fit as a
fiddle
Cooking on a budget
Introduction
The success of A Recipe for Healthy Living showed us that
there was a demand for easy, nutritious menus that you
can cook yourself with very little fuss and on a budget.
We revealed the secret of how to cook healthy chips and
tips on making sure that you get your ‘five a day’, and to
date 21,000 copies have been enjoyed across the country.
Now, Cooking on a Budget offers more recipes that you
will find simple to follow.
Whether cooking for yourself or for others, food prices are rising
and ideas to help reduce the weekly shopping bills are always
useful. Cooking on a Budget gives recipe ideas using ingredients
that you may already have in the cupboard or that are cheap to
buy. The dishes in this book can be frozen to save energy and time.
It is not always cheaper to buy cut-price ready meals. If you use
a shopping list, buy things on special offer, buy groceries that you
can store or freeze and only buy the fresh ingredients that you
are going to need – it will ensure that you can still eat healthily
on a tight budget.
This book’s companion volume, Cooking for One, offers simple
recipes for single portions. Living alone after cooking for a family
for many years can be daunting. You may wonder whether it
is worth preparing vegetables or turning on the oven for a small
amount of food. Because of this, you may either become less
interested in eating and start to lose weight, or fill up on cakes
and junk food and put on too much weight. Either way, your
health will suffer. This book gives ideas of meals that are quick,
use just one hob or can be frozen in portions, making it easier
to cook properly for one.
Salt-free seasoning
Try this tasty alternative to salt, you’ll be
surprised you won’t even notice the difference.
Salt-free seasoning
Ingredients
Choose at least three
of the following.
5 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp sweet paprika
The ability to taste can reduce with age and adding
salt to cooked food at the table may become a habit.
Too much salt causes the kidneys to overwork and
may raise blood pressure, so this is a tasty replacement
to put in your salt shaker.
Method
2 tsp dry mustard powder
Combine the ingredients and mix well.
1 tsp dried thyme
Spoon into a shaker with large holes or store in a container
and use a teaspoon or a pinch of seasoning at a time.
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Tasty tomato soup
This recipe provides a nutritious soup that is cheap and
can be frozen in portions or kept in the fridge for up to
48 hours. It can be served hot or cold, so will warm you
up on a winter’s day or provide a refreshing Gazpacho
(cold, Spanish-style tomato soup) in summertime.
Tasty tomato soup
Preparation time
10 minutes
Cooking time
10 minutes (add 5
minutes to heat soup)
Serves 4
Ingredients
500g/1lb ripe tomatoes
10cm/4 inches chopped,
peeled cucumber
3 chopped spring onions
½ a chopped pepper
(any colour combination
is fine)
2 peeled and chopped
cloves of garlic
(or ½ tsp garlic paste)
1 tsp fresh or dried
mixed herbs, including
thyme and basil
300ml/½ pint cold water
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine or
balsamic vinegar (optional)
Tomato purée to taste
Ground black pepper
to taste
Buy cut-price, overripe tomatoes, cucumber and peppers
from the supermarket, local fruit and vegetable shop or
market stall.
Tomatoes are a good source of vitamin C, which supports
immunity, provides anti-oxidants and promotes healthy
cell growth. Tomatoes contain many other vitamins and
minerals, including iron and vitamin A, as well as lycopene,
which supports prostate gland health in men.
Method
Boil a kettle, take a sharp knife and score the tomatoes
across and round. Place them in a large bowl and immerse
them in the boiling water for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the other vegetables.
Skin the tomatoes and chop them. Discard the seeds,
if preferred.
Put all the ingredients, apart from the purée and black
pepper, in a clean, large bowl and mix. Either use a hand
blender or a jug liquidiser to blend the ingredients into
a smooth liquid. Add tomato purée to improve the colour,
if desired.
Divide into 4 portions and store or serve as suggested.
If serving hot, stir in a pan on a gentle heat for 5 minutes.
If you need to gain weight, you can add cream to the dish.
Add ground black pepper to taste.
Garnish with a cucumber and red pepper slices.
Leek and potato soup
This soup is always a favourite,
and is quick and easy to make.
