Aubergine and Potato Curry

Last week was cold, with rain and thunderstorms most days, and everyone felt grumpy and grim.  We needed comfort food to warm us up and lift our spirits.  I love this curry, it's quick and tasty, perfect for a rather chilly Spring weeknight and a great addition to your Meatfree Monday repertoire.

 Augergine and Potato Curry

For the rice: 

175g basmati or long grain white rice 

2 Tblsp sunflower oil 

1 onion, thinly sliced 

1 tsp cumin seeds 

½ cinnamon stick 

2 cloves 

2 cardamom pods 

For the curry: 

2 Tblsp oil 

2 Tblsp butter 

2 onions, diced 

3cm/1¼ inch fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated 

1½ tsp turmeric 

1½ tsp cumin seeds 

1 tsp black mustard seeds 

1 tsp chopped fresh green chilli (take out seeds and membranes for milder heat) 

2 large potatoes chopped into 1cm/½ inch dice 

2 large aubergines, chopped into 2cm/¾ inch dice 

3 Tblsp dried fenugreek (methi) 

Wash the rice until the water runs clear then cover with fresh water and set aside whilst you get the curry cooking. 

To make the curry, heat the oil and butter in a large lidded saucepan over a moderate heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add the ginger, turmeric, cumin, mustard seeds, chilli and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook for a couple of minutes until the spices are fragrant and then add the potato with ¼ cup/60ml water and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 5 – 10 minutes. Add a little more water if necessary. 

Once the potatoes are tender, add the aubergines to the pan with the methi and another ¼ cup/60ml of water. Cover with a lid and leave to steam for 10–15 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and cooked through. Remove from the heat and allow the flavour to develop whilst you cook the rice. 

Drain the rice thoroughly. Put a large lidded saucepan over a medium heat, add the oil and onion and cook for 5 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Stir in all the spices and cook for a minute until fragrant. Add the drained rice and 250ml/1 cup of water and simmer very gently, covered, for 10–12 minutes, or until the water has absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove the whole spices before serving the rice. 

Serve the curry with the rice, chapati or roti, and whatever other condiments and accompaniments you prefer.  

Leave a Comment Dinners, Gluten-free, Meatfree Monday, Rice, Vegetarian

Carrot Hummus

Hopefully the weather will start warming up and we can think about weekend picnics, and packed lunches for outings.  I've been experimenting with different dips and spread recipes recently to change up our usual picnic fare.  Carrots were very cheap recently, 1kg bags were 30p, and I had some miso that needed using up, so I thought why not add some to my usual hummus recipe for a delicious savoury flavour hit.

The dip is really tasty, and great for spreading thinly on flatbreads when making salad wraps.  I've even mixed some leftover dip with vegetable stock to make a quick cup of soup.  It's also rather tasty spread on a fresh white bread roll filled with lettuce and fish fingers.

Carrot Hummus 

500g carrots, thinly sliced (I don’t bother peeling them, just give them a good wash)
3 Tblsp oil
2 cloves garlic
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground ginger
2 Tblsp water
1 tsp salt
400g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 Tblsp miso paste or 1 Tblsp Marmite/Vegemite
1 Tblsp lemon juice
2 Tblsp water
dash of sesame oil

Put the carrots, oil, garlic, cumin, ginger, water and salt into a saucepan over a low/medium heat. Cook until the carrots are very soft, it usually takes around 20 - 30 minutes. Alternatively steam the carrots, etc in the microwave until very soft.  Once the carrots are soft, add the chickpeas and stir to combine, cook for another few minutes. in the chickpeas and heat through. 

Add the rest of the ingredients then either use a stick blender or pour the mixture into a food processor to blend the dip until smooth, adding a little more water if necessary to get the consistency that you prefer.  Serve with crackers and crudites.

2 comments Basics, Dairy free, Gluten-free, Live Below the Line., Lunches, Party, Vegan, Vegetarian

Middle Eastern Inspired Pilaf with Chickpeas

I'm constantly trying to create dishes that fill our tums for pennies and taste delicious.  There's always rice in our store cupboard, along with spices and dried fruit, so this scrumptious pilaf was easy for me to whip up one evening when the shopping delivery hadn't come due to bad weather.  I've made it a few times, and adjusted the spices to our tastes.  Now that it has been thoroughly tested and approved by my family of hungry taste testers, I can blog the recipe.  This Middle Eastern Inspired Pilaf has been a delicious, filling, and thrifty discovery which will feature on our Family Meal Plans in the future. 

