1 The budget brunch: Guacamole bread: 76p a head (pictured above)
This recipe uses cheap storecupboard staples brightened up with a few fresh ingredients to make a special brunch dish you can enjoy with friends, or live off for days. This is a lighter version of cornbread made with polenta – it’s great served with fried eggs and chilli sauce.
Rosie Birkett, food writer and stylist
Serves 6 (total £4.58)
120g polenta (30p)
1 tsp sea salt (1p)
1 tsp muscovado sugar (1p)
½ tsp baking powder (2p)
A pinch of cayenne pepper (1p)
A pinch of ground cumin (1p)
A pinch of hot smoked paprika (1p)
¼ tsp chilli flakes (5p)
4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra (36p)
A large handful of coriander leaves (26p)
1 garlic clove, peeled (3p)
30g butter, melted and cooled (10p)
100ml whole milk (8p)
Juice of 1 lime (35p)
7 eggs, one beaten (98p)
2 large, ripe avocados, 1 cut into small cubes, 1 sliced (88p)
1 red onion, ½ diced and ½ sliced (22p)
1 beef tomato, diced (80p)
Chilli sauce (10p)
1 Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Grease an ovenproof dish and pop it in the oven until hot.
2 Put the polenta, salt, sugar, baking powder, spices and chilli flakes in a bowl and mix to combine.
3 Blitz the oil with the coriander and garlic or pound in a pestle and mortar.
4 In a separate bowl, whisk together the coriander-garlic oil, butter, milk, lime juice and egg. Pour the liquid ingredients into the polenta mixture and stir. Fold through the cubed avocado, diced red onion and tomato. Add a little water if you need to: you want quite a wet mix.
5 Remove the hot dish from the oven and pour the mixture in, topping with the sliced avocado and sliced onion.
6 Turn the oven down to 200C/400F/gas mark 6 and bake for 20–25 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove and leave to cool.
7 Fry 4–6 eggs and serve with the bread and chilli sauce.
2 The weeknight supper: Fennel pasta bake with lemony breadcrumbs: £1.68 a head
This is a lighter, fresher take on macaroni cheese, with two of your five-a-day thrown into the mix. We serve it with a green salad on the side, which is included in the budget.
Sophie Missing and Caroline Craig, Cook columnists and food writers
Serves 4 (total £6.73)
500g penne (85p)
2 tbsp olive oil (19p)
1 fennel bulb, sliced (92p)
200g cheddar, grated (£2)
100ml half-fat creme fraiche (28p)
1 tbsp dijon mustard (7p)
335g cherry tomatoes, halved (90p)
Salt and black pepper (2p)
For the breadcrumb topping
2 tbsp olive oil (19p)
100g white breadcrumbs (5p)
Zest of 1 lemon (35p)
For the salad
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (9p)
1 tsp dijon mustard (2p)
2 little gem lettuce (80p)
1 First make the breadcrumbs. Put the oil in a small pan over a medium heat. Fry the breadcrumbs until golden. Add the lemon zest, some salt and fry for a minute more. Remove from the heat.
2 Bring a pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta and cook for 2 minutes less than the recommended time. Drain, reserving some cooking water.
3 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Put the oil in a saucepan large enough to hold the cooked pasta. Fry the sliced fennel over a medium heat until soft and starting to brown. Add the creme fraiche and reduce the heat. When the creme fraiche is warm, add the grated cheese, leave to melt, and combine. Add the mustard and the tomatoes and stir again. Add the cooked pasta along with a splash or two of its cooking water (you want it pretty saucy) and mix until combined. Season to taste.
4 Spoon into a roasting dish and top with the lemony breadcrumbs. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
5 Meanwhile, put a little lemon juice, oil, mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper into a jam jar and shake to combine. Pour it over the lettuce leaves just after you’ve taken the pasta from the oven. Serve both immediately.
3 The super soup: Watercress, butternut squash and ginger soup: £1.58 a head
In winter, this soup hits the spot. The sweetness of the squash, the warmth of the ginger and the peppery watercress combine to make it the edible equivalent of a hot water bottle. If you have celeriac or swede lurking in the fridge, you could substitute them for the squash.
Oliver Rowe, food writer and stylist
Makes 4 helpings (total £6.10)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (28p)
2 onions, diced (36p)
4cm ginger, chopped (9p)
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves only (10p)
1 bay leaf (4p)
2 carrots, diced (22p)
3 celery sticks, diced (30p)
2 garlic cloves, chopped (6p)
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and roughly diced (£1.39)
1 litre chicken/vegetable stock (27p)
½ savoy cabbage, shredded (40p)
200g watercress (£2.50)
4 tsp creme fraiche, sour cream or double cream (optional) (7p)
Salt and black pepper (2p)
1 Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Fry the onions, ginger, thyme and bay for 2 minutes with a pinch of salt over a medium heat. Add the carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, cook for 2 more minutes, then add the butternut squash. Cook for 2 minutes then add the stock.
