| Recipe number | Meal | |
| Week 1 | Day | |
| 1 | Sunday | Chicken with roast potatoes and vegetables |
| 2 | Monday | Cold chicken with potatoes and salad |
| 3 | Tuesday | Pancakes = Sweet ideas & Savoury ones |
| 4 | Wednesday | Breaded Fish, potatoes and coleslaw |
| 5 | Thursday | Spaghetti Bolognese |
| 6 | Friday | Homemade pizza choice with coleslaw & salad |
| 7 | Saturday | Yorkshire pudding/sausage/onion/cabbage |
| 7 |
Prices at Lidl’s 31st January, 2021
| Shopping List | Price at Lidl | Quantity | Cheaper |
| Bacon pieces | £1.45 | 1000 | |
| Baked beans | £0.22 | ||
| Broccoli | £0.65 | ||
| Cabbage – Sweetheart | £0.47 | ||
| Cabbage – white | £0.45 | ||
| Carrots x 2 bags @ 44p | £0.88 | 2000 | |
| Cheese – own brand | £2.00 | 250 | |
| Cherry tomatoes | £0.67 | 20 | |
| Chicken – large | £3.35 | 1700 | Farmfoods |
| Chicken stock cubes^ | £1.35 | 12 | Only Tesco |
| Cucumber | £0.46 | ||
| Eggs – 15 | £1.18 | Farmfoods | |
| Fish steaks | £1.99 | 4 | |
| Flour Self Raising | £0.45 | ||
| Tin of chopped tomatoes x 2 | £0.56 | ||
| Greek yoghurt (light) | £0.45 | ||
| Iceberg Lettuce | £0.47 | ||
| Naan bread | £0.45 | 2 | |
| Onions – white/red | £1.00 | 12 | |
| Parsnips | £0.42 | ||
| Peppers – Mixed | £0.99 | ||
| Plain flour | £0.45 | ||
| Potatoes | £0.99 | 2500 | |
| Rice | £0.79 | 1000 | |
| Sausages | £1.79 | 12 | Farmfoods |
| Spaghetti | £0.39 | 500 | |
| Swede | £0.47 | ||
| Pineapple (fresh) | £0.89 | ||
| £25.68 |
*(SC) = Stock Cupboard item where it is difficult to define cost
Recipe 1 – Chicken with roast potatoes and vegetables
Feeds 4 x 3 meals
Ingredients: Choose either:
Frozen chicken, defrost overnight 2.3 kg £2.25.
Lidl’s fresh chicken 1.7 kg £3.35
Roasting method: £3.35 = 3 meals = £1.12
1. Put chicken in large tin with a little water covering the base
2. Cover with foil, remove foil in last 30 mins for a crispy skin.
3. Oven temperate 350F (170 degrees C ): 20 mins per 500 grams.
4. Leave for 15 mins before carving.
5. See Google for more fancy roasting tips!
6. Divide up chicken: Half breast & two legs will do 2 main meals
7. Third meal will consist of the remaining bits left on the bones
Vegetables: £1.30
1 kg of potatoes (40p)
1 sweet heart cabbage (47p)
Half bag of carrots (22p)
Use half = largest parsnips (21p)
2. Peel potatoes, cut to make 16 individual potatoes to roast. Sprinkle over them flour, put 2 tablespoon of oil in a cup. Dip potatoes in before adding to the chicken about 45 minutes before the end of cooking time. They should then be roasted and ready as you carve the chicken.
3. Peel parsnip, cut into wedge like shapes and add 15 mins before taking out the chicken, and leave them with the roast potatoes so they are hot and ready to serve when the chicken is carved.
4. Peel the carrots slice across into three pieces and cut each pieces into four to six wedges. Boil in a saucepan with enough water to cover them, cook about 10 mins so ready to serve at the same time as everything else.
5. Cut off the hard lump at the bottom of the cabbage and slice from the top down to the bottom. Lay flat and slice through it in wide strips and then cut across those in about four places so the leaves are in oblong pieces. In another saucepan cook as carrots this time only 5 mins before everything else is ready.
6. Carving is easier if you remove the legs and breast from the main body. One side of the breast should be enough for 4 people with meat from one of the legs. The remaining breast and leg will be used in Recipe 2. Depending on the size of the chicken there will be small pieces in and around the carcass for Recipe 3, If its possible put some aside to freeze to add to a pizza, or stir fry at a later date.
Tip 1: If you begin to take the chicken apart and it’s juices aren’t clear (pink) return to oven and check after 10 mins. If using microwave put back in on Medium for after 5 mins until the juice runs clear.
