COOKING ON A BUDGET

If, like me, you're on a small budget, then it's important to make your money go as far as possible.  Today I'm cooking for the freezer and making a basic recipe that can be turned into 3 different meals with very little effort.

Depending on how many people you are aiming to feed you will need:-

2lbs of minced beef

3 onions

4 carrots

A handful of mushrooms

4 sticks of celery (optional)

bay leaves

plain flour

Beef stock cubes 

Water

seasoning to taste

a little oil for frying

Dice all of your vegetables and fry them over a low heat until they are beginning to soften.  Add the mince and stir well to break up any lumps then fry until cooked through.  Remove your pan from the heat and stir in enough flour to absorb the fat, stirring continuously to prevent lumps from forming.  Return the pan to the heat and add enough water to give you a thick gravy.  Bring to the boil stirring all the time.  Add your stock cubes, bay leaves and season to taste.  Turn down the heat and allow to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.  Once cooked allow the mixture to cool ready for freezing.  Don't forget to remove the bay leaves!   Divide the mixture between 3 containers and place in the freezer.

You now have the basis for 3 different meals.  

With the addition of mashed potatoes you can turn one of your basic portions into a filling and tasty shepherds pie.  I like to sprinkle some grated cheese on the top of the potato for added flavour and serve it with a selection of seasonal vegetables.

Another way to use up one of your basic portions is to turn it into a pie.  You can either make your own pastry or use frozen or packet pastry.  Again, with the addition of some vegetables you have a tasty and nutritious meal for the family.

One of my favourite ways to use this mixture is to layer it with potato slices and pop it in the oven until the top layer of potatoes are golden brown and crispy and serve it with cabbage with has been lightly cooked so that it retains it's crisp texture.

All of the ingredients for your basic mixture can be obtained from Glossop Outdoor and Indoor Market where all of our traders are happy to help you eat well and save money.