Day 6-7 Eat For £50 A month Challenge

It’s rather hot in London today! and hotter in my kitchen where I’ve had trial and error with recipes, requiring a few changes due to the remaining items still available on the shopping list.  I do think however that I have managed to conjure up a few tasty, healthy treats “high five to me”, or perhaps a little premature there… sorry!!!.  taking a bit of pride in my work 🙂 .  My neighbour popped around with some fab fresh chillies from her greenhouse and I had some coriander in the store cupboard so….  I have added an additional purchase to the store cupboard list to make some more authentic Indian treats which are gluten free.  I picked up a bag of Gram Flour at £1 for 1kg and a piece of ginger for 40p, bringing the total for the week to £9.97 store and £8.57 on weekly shop and I have quite a few store items and eggs and some tinned items left to carry forward to week 2.

Day 6 – Lunch Gram Flatbread with Caramelised Onions, Tomatoes & an Egg

Look in any Indian cookery book and you’ll find these or online there are plenty of variations if you want to experiment. Great for burritos ( a little flakey perhaps so napkin required), breakfast savoury pancake or with different toppings. I often reheat under the grill with some grated cheese and onion and then plop a cooked poached egg on top and serve. You could leave out the spices and pepper and make a plain version and top with fruit and a little honey for breakfast. At under 130kcal with very little sugar they are a great healthy alternative oh and they taste great are easy to make and quick to get on the plate ‘what’s not to like’ and are thrifty and freeze well too, so you can make in batches 😍

Flatbread

• 250g of gram flour (asda £1 for 1kg bag)
• 2 pinches of salt and plenty of ground black pepper
• 400ml of cold water

1. I added in chopped chilli and some cumin seeds to some  (but you can leave plain).
2. Mix well and leave to rest overnight at room temp or make in the morning and use when you get home from work.
3. Fry like you would a pancake at a decent medium to hot heat with a little oil rubbed into the pan, approx 2 mins on either side.  If you prefer crispy raise the heat and reduce the quantity of batter a little or if you like it more bread like then medium heat and little bit more batter.  Once you have made a couple you will find your perfect combination.
4. Makes approx 7 to 8 (see pic), I used a ladle measure for each ( straight into the middle and swirl out with pan). Or you can make smaller thicker versions which can be used to encase a veggie burger (see Day 7 recipe below).

 Caramelised Topping

• 1 clove garlic
• 10 Tomatoes
• 1 Onion thinly sliced
• 1 red chilli
• Salt & Pepper
• Thyme
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
• 2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 Avocado
• 1 poached egg

1. Fry the garlic gently in the oil, add the chilli and onion and sprinkle the thyme
2. Cut the tomatoes in half and sprinkle with a little salt
3. Add the tomatoes to the pan and fry gently for 5 minutes next add the sugar and mix and fry for 30 seconds
4. Add the balsamic and mix well leave for 2 minutes until you have a nice syrup in the pan and then remove for the heat and serve on a freshly made flatbread
5. If you have any parmesan sprinkle on top and place under the grill for 2 minutes
6. Top with some mashed Avocado and a poached egg

Day 6 – Dinner Indian Chickpeas & Spiced Veg with Flatbreads

By Day 6 we have used quite a bit of the veg but there is still some left.  Have a look at what leftover veg you have, set aside what you need for Day 7 (1 onion and a bulb of fennel a few potatoes and a sweet potato and a few tomatoes)  but use up all that you can to ensure there is nothing going off that can’t be used in the coming days.  Ideally you want zero waste and on such a tight budget it just wouldn’t make sense. Unless you have been skipping or perhaps eaten out which just means you have to factor for that in your weekly shop to emilinate waste.

