Clever Coleslaw

One of the easiest ways to get one of your 'five a day' is to add a big dollop of coleslaw to the side of your plate. What could be better than shredded white cabbage, thinly sliced onion and grated carrot, all mixed together with mayonnaise and a little salt and pepper? And how many of you buy your coleslaw in little plastic tubs from your local supermarket?

Well one thing that IS better, is homemade coleslaw. I will usually make up a large bowl of coleslaw every few days, and keep it in a sealed tub in the fridge. And as you've probably gathered from my previous recipes - I don't make it in the traditional way.

Every time I make coleslaw, I use different ingredients. I tend to use whatever vegetables are seasonal and/or on special offer...

1. Grated root vegetables - a handful each of two or three of:

• Carrot
• Swede
• Beetroot
• Celeriac
• Parsnip
• Radish

2. Thinly sliced - a couple of handfuls of:

• Onion
• Red onion
• Shallots
• Spring onions
• Leeks
• Peppers

3. Finely shredded leaves - a couple of handfuls of:

• White cabbage
• Red cabbage
• Savoy cabbage
• Kale
• Spinach

4. This should all be mixed with a dressing - again, I like to differ from plain mayonnaise. Instead I use a mixture of:

• Salad cream
• Plain natural yoghurt
• Cream cheese
• If the dressing is too thick, thin it with a drop of olive oil and milk

5. Seasoning - as well as salt and pepper, consider adding in any of the following spices according to taste:

• Garam masala
• Cumin
• Coriander
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Mustard
• Chilli powder

6. For a bit of variety, try adding:

• Grated apple and/or pear
• Grated cheese (Cheddar or Red Leicester work well)
• Pumpkin seeds 
• Finely chopped chillies

To make a large bowl to last three or four days will take about 10-15 minutes. Cost will vary according to the ingredients you use.

Sweet 'n' Sour Tuna

I love the combined flavours of sweet and sour, but am not a fan of the thick red gloop that comes from the local takeaway. This sauce is much lighter, and the flavour can be adjusted to suit your own family. I have used the 'M'Savers range from Morrisons because that is my local supermarket, but the value ranges at other supermarkets work just as well.

Ingredients

• Vegetable Oil (spray)
• Jar of Sweet and Sour Sauce ('M'Savers around 30p)
• Tin of Tuna Chunks ('M'Savers)
• Tin Pinapple Chunks ('M'Savers)
• 1 Large Onion
• 1 Red Pepper
• 1 Stick Celery
• 1 Large Carrot
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• Chilli Powder
• Soy Sauce
• Tomato Ketchup
• Salt and Pepper

Total cost is around £3.50 when served with rice - This recipe will make about six adult portions (obviously child portions will be smaller)


Method

1. Chop the onion, pepper, celery and garlic, and grate the carrot.
2. Heat a large non-stick pan and spray with oil.
3. Gently fry the vegetables on a low heat until softened.
4. Drain the tins of pineapple and tuna and stir in with the vegetables.
5. Add the jar of sauce and rinsing the jar with the liquid from the tuna and pineapple.
6. Bring to the boil and gently simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Add a good squirt of ketchup.
8. Add 1/2 teaspoon of chilli powder and a dash of soy sauce.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste.
10. Serve with pasta, rice, noodles, oven chips, or crusty bread.

Leftovers - If you have leftovers, these should be portioned up and can be refrigerated or frozen to use another time. To reheat from refrigerated microwave on full power for about 4 minutes, stirring halfway (750W); If frozen, refrigerate until defrosted.


Variations - Experiment with varying amounts of chilli powder and soy sauce according to taste. If you prefer it a little sweeter, add honey or brown sugar. The sauce can be made without the tuna, to add to diced pork or chicken, or for a vegetarian option add other vegetables.

Super Bolognese

For tea today, I will be making one of my favourite meals - Bolognese. I always make a large amount and have one portion for tea, and freeze the rest. At the risk of teaching Grandma to suck eggs, here is my recipe:-

Ingredients

• 800g Minced Beef ('M'Savers at Morrisons £2.40)
• Vegetable Oil (spray)
• Jar of Pasta Sauce ('M'Savers 39p)
• Tin of Chopped Tomatoes
• 1 Large Onion
• 1 Red Pepper
• 1 Stick Celery
• 1 Large Carrot
• 1 Clove Garlic
• 1 Beef Stock Cube
• Dried Herbs and Spices (See note below)
• Salt and Pepper

Total cost is around £4 when served with pasta - This recipe will make about six adult portions (obviously child portions will be smaller)


Method

1. Chop the onion, pepper, celery and garlic, and grate the carrot.
2. Heat a large non-stick pan and spray with oil.
3. Gently fry the vegetables on a low heat until softened.
4. Pour in the jar of sauce and tin of tomatoes. Rinse the jar and tin with a little water and add to the mix.
5. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, stir in the stock cube, herbs and spices then remove from the heat and set to one side.
6. In a frying pan brown off the mince in small batches. Drain the fat from each batch then stir into the sauce.
7. Once all the mince has been added, put the sauce back on the heat and bring back to the boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Serve with pasta, rice, oven chips, or crusty bread.