Tip 2: Don’t start cooking vegetables until you are sure chicken is fully cooked.
Tip 3: To make an easy gravy use the granules/powder follow the packets instructions and use water from carrots or cabbage water to make it tasty and nutritional. If using a stock cube (Oxo) for four with an average thickness use half a pint of vegetable water, and mix two teaspoons of cornflour and cold water in a cup, and gradually add to the water and allow to boil and thicken adjust amount and thickness to requirements.
Tip 4: Never throw any food away. If you have vegetables left over put in fridge and you can use them with all the chicken bits see Recipe 3.
Alternative microwave method:
1. Put chicken in large casserole dish with lid with 2 pts water and stock cube.
2. Use MEDIUM cook 10 mins x 450 grams of chicken eg. 1.7kg = 40 mins
3. You can cook chicken with vegetables (not potatoes) add an extra 10 mins
4. Leave to rest for 30 mins and ensure its well cooked.
If you have m/wave oven you can cook roast potatoes:
1. Prepare potatoes as above and place on microwave safe tray or dish.
2. For comination w/wave use jacket potato programme dial in weight.
3. Turn the potatoes over when they begin to brown
4. Without combination cook potatoes on HIGH for 10-15 mins until soft
5. If potatoes are small check them you don’t want them to shrivel.
6. Add a little oil and brown them brown under the grill.
Cost of meal: £2.42
Cost per person: 61p
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Recipe 2 – Cold Chicken, Potatoes and Salad
Feeds 4 adults
Ingredients: £2.28
8 slices of cold chicken breast + 1 chicken leg (£1.68)
4 large potatoes = 1 kg (40p)
Basic salad: (Prices can vary) £1.40
½ Iceberg Lettuce (47p)
Cherry Tomatoes 4 x 3 = 12 (67p)
1/3rd Cucumber (16p)
Red Onion (10p)
1.Cook potato whole in skin = Jacket Potato for one hour in 190 degree oven
With Microwave with pre-programmed cooking, weigh potatoes.
Basic microwave 7 minutes per potato.- squeeze slightly to see if cooked.
2. Slice lettuce in half, and chop into wide strips and cut across those.
3. Slice 1/3 cucumber, add 3 tomatoes to each plate alongside the meat. If adding coleslaw omit the red onion
Optional extras:
Sliced pepper (33p)
Fresh Beetroot (when available)
Boiled egg x 4 (32p)
Tip: Consider substituting an egg for the chicken leg above in order to add to the chicken pieces in the curry tomorrow.
Cost of meal: Chicken salad & half coleslaw portion £3.74
Cost per person: 91p
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Recipe 3 – Savoury & Sweet Pancakes
Feeds: 4 people
Ingredients: 40p
8 ozs of Plain Flour
2 eggs
Milk to mix
Water
Pkt of Lard
Method:
1.In large bowl place flour and break into it two eggs
2. Stir the eggs so yolks are broken and add a little milk
3. Add milk until you have a thick stirring consistency
4. Beat out any lumps
5. Add water until it is looks like a runny soup, leave to stand
6. You may need for thin pancakes to add more water
7. Heat pan with a tiny lump of lard
8. For each pancake use half a cup/third mug of mixture
9. Pour into the frying pan, quickly lift and twist pan to fill it
10.Place on heat, watch the edges going crispy
11.Toss, or turn with spatula to brown the other side.
12.Repeat this process for each pancake.
13.It starts slow, but once pan is hot it takes less than a minute.
Savoury pancakes
1. Mash leftover vegetables and/or cook in small cubes approximately, 4 carrots, parnsips, [potatoes. 1/2 swede and large onion. Mash those with a spice of your choice, eg oregano. chilli, curry. Approx (82p)
2. Add small pieces of meat to the mash and separate into eight portions.
3. Start making the pancakes. Cook one and put one on a plate.
4. While that is cooking add to cooked one the mixture portion, turn in the sides, roll it up and place in a flan style dish.
4. When done, mix crushed or powered garlic with a tin of tomatoes and pour over the eight pancakes when ready. (28p)
5. Grate 200 grams of cheese over the top and put in the oven for 20 minutes, or microwave on LOW and grill to brown the cheese. Serve with peas or green vegetable. (88p)
Tip: The pancake contents are just a suggestion. Maybe substitute for potatoes, rice, with leftover chicken with mushrooms, carrots or peas. Instead of cheese consider a chicken mushroom soup.
