#mealplan1

[budgetwithbella]

Spicy White Fish Pilaf 

A cheaper twist on Asda’s recipe 

2 Frozen white fish Fillets

Oil

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

3-4 level tsp Mild Curry Powder (cumin and Graham Masala will also work) 

 rice

Two handfuls of chopped spring greens 

handful of frozen peas

half a lemon

Pre-heat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Put the fillets in a small roasting tin with 3 tbsp water, cook for 20-25 minutes 

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion until it's soft and starting to turn brown. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another minute.

Add the curry powder and 2 tbsp cold water and stir over a low heat for another minute. Stir in the rice and add 600ml cold water. Season, bring slowly to the boil, then cover and simmer for 8 minutes.

Add the spring greens and peas and stir once. Heat until simmering again, then cover and simmer for another 3-4 minutes or until the rice is cooked.

Break the fish into large flakes and add to the rice with the lemon juice.

[budgetwithbella]

Makes 4 generous burgers at 15p each or 6 good sized ones at 9p each*:

1 x 400g tin of kidney beans, 30p 1 smallish onion (150g approx), peeled and finely chopped, 5p 1 large carrot (150g approx), grated, 6p 1 teaspoon (1.5g) ground cumin, 4p 1 tbsp veg or sunflower oil, plus 2 tablespoons to fry the burgers, 6p 1 heaped teaspoon flour, plus another to shape the burgers, 1p (to make these gluten free, simply use your favourite gluten free flour to bind them)

Drain the kidney beans and rinse in cold water to wash away the ‘tinned’ taste. Put into a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes to really soften.

Put the onion, carrot, and cumin into a medium frying pan. Add the splash of oiland cook on a low heat to soften. When the kidney beans have softened, drain well and add to the carrots and onion. Remove from the heat and mash together until you have a smoothish puree, like a mashed potato consistency. Stir in the flour to stiffen.

Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan on a medium heat. With floured hands, take a quarter of the burger mixture and roll it into a ball. Make three more balls with the remaining mixture. Place one in the oil and flatten gently with a fork to make the burger shape. Depending on the size of your pan, you may be able to cook all the burgers at once or need to do them in batches – unless you’re freezing some of the uncooked patties. Cook for a few minutes on one side, before turning. The burgers need to be handled with care as they can be quite fragile before they’re done! When cooked and slightly crisp on both sides, remove from the pan and serve.

[budgetwithbella]

Self Love Stew 

SERVES 2 from 60p each

oil, for frying, 3p (97p/l)

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped, 4p (60p/4 bulbs)

1 onion, roughly chopped, 5p (54p/1kg bag)

A few handfuls of finely chopped or grated carrot, 5p (or 20p for tinned)

1 tsp paprika, 1p (43p/20g)

130g tofu or 2 white fish fillets, 63p (£1.70/349g)

1 x 400g tin of beans (baked, kidney, butter, cannellini, chickpeas – any beans), drained, 23p

1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes, 30p

A fistful of kale or spinach, or 90g, 15p (£1.50/900g)

squeeze of lemon juice, 1p (60p/250ml)

a pinch of salt and a bit of black pepper, <1p

Warm a little oil in a pan over low heat and cook the garlic and onion to soften. Stir, stir, slow and cathartic.

Add the finely chopped or grated carrot or other root veg, and stir some more, then add the paprika and stir in. The stirring is key. It is soothing. It is mindless, not mindful. Sod mindful. My mind is full enough. It is a minefield. Sometimes I want to stir some stuff and stare at my hands or into nothing.

Chuck in some chunks of tofu if you’re veggie/ vegan, or white or tinned fish if you aren’t. Tip in the beans. Whatever beans – add them for goodness. For laziness. For filling comfort . For making it stretch into an extra meal you won’t have to cook. Pour over the tomatoes. The cheaper ones are brilliantly sloppy and liquid and excellent for soups and stews.

Shred some greens in your hands. Rip it the heck up with all the stress and physicality you can muster. Go on. Tear it to shreds. Drop it in. Stir it through, breathe, and stir, and breathe.

Bring to the boil, like your fury, heat it up and watch it roar . . . then reduce it to a simmer. Douse in lemon juice to brighten, add some salt and pepper to amplify the flavours. Spoon it into a bowl.

[budgetwithbella]

Meal Plan 1

Lunch

Pesto pasta

Ham salad sandwiches

Dinner

Fish Pilaf

Carrot and chickpea soup

Fish and Fennel

Bean Burgers

Self Love Stew

Fish Pie

Sardine Pasta