Table For Five

Beef mince is one of most commonly used forms of red meat amongst Australia's low budget families. At around $7 per kilo across major supermarkets it is the most affordable, versatile red meat with the added bonus of being easily bulked out with cheaper ingredients. Beef mince is also widely celebrated by vegie smugglers everywhere. Just how versatile is it? We asked our low budget community to tell us what they like to use it for. Our clever cooks came up with over 30 different ways to serve up beef mince. • Bolognese - this beef sauce has many variations including, but not limited to, Spaghetti, Lasagne, pastitsio, pasta bake. •Cottage/Shepherd's pie •Moussaka •Savoury mince •Curried mince or beef curry •Stuffed capsicum, tomato, potato, zucchini boats •Jaffles/toasties •Meatballs (many variations to choose from with different sauces to choose from too) •Hamburger patties •Kofta •Sang choi bao (San choy bow) •Taco...

What do you get when you mix grated or mashed vegetables with batter? Fritters, pancakes or hashbrowns are the most common names for them and they'll give you a whole new way to use up those bits and pieces in your fridge that might otherwise go to waste. Note that preparation time states 10 mins. This is based on using a food processor to grate the vegetables. Hand grating will take longer but just think of the workout those arm muscles will get. Chorizo & Potato Fritters By Mel Roworth Crispy, vegetable hashbrowns. Ingredients - 4 potatoes - 1 large zucchini (2 regular sized) - 1 ½ carrots - ½ red onion - 1 cup plain flour - 1 egg - ½ tsp salt - 1 partially cooked chorizo - Oil to fry. Method Grate potato, zucchini, carrot and onion and squeeze out excess liquid. Mix in flour, salt and egg until well incorporated. Stir in diced chorizo and form mixture into 8 patties. Heat fry pan, on high, with enough oil to cover the base. Gent...

March Family Meal Plan, week 3 Total spend $91.19 We’ve got a bit a cheat this week. You’ll notice there's only 6 dinners because we enjoyed a family dinner out. The big age/interest gap between Mr14 and Mr5 means we don't have a lot of (whole) family outings. Dinner out is one activity that we can all enjoy together every now and again.​ Many family restaurants have designated discount or “kids eat free” night's. Worth taking a look in your local area, if you enjoy a night away from your own kitchen and dining room table​. Dinners: Snacks : orange cake, ANZAC biscuits, grapes, apples, pears, bananas, chips, popcorn. Lunches : leftover pasta, sandwiches:chicken mayo& lettuce, jam, peanut butter. Breakfast : oats, cereal, toast See previous meal plans here

March meal plan, week 2 Total food spend $100.70 Cooking from scratch is cheaper than convenience packs. It's an age old debate that will probably never be definitively proven across the board. I can give you a number of meal examples that are cheaper to make from scratch and I could probably match that with an equal amount of meals that are not. The biggest downfall in convenience cooking is that it limits you in choices. When you work primarily with base ingredients rather than premixed packs, you’ll find you have a broader range of meals to build on while spending the same if not less. A bag of flour becomes a batch of biscuits, a cake, scones, sauce thickener, roux, bread, a crust, a batter….the list goes on. A premixed cake mix, on the other hand, becomes...well...some form of cake, one cake. Sure, you can vary it slightly but ultimately, it's going to make the same sort of thing. A packet of taco seasoning will give the same flavour, no matter how you ...

The new year didn't start out quite as well as we had planned for, financially at least. Life doesn't always play fair and we know that as well as anyone. Still, we continue to make plans because we know, whatever life throws at us, we will get through it. We’ve been through tougher times, really shitty, rock bottom times. These last few months have been a little stumble in comparison. With every plan that fails there is a lesson that needs to be learned. We cannot hope to move forward until we accept our own mistakes and resolve not to repeat them.  Keep trying, keep believing, keep treading water until you find your way forward. Total food spend: $86.98 Every few months, the freezer gets a good clean out. When a 430L fridge freezer is all you’ve got, minimising clutter is essential. This week is clean out week and that always comes with a bonus. Using up what you already have is a great way to make short term savings. If it's not on the list, we al...

This recipe inspired by:  Coconut and Lemon Yoghurt Loaf from Kidgredients   Raspberry Coconut loaf By Mel Roworth Simple yoghurt loaf cake with coconut and rasberry. Ingredients - 2 cups self raising flour - ½ cup dessicated coconut - 1 cup natural yoghurt  - ¾ cup raw sugar - 2 eggs - ½ cup rice bran oil (or vegetable oil) - 1 cup (crushed) frozen raspberries Method •Preheat oven to 160°C •Combine all ingredients  thoroughly. This will make a thick batter, don't be concerned. •Scoop into a lined 28cm loaf or 22cm cake tin and bake 45-50mins. Cake is cooked when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. •Remove cake from oven and allow to cool in tin 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Delicious served warm or cold. Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 00:50 Total time: 01:10 Yield: 24 Calories: 122 Fat: 5.9

Both beef and vegetables in this recipe can be cooked on the barbecue and making the couscous could hardly be called cooking. It's a perfect meal for outdoor and indoor cooks. I have to admit: by the time winter draws to close I am over this whole cooking thing. It's hot meals every single night. It's puddings, it's stodge and it’s endless hours in the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE to eat, I am not over that at all. When it's cold outside that comfort food is a welcome ending to the day and so worth the effort but, when the sun is shining on fresh green shoots and vibrant colours, our kitchen window is not the best vantage point to enjoy Springtime. Our barbecue on the other hand….. We may live in a crappy old house but this view, even on a cloudy day, will never get old. I don't use the “H” word very often but surely I’ve nailed it with this one?! High in iron, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, zinc….. th...

