Cooking on a budget

slothmeister · 19 Nov 2009 at 20:16

Hi guys, just moved into a new place and really getting into cooking. Rather than cook the same old boring lasagna, spaghetti, chilli, curry concoctions i usually do i'm looking to branch out.

However i am on quite a tight budget, does anyone know of any good books to get me started. I've got a jamie oliver's ministry of food book already, but some of the recipes are a tad too expensive.

Thanks very much.

[FnG]magnolia · 19 Nov 2009 at 20:17

Try charity shops for cook books, they often turn up and will obviously be cheaper.

www.bbc.co.uk/food is a fantastic resource and even though we have probably 20 cook books at home, I tend to use this more than the books.

_dogma_ · 19 Nov 2009 at 20:21

There's one that I bought recently by GoodFood (? magazine?) called Budget Cooking, it was £3 in Asda and has some really nice recipies in it. Most of them have the ingredients measured for 4 people but you can easily change them or make a batch and freeze it.

Stuff · 19 Nov 2009 at 20:24

Beans/Cheese and onion on toast with Worcester sauce.

OM NOM NOM.

mangobreeder · 19 Nov 2009 at 20:37

smoked haddock and mash

put the haddock in a shallow oven proof dish, cover with milk, and gas mark 5 for 25 mins
server with mash

quick and cheap

Voltar · 19 Nov 2009 at 21:13

Learn to make sauces well, as pasta is cheap.

Soup is super cheap; so learn to make these as vegetables are damn cheap.

I can post some recipes if you like

yermum · 19 Nov 2009 at 21:46

I also use the BBC Good Food web site as they too have great, simple recipes, especially vegetarian options if you're looking for cheap dishes.

gumbald · 19 Nov 2009 at 21:51

[FnG]magnolia;15353876 said:
Try charity shops for cook books, they often turn up and will obviously be cheaper.

I think he's looking for cheap recipes (as in the food cost) rather than cheap recipe books.

Lostkat · 19 Nov 2009 at 22:04

Another fan of the Good Food website here

I have a huge folder full of recipes from there, which I've printed and tested. They also do a really good range of little cook books, which are £3-4 each. You can get them on Amazon.

I'd recommend '101 Cheap Eats' & '101 One Pot Dishes' (you can make a batch and freeze it)

nin9abadga · 19 Nov 2009 at 22:15

Lostkat said:
I'd recommend '101 Cheap Eats' & '101 One Pot Dishes' (you can make a batch and freeze it)

i've got that 101 cheap eats book, my mum gave it to me a while ago but it's really opened my eyes to beans (tinned ones - cannellini, haricot etc) and chick peas! i'd never really used them before but i've made a couple of things from the book and i've been surprised at how good they were (once I'd adapted them of course

).

jp_bl_68 · 19 Nov 2009 at 22:20

I made potage crecy (carrot soup) tonight. I use 1lb carrots diced, 1 onion diced, a pinch of salt, a large pinch of black pepper and 1 chicken stock cube dissolved in 2 1/2 pints of water. Soften the veg in a large knob of butter (you could use oil) then add the seasoning and stock, let it boil uncovered for about an hour then blend. It's simple, cheap and surprisingly tasty. With bread it should serve 3 quite comfortably.

Cybermyk · 19 Nov 2009 at 22:28

Chicken wings are cheap, £1.60 or so for a pack of 8-10. Sprinkle some cajun spices and a little salt on them an cook under the grill. I like mine with noodles and mushrooms.

Herring are great cooked for a few minutes a side under the grill. Last time I got any they were £1 each. I had some trout tonight that cost £2 each and just baked them in foil for half an hour with bok choy, leeks and salt and pepper.

rotters · 19 Nov 2009 at 22:43

pork belly pork belly pork belly oh just once more PORK BELLY! cheap but fantastic, also go for other unusual cuts of meat and slow cook them, usually more flavour and just lovely!

moremoney · 19 Nov 2009 at 22:48

Frozen chicken breast from icelands.

Plus lots of rice.

Make or buy sauces, gives you a meal every other night, and you don't get too bored with it.

Kezmo · 19 Nov 2009 at 22:48

Buy a Wok , great for stir frys and pasta stuff.

RobPot · 19 Nov 2009 at 22:50

You have the internet, why do you need a cookery book?

Lostkat · 19 Nov 2009 at 22:53

Chicken thighs/drumsticks are also a lot cheaper than chicken breast and much tastier too

jp_bl_68 · 19 Nov 2009 at 22:53

Other than BBC Food I'd recommend Delia's Cookery Course (it's something like that). It should teach you everything you need to know to get started.

Andelusion · 19 Nov 2009 at 22:55

Pies.

Pies can be made cheaply with inexpensive cuts of meat, they can also be frozen and kept for a while, you can also chuck booze in if you want, steak and ale pie! Nom nom.

I get around · 19 Nov 2009 at 22:59

Get yourself a good quality cookbook, with all the classics in it and all the techniques, build up an arsenal of recipes, alterations etc. My cookbook is completely awash with bits of paper taped in and adjustments scribbled in biro.
The key to it all is experimentation, make your own recipes, try them, see what happens, you need a decent understanding of cooking and flavour to do this though.

Thats what I do.

Best way to skimp down is to not waste anything as well.
Instead of buying seperate parts of a chicken, buy a whole one, butcher it yourself (very easy), and then freeze the seperate components. After this boil the carcass for stock and freeze this in bags.

Thats zero waste right there, you've extracted everything from that chicken.

And never underestimate the power of a black pudding sarnie, I never get sick of them.