 Herbs and Spices - I always have a range of dried herbs and spices in the cupboard. For this recipe I will usually add about 1/2 teaspoon each of parsley, oregano, basil, mustard powder, garam masala and cinnamon. You should experiment until you find a taste YOU enjoy.


Leftovers - If you have leftovers, these should be portioned up and can be refrigerated or frozen to use another time. To reheat from refrigerated microwave on full power for about 4 minutes, stirring halfway (750W); If frozen, refrigerate until defrosted.


Variations - By adding chopped chillies, chilli powder and replacing the tomatoes with drained kidney beans, you have a great chunky chilli. This bolognese also works well in wraps with shredded lettuce and grated cheese. For a vegetarian meal, use Quorn.

Word on the street

During the ten years I worked in School teaching ICT, and now as a student with the OU, one of the questions I have been asked a lot is, "Should I buy Microsoft Office?"

My reply was usually along the lines of, "If you have a friend or colleague who has bought it for their computer; or if the company you work for uses it on their computers; ask if you can borrow it to install on yours. If not - only buy it if you like to throw money away."

Many people automatically assume that because Microsoft Office is expensive, and the market leader, that it must be the best. Well it IS an excellent product... but there are other packages out there that are fully compatible, with all the same features - and best of all they are FREE!!!

My favourite, and the one I recommend here, is Open Office (download here) which features word processor, spreadsheet, database, presentation and drawing programmes. All of these will open files saved using other office programmes and also allow you to save them in other formats which are compatible.

Admittedly, the toolbars are quite 'old school' compared to the latest versions of Microsoft's products, using the old style toolbars, but if they do the same job then why pay?

Stock the cupboards

If you want to have truly cheap meals, whenever you want, you need to start stocking up. I don't mean go out and buy twenty tins of beans, a dozen loaves and a sack of potatoes (unless you plan to just eat beans on toast and chips for the rest of your life). 
  
No... I mean every time you go shopping, spend a little bit extra on one of the 'store cupboard essentials'. How much you spend will depend on how much you have available. I usually spend about a pound more than I was going to do. If one of the essentials is £2, I'll put the cash to one side and buy it next time. Of course, if you do happen to have a bit extra then spend what you can.
  
I always try to have the following items in my kitchen cupboards:-

• Salt & Pepper - I prefer sea-salt and whole black pepper in grinders, but cheap table salt and ground pepper is fine.
• Herbs & Spices - I have a pile of sealed plastic tubs to keep them in, and usually buy them loose on an Asian market stall.
• Dried Pasta - I only ever go for the cheap stuff as once it's cooked in a sauce, it's no different to the expensive stuff.
• Rice - Again, the cheap stuff is just as good.
• Lentils or other Pulses
• Jars of Sauces
• Tinned Tomatoes - Chopped and/or plum.
• Baked Beans - Supermarket value brands are just as good.
• Frozen Veg - Cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, sweetcorn, sliced peppers, mushrooms, peas and anything else you fancy.
• Potatoes
• Bread - This can be kept in the freezer and just take out what you need. Butter a couple of slices for a sandwich and they should be defrosted in just a few minutes.
• Spreads & Oil - I pour oil into a spray bottle for frying.
• Jam, Peanut Butter & Marmalade
• Cheese Spread & Cheese Slices
• Flour - Plain and Self-Raising
• Sugar
• Tea, Coffee & Cocoa - Even if you don't drink them yourself, you should keep tea and coffee in case of visitors.
• Orange Squash - Or Blackcurrant if preferred.
• Eggs - If you're an ethical shopper then choose 'free range', and always get the best you can afford.
• Cheese - I tend to buy plain mild cheddar for basic cooking. For sandwiches and specific recipes buy the best and strongest you can afford.

Just with these items, you should be able to eat comfortably until pay day comes around, especially if you visit family friends a few times as well (if you arrive just before meal-times they may ask you to join them). This is MY list of essentials, but you may have others.
 

I also check the 'price cut' shelves in the bread section and the fresh food refrigerators. Here you can often find items greatly reduced due to a very short date, however almost ALL bread and fresh products can be frozen. This is a great way to stock up on meats. If you time your visit right, you can get some fantastic bargains (I once got four loaves at 1p each and a pound of fresh mince for 20p). Each store will reduce their prices at different times of the day, so knowing when to go may be a case of trial and error (or make some good friends who work there). 
 
With a little preparation BEFORE you have no money, and a little imagination when preparing your meals, there is no reason why you should EVER be unable to make a meal.