Middle Eastern Inspired Pilaf with Chickpeas

2 Tblsp oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 pepper, deseeded and diced
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
4 whole cloves
6 peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks
300g uncooked long grain rice
400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
75g raisins
600ml vegetable stock
75g lightly roasted cashews, roughly chopped

Put the oil in a large saucepan over a medium high heat.  Cook the onion and pepper until softened.  Add the rice and spices and cook, stirring for a couple of minutes, to enable the spices to become fragrant and to coat the rice in the oil.  Add the chickpeas, raisins and vegetable stock.  Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender.  Stir through the cashews and then garnish with fresh mint.

Leave a Comment Basics, Dairy free, Dinners, Gluten-free, Live Below the Line., Meatfree Monday, Rice, Vegan

OUR FAMILY MEAL PLAN FOR WEEK OF 13/01/19 - £66

Our back to routine week last week didn't exactly go to plan.  Our 12yo was poorly all week, with what turned out to be flu, and I've got yet another cold.  Aside from more soups than planned, and some homemade Lemon, Honey and Ginger Drink we stuck to our Meal Plan fairly well.

Hopefully this week will be back to proper normal, and everyone will be well again.  We've a play date on Tuesday, as well as the usual evening/after school events so I've factored them all in to our Meal Plan for the week.

We're getting low on spices and stock cubes so I've added them to the list this week.  We've still got some plain and self raising flour in the cupboard so I'm not getting any this week.  I've added extra rice and some popping corn kernels so I can make rice pudding pots and popcorn for snacks.

Breakfasts will be cereal and hot milk or porridge, both with homemade fruit compote or sliced banana. Weekend breakfasts will be toast and pancakes.

Packed lunches will be 5 Ingredient Eggy Quinoa Cups twice, and Wholemeal Savoury Scone Swirls three times.  Packed lunches will include some Vegetable Crisps, a piece or two of fruit and a baked treat for afters.  Weekend Lunches will be soups from the freezer with homemade wholemeal bread rolls.  

Slow Cooker Bean Chilli

2 onions, peeled and finely diced
500g sweet potato, peeled and cut into roughly 2cm/¾in chunks
2 peppers, deseeded and finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 Tblsp sugar
200ml hot vegetable stock (made with 1 vegetable stock cube)
400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 x 390g tins red kidney beans in chilli sauce
400g tin mixed beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp mixed dried herbs

Put all the ingredients into a slow cooker. Stir well then cover with the lid and cook on high for 3–4 hours or low for 8–10 hours until the sauce has thickened and the sweet potato is tender.

Mixed Vegetable and Egg Fried Rice

Simple Chicken Casserole

2 Tblsp plain flour
1kg chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
2 Tblsp oil
2 onions, finely sliced
4 - 6 carrots, sliced into thick batons
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
500ml chicken stock

Preheat your oven to 160C/Gas Mark 3.  Season the flour with a little salt and pepper then coat the chicken thighs in the seasoned flour.  Heat the oil in a large, heavy based casserole dish over a high heat then brown the chicken thighs on all sides.  Add the vegetables, herbs, and enough stock to just cover everything.

Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and then put in the oven for one and a half to two hours until the chicken and vegetables are tender and soft.  We'll be serving ours with mashed potato and steamed greens.


Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Dumplings

500g sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
2 onions, thinly sliced
4 carrots, cut into chunks
3 parsnips, cut into chunks
2 Tblsp plain flour
400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 Tblsp tomato paste
350ml hot vegetable stock (made with 1 stock cube)

Dumplings:
200g self-raising flour
75g vegetarian suet (I used Trex)
125ml cold water

Put the prepared vegetables into the slow cooker. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and stock. Stir well then cook on high for 4 hours.

Make the dumplings. Put the flour in a large mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the suet and rub into the flour until combined. Stir in enough cold water to bring the mixture together as a soft, dough. Divide into 12 equally sized pieces and roll each into a ball.

Remove the lid from the slow-cooker then arrange the dumplings gently on top. Replace the lid and continue to cook on high for a further 25-30 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through. We’ll be serving ours with steamed greens.