Leek and potato soup
Preparation time
10 minutes
Cooking time
30 minutes
Makes 2 large portions
Ingredients
1 medium leek, washed
and thinly sliced
225g/½lb finely grated
(or chopped) potatoes
300ml/½ pint vegetable
or chicken stock
300ml/½ pint milk, which
makes the soup creamier
(for dairy-free soup, make
600ml/1 pint stock)
A splash of olive oil or a
knob of butter/margarine
Pepper to taste
Potatoes are cheap and provide the body with vitamin C
and fibre. For this recipe, it is fine to use potatoes that have
gone a little soft in the cupboard.
Leeks are a tasty alternative to onions and are cheap to
buy. They are a good source of B vitamins, which support
the nervous system and the formation of new blood cells.
This recipe makes two generous portions so one can be
saved for the next day if you are cooking for one, or you
could invite a friend for lunch.
Method
Heat the oil or butter/margarine in a medium-sized
saucepan.
Add the chopped leeks and stir until the leeks start to wilt.
Add 300ml of stock and stir.
Add the potatoes to the pan and stir until simmering.
Add milk, or the rest of the stock, and a pinch of black
pepper to taste.
Simmer for 20–25 minutes.
Cool slightly and serve with granary bread.
Macaroni and broccoli bake
David from the ‘Tuesday Club’ in
Cambridgeshire likes cooking and trying new
recipes and wants others to enjoy this dish.
Macaroni and broccoli bake
Preparation time
10 minutes
Cooking time
30–35 minutes
Serves 2–3
Ingredients
225g/9oz dried macaroni
25g/1oz butter
or low fat margarine
25g/1oz plain flour
300ml/½ pint
semi-skimmed milk
35g/1½oz grated,
mature cheddar cheese
175g/7oz broccoli
2 tomatoes
Optional: 2 slices of lean
back bacon or a chicken
breast fillet cut into strips
Cooking from scratch means that you can make a healthy
version of this dish using low-fat ingredients and not adding
salt. If you need to put on weight, and do not need to cut
out saturated fat, you could use full-fat dairy products.
Macaroni is a slow-release carbohydrate, so as well as
being cheap and filling, it also keeps blood-sugar levels
stable. Cheese and milk contain calcium for healthy bones.
With mature cheddar cheese, a small amount still gives
a good flavour. Broccoli is a super-food, full of vitamins
and minerals, and one of your five a day. Bacon, which
is an optional addition, is fatty and salty, so for a healthier
alternative, substitute chicken breast.
Method
Boil the macaroni in water for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make a sauce by melting the butter/margarine
in a saucepan, stirring in the flour. When it is smooth,
gradually add the milk, stirring continuously until you have
a sauce that is smooth and thick.
Take off the heat and mix in half the grated cheese.
Stir the sauce into the cooked macaroni.
Steam or boil the broccoli for about 10 minutes until the
stalks are soft.
At the same time, grill the halved tomatoes (with the
bacon or chicken strips if required) for 8–10 minutes until
cooked through. Cut the bacon into pieces when cooked.
Put the macaroni cheese into an ovenproof dish. Add the
bacon/chicken, tomatoes and broccoli and top with the rest
of the cheese.
Grill for a few moments until the cheese is bubbling.
Serve with a green salad.
Cottage pie with lentils
This recipe uses a small amount of meat, which is partnered
with lentils. Lentils are a good alternative source of protein
and are cheaper and lower in saturated fat than meat.
Cottage pie with lentils
Preparation time
10 minutes
Cooking time
65 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
110g/4oz lean
minced beef
2 finely chopped onions
The four portions can be divided into individual dishes
and extra portions can be frozen to save cooking time
and fuel costs on other days.
With the meat/lentils for protein, potatoes for energy
release and carrots and tomatoes for vitamins and
minerals all in one dish, there is no need to add anything
else to have a completely balanced meal.
Method
2 grated carrots
Place the minced beef in a saucepan and add a little
water or oil. Cook until brown, then pour off the fat.
1 large tin tomatoes
Add the onion, carrots, tomatoes, pepper and lentils.
