Big flavours, on a budget
My boyfriend and I are moving in together soon, and it is super exciting! However, we don’t have loads of money. I am looking for work, and he is starting his job at the end of July/beginning of August. It got me thinking about food and how we can effectively budget, whilst eating well, and enjoying it. It is easy to opt for cheap freezer food, but I don’t find it makes me feel great, so having a backlog of recipes to rely on, that I know are cheap and nice to eat, is important to me when thinking about this next step. I got pretty good at this whilst I was at University, so to help us and hopefully some of you too, I thought I would consolidate some of the recipes I used frequently and actually looked forward to eating. I have written out the ingredients with their prices based on Aldi’s website.
Ricotta and Tomato Orzo (x4):
This is a new favourite of mine and is great for leftovers. Just add a splash of water and heat up in the microwave!
Ingredients:
Tomatoes- £0.85
Tomato passata- £0.55
Fresh basil- £0.52
Orzo (75g pp)- £0.79
Ricotta (or similar)- £1.39
Parmesan- £1.65
Stock- £0.69
Total- £6.44, £1.61 per person
Fry the tomatoes in a big pan/wok until blistering
Add the passata, some boiling water and a stock cube
Add in the orzo and stir regularly until the orzo is cooked
Add in the fresh basil and ricotta and stir well
Top with parmesan and dig in!
Fajitas (x4-6):
A staple when I was at university, and it never disappoints! Also great as leftovers.
Ingredients:
Chicken breast (x4)- £4.65
Spices- £0.59 (fajita seasoning or just use what you have)
Mixed herbs- £0.59
Peppers- £1.69 for 3
Whatever other veg you like/have in the fridge
Mango chunks- £2.19 (a bit fancy but I think it works so well!)
Lettuce (£0.89) or wraps (£0.99)
Total- £10.70, £2.67 per person
Fry off the diced chicken with herbs and spices
Add the veggies
Add the mango with a few minutes to go
Load up into lettuce boats or wraps
Halloumi and Mango Chutney curry (x4):
This was a fan favourite amongst my flatmates! So flavoursome!
Ingredients:
Mild Curry powder- £0.89
Green beans (150g)- £0.85
Mango Chutney (80g)- £1.39
Halloumi (500g)- £2.15
Passata- £0.55
Onion- £0.99
Rice- £1.79
Total- £8.61, £2.15 per person
Chop everything up, trimming off the ends of the beans
Cook the rice in a pan
Separately, fry off the beans and then put them aside
Fry the halloumi until golden and then put aside
Fry off the onions
Add curry powder and tomato puree
Add the halloumi and green beans back in
Pour in passata and mango chutney
Loosen with water if it is thick
Simmer and stir
Serve with rice
(No) Vodka Pasta (x4):
It is tempting to buy pasta and jars of pasta sauce, but this recipe is an alternative, and I think it is even more delicious.
Ingredients:
Tomato puree- £0.59
Double cream- £1.39
Pasta- £1.29
Parmesan- £1.65
Any veggies and herbs you have
Total- £4.92, £1.23 per person
Boil the pasta according to the packet instructions
In another pan, fry some chilli flakes (according to spice preference) in olive oil until fragrant
Add any veg you are using
Add the puree and mix well
Add in the cream (adjust quantities depending on whether you prefer it more tomato-y or more creamy)
Add in the cooked pasta and mix through until hot
Top with parmesan and enjoy!
If you try any of these recipes, let me know what you think. I hope to do more recipe blogs in the future, so keep an eye out! Thank you for reading.