Indian Chickpeas

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped ginger (if you have)
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 green chillies (depending on taste)
• 1/3rd can of tinned tomatoes or 2 big red tomatoes chopped (leftover from earlier weeks recipe)
• 3 tablespoons of natural yogurt (natural set yogurt works well)
• 1 can of chick peas in salted water (drained and rinsed)
• 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

1. Heat the oil and add cumin seeds in a saucepan or frying pan.  Let them cook for 30 seconds.
2. Finely chop the onions. Add them to the pan and fry till golden.
3. Very finely chop or mince the ginger and garlic and green chillies. Add them to the pan and fry for 2 minutes.
4. Turn down the heat and add ground coriander.  Fry for a minute.
5. In a separate bowl whisk the yogurt with a fork.  Add tomatoes and yogurt to the onion mix and cook for 2 mins.
6. Add the chick peas.  Stir through and cover and simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes, give it an occasional stir so it does not stick to the bottom.
7. Add the chopped coriander and stir it in
8. Turn off the heat and serve with the flat bread and spiced veg.

Spiced Veg

• Leftover Veg chopped into small pieces
• 2 cloves garlic
• thumbnail of ginger
• 1 chilli
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 Tbsp water

1. Fry some garlic and onion and ginger and a chopped chilli in oil
2. Add some cumin seeds and salt and pepper
3. Add the veg
4. Stir through
5. Add 2 Tbsp of water and put the lid on
6. Allow to sweat for 15 minutes

 

Day 7 – Lunch Spiced Veg Frittata

• Leftover Veg
• 2 Eggs
• 2 tbsp Milk
• Salt & Pepper
• tsp Oil

 

1. Take the leftover veg and chickpeas from the day before
2. Drain any excess juice
3. Gently heat in a lightly oiled frying pan
4. Mix two eggs with 2 tbsp of milk and a pinch of salt and pepper
5. Add the eggs to the frying pan and turn up the heat until bubbles appear in the eggs
6. Place pan under hot grill and wait until it puffs up
7. Eat and delight in the intense day after flavours

Day 7 – Dinner Veggie Gluten Free Burgers with Homemade Chips

• 1/2 cup lentils, rinsed, strained with any discoloured or stones removed
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 teaspoons cold pressed rapeseed oil
• 1 tin of pre-cooked kidney beans
• handful of frozen garden peas
• 1 small/medium onion chopped
• tsp soya sauce
• tsp course mustard
• 1/2 small fennel bulb finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• black pepper
• some mint leaves or basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• gram flower flatbread halved
• baby tomatoes and the other half of the fennel bulb finely sliced for side salad serving
• Bring the lentils and 1 1/2 cups of  water to a boil

1. Reduce heat to medium heat place lid on and wait until the lentils are soft and the liquid has gone i.e. 25 to 30 mins usually.
2. Add the handful of peas, set aside with the lid on (the peas will cook through) to cool slightly for 10 minutes
3. Heat 3/4 of a tablespoon of rapeseed oil in a pan and fry some cumin seeds, a chopped chilli the chopped onion and the fennel (some chopped mushrooms and some garlic if available) until soft
4. Mash the lentils and the 1/3 tin of kidney beans and the peas together and add in the mustard and soya sauce to the mixture as well as the mint and/or basil leaves
5. Add the fried cumin seed mixture to the lentils and bean mixture and mix gently. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
6. Preheat the grill to medium. Form the mixture into six burgers and ensure they are oiled slightly on either side (freeze 4 for another day).
7. Grill for between 3 & 4 minutes per side. Place the patties in the gram flower flatbread with the baby tomatoes and oven chips and pea and kidney mint mash dip on the side.

Oven Chips

• 2 new potatoes & a sweet potato
• Plastic Sandwich bag
• 1.3 tsp of veg oil
• Salt & Pepper

1. Clean well (I use a scouring pad especially for this)
2. Leave the skins on if possible
3. Then cut the potatoes into chips
4. Get a small plastic Sandwich bag or a freezer bag and put the cut chips inside
   add seasoning of salt and freshly milled pepper in followed by 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of veg oil
5. Get the bag at both ends and swing like a skipping rope in your hands until of the potatoes are oiled
6. Heat the oven to 200 degrees and pop the chips on for approx 20 to 25 minutes.

Pea and Kidney Mint Mash

• Leftovers from the tin of kidney Beans used in Burgers
• 2 to three handfuls of frozen peas
• Salt and pepper
• tsp mustard

1. Boil the frozen peas in some water and drain
2. Chop up some mint and add to the drained peas
3. Add the Kidney Beans to the peas
4. Add salt and pepper and a tsp of mustard and mash well
5. Make sure to taste and add seasoning or mustard as required