50g/2oz red lentils
(if they need pre-soaking,
follow instructions for
soaking before starting
the recipe)
1 cup of water
Splash of milk
1 vegetable or beef
stock cube or 1 tsp yeast
extract dissolved in
a cup of boiling water
900g/2lb chopped
and peeled potatoes
Black pepper to taste
Add the stock, bring to the boil and then simmer
for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes and mash them with
a splash of milk.
Transfer the mince mixture to a large, ovenproof dish
or individual ones if you are going to freeze portions.
Spread the potato on top.
Bake in the oven at gas mark 4/200°C/400°F for
30 minutes, or until the potato is light brown in colour.
For frozen portions, defrost thoroughly first and then
reheat for 30 minutes in the oven.
Fish kedgeree
Kedgeree is a traditional British breakfast,
historically from colonial India, and it can make
a tasty lunch, too. Alf, from Boyden Court, used
to cook this for 300 cadets when in the army.
Fish kedgeree
Preparation time
10 minutes
Cooking time
30–45 minutes
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 tsp margarine
or olive oil
1 small finely
chopped, onion
35g/1½oz rinsed rice
(white long-grain or
brown/wholegrain/
basmati)
150g/6oz cooked and
flaked white fish
1 hard-boiled egg
250ml/9fl oz fish stock
White fish (cod or coley) contains protein, to help the
body heal and repair. It is low in saturated fat and is easy
to digest. Brown and wholegrain rice are slow-releasing
carbohydrates that help to maintain blood-sugar levels.
Brown basmati rice has a pleasant, nutty flavour. Brown
and wholegrain rice take a little longer than white rice
to cook and are more expensive. An egg is full of nutrients.
If you choose free-range, omega-3-rich eggs, you will be
supporting your heart health.
Method
Pre-heat oven to gas mark 6/180ºC/ 350ºF.
Place the white fish with a pinch of black pepper in
300ml/½ a pint of water in a saucepan and simmer
for 10–15 minutes until cooked. Keep the fish stock.
While this is cooking, choose a medium-sized, ovenproof
casserole dish with a lid, and heat the margarine/oil in it.
Black pepper to taste
Brown the onions for 5–10 minutes in the casserole dish,
then add the rice.
1 level tsp curry
powder (optional)
Remove the fish from the saucepan and put it aside
for later. Pour the fish stock into the casserole dish.
If you would like Indian seasoning, add curry powder.
Cover with the lid and transfer to the oven for 15 minutes
(white rice) or 25 minutes (brown rice).
While this is cooking, boil the egg for 10 minutes.
Drain the hot water from the egg pan, fill it with cold
water and, when the egg is cool, shell it and cut it in half.
When the rice is cooked, separate the grains with
a fork and add the flaked fish.
Crumble the hard-boiled egg into the mixture.
Couscous salad
Couscous is a wheat-based alternative to rice or
pasta. It is a good choice for diabetics as it is lower
in calories and has a slower energy release.
Couscous salad
Preparation
5 minutes
Cooking time
17 minutes
The salad contains vegetables, for vitamins and minerals,
and is low in saturated fat. It provides a cheap side dish
to go with fish or poultry, or can be eaten on its own as
a light lunch.
Serves 1
Method
Ingredients
25g/1oz couscous
Place couscous, lemon, oil and boiling water in a bowl.
A squeeze of
lemon juice
½ tbsp olive oil
60ml/ 2fl oz
boiling water
1 chopped tomato
2cm/1 inch of
cucumber, chopped
1 tsp freshly
chopped mint
1 tbsp sultanas
Cover and leave for 15 minutes.
Fluff up with a fork, mix in vegetables and serve.
Low-fat chicken curry
Christine from North Shields enjoyed making this
recipe. Curry is a British favourite but cooking from
scratch can be time-consuming and expensive.
Low-fat chicken curry
Preparation time
10 minutes
Cooking time
45 minutes
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 medium onion,
chopped
1 medium apple,
skinned and chopped
A drizzle of olive oil
This recipe uses lean chicken breast and balti curry paste,
alongside ingredients that you will find in your larder.
