Cheap Meals, on a really Tight Budget

Chocolate Rough cupcakes

2009-05-24T16:44:00.000-07:00

We had guests over yesterday, and we were talking about everything. One of the things that came up, was being unable to find a decent chocolate muffin recipe that used cooking oil, and not butter. (Like the packet stuff you buy at the supermarket and add oil and an egg to make up...) So the wheels began to turn...

3 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
250 ml of cooking oil
1 cup coconut
2 Tablespoons of cocoa
3 teaspoons baking powder
100 ml of water

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sift the flour and baking powder, and cocoa together. Add remaining ingredients, and mix with an egg beater for 3 minutes.
Drop tablespoonfuls into muffin trays, lined with patty cases.
Bake for 12 - 15 minutes, until a skewer inserted, comes out clean. Cool on a rack.
Nice on their own, but may be iced with chocolate frosting.

Made these last night, and the kids love them, and I think they are very good, too.

Manipulated Scones

2009-05-24T16:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, the first, is a really great recipe for light, fluffy scones. My Aunty and I were told how to make them, from a lovely Maori woman, whom was the Aunty of one of the farm hands'. They work everytime!

Aunty's Scones:

3 cups of flour
4 1/2 - 5 teaspoons of Baking Powder (I use 5)
a pinch of salt
about 100grams of butter or 1/2 cup of grated cheese (This is the necessary 'fat')
enough chilled water, to make a 'wet' dough (about 1 1/2 cups)

Pre heat oven to 235 degrees Celsius (450 degrees Fahrenheit)

Into a large bowl, sift the flour, salt and baking powder together. Crumble in the butter (I use a beater or mixer or blender) or stir through the grated cheese. Using a knife, stir in the first cup of chilled water. Before you totally mix it dry, add some more water, a little at a time, until the mix is glossy and can still form together. You don't want a pastry consistency or the scones will resemble door-stops! You want it to be, when you touch the dough with your finger, the dough sticks to it, but releases when you draw your finger away. (Will add a photo later)

On a floured bench or board, drop the dough and sprinkle with flour. Pat out, into a squarish shape, then cut into squares. Place onto an un-greased baking sheet, reasonably close together. If they are to be cheese scones, sprinkle with more grated cheese, and dust with paprika or pepper.

Bake for about 12 - 15 minutes, in the middle of the oven. They will be golden when ready. Serve with your favourite toppings, or use to mop up the gravy and sauces.

Manipulated Scones:

Out of necessity, I manipulate recipes - usually because we are so broke, that making a silk purse out of a sows ear, is important for your sanity! Anyway, we have run out of easy prepare food, and have most of our staples' left (but these are dangerously low) and I wanted to save the sliced bread for lunches. We have nearly run out of Margarine, but we still have cooking oil. So the wheels begin to turn....

3 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
4 Tablespoons of cooking oil
enough chilled water, to make a 'wet' dough (about 1 1/2 cups)

Pre heat oven to 235 degrees Celsius (450 degrees Fahrenheit)
Into a large bowl, sift the flour, salt and baking powder together. Using a knife, stir in the cooking oil, then the first cup of chilled water. Before you totally mix it dry, add some more water, a little at a time, until the mix is glossy and can still form together. You don't want a pastry consistency or the scones will resemble door-stops! You want it to be, when you touch the dough with your finger, the dough sticks to it, but releases when you draw your finger away.

On a floured bench or board, drop the dough and sprinkle with flour. Pat out, into a squarish shape, then cut into squares. Place onto an un-greased baking sheet, reasonably close together.

Bake for about 12 - 15 minutes, in the middle of the oven. They will be golden when ready. Serve with your favourite toppings, or use to mop up the gravy and sauces.

So, I made these ones last night, and they are really, really good. I will make these again!

Corn Fritters

2009-05-23T03:16:00.000-07:00

325g can Sweetcorn
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
3 Tablespoons flour
Pinch of salt
1 onion - finely diced
2 cloves garlic - crushed (optional)
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder (optional)
1 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
4 spring onions, chopped (optional)

Mix together all the ingredients, except for the oil. Mix well.