Homemade Fish and Chips

Homemade Pizzas

Toad in the Hole

Shopping List

47 items: £66.04

Packets and Cereals

2x       ASDA Smartprice Wheat Bisks (24x18g)          £1.48

2x       ASDA Wholemeal Bread Flour (1.5Kg)          £1.38

1x       Silver Spoon Granulated Sugar (500g)          54p

2x       ASDA Smartprice Long Grain Rice (1Kg)          90p

1x       ASDA Quinoa (300g)          £1.14

1x       ASDA Great to Bake Golden Syrup (750g)          £1.34

1x       Tropical Sun Popcorn (500g)          79p

1x       ASDA Scottish Porridge Oats (1Kg)          89p

Frozen

2x       ASDA Frozen for Freshness Mixed Vegetables (1Kg)          £1.90

1x       Ibco Pangasius Fillets (800g)          £3.50

1x       ASDA Frozen for Freshness Berry Medley (1Kg)          £2.75

Tins, Jars and Cooking

2x       ASDA Smartprice Chopped Tomatoes in Tomato Juice (400g)          56p

1x       Rajah Haldi Ground Turmeric (100g)          67p

1x       Rajah Paprika (100g)          67p

1x       Rajah Jeera Ground Cumin (100g)          67p

1x       ASDA Smartprice Strawberry Jam (454g)          28p

1x       ASDA Double Concentrated Tomato Puree (200g)          37p

1x       East End Ground Coriander (100g)          £1.15

1x       ASDA Stock Cubes - Chicken (12x10g)          43p

1x       ASDA Stock Cubes - Vegetable (12x10g)          39p

1x       TRS Cinnamon Powder (100g)          65p

1x       TRS Garam Masala (100g)          65p

1x       Rajah Ground Ginger (100g)          75p

2x       ASDA Chilli Beans in Chilli Sauce (390g)          £1.30

1x       ASDA Mexican Style Bean Mix in Water (400g)          65p

Dairy and Eggs

2x       ASDA Semi Skimmed Milk 6 Pints (3.41L)          £2.96

1x       ASDA British Whole Milk 6 Pints (3.41L)          £1.48

1x       ASDA Free Range Mixed Weight Eggs (15)          £2.00

1x       ASDA Butter - Unsalted (250g)          £1.49

1x       Trex Vegetable Fat (250g)          85p

1x       ASDA Mature Cheddar Cheese - Light (750g)          £3.65

Fruit and Vegetables

25      ASDA Grower's Selection Bananas by Weight (200g)          £3.00

2x       ASDA Grower's Selection Carrots (1Kg)          £1.30

1x       ASDA Grower's Selection Beetroot Bunched (500g)          £1.60

1x       ASDA Grower's Selection Sweet Potatoes (1Kg)          £1.00

5x       ASDA Farm Stores Pears (500g)          £2.95

6x       ASDA Farm Stores Apples (500g)          £3.54

1x       ASDA Grower's Selection British Parsnips (500g)          54p

1x       ASDA Farm Stores Brown Onions (1Kg)          75p

1x       ASDA Farm Stores White Potatoes (2.5Kg)          £1.25

1x       ASDA Grower's Selection Cooking Peppers (700g)          £1.45

1x       ASDA Grower's Selection Sweetclems (1.2Kg)          £1.80

1x       ASDA Grower's Selection Black Seedless Grapes (400g)          £1.00

1x       ASDA Grower's Selection Seedless Red Grapes (400g)          £1.00

1x       ASDA Farm Stores White Mushrooms (250g)          54p

Meat, Fish and Poultry

1x       ASDA Butcher's Selection Chicken Thighs (1.1Kg)          £2.09

2x       ASDA Extra Special Pork Sausages (6 per pack - 400g)          £4.00

We purchased our groceries online from Asda, via My Supermarket on 12/01/2019 and out items cost £66.04. Had we shopped elsewhere our shopping list would've cost:

£76.59 from Tesco

£80.50 from Sainsbury's

£101.16 from Ocado

£102.58 from Waitrose

My lovely blogging buddy Ciara from My Fussy Eater has created a fab Meal Planning Facebook Group so we can inspire each other. She also has a book out which you can order here. 