It is quick and easy to make and ideal to freeze, saving
time and energy.
Chicken breast is a great source of protein and is low in
saturated fat. The vegetables in the dish provide some of
your five a day and coriander is a traditional treatment for
diabetes, relieves stress and insomnia, and aids digestion.
Method
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the onion
and apple for 2–3 minutes until they start to soften.
2 chicken breasts,
skinned and cut
into chunks
Add the chicken and stir for 5 minutes until the ingredients
start to brown.
1 crushed garlic clove
Add the garlic, carrots, tomatoes and chicken stock.
2 carrots, finely sliced
Stir in the balti paste and three-quarters of the coriander.
1 medium can of
chopped tomatoes
Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
1–2 tbsp balti curry
paste (to taste)
Add the peas and cook for another 4–5 minutes.
150 ml/¼ pint
chicken stock
Serve with brown basmati rice and garnish with the rest
of the coriander.
4 tbsp frozen peas
2 tbsp chopped,
fresh coriander
Potato and onion layer
Rita from North Shields enjoys making this
dish either as a side or a main course.
Potato and onion layer
Preparation time
5 minutes
Potatoes provide carbohydrates for energy, fibre to support
digestion and vitamin C to keep away coughs and colds.
Cooking time
30 minutes
Method
Serves 1
Ingredients
1 medium baking potato
1 small, finely diced onion
A little butter/ low-fat
margarine/olive oil
Black pepper
1 tbsp of grated mature
cheese, if desired
Optional extras:
•a
handful of
cooked beans
• chopped courgette/
marrow
• shredded cabbage
• frozen peas/sweetcorn
Set the oven to gas mark 6/200°C/400°F
Wash the potato and cut into 6–8 slices.
Grease a small ovenproof dish.
Layer the potato with the onion and other optional
ingredients, adding pepper and a little butter/margarine
or oil to each layer.
Cover and bake for about 25 minutes until the potato
is soft. Add a little cheese, if desired, and return to the
oven for a few minutes until the cheese bubbles.
Savoury flapjack
Lesley from Age UK North Tyneside enjoyed
making this with her group. Porridge oats
are a carbohydrate that provides slow-release
energy, helping to balance blood-sugar levels.
Savoury flapjack
Preparation time
10 minutes
Cooking time
40 minutes
Serves 8–10
Ingredients
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp dried or freshly
chopped mixed herbs
of your choice
1 medium tin of
chopped tomatoes
170g/6oz porridge oats
As there is no sugar in this recipe, it is suitable for diabetics.
The soluble fibre in oats helps to remove excess cholesterol
from the body, and to support digestion.
A small amount of mature cheese provides calcium
for healthy bones. Tomatoes contain vitamin C, which
is good for fighting off coughs and colds, and lycopene,
which supports prostate gland health in men.
Method
Soften the onions with either a little oil or water
for 5 minutes in a large pan on a medium heat.
Add the herbs and the whole tin of tomatoes.
Stir in and cook for 5 minutes.
55g/2oz mature, grated
cheddar cheese
Add the oats, cayenne or chilli if desired, and the cheese.
Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
Cayenne pepper or chilli
powder to taste
Press the mixture out with the back of a spoon onto
a lined baking tray with edges, until the mixture is about
1cm/½ inch thick.
Bake at gas mark 4/180°C/360°F for about 25 minutes.
Leave to cool slightly before cutting into squares.
Fred’s bread
Fred from the Oasis Centre used to be a baker, so this
recipe is tried and tested. Making your own bread
means that you save money, as it is a lot cheaper than
shop-bought bread, and it is healthier, as there is less
salt and contains no artificial additives.
Fred’s bread
Preparation time
2½ hours
Bread-making is an art, so to ensure a light dough, knead
the mixture properly and leave it to rise for long enough.
Cooking time
15–30 minutes
Method
Makes one loaf
or 8 rolls
Ingredients
500g/20oz
strong bread flour
(can use half
wholemeal flour
to make a higherfibre loaf)
2 level tsp salt
(or low salt)
7g sachet of fast
action yeast
Mix the flour, salt and water in a large bowl. Make a
well in the centre of the mixture. Add the oil and water,
then mix thoroughly.
