cooking recommendations?

ronano

I'm moving out and i have a food budget of 120 euro for one person a month and a freezer. Any recommendations for cheap,decent food recipes for the month,the only thing i dislike is onion

any help would be appreciated

tphelan

Peposo - a peppery long slow cooked beef. Cheap cuts of beef work well - ask butcher for single piece shin of beef [€5 a pound] - cut into half inch steaks. Layer up steaks with LOTS of black pepper, salt, garlic, rosemary [easily grown] and bay leaf. Cover in wine or water, bring to the boil and then into over @ 140 for ~ 6-8 hours. serve with crispy bread, fantastic.

Braised Pig knuckle - very cheap piece of meat - about €1.50 per knuckle and you can get meat for 2 out of one knuckle. Recipe here http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/beer-braised_pork_92137

Pork belly - very tasty and cheap cut of meat also

enda1

Don't waste food.

Sounds simple, but is the biggest money saver.

Staples such as potatoes, rice and to a lesser extent pasta are reliable and cheap.

unkel

enda1 wrote: »

Don't waste food.

Sounds simple, but is the biggest money saver.

+1

Organisation & planning saves a lot more than you think

Another big saver: buy bargains and freeze them!

the beer revolu

Pork Belly.
Pork hocks.
Chicken legs.
Whole chickens.
Shin beef.
Mince beef.
Mince pork.

Potatoes in large bags.
Rice in large bags (from Asian shops).

Look for deals, make meals and freeze.
Eg, carrots are cheap: make soup and freeze.

Look out for special offers in supermarkets on beef and lamb.

Buy in bulk - for example soy sauce is a fraction of the price if you buy a 75cl bottle.
Dried beans are cheap.
Shop carefully and buy as much as you can in bulk but, as said, don't waste food - it aint cheap if ends up up in the bin.

bmarley

baked beans:)

ronano

thanks all

some great odiea and tips

psycho-hope

buy a cheap slowcooker when you can afford it argos have this one for 14.99
http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/4228613/c_1/1|category_root|Kitchen+and+laundry|14418476/c_2/3|23716472|Small+kitchen+appliances|14418587/c_3/4|cat_14418587|Slow+cookers+and+ovens|14418592.htm

loads of freezer bags/freezer safe containers and cook in bulk, have a mooch thru some online receipe sites and pick out stuff that you can make and freeze,last thing I know its not receipe related but tesco cook range of knives etc is good for someone starting out its in black and red pacakaging and at the mo has some 3 for 2 offers

2 of my fav sites, first is handy cause you can search by what you have in the fridge/press
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipes/recipe-search.aspx
good old delia( if you can get your hands on a copy of her complete cookery course second hand it has loads of tips for using cheaper meats etc
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes

sorry for the long post:o

Wurly

psycho-hope wrote: »

loads of freezer bags/freezer safe containers and cook in bulk

+1. Cannot recommend this enough. It's amazing how much you save by cooking in bulk and freezing.

And it means you'll eat healthier too. Those nights when you're not in the mood to cook, its comforting knowing there's always dinner in the freezer.

ronano

thanks all

im getting a freezer in so i can cook and freeze batchs

nesbitt

+1 to all replies.

Plan you food/meals for say 1 week or a few days ahead. Then make a shopping list and stick to it. When buying for one person, sometimes loose veg/fruit can be better value simply because you may not get through the value bags of fruit and veg. It is better to buy less and use it up quickly and thus avoid food uneaten and gone off after a few days etc.

Have a list of quick and easy meals that you can get on the table fast for when you are tired and hungry. Even if it is good old beans on toast, pasta with chopped ham type of meal from your store cupboard/fridge. If you have a day in the week where you have plenty of time to cook, make up meals for one and label well for your freezer. Get into the routine habit of defrosting by leaving your freezer meal in the fridge overnight so you have it to cook/reheat thoroughly, when you get home. Otherwise the take-away will beckon and you will completely blow your food budget before the end of the month.

spaceylou

+1 to all the suggestions already given.

My food budget is smaller than yours and I haven't starved yet so with a little planning you'll be fine! Having a freezer will definately help.

Try and find some non-meat recipies you enjoy. I find meat really expensive, probably because I used to be veggie, so I only have it maybe 2 or 3 days a week and the rest of the time I get my protein from other sources. Also don't be afraid of 'strange' cuts of meat or offal that are often quite cheap in the butchers - they are often packed with nutrients and it goes back to the whole - do not waste food. As a nation we waste a crazy amount of the animals we eat because we only want the 'nice' cuts. Same for veg, there is nothing wrong with the slightly twisty carrots that are in the 'value' pack or the not so beautiful looking potatoes etc.

www.lovefoodhatewaste.(either .com or .co.uk) is a great site with loads of suggestions for using leftovers/storage/getting the most from your food and so on.

UrbanSea

Cooking in bulk definitely and freeze it. Lasagne or curry or stew is always good.You can even use vegetarian versions of them if you're a bit low on money and have some vegetables in the cupboard.

brick tamland

Most Supermarket will sell meats for half price a day or so before the best before date. stock up on these and bang them in your freezer and take them out as needed.