Cost of meal: £2.08
Cost per person: 52p
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Recipe 4 – Breaded Fish, potatoes and coleslaw
Feeds 4
Ingredients: £2.67
Packet of 4 fish steaks (£1.99)
Potatos using remaining 500 grams (20p)
Full portions of coleslaw (80p)
Method:
1.Heat oven and cook the fish steaks as packet instructions.
2.Use the remaining potatoes, peel and cut into wedges
3.Cut potatoes into wedges, dip in flour and oil (as did for roasting)
4.Place them in oven with fish steaks
5.Serve with 4 tablespoons coleslaw
Tip 1: Consider adding paprika, or other spices to your flour and oil
Tip 2: Think of orange segments when cutting wedges, slicing to a point
Tip 3: Wedges scan also be cooked in microwave oven.
Combination ovens have pre-programmed jacket potato setting. Weigh potatoes and grill if needed at the end. Basic microwaves cook on HIGH for 10 minutes check cooking, but not shrivelling. Place under grill, turn to brown both sides.
Tip 2: Peas and a grilled medium tomatoes are an alternative, consider adding a slice of lemon on the fish to impress!
Coleslaw recipe:
A cheap nutritious alternative to salad
Ingredients: 80p
1/3rd of White cabbage (15p)
½ bag of carrots (22p)
1 Red Onion (10p)
½ carton of Greek yoghurt, (23p)
3 tbls Salad Cream (SC=10p)
Method:
1.Cut the 1/3 of cabbage in half and slice as thinly as possible into strips.
2.Peel carrots and either grate of keep peeling into slivers
3.Slice red onion in half and again cut as thinly as possible
4.Add half a carton of yoghurt and 3 tablespoons of Salad Cream
5.Mix until all ingredients fully coated.
Optional extras:
Add 50 grams of sultanas (SC)
Cut apple into small cubes (15p)
Tip 1: Store in airtight container. After a couple of days there will be juices at the bottom which are delicious, restir. Or separate off, add yoghurt and use as a salad dressing.
Tip 2: This is so cheap and nutritious you can use it with every salad using half salad ingredients and half portion = 2 tablespoons to every salad dish.
Tip 3: A half portion of coleslaw in a sandwich with a little grated cheese is delicious.
Tip 4: For a lunch time change use pitta bread and fill with coleslaw and tiny lumps of cheese, especially good with apple or sultanas.
Cost of meal: £3.47 with sultanas
Per person: 88p
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Recipe 5 – Spaghetti Bolognese
Feeds 6
Ingredients: £3.64
75 grams Spaghetti per person (36p)
450 grams (1lb) mince (approx. £2.00)
1 Large onion (10p)
4 carrots (20p)
180 grams 6 ozs mushrooms (40p)
Tin of chopped tomatoes (28p)
Tsp Oregano (SC)
Tsp Garlic (SC)
Tsb Lentils (SC)
Squeeze tomato sauce (SC)
75 grams finely grated cheese (30p)
Method:
1. Peel, slice and cook carrots for 10 mins with just enough water to cover them
2 .Put mince and onion in medium saucepan and gently fry together
3. Add oregano, garlic, tomatoes and sauce, stir and simmer for 10 minutes
4. Chop mushrooms and add to pot
5. Mash carrots, add to the pot with their remaining water.
6. When boiling add tablespoon of lentils and stir
7. Leave to simmer for about 25 minutes, stir occasionally.
8. Measure 75grams per person of spaghetti and follow packet instructions
9. Drain spaghetti sprinkle lightly with pepper, stir in a knob of butter/margarine
10.For 4 people separate two portions of mince and freeze or refrigerate.
Serve:
Place meat on top of spaghetti.
Finely grate cheese and sprinkle over the top.
For 6 people use 75 grams. For 4 use only 50 grams.
Tip 1: For four people if you freeze this, you can do the same next time use use the recipe. On the third occasion you can use the 2 x 2 portions with no extra cost as you have used less spaghetti or cheese for four each time.
Tip 2: If you haven’t freezer capacity, put two portions in the fridge. Use within a few days. Heated for lunch on toast, put in Pitta Bread or used adding mashed potato to the mince and make Savoury pancakes for 4. See Recipe 36.
Cost of meal = £3.64 for 6 people
Per person = 61p
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Recipe 6 – Homemade pizza with salad
Feeds 4 people:
Base ingredients: 13p
220 gr (8oz) SR flour (10p),
8 dsp veg/sunflower oil (SC),
8 dsp water,
1 tsp. Oregano. (SC)
Method:
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl so dry, but malleable.