A homemade burger deserves a fresh baked hamburger bun and this soft bread roll recipe is the perfect solution. Soft and fluffy with just the right amount of salt and sweetness, the way bread should be. Soft Burger Buns Makes 8 ---Ingredients--- 12g dry yeast  ( 3 teaspoons) 20g caster sugar  (1 teaspoon + 3 teaspoons) 125mls warm water  (½ cup) 125mls milk  (½ cup) 1 large egg 30mls vegetable oil (6 teaspoons) ½ teaspoon salt 450g plain flour (3 cups, firmly packed) 15-20g butter (1 tablespoon) ---Method--- •Place yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl and gently whisk in warm water. Set bowl aside in a warm place for five minutes or until mixture bubbles into a froth on top. •In another small bowl or jug whisk milk, egg, oil, salt and remaining sugar together. •Combine both mixtures and in a large bowl/standing mixer, mix flour with wet ingredients until mixture begins to come together. Use kneading hooks to...

A truely authentic fried Rice this is not. Fast, simple and versatile is what it is . The measurements in this recipe are not terribly important. The amount of oil to rice is really the only detail that needs attention. There should be just enough to coat the rice and give it a nice glossy shine. Too much and the dish will be greasy. Too little and the rice will stick to itself and the pan. All other ingredients are not only flexible in quantity but can also be substituted or simply omitted.  Keeps well, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days. Fried Rice --- Ingredients --- 1 ½ cups uncooked rice (Or 2 ½ - 3 cups cooked rice) 1 egg, lightly beaten ¼ cup cooking oil ¼ teaspoon salt * optional (Or 1 Tablespoon soy sauce) 1 red onion or spring onions -diced 200g Ham -diced 1 ½ cups frozen peas and corn (drained if canned) --- Method --- • To cook the rice: Place rice in a medium saucepan with  2 ½  cups cold water. Bring to the bo...

Originally, I had thought this would be great recipe for using up leftover burger patties but, as time (and burger nights) went by, I realised how ridiculous the notion was... There's no such thing as leftover patties! If, by some miracle, you do happen to have some, just break or dice them into small pieces. Cheeseburger Scrolls Makes 22 ---Ingredients--- Need a yoghurt free dough recipe? Try this one. Scroll Dough 1 cup Greek or Natural Yoghurt 2 cups Self Raising Flour 1 teaspoon Caster Sugar Filling 1 Tablespoon oil 300g Beef Mince ½ teaspoon Salt  ½ teaspoon Pepper 1 medium Brown Onion, finely diced 60mls* Tomato Sauce (¼ cup) 30mls* American mustard (⅛ cup) *according to your tastes 2 cups grated Tasty Cheese ---Method--- •Pour yoghurt into large bowl. Add sugar to flour and mix flour into yoghurt, ½ cup at a time until dough is a rollable consistency. You may need to add a little more flour if dough is too sticky . •Roll d...

I may not always get it right in my personal life but when it comes to what I say on this blog and my public pages, I do tend to overthink it. Usually that's considered a bad thing when it comes to writing, particularly from the heart, but I have come to learn that in my particular area of blogging (budget and food) sensitivity of diversity is a severely lacking trait. Yesterday I watched a Thrifty Blogger fall from grace with one single indiscretion laying insult to a large group of readers. This lady has a reasonable sized following (although smaller now) and the opportunity to empower a great deal more but, disappointingly, has chosen to put down the very people who need her support the most. I won't go into detail but essentially, it was suggested that a lot of families make unhealthy choices simply because they are lazy. After  an overwhelmingly negative response to her post, she removed it, but offered no apologies. This is where I become disillusioned by th...

Apparently zucchini is the most common choice when it comes to hidden vegetables. Veggie smugglers seem fixated with grating it into everything. I had started to wonder if my dear friend Zucchini had super powers with all the attention it receives. But alas, a mere vegetable is he (although technically a fruit) with a noted talent for blending in with the crowd. Even without any awesome special powers, I can't help but feel sorry for poor invisible Zucchini. Always hiding in the shadows. Never basking in the glow of centre stage. This one is for you, Zucchini. Today you are the star! Aglio ed Olio Zucchini (Garlic & Oil Zucchini) Serves 1-2 --- Ingredients --- 1 Zucchini ½ Tablespoon Olive Oil 2 cloves Garlic --- Method --- •Slice zucchini about ½cm thickness lengthwise. Toss slices in oil to coat. •Peel garlic cloves and give each one a good bash with the flat side of your knife. Rub garlic on each zucchini slice. •Heat a frypan, grill...

Pancake, Hotcake, Dropscone? Who cares?! Scotch pancakes contain raising agents for a thick and fluffy result.  And so, in order to be foodatomically correct, I dub thee Scotch Pancakes. Rise and be fluffy! What's in a name? Would not a flat cake by any other name taste just as sweet - or savoury? Scotch Pancakes 2 cups self raising flour 1/3 cup caster sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla essence 2 eggs 1 ¼ cups milk (+ a little more) * Optional * ¼ cup chocolate (chips, shaved or chopped)  •Whisk all ingredients,  except   chocolate,  together. Mixture should form a thick but pourable batter. If too thick add small amounts of milk until smooth and pourable. • Heat a large frypan/skillet to medium high. • You can use a small amount of butter or oil if necessary to keep pancakes from sticking to the base. • Using a soup ladle or large spoon, spoon mixture into frypan - about ¼ of a cup per pancake. Sprinkle chocolate evenly on surface. • Co...