swimming the "channel" and I did my 40 lengths.  I am swimming the 22 miles of the channel - in a pool - between September and December to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society - see link to the right - and feel free to sponsor me.  (But more of that another time).  The victim, swimming with me, kept banging on about pie for dinner.  No, no, no ... there is no point swimming up and down just to reinsert the calories when you get out.  So, after the usual, spag bog, ricey stuff, pie requests we managed to land on stroganoff - which was good because a number of the ingredients were sitting in the fridge really needing to be used up.  Cavolo nero is just ready for harvesting in poly the tunnel, so I added that to mine.  Victim refuses anything quite so blatently green, so had some beetroot and radishes as a starter... go figure!  Anyway, there is too much cream to be really "diet", "low fat" etc, but I'm sure it's better than pie!

Chicken and mushroom stroganoff

Serves: 4.  Time: approx 30 minutes:  Calories:  approx 450 per portion  Cost:  approx £1.30 per portion

1/2 tbsp Olive oil
1 Onion
1 Leek
1 Celery stick
Garlic clove
2 skinless chicken breasts
Chicken stock (cube is fine)
About 12 Green beans
About 4 Runner beans
Some Mushrooms
Paprika & black pepper
100ml Half fat creme fraiche
100ml double cream
Chopped parsley

Tagliatelli - about 70g per portion

Method:

1. Chop and sautee in olive oil - leek, onion and celery.
2. Add bite sized pieces of chicken breast, turn over until edges are a bit coloured.
3. Add crushed garlic, and a cup of stock (add more if it looks like it's a bit dry).
4. Cook tagliatelli in salted boiling water.
5. Add chopped beans and mushrooms, and simmer until beg is soft and chicken is cooked, season with salt, pepper and paprika.
6. Just before pasta is al dente add creme fraiche and cream to chicken and vegetables.
7. Drain pasta and  mix into sauce.
8. Chuck in chopped parsley and sprinkling of paprika.
9. Scoff (with or without steamed cavolo nero (about 7 minutes steaming) or crunchy salad.

Thai chicken curry

A few days ago we had a trip to Rusholme to stock up on spices, and found a BIG bag of Thai curry paste.  So we had to try it.  Lovely.

So, tonight, I was going to make a veggie Thai curry,  but victim suggested prawn.  I didn't fancy prawns, so we ended up with chicken and assorted vegetables.  It was delicious.  Victim declared it too hot for me, and had some creme fraiche.  Wuss!  I could feel the heat, but scoffed the lot.

I have decided to try to be a tiny bit more official with recipes, separating out the ingredients and methods, let me know if you prefer this - or hate it!


Serves 4:  Approx 30 minutes prep time:  Approx: 395 calories per portion:  Approx:  £1.35 per portion


Ingredients:

1/2 tbsp peanut oil
2 skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp curry paste
1 crushed garlic clove
Vegetables eg. spring onions, orange pepper, small asian aubergine/courgette things, green beans, string beans, mushrooms, beansprouts
Tin coconut milk

Method:

1. Fry bite sized pieces of chicken breast in peanut oil for a few seconds.  Use a wok or decent sized shallow pan so that you can get everything in.
2. Add curry paste and garlic.
3. Add chopped vegetables, except beansprouts, turn over a few times and then add a cup of water.
4. Simmer for a bit, add coconut milk, simmer some more until vegetables are a bit soft and chicken is cooked through.
5. Stir in big handfuls of beansprouts and turn over in sauce for a minute 'til they are heated through.
6. Serve over thai jasmine rice.