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After a month of shopping on-line, I managed to save over £300, by just ordering what I needed and not being tempted.

That is a fantastic saving, which my wife spent straight away.

I am continuing to blog about cooking at realmealsforrealpeaople.blogspot.com

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Thank you for reading this blog

Singapore Vermicelli

This recipe is adpated from http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3753/singapore-noodles to make use of things I already had to hand, I already had some rice noodles that I got quiet a while back. This is absolutely lovely, and far far better than I have ever had from the local takeaway.

Singapore Vermicelli

Serves 2 as a main meal
Approx cost - £2.20p

Ingredients:

• 150g Rice Vermicelli Noodles
• Vegetable oil
• 2 Chicken Breasts cut into thin strips
• 3 Garlic cloves crushed
• 1 onion, cut into thin half moons
• 2cm piece of ginger, grated
• 3 TSP of curry powder
• 1 TSP of turmeric
• 4 TBLSP of soy sauce
• 2 Chillies finely chopped

Method:

• Trim the chicken breasts and cut into thin strips, place in a bowl, add a little oil and rub over the chicken (this just stops the chicken sticking to each other), and set aside
• Prepare the Garlic, Onion and Ginger and Chillies
• Soak the noodles following the packet instructions and drain and set aside
• Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken until it is browned and just cooked through, and set aside
• Add a little oil to the frying pan and fry the garlic and ginger until light brown. Add the onion and cook until just beginning to soften
• Add the chillies and cook for one minute
• Return the chicken to the pan and add the curry powder and turmeric and cook for a minute.
• Add the noodles and about 2 tbsp water and toss everything together.
• Add the soy sauce and cook for a further 2 minutes

Serve and Enjoy !!!

Yorkshire Puddings



The resulting Yorkshire puddings

As a welcome home tea for my wife we are having a roast chicken dinner tonight, whilst I don't intend to show how to make the full roast, I thought I would demonstrate how to make wonderful Yorkshire Puddings, something that is so easy but people seem to struggle to get consistent results.

You can buy ready made Yorkshire puddings in the shops, but compare mine to shop bought ones.

What are the secrets to Yorkshire puddings

• getting plenty of air into the mix (I find the easiest way to do this is with an electric blender, although a good old fashioned whisk will still work)
• ensuring that the oven and the oil are hot when you place the batter into the tin,
• The golden number one rule is do not open the door during cooking

You can make more - simply double the recipe, they store well in the freezer and only take a few minutes to heat back through in the oven. I tend to make a few batches ahead of a meal as I have a single oven and they hog an entire shelf for a good amount of time, then all I have to do is put them in to warm through as I am dishing up the meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 Egg
• 3 FL Oz of milk
• 2 FL Oz of water
• 87g of plain flour
• Salt and pepper
• oil

Method:

• Pre heat oven to 220 Degree's C
• Take a muffin tin/pudding tin place oil in compartments until it covers the bottom
• Sieve flour in a mixing bowl
• Make a well in the centre of the flour
• Break the egg into the bowl and add salt and pepper
• With a spoon mix until the mixture becomes stiff
• Gradually add the milk and water and continue stirring until you have used all the liquid
• Now take your blender (preferably electric) and switch on, and blend to get air into the mixture, alternatively whisk like mad
• Add the mixture to the tin and cook for 40 Minutes

The fat in the well used tin

The flour, eggs, salt and pepper ready for mixing

The flour, Egg, Salt and pepper mixed to a stiff paste

The milk and water gradually being mixed in

All the milk and water mixed in

lending to get lots of air in

The resulting Yorkshire puddings

Chicken Fried Rice

There is only me to cook for this weekend, the wife has gone to sunnier climes on a Hen weekend, whilst I remain here in the rain decorating. There is no picture today as the camera is with my wife in sunnier climes and the laptop will not discover my phone

Cost - Approx £1.00
serves 1
Ingredients:

• 200g of chilled boiled rice
• 1 Chicken Breast - cut into small pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 5 closed cap mushrooms finely chopped
• 1 small chili finely chopped
• 2 TBLSP of Soy Sauce
• 1 TBLSP of rice wine vinegar
• 1 TSP of Chinese Five Spice
• 3 TBLSP of oil for frying

Method:

• Trim the chicken of any fat and cut into small pieces
• Heat 1 TBLSP of oil in a frying pan, and over a high heat cook the chicken through
• Add the mushrooms, garlic, five spice and chillies and cook on a high heat for 1 minute
• Add the remaining oil and heat, then add the rice and the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar and cook through until pipping hot, stirring all the time

Cheap Spaghetti Bolognese

This is one of the most simplest recipes, and once you have chopped the vegetables and browned the meat it basically cooks itself.