And Katykicker has a Meal Planning Linky full of fabulous Meal Planning posts with lots of tasty ideas.

8 comments Bread, Chicken, Dairy free, Dinners, Fish, Gluten-free, Lunches, Meal Plan, Meatfree Monday, Vegan, Vegetarian

Spiced Chicken Traybake

I love low faff dinners that don't require much preparation, and pretty much cook themselves.  This chicken traybake is perfect for a busy weeknight, just prepare the vegetables and chicken in the morning, put them in the fridge, then into a preheated oven when you're ready to cook dinner.  You could use microwave pouches of rice, and cook the peas in the microwave too for extra speed and less fuss.

Spiced Chicken Traybake

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp garam masala

750g boneless and skinless chicken thigh fillets

3 large carrots, cut into quarters lengthwise then chopped into 2.5cm/inch lengths

1 pepper, deseeded and chopped into chunks

1 onion, peeled and cut into wedges

2 large handfuls frozen peas, defrosted in boiling water for a few minutes

1.5 cups rice

Chop the vegetables and put into a container in the fridge ready to cook later.  Mix the oil and spices together then pour over the chicken stir until evenly coated.  Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge all day, or just for half an hour or so whilst you have a well earned cuppa, and get the kids reading done or homework started before cooking dinner. 

Once you're ready to cook, preheat your oven to 200C.  Take the chicken out of the fridge, uncover it and stir through the prepared vegetables, except for the peas.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the carrot is tender and the chicken is cooked through. 

Meanwhile, cook the rice.  When the rice is cooked, drain the peas and stir them through the rice.  Serve alongside the cooked chicken and vegetables.  Garnish with some chopped spring onion or fresh coriander. 

   

1 comment Chicken, Dairy free, Dinners, Gluten-free

OUR FAMILY MEAL PLAN FOR WEEK OF 07/01/19 - £65

The week we're all properly back in routine, work and school as usual for everyone.  It makes Meal Planning easier, and there will be no children raiding the fridge and cupboards for random snacks throughout the day.

Breakfasts will be porridge or toast with fruit depending on the morning.  Weekend breakfasts will be pancakes and homemade crumpets or toasted teacakes.

Packed lunches will be Root Vegetable and Red Lentil Dhal and Butternut Squash and Lentil Curry alternated each day, served in flasks with homemade wholemeal bread rolls, a piece of fruit, and a baked treat for afters.

Weekend Lunches will be Twice Baked Potatoes, using already baked potatoes from the freezer, and Vegetable and Pearl Barley Soup with homemade bread rolls.

Dinners

Slow Cooker Black Eyed Bean Chilli

Pepper, Sausage and Gnocchi Traybake

4 peppers, any colour, deseeded and cut into chunks

2 onions, peeled and cut into eighths

300g cherry tomatoes

2 x 500g packs of gnocchi

2 Tblsp oil

12 pork sausages

Preheat your oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas Mark 6.

Toss together the peppers, onion, tomatoes, gnocchi and olive oil and spread out on to a large foil lined baking tray.

Put the sausages on top of the vegetables then put the tray into the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the sausages are cooked through, the gnocchi are golden, and the vegetables are tender. Serve with steamed greens or mixed vegetables.

