The very topical word... Budget!

The very topical word... Budget!

The recipes that I posted today were collected because they had some sort of budget word describing them. Some said budget, others used words like affordable, cheap, economical and great value.

More and more in today’s economic climate, we have to look at putting delicious tasting and good looking food on the table, without breaking the bank.

Hopefully at least one or two of the following dishes will help you to do just that. Enjoy!

Pulled butter chicken penne

Turn butter chicken into a more economical dish by stretching out into a pasta bake. Butter chicken spice, chicken and white sauce work together here to create something that feels way more luxe than it deserves to.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 whole chicken 
  • 30 g butter chicken spice
  • 1 T 70% fat spread 
  • 500 g penne pasta, cooked
  • 180 g mild cheddar, grated
  • White sauce:
  • 60 g 70% fat spread 
  • 60 g flour 
  • 4 cups full cream milk 
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 180º C.
2. Rub the chicken with the butter and half the spice until well coated and roast for 60 minutes. Shred the meat and discard the skin and bones.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat, add the flour and remaining spice and mix to form a roux. Add the milk and whisk until thick and smooth. Fold in 1 cup of the cheese and season to taste.
4. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente and drain.
5. Mix with the spiced chicken and sauce and spoon into a large baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling.

Budget paella

This affordable take on paella features boerewors and chicken breasts. Add frozen veg and this exotic-sounding dish becomes a great value dish to feed a crowd.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 T oil 
  • 2 chicken breasts, cubed (or 2 cups leftover cooked chicken) 
  • 200 g boerewors, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 40 g Spanish paella seasoning 
  • 1 onion, diced 
  • ½ each red, yellow and green peppers, diced 
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 cups light chicken stock 
  • 3 cups water 
  • 2 x 400 g cans peeled and diced tomatoes 
  • a pinch sugar 
  • 500 g parboiled long grain rice 
  • 250 g freshly frozen diced vegetable mix 
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped 

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large pan over a medium-low heat. Brown the chicken and boerewors with half the paella seasoning. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Add the onion, peppers and remaining paella seasoning and sauté for 5–8 minutes, adding the garlic during the last minute of cooking.
3. Pour in the stock, water and tomatoes, adding a pinch of sugar.
4. Add the rice and cook until al dente and until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir through the diced vegetables, chicken and sausage and heat through. Scatter with parsley and serve.

Mild hake curry with flatbreads and raita

This simple hake curry makes a great budget dinner. Make the easy flatbreads to take it from basic to brilliant.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 onions, sliced 
  • 1 red or yellow pepper, seeded and chopped 
  • 2 T oil 
  • 1 T tomato paste 
  • 1 T mild curry powder 
  • 1 small knob ginger, grated 
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed 
  • 410 g can peeled and diced tomatoes 
  • a pinch of sugar 
  • 450 g pack freshly frozen hake portions 
  • For the raita: 
  • ¼ cucumber, grated 
  • ½ cup plain yoghurt
  • For the flatbreads: 
  • 375 g self-raising flour 
  • 1 cup plain yoghurt 
  • large pinch of salt 
  • 2 t cumin seeds 
  • 50 g margarine, melted
  • 1 cloves garlic, crushed 

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Sauté the onions and pepper in the oil over a low heat until soft and sweet.
2. Add the tomato paste, curry powder, ginger and garlic and sauté for a further 1–2 minutes, or until fragrant.
3. Add the tomatoes, 1/2 cup warm water and the sugar and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the hake, cover, and bubble for 10 minutes, or until cooked through.
4. To make the raita, mix the cucumber and yoghurt.
5. To make the flatbreads, mix the flour, yoghurt, salt and cumin and knead until combined. Flatten and divide into 4 balls. Roll out to a thickness of 1 cm.
6. Cook in a hot griddle pan for 2–3 minutes on each side. Mix the margarine and garlic and brush onto the flatbreads while warm. Serve the curry with the flatbreads and raita.

Smoky boerewors meatball pasta

Boerewors meatballs, bacon and baked beans make a wonderfully hearty pasta that is surprisingly cheap to make.

INGREDIENTS

  • 500 g spaghetti 
  • 750 g boerewors 
  • 1 T oil 
  • 100 g diced wood-smoked bacon 
  • 1 t hot seasoning (optional) 
  • 400 g baked beans 
  • 410 g peeled and diced tomatoes 
  • 60 g mild Cheddar, grated 

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 2 cups of the cooking water, and set aside.
2. Remove the meat from the boerewors casing and roll into small balls. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry the meatballs and bacon until well browned. Add the seasoning and sauté for a further minute.
3. Add the baked beans, tomatoes and reserved pasta water, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve piled on the spaghetti and sprinkle with the cheese.

Cheesy pap pizza

The base of this affordable pizza is made from maize meal cooked in stock, spiked with cheese and herbs. Top with roasted veggies and more cheese, or your favourite meaty pizza topping.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 red pepper, thinly sliced 
  • 1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced  
  • ½ butternut, peeled and thinly sliced 
  • 2 T olive oil 
  • 2 cups water 
  • 1 cup light vegetable stock 
  • 250 g super maize meal 
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 240 g mild Cheddar, grated 
  • ½ cup fresh basil and parsley , chopped

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 220 C.
2. Drizzle the peppers and butternut with olive oil and season. Roast for 10 minutes.
3. To make the pap, heat the water and stock in a large pot then whisk in the maize meal.
4. Add a pinch of salt and allow to come to a simmer then turn down the heat and cover the pot. Allow to cook very gently for 10-15 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in half of the cheese and chopped herbs.
5. Pour the cooked pap into a lined, greased baking tray. Top with roasted peppers and butternut and the remaining cheese.
6. Bake for 10 min until cheese is melted and golden.

Oven-roasted stuffed butternut

This butternut is stuffed with Swiss chard, sweetcorn, cheese and white sauce for a dreamy dish that is surprisingly affordable to make. Serve as a side or a main with some grains.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 large butternuts 
  • 30 g roast butternut seasoning  
  • 3 T olive oil 
  • 200 g Swiss chard, washed and chopped 
  • 2 cobs supersweet sweetcorn, kernels sliced off
  • 120 g mild Cheddar, grated 
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 
  • For the white sauce: 
  • 20 g margarine 
  • 20 g flour 
  • 1 cup full-cream milk 
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Halve the butternut and scoop out the seeds.
2. Brush with a little oil, sprinkle over the butternut seasoning and roast for 30–40 minutes, or until soft and golden brown.
3. To make the sauce, melt the margarine in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the flour and mix to form a roux. Add a little milk and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining milk and whisk until thick and smooth. Season to taste.
4. Sauté the Swiss chard in a drop of oil until wilted, then add corn and white sauce and warm through. Add half the cheese, season and remove from the heat.
5. Fill the roast butternut with the creamed spinach-and-corn mixture and top with the remaining cheese. Grill in the oven until bubbling.

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