Approx cost - £1.50p
Serves 4 people

Ingredients:

• 2 TBSLP of oil
• 270 g of Minced Beef
• 100g of mushrooms finely chopped
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 1 carrot finely grated
• 2 cloves of garlic - minced
• 3/4 pint of beef stock
• 4 TBLSP of tomato puree
• 1 Bay leaf
• Salt and pepper
• Spaghetti

Method:

• Heat oil in a large pan
• Add the onion, carrot, mushrooms and garlic and cook gently for 4 minutes
• Add the minced beef and stir in well and brown
• Add the tomato puree and stir in
• Add the beef stock and bay leaf, stir well
• Bring to the pan to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently with the lid on for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Taste and if required add salt and pepper to taste
• Remove lid and reduce the sauce until it starts to thicken
• remove the bay leaf
• Serve with Spaghetti with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top and enjoy !

Simple Cauliflower Cheese with Bacon

My wife loves Cauliflower Cheese, and with bacon added it is a sure winner every time.

Serves 4
Cost - Approx £1.11p per portion *

*Note it is the bacon that drove up the cost of this simple dish otherwise it would have been approx £0.61p per portion

Ingredients:

1 Large Cauliflower
6 Rashers of bacon
1 pint of milk
50g of plain flour
50g of butter
126g of Cheddar cheese

Method:

• In a frying pan, add a little oil, and cook the bacon until well done but not to crispy, set aside to cool **
• Once cool, remove any rind still soft and discard and cut the bacon into small pieces, and set aside
• Next take you cauliflower and give it a wash then remove the leaves and cut the florets up into mouth size pieces, discarding the large hard stem in the middle
• Fill the pan with cold water and place on a high heat to bring it to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes then drain the cooked cauliflower
• Add the bacon to the cauliflower and mix well
• Place contents into a large oven proof dish
• For the sauce, add the butter to a pan and melt on a medium heat, once melted, add the flour and stir in well, and cook on a low heat for 1 minute
• Remove from the heat and gradually add the milk, one bit at a time, and stir into the butter and flour paste, once all the milk is added return to a medium heat and heat up stirring all the time until the sauce thickens
• Add half the cheese to the pan and stir until melted in, then pour over the cauliflower and bacon
• Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top
• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 220 Degree C for 50 minutes

** Whilst the world is all about healthy eating, I do have one pleasure, do not throw away the bacon fat  from the frying pan, use it for beautiful fried bread or try adding it to mashed potato

The cooked bacon

The chopped bacon

The cooked cauliflower and bacon mixed and in the dish

The butter and flour mixed and cooked through

Adding the mix gradually

The sauce after adding a bit more milk

The finished cheese sauce

The Cauliflower cheese and bacon ready for cooking

Deep Fried Crispy Chicken Bites and Mushroom Fried Rice

The Finished Meal

Ingredients:

• 450g of Chicken
• 5 TBLSP of cornflour
• 1 TBLSP of oil
• Oil for deep frying
• 3 TBLSP of oil for frying the rice
• 1 TSP of ground white pepper
• 500g of chilled cooked long grain rice
• 2 TSP of Chinese Five Spice
• 1 Chile deseeded and finely chopped
• 3 TBLSP of soy sauce
• 100g of closed cup mushrooms finely chopped
• Sweet Chillies sauce to dip

Method:

• Heat the oil in the pan used for deep frying, also pre-heat the oven to 160 Degree's C to keep the chicken warm whilst cooking in batches
• Trim the chicken of any fat and cut into bite sized pieces
• Add the 1 TBLSP of oil to the chopped chicken and mix well
• Add the pepper to the chopped chicken and mix well
• Add 3 TBLSP of the cornflour to the chicken and mix well to cover the chicken
• Just before frying the chicken add the rest of the cornflour and mix well
• Add the chicken in batches and deep fry until golden brown and the chicken cooked through
• Remove and keep warm in the oven on the grill rack
• Heat 1 TBLSP of oil in frying pan
• Add the chopped mushroom and the Chinese Five Spice powder and fry on a high heat for 2 minutes
• Add the chillies and fry for another minute
• Add the rest of the oil
• Add the rice and stir well
• Add the soy sauce and stir well to coat the grains of rice, moving the rice all the time, until the rice is cooked through and hot
• Serve with a sweet Chile sauce dip and enjoy !