Macaroni Cheese

Bacon and Egg Pie

One Pot Chicken Casserole

Slow Cooker Beef Keema

Keema Naan with Speedy Vegetable Curry

Shopping List

37 items: £65.12

Frozen

3x       ASDA Frozen for Freshness Mixed Vegetables (1Kg)          £2.85

1x       ASDA Frozen for Freshness Berry Medley (1Kg)          £2.75

Tins, Jars and Cooking

5x       ASDA Smartprice Chopped Tomatoes in Tomato Juice (400g)          £1.40

1x       ASDA Curry Paste - Balti (200g)          £1.19

2x       Napolina Lentils in Water (400g)          £1.70

Dairy and Eggs

2x       ASDA Semi Skimmed Milk 6 Pints (3.41L)          £2.96

1x       ASDA British Whole Milk 6 Pints (3.41L)          £1.48

1x       ASDA Free Range Mixed Weight Eggs (15)          £2.00

1x       ASDA Mature Cheddar Cheese - Light (750g)          £3.65

Packets and Cereals

2x       ASDA Wholemeal Bread Flour (1.5Kg)          £1.38

1x       ASDA Smartprice Long Grain Rice (1Kg)          45p

1x       ASDA Easy Bake Yeast (6 per pack - 42g)          52p

1x       ASDA Wholewheat Penne (500g)          45p

2x       Il Pastaio Potato Gnocchi (500g)          £1.30

1x       Cypressa Red Split Lentils (500g)          £1.15

1x       ASDA Good and Balanced Pearl Barley (500g)          55p

1x       ASDA Quinoa (300g)          £1.14

2x       ASDA Scottish Porridge Oats (1Kg)          £1.78

1x       ASDA Four Seed Mix (150g)          90p

1x       ASDA Ready to Roll Puff Pastry (500g)          £1.00

Fruit and Vegetables

20      ASDA Grower's Selection Bananas by Weight (200g)          £3.00

2x       ASDA Grower's Selection Carrots (1Kg)          £1.30

2        ASDA Grower's Selection Butternut Squash by Weight (1.3Kg)          £1.95

1x       ASDA Grower's Selection Celery          52p

2x       ASDA Grower's Selection Sweet Potatoes (1Kg)          £2.00

4x       ASDA Farm Stores Pears (500g)          £2.36

4x       ASDA Farm Stores Apples (500g)          £2.36

3x       ASDA Chosen by Kids Easy Peasy Peelers (500g)          £2.37

2x       ASDA Grower's Selection Swede          £1.00

2x       ASDA Farm Stores Brown Onions (1Kg)          £1.50

1x       ASDA Farm Stores White Potatoes (2.5Kg)          £1.25

1x       ASDA Grower's Selection Cherry Tomatoes (325g)          75p

2x       ASDA Grower's Selection Cooking Peppers (700g)          £2.90

Meat, Fish and Poultry

1x       ASDA Butcher's Selection Chicken Thighs (1.1Kg)          £2.09

2x       ASDA Extra Special Pork Sausages (6 per pack - 400g)          £4.00

1x       ASDA Butcher's Selection Beef Mince - 12% Fat (1Kg)          £4.50

1x       ASDA Farm Stores Cooking Bacon (600g)          67p

We purchased our groceries online from Asda, via My Supermarket on 05/01/2019 and out items cost £65.12.  Had we shopped elsewhere our shopping list would've cost:

£71.10 from Tesco

£82.59 from Sainsbury's

£88.30 from Ocado

£90.87 from Waitrose

My lovely blogging buddy Ciara from My Fussy Eater has created a fab Meal Planning Facebook Group so we can inspire each other. She also has a book out which you can order here. 

And Katykicker has a Meal Planning Linky full of fabulous Meal Planning posts with lots of tasty ideas.

5 comments Beef, Chicken, Dairy free, Dinners, Gluten-free, Lunches, Meal Plan, Meatfree Monday, Pasta, Slow Cooker, Vegan, Vegetarian

Broccoli and Potato Soup

Another soup recipe using cheap and free vegetables from our local supermarket. Broccoli was discounted to 20p per head for Christmas, and we were able to get 3 bags of free potatoes from the same supermarket which they were giving away to cut food waste. I've used both the florets and stalks from the broccoli so nothing is wasted.  We also made Vegetable Peelings Crisps from the potato peelings, and the carrot and parsnip peelings from Boxing Day.  I made two delicious batches of this soup, one for lunch today, and the other has been packed up and frozen. 

Broccoli and Potato Soup 

1 Tblsp oil 

1 onion, diced 

3 garlic cloves, minced 

1 tsp dried mixed herbs 

3 large potatoes, peeled and diced 

2 heads of broccoli, florets removed and chopped, stems finely chopped 

1 litre vegetable stock 

salt and pepper to taste 

Heat the oil in a large saucepan then add the onion. Cook until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes. 

Add the dried mixed herbs, potatoes, diced broccoli stems, and stock, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for about 15 minutes until potatoes and stems are tender. 

Add broccoli florets and cook until broccoli is tender and bright green, about 10 minutes. Puree using a stick/immersion blender then season to taste and serve. 

