Christmas leftovers: Bubble & Squeak

Bubble & Squeak

Christmas is the most expensive time of the year. The decorations, the presents, the endless booze, the trips to the pub - everything adds up. The festive cheer shared with family at Christmas is priceless, but unfortunately the food bill isn't. And most hosts will agree they will always overbuy, as it's better to have 'too much than too little.' So when you hit your post-christmas blues, pick yourself up by using up your leftovers and save your hosts a whole load of money! It's like Christmas dinner all over again - what's not to love?

Cooking Instructions:

1. Peel, chop, boil and mash an extra potato (or more, depending on how many you're feeding) - you need a lot of mash!
2. Chop up all your leftovers - turkey, gammon, roast potatoes, parsnips, mash, swede, and not forgetting the sprouts. Add small amounts of the bread & cranberry sauce.
3. Start frying the meats in a pan until it starts to brown, then add everything else (excluding the mash) and fry for 5 minutes, then add the mash and smooth it out to cover the base of the pan. 
4. The bottom will slowly become crisp, at which point you can create a hole in the mixture and break an egg into it. This will cook in between the bubble & squeak. 
5. Scoop the mixture out, it'll look messy and taste amazing. Crispy on the bottom, soft in the middle. Runny yolk of the egg to go with it. 

Next time you go to throw out your Christmas food, think again. This is something I did for my family for the first time this year, but it went down so well I think it'll be an annual money-saver!

Spicy Turkey Chilli

Spicy Turkey Chill

A low fat alternative to beef which still provides tasty chilli flavour. Turkey, in comparison to beef, is leaner and cheaper. This recipe also constitutes as low carb because you have the option to add them or not. It can be accompanied by rice, a jacket potato, pitta bread, wedges or (as I chose) a flatbread. Whether you need the energy fuel or not, here are the details of this lean, low fat retake on the traditional Chilli Con Carne!

Things you'll need:

Serves 2

• 250g Turkey Mince*
• 1 x Pepper
• 1 x Onion
• 1 x Can Red Kidney Beans
• 1 x Chopped Tomatoes
• 1/2 x Chilli Pepper
• 1 x tsp Cumin
• 100ml Beef Stock (Optional)**

* These days, Turkey breast mince is the same price as minced beef. However, Turkey thigh mince is a lot cheaper!

** Some people might miss the normal 'beefy' taste of their chilli, so add a stock cube to enhance some of that flavour instead.

Price overall: £2.41

Per Serving: £1.20

Cooking Instructions:

1. Heat Oil in a Large Pan. Add the chopped Onion and fry until golden. Then add the Turkey Mince, break the mince apart and cook until browned
2. Add the chopped Pepper and Chilli Pepper until soft
3. Add the Cumin, Red Kidney Beans, Chopped Tomatoes and Beef Stock (Optional) and stir altogether. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. 

A relatively quick, cheap and tasty meal which is suitable for any night of the week. This is also a good dish to cook up for a group of friends or cook larger portions to freeze for another time. So next time you fancy a bit of warm comfort food but don't want the extra sat fats, make the substitution from beef to Turkey.

Mexican Turkey Nachos

Mexican Turkey Nachos

Another Turkey dish, leaving you satisfied without that bloated feeling. As I've said before, Turkey meat is much leaner than red meat with less saturated fat - so it's well worth trying out! This recipe is technically low carb as it only has kidney beans and a few tortilla chips! You can also easily overspend on this sort of meal if you buy the branded products you're used to - I've substituted them for Everyday Value alternatives to keep it cheap! Easy Peasy Mexican food suitable for one or many (if you fancy cooking for housemates.)

Things you'll need:

Serves 4

• 500g Turkey Mince
• 1 x Taco Mix
• 1 x Pepper
• 1 x Red Onion
• 1 x Can Red Kidney Beans
• 1 x Can Chopped Tomatoes
• Handful Tortilla Chips
• Half pack of Mushrooms (Optional)
• 4 x Celery Stalks (Optional)
• 1 x Small Chilli (Optional)
• Sprinkle of Grated Cheese (Optional)

I had extra vegetables left over in the fridge so added those to pack in my 5-a-day! But it's completely up to you what you want to add.

Price Overall: £5.65/£6.80 (Including Optional Items)

Per Serving: £1.41/£1.70 (Including Optional Items)

Cooking Instructions:

Pre-heat Oven to 180 Degrees.

1. Fry the chopped Onion in some oil in a large saucepan for 2 minutes. Then add the Turkey Mince and break up as it browns (NOTE: Ensure you stab away at it - otherwise it will clump together. It's a bit of a workout but well worth it.)
2. Add the Taco Mix to the browned Turkey Mince with 100ml of water and bring to the boil. Boil for 1 minutes so it reduces a little, then take off the heat.
3. Meanwhile, in a separate pan (see picture) fry all the Vegetables until soft. Then add your Turkey, Onions, Red Kidney Beans, Chopped Tomatoes and Chilli (Optional). Simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens. 
4. Then transfer to an Oven-proof dish and scatter Tortilla Chips on top with a little Grated Cheese (Optional) and heat in the Oven for 3 minutes until Cheese has melted. Serve with Salad!

There you have it. One of my cheapest meat dishes to date! Packed full of veggies and low carb as well, all under £2 a portion. Remember this recipe makes 4 portions which can easily be frozen - just defrost, heat up and crisp in the oven! 

Turkey Rosemary Skewers and Middle Eastern Salad

Turkey and Rosemary Skewers with Middle Eastern Salad

This low carb dish is light, healthy and tasty. It's more of a Summery dish but if you're not too fussed then cook away! Turkey is a leaner meat than beef and contains less than 2g of Saturated Fat as opposed to the 4.5g that red meat contains. And with Christmas just around the corner, Turkey is definitely 'in season', therefore Tasty!

I've taken the recipe from Tesco Healthy Living (here) and adapted it slightly for student satisfaction!

Things you'll need:

• 2 x Turkey Breasts
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Half Cucumber
• 4 x Spring Onions
• 1 x Tortilla/Flat Bread
• Kebab Sticks (Super Cheap)

Price: £3.60 Approx

Per serving: £1.80

(For the Turkey marinade - Optional, but gives it better flavour)

• 3 Tbsp Honey
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Rosemary (Dried or Fresh - Dried is cheaper and lasts longer)

Total Price: £4.10 Approx

Per Serving: £2.05

This amount caters for around one dinner and lunch. I managed to get 6 Kebabs out of it and ate 4 of them for Dinner and saved the other 2 for lunch.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Cut the Turkey into long thin strips and then thread onto the Kebab sticks. Place in a shallow bowl and sprinkle with Rosemary.
2. Mix the Honey, Olive Oil and Crushed Garlic together until it forms a liquidy paste. Pour 3/4 of it over the Turkey kebabs and leave to marinade for 15 minutes (or longer, if you have time)
3. Chop the Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumber and Spring Onions and mix together for your 'Middle Eastern' salad. Then place your tortilla/flat bread until the grill for 1-2 minutes (Keep your eye on it!) until golden brown on both sides. Remove it, allow to cool and then snap it into little pieces and spread in amongst your salad.
4. Finally, grill the Turkey kebabs for 5-6 minutes, turning once, until golden brown in colour. Serve with the salad.

There you have it.  A light tasty summery dinner which doubles perfectly for a meal the next day - what more does a student want?