2 Keep at a gentle simmer for 10 minutes, or until the butternut squash is starting to soften, then add the cabbage and simmer for another 3-4 minutes. Add the watercress, return to a simmer and cook for another minute.
3 Remove from the heat, take out the bay leaf and blitz until smooth, adding an extra splash of olive oil for silkiness and more stock, water or milk to thin if needed. Season with salt and pepper.
4 Top each bowl with a dollop of creme fraiche.
4 The weekend roast: Roast ham hock, swede and potato boulangère, buttered parsnips, parsley sauce: £1.49 a head
The best way to deal with cooking green (unsmoked) ham hocks is to slow-cook them overnight – it’s a fantastic smell to wake up to. I like to sneak a few small pieces of the rich meat into a pan with some fried eggs for breakfast, which is a way of making this cheap meal go even further.
Alex Bluett, chef and food writer
Serves 6 (total £8.99)
2 whole ham hocks (£5 from a butcher)
5 garlic cloves (15p)
2 white onions (36p)
Half a bunch of parsley (40p)
Half a swede, peeled (40p)
1kg baby potatoes, peeled (£1)
2 tbsp dijon mustard (14p)
2 tbsp brown sugar (10p)
1 tsp cumin (16p)
2 tbsp rapeseed oil (7p)
8 parsnips (£1)
50g butter (17p)
1 tbsp flour (2p)
Salt and black pepper (2p)
1 To prepare the hock, soak it in cold water for 4-5 hours before cooking. Change the water 4 times to remove excess salt. Put the hocks in a slow cooker before bedtime and pour over enough boiling water to just cover them. Add 2 of the garlic cloves, 1 white onion (halved) and the stalks from the parsley. Cover with the lid and leave until morning (about 8 hours). If you don’t have a slow cooker, the same result can be achieved in a very low oven, but make sure the lid is on tight so the stock doesn’t evaporate.
2 The next morning the hocks should be well cooked and falling off the bone. Remove them from the stock, put in a bowl and allow to cool so you can handle them. Pass the remaining stock through a sieve and reserve.
3 Once the hocks are cool, separate out the meat: hold the hock in one hand, pull all the bones out with the other, then gently release the meat from the skin and fat. Put the meat on a tray and put in the fridge to firm up a little.
4 To prepare the boulangère, with a mandolin or very sharp knife, slice the swede, potato and onion as thinly as possible. Finely chop the remaining 3 garlic cloves. Place all into a large bowl and add 500ml of the reserved pork stock. Give it a good mix and add a few grinds of black pepper.
5 In a 20x30cm deep roasting tray, evenly layer the mix into it, pouring over any juices left in the bowl.
6 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Roast the boulangère for 75 minutes.
7 Mix the dijon, sugar, cumin and rapeseed oil into a dressing and carefully coat the ham hock. Place on a baking tray and roast for 45 minutes.
8 While the boulangère and hock are cooking, prepare the parsnips and sauce. Cut the parsnips in half lengthways and blanche in boiling salted water for 8-9 minutes, or until just tender. Remove from the water and put cut-side down in a frying pan with half of the butter. Colour the parsnips on a low-medium heat.
9 For the sauce, put the remaining 25g of butter in a small pan and heat until just past foaming and releasing a nutty aroma. Add the flour, mix a little to cook it, then add 300ml of the reserved ham stock. Simmer to reduce and thicken a little. Chop the parsley finely, add to the sauce, and season.
10 Serve the boulangère and ham hock with the parsnips and sauce.
5 The family meal: Agrodolce sausage, squash and crispy sage tray bake: £1.28 a head
Sausages are a no brainer for low cost cooking and few can deny their tasty charms. If you’ve exhausted your normal repertoire of mash/gravy or pasta ragu then try this Italian-inspired tray bake. Golden roasted squash, a drizzle of vinegary syrup and crispy sage transform them from the everyday practical to downright sexy.
Jennifer Joyce, food writer and stylist
Serves 4-6 (total £7.70)
1 butternut squash (£1.39)
2 red peppers (£1.20)
3 red onions (66p)
8 pork sausages (£3.33)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (19p)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar (8p)
2 tbsp honey (11p)
2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly (6p)
15g fresh sage (60p)
1 tsp red chilli flakes, crushed (8p)
1 Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Use one large baking tray or two smaller ones. It’s important when making tray bakes to give the meat and vegetables space so they brown instead of steam.
2 Peel the squash, seed and cut into 4cm pieces. Trim, core and chop the red peppers into the same size. Peel the onions and cut into thick slices.