Leave a Comment Basics, Dairy free, Gluten-free, Live Below the Line., Lunches, Meatfree Monday, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian

Spiced Parsnip and Carrot Soup

On Boxing Day we took a walk to get some fresh air. After a wander on the local common I received a text from a friend telling me that a local supermarket was giving away bags of Christmas vegetables. It was about 10 minutes walk away so we checked it out. Sure enough, huge crates and trolleys full of bags of parsnips, carrots, sprouts and potatoes with a use by date of today.

We took home 3 bags of potatoes, 3 bags of carrots, and 2 bags of parsnips. I'm sure hauling the extra weight home helped burn off some Christmas calories I baked one bag of potatoes so that we can have Twice Baked Potatoes for quick lunches or dinners once the holiday are over. The second bag was peeled, chopped and par boiled then roughed up sprayed with a little oil and cooked for 15 minutes. I then let the potatoes cool and packed them up for freezing. We've now got ready frozen roasties for the next couple of weeks. 

I made two batches of this delicious soup with the parsnips and some carrots. One batch of soup for lunch today, and one for the freezer. 

Spiced Parsnip and Carrot Soup 

2 tsp oil 

1 onion, sliced 

2 garlic cloves, sliced 

2cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 

4 large parsnips, peeled and chopped 

3 large carrots, peeled and chopped

½ tsp cumin seed 

½ tsp coriander seed 

1 Tblsp garam masala 

1.2L vegetable stock 

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and ginger, cook for a couple of minutes then add the parsnips, carrots, and spices. Cook for a minute or two, stirring, until the spices are fragrant. Pour over the stock and gently simmer for 20 - 30 minutes until the vegetables are very tender. Using a stick/immersion blender, blitz the soup until completely smooth. Serve immediately or chill then pack into containers for freezing. This soup can be frozen for up to 3 months.

1 comment Basics, Dairy free, Dinners, Gluten-free, Live Below the Line., Lunches, Meatfree Monday, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian

OUR FAMILY MEAL PLAN FOR WEEK OF 24/09/18 - £45

We're still in super frugal mode this week leading up to payday. Hopefully things with our tax credits will be sorted out soon so our meal plans can be slightly more adventurous and varied again.  I'm trying to get our groceries as cheaply as I can this week whilst still having tasty, filling and nutritionally sound meals.

Breakfasts will be porridge with foraged blackberries from the freezer, there's leftover plum and apple compote from last week that we can use too.

Lunches will either be egg and mayo/homemade hummus, with grated carrot and sliced cucumber.  There will be a piece of fruit and baked treat for afters.  Weekend lunches will be Twice Baked Potatoes and End of the Week Frittata.

Snacks will be popcorn, scones, and a cup of soup with a homemade bread roll.  I've made two batches of Tomato Soup and Basic Vegetable Soup and frozen them in portions for after school snacks.

Dinners

Slow Cooker Red Lentil Bolognese, with pasta one night and on baked potatoes later in week

Slow Cooker Hoppin' John with rice and steamed greens

Pearl Barley Risotto (two nights)

Slow Cooker Black Eye Bean Chilli with rice and mixed vegetables

2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chilli powder (use more or less to taste)
200g black eyed beans
1 bay leaf
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tblsp marmite/vegemite
1 Tblsp tomatoe paste
400g tin chopped tomatoes
500ml water

Put all the ingredients in your slow cooker, stir well to combine.  Cook on low for 8 hours.  We serve ours with a dollop of natural yoghurt or soured cream, cooked rice, and mixed vegetables.