Tesco Order Number Three

Today the 3rd Tesco order is being delivered.

So what have I got left from the previous week shopping:

• 4 pork shoulder steaks
• 500g of pork sausage meat
• Chillies - which I have chopped up and frozen, they are easy to pull apart and use
• 2 eggs
• 1 very very large piece of ginger (I got the order wrong on the weight), so I am going to store it in the freezer cut into usable chunks for when I need it - http://www.wikihow.com/Store-Ginger
• 526g of cheddar cheese
• 78g of pecorino cheese
• 10 Onions
• 500g butter
• 4 bulbs of garlic
• 669g of Trex
• 250g of Halloumi
• 300g Un-smoked thick cut back bacon
• 1.5 KG white potatoes
• 1 KG long grain rice
• 3.7KG Strong white bread flour
• 1.3KG of plain flour
• 1.2KG of green Beans
• 500g of casserole steak
• 2 X Tesco Salad Onions Bunch
• 1 Green Pepper
• 475g of Tesco Everyday Value Penne Pasta
• 250g Tesco everyday Value Lasagne Sheets
• 2 Loose baking potatoes
• 2 Loose Carrots

Food wastage this week - 320g Cabbage

Total cost of this weeks food order- £37.59p

Items on this weeks food order:

Tesco Extra Large Cauliflower - £1.97p
2 X Tesco Everyday Lamb Breast - £5.63p
800g Tesco Everyday beef mince - £2.40p
2 X Chicken breast quarter - £3.11p
500g butter - £2.00p
600g unsmoked thick cut bacon - £4.00p
943g Chicken breast fillets - £9.99p
500g Tesco Mature Cheddar Cheese - £3.00p
1.5KG plain flour - £1.00p
2.5KG White Potatoes £1.35p
12 Free Range Medium Eggs - £2.60p
4 Loose Brown Onions - £0.54p



Tip on reducing food waste - Going through the store cupboard, I came upon a half packet of old stale Jacobs Crackers, don't throw them away, pull out the food blender and reduced them to crumbs and stored in air tight container as an alternative to bread crumbs.

Let the week of recipes begin....

Meatballs in Rich Tomato Sauce with Spaghetti

If my wife see's me take minced beef come out of the freezer, the first thing she asks is are we having meatballs, and once cooked, she counts how many go on each plate to make sure we have an equal amount.

The finished meal

Cost - Approx £1.30p per person

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 425g of beef mince meat
• 1 egg
• 1 TSP of Dried Basil
• 1 TSP of ground black pepper
• 1 TSP  of Marjoram
• 1 TSP of Onion Granules
• 1 TSP of Garlic Powder
• 4 TBLSP of breadcrumbs
• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 4 Cloves of garlic - minced
• 150g of spaghetti
• 1 tsp of ground black pepper
• 2 tsp of Parsley

Method for the meatball:

• Combine the first 8 ingredients ingredients in a large bowl and with your hand mix well
• Take a piece of the mix and roll it in the palm of your hands to form small balls
• Place balls on a plate and set aside
• When ready to cook, add some oil to a frying pan, and place the meatballs into the pan, and cook, turning regularly

Method for the sauce:

• In a pan add the tomatoes, pepper, garlic and Parsley
• Bring to the boil and on a low to medium heat reduce, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes
• Place in a blend and blend smooth
• Set aside

Method for Spaghetti:

• Cook spaghetti as per pack instructions

To assemble the meal:

• Heat the tomato sauce
• Drain the pasta and add the tomato sauce to the pan of Spaghetti
• Mix well
• Turn onto plates
• Add meatballs
• Serve with pecorino/Parmesan cheese

The prepared meatballs

Th blended tomato sauce

The meatballs cooking

The finished meal

Leek and Spring Onion Cheese Flan

I have a few items in the fridge I need to use up before they turn, so what better way than to create a lovely flan, that can be used as part of a main meal or as lunch.