3 Put the veg and sausages on a tray. Drizzle with the oil and season well. Roast for 25 minutes and then remove from the oven. Sprinkle the vinegar, honey, garlic, sage leaves and chilli flakes and turn over with a spatula. Bake for another 6 minutes until sticky and golden. Serve immediately.
6 The party bites: Polpette di tonno: 24p a patty
Not unlike other meatball and croquette concoctions, this quintessentially Venetian cicchetto is all about transforming humble, inexpensive ingredients (stale bread, potato and tuna) into morsels that are far more tempting than the sum of their parts.
Valeria Necchio, food writer
Makes 18 (total £4.25)
300g floury potatoes (24p)
60g crustless white bread (3p)
60ml whole milk (5p)
200g tuna in oil, drained weight (£1.25)
2 tbsp parsley, chopped (36p)
1 large egg (23p)
25g anchovy fillets, chopped (83p)
80g breadcrumbs (4p)
Salt (2p)
Sunflower oil, for frying (£1.20)
1 Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water. Drain and cool slightly before peeling and mashing them with a fork.
2 Soak the bread in milk and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Squeeze out any excess liquid, then add to the potatoes and stir to combine.
3 Drain the tuna and flake it with a fork. Add to the mash together with the parsley, egg, anchovies, ¾ of the breadcrumbs and some salt. Stir until you have an even mixture. You can do this in a food processor or blender for a smoother result if you so wish. Rough is nice, too.
4 Grab a large spoonful of mixture and shape it into a patty. Roll it in breadcrumbs and put it on a tray lined with parchment. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
5. Three-quarter fill a medium, high-edged frying pan with oil and put it on a medium-high heat. When it reaches 180C/350F, drop in a first batch of polpette and fry until deep golden, turning them to cook evenly. Drain with a slotted spoon and lay on kitchen paper. Repeat with the rest of the patties. Serve hot, sprinkled with salt.
7 The dinner for two: Egg, coconut and tamarind curry with cucumber and peanut salad: £1.80 a head
Many Keralans are lucky enough to have coconuts growing in their gardens. My friend Kirthi is one such person. Here is an incredibly thrifty meal that he prepared for me using ingredients almost entirely from his and his neighbours’ gardens. While our gardens may not be as luscious or tropical, only a handful of change and half an hour are needed to re-create a small slice of fresh, vibrant Kerala for lunch or dinner. When preparing this meal, I make the cucumber salad first, leaving all the flavours to get to know each other before getting the egg curry started. These two dishes are best served with some aromatic, hot basmati rice.
Meera Sodha, food writer
Serves 2 (total £3.60)
For the salad
30g peanuts, roasted, unsalted (20p)
1 cucumber, about 350g (45p)
2 tbsp fresh or desiccated coconut (22p)
½ green chilli, finely chopped (10p)
1 tsp salt (1p)
1 tbsp sugar (1p)
1 tbsp lemon juice (12p)
For the curry
3 tbsp rapeseed oil (11p)
2 red onions, finely sliced (44p)
4 eggs (64p)
4 garlic cloves, crushed (12p)
1 tsp tamarind paste (4p)
¾ level tsp chilli powder (10p)
½ tsp sugar (1p)
1 tsp salt (1p)
√ tsp ground turmeric (4p)
300ml coconut milk mixed with 100ml water (98p)
1 First make the salad. Coarsely grind the peanuts in a pestle and mortar and leave to one side.
2 Top and tail the cucumber, quarter lengthways, cut into 1cm slices then transfer to a serving bowl. To it add the coconut, chilli, salt, sugar and lemon juice. Stir to mix. It should be sweet, hot and sour all at once.
3 Adjust as you wish and fold in the crushed roasted peanuts. Set aside.
4 Now make the curry. Put the oil into a large, deep-sided frying pan on a medium heat and when it’s hot, add the onions. Fry them for 15 minutes or until caramelised.
5 While the onions are cooking, put the eggs into a large saucepan, cover generously with water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and set a timer for exactly 6 minutes, for just-set hard-boiled eggs.
6 Add the garlic to the onions, stir well and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the tamarind paste, chilli powder, sugar, salt and turmeric, fry for a minute, then pour in the diluted coconut milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.
7 When the eggs have finished boiling, plunge them into cold water for a couple of minutes, then peel them and fold them into the coconut sauce, then take the pan off the heat.
8 The healthy dinner: chicken, chickpea and saffron stew: £1.38 a head
Using saffron in a budget recipe might sound crazy, but you will need just a quarter of the box and it will add a hint of luxury without breaking the bank. If you don’t like saffron, instead add a teaspoon of ground coriander when you sweat the vegetables. Don’t use an expensive chicken; find a boiling chicken, a tough old bird that produces the best-tasting bouillon in the world. Or ask your butcher for some (free) chicken carcasses or beef bones, with a little meat still clinging to them. This soup can feed a family of four or freezes beautifully and makes for a quick and delicious meal when you are short of time. The addition of garlicky vinegar is is in the vein of central Asian traditions, and it really works.