Sprinkle flour on your hands and on your kneading surface.
Roll the dough into a ball, place it on your surface and
knead with your knuckles, folding the dough in half and
repeating for 10 minutes.
Place the dough back in the bowl, cover it with lightly
oiled cling film and place it in a warm place for one hour
until the dough has doubled in size.
Oil a loaf tin or baking tray and dust it with flour.
3 tbsp olive oil
Knead the dough for 5 minutes and place it in the loaf
tin. If you want a round, flatter loaf or are making 8 rolls,
then place the dough on a baking tray.
300ml/½ pint
tepid water
Cover the dough with cling film and place it back in the
warm place for another hour to rise to double the size.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to gas mark 7/ 220°C/ 425°F.
Dust the loaf/rolls with flour, score a cross on the top with a
knife, and bake for 25–30 minutes (15–20 minutes for rolls).
Remove the bread from the oven when it is golden brown
and when it sounds hollow if tapped underneath. Allow it
to cook on a wire rack.
• This bread will not stay fresh for more than two days.
Store it in an airtight container.
• You can add flavours such as olives, sundried tomatoes,
herbs or onions at the end of the last kneading.
• To save time, you can make the bread the night before.
Leave it in the fridge overnight for the second rising,
pop it into the oven when you wake up and welcome
in the new day with the beautiful smell of baking bread!
Fruity layered dessert
Julia at Age UK Croydon made this
dessert with sheltered housing
residents at cook and eat groups.
Fruity layered dessert
Preparation time
10 minutes
No cooking time
Serves 1
Ingredients
A handful of chopped
strawberries, blueberries,
raspberries or blackberries
2 tbsp bio-live
natural yoghurt
1 tbsp mixed unsalted
nuts, e.g. almonds,
walnuts, brazil nuts
A lot of us fancy something sweet after a meal, and berries
contain many healthy vitamins and minerals and release
sugar slower than most other fruits. You can wait until they
are in season and grow and pick your own.
Bio-live yoghurt contains healthy bacteria to support
digestion.
Unsalted nuts, such as almonds, walnuts and brazil nuts
contain fibre and omega-3 oils that support heart health.
Method
Use a glass sundae dish or a bowl.
Layer fruit and yoghurt and sprinkle nuts on top.
Chocolate courgette cake
This cake is moist and delicious. The main ingredient
is courgettes, so if you grow your own, it is a great way
to use them up. Otherwise, buy them when they are
in season and cheap to buy from the market.
Chocolate courgette cake
Preparation time
15–20 minutes
Courgettes contain almost every vitamin and mineral,
from vitamins A, C and E, to iron and zinc.
Cooking time
60 minutes
Apricots are a good source of nutrients and contain fibre
to support digestion. The recipe is low in saturated fat and
you can use diabetic sugar.
Makes 12 portions
Ingredients
250g/9oz courgettes,
peeled and grated coarsely
2 eggs, beaten
75 ml/3fl oz vegetable oil
Juice and grated rind
of 1 orange
115g/4oz caster sugar
225g/8oz self-raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp bicarbonate
of soda
½ tsp baking powder
50g/2oz chopped
dried apricots
This cake is great to offer visitors or it can be kept in an
airtight container, so that you can have a slice now and then.
Remember that although it has nutritional benefits, it is
still cake!
Method
Pre-heat oven to gas mark 4/180°C/350°F. Grease or line
a 22 x 12cm (9 x 5-inch) loaf tin or a 8cm (3-inch) deep
round cake tin with an 18cm (7-inch) diameter. Mix the
juice and the grated rind from the orange with the eggs,
oil and sugar.
Sieve the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and
baking powder. Fold them in with the ingredients above.
Mix well.
Place the peeled, grated courgettes in a sieve to expel
any excess fluid.
Stir in the courgettes and apricots.
Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and bake in the centre
of the oven for about 60 minutes, or until a knife comes
out clean.
Leave to cool on a rack.