Jamie's cheap dinners, even cheaper.

I was flicking through the tv guide a couple of days ago, just for something light while I knitted, and found Jamie Oliver.  He was making "cheap" meals for around £1.65 per portion. That may be cheap in the Oliver household but there are thousands who need to feed  their family for as near to that amount as possible.
I did a little rootling round the larder and fridge and came up with these versions.

Banh Mi 

Chose your bread, soft rolls, baguette or in my case a RTC tiger loaf. Place in oven to warm through.

Make a pickle with half a cucumber and a grated carrot, squeezed out in a tea towel, add a quarter of a white cabbage and toss together. Mix in 1 tbsp of white wine vinegar, 1 tsp low salt soy sauce and a shake of lemon juice.

Take leftover roast meat, I used shoulder of pork, and slice up.

Open a pack of pate, I used coarse, this was RTC from £1 to 30p. Otherwise I would have used the cheap one from Lidl.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan, add the meat and cook, stirring for a couple of minutes. Add a glug of sweet chilli sauce, I used the Caribbean chilli and lime from Farm Foods £1 a bottle, and a dollop of chilli and tomato jam with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir round and let simmer for 2 minutes. 

Take bread from oven, slice open and spread with half the pate. Then pile in half the pickle and all the meat with its sauce.

Press the loaf together and cut into slices, chunks or wedges. Serve with the rest of the pickle. You can add some sliced red chilli and coriander leaves if you have them. Sliced sweet pepper and radish would work well, as would fine sliced celery and red onion or shallot.

It was yummy and too much for two.

Barbecue Beans.

Peel 2 small carrots and 2 small red onions, slice and heat in pan with a little oil, add a generous pinch of salt and pepper.

Add a heaped tsp of smoked paprika and another of cumin seeds along with a pinch of chilli flakes. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes.

Pour in a quarter of a a bottle of barbecue sauce,

with 2 tins of beans, any will do.

Stir up and add a splash of water to slacken the sauce,

Pour in a tetra pack of tomato passata and rinse it out with some water, pour that in as well.

Mix together well and pour into an oven proof dish, slide into the middle of an oven at 180c and cook for 1 hour. Wash a potato for each person and prick the skin, rub in a little oil and bake on the top shelf for an hour.

Serve up and enjoy. You could add bacon, sausage, cooked meat to the beans if you want, a Kilo of chunky bacon from Lidl will set you back £1. 45.  You can vary the veg, celery and sweet peppers would work, mushrooms and any root veg can go in. 

I have not priced these up as lots of the ingredients are from the larder. I use any RTC bargains that I can find and will happily chop and change things to utilise what I have.

One thing that I will not do is buy the top priced brand names, it is not necessary. The bean mix is similar to the Boston Baked Bean recipe that I have used on and off for years and should freeze well. Next time I make this I will be filling the oven and getting some into the freezer.

                     TTFN                                                Pam