Cost - Approx £1.50
Serves - 4



The cooked flan

Ingredients:

Shortcrust pastry as per previous blog http://thetescochallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/basic-short-crust-pastry.html
2 leeks - trimmed, washed and sliced
2 bunches of spring onions - trimmed, washed and sliced
1 TBLSP of butter
80g of Cheddar cheese - grated
2 eggs
150ML of milk
Salt and pepper

Method:

• First make the shortcrust pastry as per previous blog, for this recipe I used full fat - Trex, rather than butter
• Roll out the pastry on a sheet of baking paper and line the flan tin
• Put the flan tin in the fridge for 30 minutes, then remove and trim the excess pastry
• Heat the oven to 200 Degree C
• Line the bottom of the flan with baking paper and add some baking stones or I use chick peas on the bottom of the flan and bake the pastry for 15 minutes
• Remove from oven and remove the chick peas and the baking paper, and set aside
• Take a large pan and add the butter, and melt, then add the leeks and put the lid on the pan and over a low heat sweat the leeks until very soft, stirring occasionally
• Once the leeks are soft add the spring onions and sweat for a further 5 minutes with the lid of the pan removed
• Add salt and pepper to the leeks and spring onions to taste
• To the flan tin, add half the cheese on the bottom and add the leek and spring onion mix
• whisk together the eggs and milk and pour into the flan tin
• Add the remaining cheese to the top
• Bake in the oven at 220 Degree C for 40 minutes
• Allow to cool on a wire rack

Enjoy !

Leeks and Spring Onions

The chopped leeks

The chopped spring onions

The sweated leeks and spring onions

The flan tine lined and trimmed ready for blind baking

The flan tin ready for blind baking - to remove the chick peas just gather up the four corners of the paper and lift out

The flan vase filled and ready for baking

The cooked flan

Basic Shortcrust Pastry

I use short crust pastry a lot in my blogs, so instead of typing the instructions again and again, I thought I would create a post so I can link back to it. This quantity will will be ample for a single flan, or two pies. It is the most simplest pastry to make, but tastes delicious, so don't buy shop ready to roll pastry. Instead of butter, try lard or fat, or a mix, play around with it and adapt this to your tastes.

Ingredients for the shortcrust pastry :

• 200g plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 100g butter - diced
• Cold water

Method for the shortcrust pastry:

• Place flour and salt in a bowl
• Add the butter
• Rub the butter into the flour until it looks like fine breadcrumbs

The flour and butter rubbed in

• Take a tablespoon and start adding the water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing the water into the flour and butter. Repeat adding the water until the dough comes together

The resulting dough after adding the water

• Put the dough in a plastic food bag/cling film and put it in the fridge for at least half an hour

It can be frozen, and used as required....

Chicken with Pasta, Peppers and Cheese Sauce

Today has been a busy day, decorating the kids room, so after nipping out to get some well deserved beers. It is time to open the fridge and work out what we can have for a quick tea.

Inside the fridge, a couple of chicken breasts that have been defrosting have caught my eye. This meal can be so easily adapted to whatever you have lurking in the fridge.

The finished Meal

Ingredients:

2 Chicken breasts cut into bit sized pieces
3 TBLSP of oil for frying
2 peppers diced
2 tsp of dried parsley
1 tsp of black pepper
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
12.5g of butter
12.5g of flour
1/2 pint of milk
80g of cheese
150g of dried pasta

Method

• Add oil to frying pan, add the diced peppers and fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes
• Add the chicken, garlic, peppers, pepper and dried parsley and fry, turning occasionally
• In a pan add pasta and cook as per instructions on the packet
• In a separate pan, whilst the pasta and chicken are cooking, add the butter and melt
• Add the flour to the butter and stir in and cook gently for 30 seconds
• Slowly add the milk, a bit at a time, stirring in after every addition to ensure no lumps form
• After adding all the milk, turn up the heat to medium and continue to stir, after the milk comes to the boil and the sauce has thickened slightly add the cheese and stir in until it has melted
• Drain the pasta and return the same pan
• Add the cooked chicken mix
• Add the cheese sauce and serve

Enjoy...

The Chicken and peppers cooking

The finished Meal

Chicken Mushroom and Leek Pie

Whilst it is supposed to be summer in Britain, the weather is not very summery, and today it is like winter. Thinking about what to do for tea tonight on this very wet and wintry day, what nicer than a chicken mushroom and leek pie.