In a fry pan, heat oil. Drop spoonfuls of batter into the fry pan. When bubbles form on top of each fritter, turn them over with a fish slice, and brown the other side. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Drain on kitchen paper, and then serve while they are still hot.

Really nice served with veges, and potatoes; with steak and a salad; at a barbecue.

Rice Risotto

2009-05-23T02:52:00.000-07:00

Feeds 4 hungry people.

2 Tablespoons of cooking oil
1 1/2 cups of rice (long or short/medium grain)
1 onion, finely diced
2 Tablespoons of stock powder
6-8 cups of boiling water
whatever veges you fancy - cut small
meat or chicken or leftovers (optional)
grated cheese (optional)

Combine the stock powder and the boiling water in a large bowl or jug, and set aside while you prepare the rice.
In a large fry pan, wok, or roasting pan and on a medium to high heat, heat oil. Add the rice, and stir with a wooden spatula for 2 mins. Add the finely diced onion, and stir for a further 2 mins. Lower heat to medium heat. Using a ladle, spoon the stock liquid, one spoon at a time - stirring until absorbed by the rice, after each ladle full. When you have slowly added and the rice has absorbed half of the liquid, add the remaining liquid, stir through, then cover and simmer for 20 mins. Add the veges (and cooked meat). Simmer, covered for a further 5 mins. Taste-test the rice for doneness. Serve with grated cheese sprinkled on top if desired.

Flour Tortillas

2009-05-23T02:43:00.000-07:00

makes about 4 tortillas.

1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water

Put flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the middle for the water. Mix ingredients together for 1 min with a fork or spoon. Then dust your hands with flour, then knead the dough into 4 equal balls. On a floured surface, roll out each ball into very thin circles. Dry fry each tortilla on a medium heat, until brown on each side.

Serve with mince and salad, with grated cheese - for a soft taco.
Or with a stir-fry filling, for fajitas.
Or use instead of bread to mop up the gravy/sauce of dinner.

Pasta - from scratch

2009-05-23T01:55:00.000-07:00

3 eggs
2 cups flour - sifted
2 desert spoons of cooking oil
Pinch of salt
a little water, if too dry

Squish together all the ingredients, except for the water. It should form, like a nice short pastry. If it doesn't, add water - drop by drop, until it does.

Wrap in cling film, and refrigerate/ chill until needed.

Roll out and shape on a floured board. Roll out quite thin, and slice into tagliatelli, or squares that can be filled with last nights' leftovers, or used as lasagne sheets.

To cook:

Fill a large pot (about 3 litre capacity) with water and 2 teaspoons of salt, and bring to a rolling boil. Cook the pasta in the water - uncovered, for about 6-8 mins. The pasta will now appear to be a creamy yellow colour. Serve with your favourite sauce.

Staples for your kitchen

2009-05-23T01:10:00.000-07:00

The worst part about planning a meal, besides having the inclination to do so - is missing a simple ingredient, and not having the money to go and buy it from the store. But if you keep 'staples' in the cupboard, then you can win this battle!

Staples:
flour; sugar; cooking oil - buy these in bulk, because it is cheaper to do so.
salt
rice
eggs
cocoa
fat/butter/margarine/cheese
oatmeal (rolled oats)
pasta
peanut butter
milk powder
baking powder
dry active yeast
Stock powder
mixed, dried herbs

If you keep these in your cupboard, then you will always have food at your fingertips. It is also a good idea to start that vegetable garden. You will be amazed what you can get for free, that will enrich your garden. ie/ some horse owners, that rent paddocks, will only be too happy to have someone cart away the manure. You just have to keep your eyes open. And keep your seeds. Pumpkin, apples, pears, plums, peaches, citrus etc... you could even establish some plants from cuttings. You don't need a lot of space - you don't even need the garden - tubs and buckets are great for gardening!

Collect recipes, too.