Vegetable Stew with Dumplings

Shopping List

33 items: £45.27

Packets and Cereals

2x     ASDA Smartprice Porridge Oats (1Kg)         £1.50

1x     ASDA Wholewheat Spaghetti (500g)         45p

2x     ASDA Wholemeal Bread Flour (1.5Kg)         £1.38

1x     ASDA Smartprice Plain White Flour (1.5Kg)         45p

1x     ASDA Smartprice Long Grain Rice (1Kg)         45p

1x     TRS Black Eye Beans (500g)         £1.19

1x     ASDA Baking Powder (170g)         69p

1x     ASDA Good and Balanced Chickpeas (500g)         £1.15

1x     ASDA Good and Balanced Pearl Barley (500g)         55p

1x     ASDA Dried Red Lentils (500g)         £1.15

Frozen

2x     ASDA Frozen for Freshness Mixed Vegetables (1Kg)         £1.90

Tins, Jars and Cooking

4x     ASDA Smartprice Chopped Tomatoes in Tomato Juice (400g)         £1.16

1x     ASDA Smartprice Mayonnaise (500g)         41p

1x     ASDA Double Concentrated Tomato Puree (200g)         37p

Dairy and Eggs

3x     ASDA British Whole Milk 6 Pints (3.41L)         £4.44

1x     ASDA Free Range Mixed Weight Eggs (15)         £2.00

1x     ASDA Smartprice Mature White Cheddar (830g)         £3.69

Meat, Fish and Poultry

2x     ASDA Farm Stores Cooking Bacon (500g)         £1.14

Fruit and Vegetables

20     ASDA Grower's Selection Bananas by Weight (200g)         £3.00

2x     ASDA Grower's Selection Carrots (1Kg)         £1.30

3x     ASDA Grower's Selection Whole Cucumber         £1.65

1x     ASDA Grower's Selection Celery         52p

1x     ASDA Grower's Selection Trimmed Leeks (500g)         £1.00

1x     ASDA Grower's Selection Garlic (3)         50p

1x     ASDA Grower's Selection Sweet Potatoes (1Kg)         £1.00

2x     ASDA Grower's Selection Apples (1.2Kg)         £3.30

2x     ASDA Grower's Selection Pears (1.2Kg)         £3.30

1x     ASDA Grower's Selection British Parsnips (500g)         65p

2x     ASDA Grower's Selection Swede         £1.00

1x     ASDA Farm Stores Brown Onions (1Kg)         65p

1x     ASDA Farm Stores White Potatoes (2.5Kg)         £1.30

1x     ASDA Farm Stores White Mushrooms (300g)         68p

1x     ASDA Grower's Selection Cooking Peppers (700g)         £1.35

We purchased our shopping online from Asda, via My Supermarket and the cost of our groceries was £45.27. Had we shopped elsewhere our shopping list would've cost:

£46.51 from Tesco

£52.55 from Sainsburys

£60.45 from Waitrose

£65.85 from Ocado

My lovely blogging buddy Ciara from My Fussy Eater has created a fab Meal Planning Facebook Group so we can inspire each other. She also has a book out which you can order here. 

And Katykicker has a Meal Planning Linky full of fabulous Meal Planning posts with lots of tasty ideas.

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Pumpkin Spice Granola

It's now autumn and there's a proper crispness to the air, the leaves are starting to turn, and it's officially time for everything pumpkin spice. I'll share my pumpkin spice mix recipe later this week,  which I add to coffees and hot chocolates, but for now you'll have to make do with this Pumpkin Spice Granola. 

I had some roast butternut squash/pumpkin leftovers and pureed them thinking I would use it in baking, but I was due to make a batch of granola and thought why not add the puree along with some syrup/sugar and oil to make a kind of sweet pumpkin pie flavour granola?

I quick look on Pinterest told me that this idea had definitely been tried before so I took a look at several different methods and recipes before I experimented with a few small batches, and finally came up with our version.

This recipe makes enough for our family of 6 to have it for breakfast for 5 days. If you have 1/3 cup servings then it makes about 27 of them. We usually have the granola with milk or yoghurt. Depending on how much time we have in the morning I sometimes make the granola into parfaits with fresh/tinned fruit or homemade fruit compote and yoghurt. 

Pumpkin Spice Granola

575g/6 cups rolled oats (can use gluten free oats, if necessary)

110g/1 cup whole or roughly chopped almonds 

100g/1 cup mixed seeds 

250ml/1 cup pumpkin puree 

250ml/1 cup oil 

250ml/1 cup golden/maple syrup 

1 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp ground mixed spice 

1 cup dried cranberries or raisins/sultanas 

Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F/Gas Mark4. Line one or two oven trays with non stick baking paper or foil. Mix the oats and seeds together. Whisk the pumpkin puree, oil, syrup and spices together until completely combined. 

Pour the lovely spiced syrup over the oats, nuts and seeds then stir until evenly coated. Spread the granola mixture in a thin layer over your lined tray/s and bake for 15 minutes in your preheated oven.  

Take the trays out of the oven, give everything a good stir, spread the granoa into a thin layer and bake for a further 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. The granola will crisp up as it cools. Mix through the dried fruit once the granola has cooled completely. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

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