Cost - approx £1.60 per person
Serves 2

Ingredients for the pie filling:

2 Chicken breasts
200g Leeks - washed and finely sliced
160g of Mushrooms - cleaned and quartered
1 TBLSP of butter
1TBSPS of plain flour
1 Pint of chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the shortcrust pastry :

200g plain flour
Pinch of salt
100g butter - diced
Cold water
3 TBLSP of milk to glaze

Method for the pie filling:

• Trim the chicken breasts and cut into bite size chunks
• Take the leeks, cut them down the middle and wash, then slice
• In a large pan, add the the butter and melt on a low heat, add the leeks and mushrooms stir well and cover and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes to sweat down the leeks and mushrooms, stirring once in a while to stop the from burning.
• Add the flour to the pan and stir in well
• In a frying pan, add a little oil and add the chicken, and on a low to medium heat cook for 5 minutes, you are not looking to brown the meat
• Add the chicken to the pan and mix well
• Add the chicken stock to the pan and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer on a low heat with the lid on for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Taste the gravy in the pan, and add salt and pepper if required
• Get a bowl and a strainer and put the contents of the pan in the strainer and let the gravy strain into the bowl
• Place the chicken, leek and mushroom mix into a pie dish
• Take some of the gravy and add to the pie dish, until it comes about 3 quarters up the mix and set aside
• Put the rest of the gravy in a pan and set aside

The cubed chicken breast

The washed and sliced leeks

The sweated leeks and mushrooms

The cooked chicken - note you are not looking to brown the meat

The filled pie dishes ready for the shortcrust pastry

Method for the shortcrust pastry:

• Place flour and salt in a bowl
• add the butter
• Rub the butter into the flour until it looks like fine breadcrumbs

The flour and butter rubbed in

• Take a tablespoon and start adding the water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing the water into the flour and butter. Repeat adding the water until the dough comes together

The resulting dough after adding the water

• Put the dough in a plastic food bag/cling film and put it in the fridge for at least half an hour

Method of assembling the pie:

• Take the dough out of the fridge and roll out
• Cut a thin strip and brush milk round the edge of the pie dish
• Put the all-round the edge of the pie dish and then brush with the milk
• Place the rolled out lid onto the pie
• Then with a tines of a fork, press gently down to seal
• with the remaining milk brush the top of the pie to glaze
• With a knife, make a few holes in the top of the pie
• Cook for 50 minutes at 220 degrees C and serve

The pie dish prepared ready for sealing with the lid

The pies ready for glazing and baking

The cooked pie

Serve with mashed potato and vegetables, using the reserved gravy.

Belly Pork with braised cabbage and creamy mashed potato

Once a week my wife and I love a treat, and it usually takes the form of belly pork, slow roasted, it also gives me a break as the meal really just cooks itself - I just need to keep a check on it once in a while, and make sure my oven does not cut out - as it has an automatic safety cut out when it has been on for a long time . There is no small portions in our house when this favourite is served, 1KG of belly pork between two people, although it could easily be divided to serve 4 people. My wife likes it just served on it's own, but on this occasion I am serving it with braised cabbage and creamy mashed potato.

Belly Pork with creamy mashed potatoes and braised cabbage

The cooked belly pork

Costs - Approx £2.70p per person
Serves - 2 people

Ingredients:

For the belly pork:

• 1 KG of Belly Pork
• 2 TSP of salt
• 4 TBLSP of oil
• 2 TSP of course ground black pepper

For the potatoes

• 400g Potatoes
• 2 TBLSP Butter
• 50ml of Milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the braised cabbage:

• 150g Cabbage
• 1 TBLSP butter
• 1 TBLSP of water
• Salt and pepper

Method for the belly pork:

• Turn your oven onto full heat for 30 minutes before putting the meat in the oven
• If the butcher has not scored the pork rind, take a sharp knife and score the top of the rind.
• Remove moisture from pork rind by dabbing with kitchen paper towel. 
• Mix salt and oil and rub all over pork belly, including the rind. 
• Place pork, rind side up, on the grill rack
• Sprinkle the ground black pepper onto the rind, and rub into the rind
• Take some kitchen foil and pack it around the meat, but leave the rind exposed
• Place the pork belly in the oven and turn down the oven to 145 Degree C and roast for 5 hours - Do not baste the rind during cook

Method for the braised cabbage:

• Cut cabbage in quarters, cut out and discard the hard stems, and chop cabbage into bite-size pieces.
• Melt butter in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add cabbage, sprinkle with salt, and add the water. Stir to combine, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until cabbage is very tender and liquid is absorbed, about 10 mins
• Season to taste with salt and pepper to taste

Method for the potato:

• Boil potatoes until soft
• heat gently the butter and milk
• Add the melted butter and milk to the potatoes
• Mash well and add salt and pepper to taste

Assemble the meal and enjoy!

The cut of belly pork with the rind scored

The belly pork prepared with the oil, salt and course ground black pepper

The cooked belly pork