2. Use fingers to gently press over base of 12 inch frying pan.
3. With a smaller pan use half ingredients and make two bases (see below)
4. Cook with a medium heat, cover if possible with lid until pastry has risen.
5. When upper side looks fairly dry, invert plate and turn over.
6. If pastry sticks to plate drop back in pan for a minute or two.
7. If not brown enough on either side use plate to turn base to brown it.
8. Tip on to plate ready to add toppings.
Basic Topping Ingredients: 66p
1 tin of of chopped tomatoes (28p)
1 white onion (8p)
1 clove garlic (SC)
Good squeese of tomato sauce (SC)
60 gr/2 ozs grated cheese (40p)
Method:
1. Mash tomatoes, add garlic, one onion, squeeze of tomato sauce.
2. Cook in pan or microwave until onion soft
3. Add crumbs of cornflake packet to thicken sauce
Total with base for plain pizza: 97p
1. With the base on the plate add topping (13p)
2. Two thirds if only using tomatos (44p)
3. Grate and scatter cheese on top, melt under grill. (40p)
4. Use one third of tomato mix if adding further toppings
5 .Freeze unused portions separately for future occasions
Suggested additional toppings:
Chicken and mushroom (this recipe pictured above) £1.25
1. On base (13p) spread one portion (22p) of tomato mix= (35p)
2. Use chicken scraps, 100 gr(4ozs) cooked sliced mushrooms (50p)
2. Add 60 gms of grated cheese over the top, melt under grill (40p)
Vegetarian: £1.02
1. On base (13p) spread two portions (44p) of tomato mix = (57p)
2. Add ½ chopped green pepper, 100gr sweetcorn & mushrooms (55p)
3. Or make your own choices eg Vegan cheese?
Delicious Fish: Only using Pizza base £1.00 (Wk3: Rec.17)
Ham/Bacon with Fresh Pineapple: £1.10 (Wk 4: Rec. 23)
Kids Sunny Delight: Only using Pizza base £1.08 (Wk 5: Rec.34)
Tip 1: With smaller frying pan, make base ingredients and divide into two, Make a rough 6 inch circle for each pizza. One tomato topping (22p) should cover both, if you want more use two.
Tip 2: Choose you own toppings or add to those already suggested. Ideal for using up leftovers – the motto is never throw anything away.
Serving suggestions: £1.40
1. See Salad Suggestions: Five piece salad
Cost of meal: £2.65
Cost per person: 64p
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Recipe 7 – Yorkshire Pudding with sausages & onions
Otherwise known as “Toad in the Hole”
Feeds 4:
Ingredients: 40p
8 ozs of Plain Flour
3 eggs
Milk to mix
Water
Lard
Method:
1 In large bowl/jug if possible place flour and break in two eggs
2.Stir in and add milk until a thick consistency
3.Beat our any lumps
4.While that is standing
5, Prepare and if not cut up prick sausages ready for cooking.
6. Heat oven to 220 degrees C (425F)
7. This can be cooked in several ways:
(a) Mince pies/muffin/style tins with 12 sections 8 sausages cut into thirds, 2/3rds of a sausage in each section.
(b) Large tin or dish where 12 sausages will lay down flat in the bottom
(c) Victoria sponge style tins (which is the Yorkshire way) with 2 or 3 sausages laid in each tin.
Add Sausages: 12 for £1.79
7. Put sausages in chosen dish with a little lard and melt in over for a minute
8. Remove from oven place on heat proof surface and pour over mixture
9. Return immediately over for 20 minutes when risen and browned
Prepare:
1, Slice two onions and in a little water cook until soft. (20p)
2. Chop up cabbage ready to boil 5 mins before puddings are cooked. (45p)
3.With slated spoon remove onions into a gravy jug, add water to boil cabbage
4. In jug over onions add (preferably onion) gravy granules for average gravy
5. When cabbage cooked, pour water over granules enough for four people.
6. Remove puddings, put portions on plates, and with slated spoon add onions
7. If used sponge tins the yorkshire way put onions in centre of pudding.
8. Drain cabbage add to plate, pour remainder of gravy over the onions.
9. Serve at once.
Tip 1: If you don’t want gravy, fry onions, serve with vegetable or baked beans.
Tip 2: A sweet Yorkshire pudding mixture is nice as a supper dish, mix as above but add four teaspoons of sugar. Using the same tins, heat a little lard in each one, when sizzling pour on mixture and scatter a handful of sultanas over each one. Cook as before, when ready, each individual pudding will fill, just pull it apart. Crunchy on outside, soft in the middle. An old family recipe made by my mother when I was young. Ideal when TV watching! Each pudding cost is about 15p.
Cost of meal: £2.84
Cost per person: 71p