Olia Hercules, food writer and stylist
Serves 4 (total £5.50)
1 boiling chicken (£3 from the butcher)
2 onions, 1 whole, 1 diced (36p)
2 whole cloves (1p)
2 large potatoes, peeled (50p)
2 celery sticks, diced (20p)
1 carrot, grated (11p)
A small pinch of saffron (25p)
400g tin chickpeas (60p)
1 garlic clove (3p)
4 tbsp cider vinegar (17p)
20g coriander, chopped (25p)
Salt and black pepper (2p)
1 Put the chicken and a whole onion studded with cloves into a pot with 2 litres of cold water. Add a good pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Take off the scum with a spoon when it boils and turn down the heat to the lowest setting. Cook for 1½ hours or until the meat starts falling off the bone.
2 Add the whole potatoes to the stock.
3 Take a little fat off the top of the stock and put it in a medium frying pan. Add the diced onion and celery, and cook slowly until translucent. Add the carrots and cook for another 5 minutes, then the chickpeas and a little salt and pepper. Add the veg to the stock.
4 Grind the saffron with some salt in a pestle and mortar, add a little of the stock, then pour it back into the pot.
5 Grate the garlic and mix with the vinegar. Divide the potatoes between bowls and crush lightly. Add some broth, chicken and vegetables and sprinkle with coriander. Add some garlicky vinegar for an extra kick.
9 The gluten-free teatime treat: Lemon and thyme shortbreads: 9p a piece
Gluten-free baking needn’t break the bank. Using gram (chickpea) flour to make biscuits is much thriftier than buying a gluten-free flour or baking with ground nuts.
Eve O’Sullivan, Cook columnist and author
Makes 20-25 (total £2.16)
225g butter (77p)
125g caster sugar, plus extra (23p)
2 sprigs thyme, leaves only, chopped (10p)
Zest of 2 lemons (70p)
200g gram (chickpea) flour (35p)
A pinch of salt (1p)
1 With an electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy – around 2-3 minutes. Add the thyme leaves and lemon zest, and mix well.
2 Add the gram flour and salt, mix to incorporate, then knead with your hands for a couple of minutes, until you have a firm dough. Shape into a log, wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
3 Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3. Line a couple of baking trays with greaseproof paper.
4 Slice the log into discs around 5mm thick, put on the trays with plenty of space between each biscuit, scatter with a little extra sugar then bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown. Let them sit on the trays to firm up for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 The showstopper: Sicilian sardines: £1.99 a head
It isn’t easy to find a dinner-party-worthy centrepiece for under £2 a head, but these beautiful sweet, sour and savoury sardines rise to the challenge.
Anna Tobias, Rochelle Canteen
Serves 6 (total £11.97)
12 sardines, butterflied with tail on (£6)
2 bulbs of fennel (£1.84)
1 lemon (35p)
100g breadcrumbs (5p)
A handful of parsley (30p)
Salt and black pepper (2p)
For the sauce
30g sultanas (5p)
30g pine nuts (83p)
3 red onions (66p)
165ml olive oil (86p)
1 garlic clove (3p)
100ml white wine (88p)
45ml red wine vinegar (10p)
1 Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3.
2 Start by making the red onion sauce. Soak the sultanas in a teacup of boiling water. Toast the pine nuts in the oven for 10 minutes until golden brown.
3 Slice the red onions very thinly and fry them gently in 60ml of the olive oil for 10 minutes. Then thinly slice the garlic, add to the onions and sweat for another 10 minutes. Add half the sultanas and half the pine nuts, the white wine and vinegar, and cook for 5 minutes.
4 Now make the stuffing. Remove any fennel fronds from the bulbs and roughly chop. Chop half of one fennel bulb and sweat in 15ml olive oil until soft. Allow to cool. Zest the lemon. Mix the fennel, half the fennel fronds, lemon zest, breadcrumbs and the remaining pine nuts and sultanas together. Add 30ml olive oil, the juice of half the lemon and season.
5 Turn up the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. To stuff the sardines, lay the fillets skin-side down on a board and lightly season. Place a teaspoon of filling at the head end and roll towards the tail. Secure with a co*cktail stick. If some of the filling has fallen out during the rolling process, then pack it in from the sides.
6 Put the onion sauce into a baking dish and put the sardine rolls on top so that the tails are sticking up at a jaunty angle. Bake for 10 minutes.
7 Meanwhile, make the salad. Slice the remaining fennel using a mandolin or sharp knife across the whole bulb so you get a beautiful cross-section. Pick the parsley leaves and use whole.
8 Dress with the remaining half lemon, 60ml olive oil, salt and pepper.
9 When the sardines are cooked, sprinkle the remaining fennel fronds on top and serve with the salad.
