Spaghetti with Chorizo, Kale, Black Beans & Lime

Spaghetti with Chorizo, Kale, Black Beans & Lime

I've made it my quest to try and inspire pasta lovers and draw them away from the shop-bought sauces, which cost you more and certainly don't contain the good stuff. Luckily, Buzz Feed was on hand to help me out, and this recipe was inspired by their article found here. Now I'm in full-time employment, I'm looking for quicker, easier dishes that I can throw together after work. Buzz Feed's recipe collection may well be appearing on Easy Peasy Student Cooking soon, so watch this space!


Things you'll need:
(Serves 2)

• 150g Wholewheat Pasta
• 50g Chorizo
• 2 x Large handful of Kale*
• 1/2 Can Red kidney beans
• 1 x Garlic clove
• 1/2 Lime

*That's right - my good friend Kale is featuring again. A large handful is an estimation, but as it wilts like spinach, it's best to go overboard than end up with small amounts.

Price: £1.10 per portion

Cooking instructions:

1. Cook the Wholewheat Pasta according to packet instructions
2. Meanwhile, gently fry the chopped Garlic and sliced Chorizo until golden brown
3. Then add the Red kidney beans to #2 along with some Lime juice to make the sauce (save a bit back for serving)
4. As you drain the pasta, wilt in the Kale with #2 
5. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and mix altogether. 

Coming in at just over £1 a portion, this wallet-friendly supper needs to be tried! The beans are a great source of protein, wholewheat pasta is a complex carbohydrate (your body prefers this, trust me), and Mr Kale is a superfood! This recipe has so many fresh ingredients, pasta no longer has to be boring!

Chorizo & Kale Hash

Chorizo & Kale Hash with fried egg

Unfortunately today I was faced with the saddening fact that the contents of my beloved fridge was one solitary egg. So, in order to claw my way through until the end of the working day, I browsed my favourite go-to database BBC Good Food to find a use for my mighty egg which would be quick and, more importantly, keep my costs low. This particular recipe is a 'triple threat': it's a mighty breakfast, a speedy lunch or a cheap healthy dinner. Take your pick and give it a go.

I initially thought Kale was some kind of strange fusion between a broccoli and something you might find in your garden, but once I put my insecurities aside and tried it, I never looked back. Kale even has it's own fan site (it's really that good for you): (http://www.discoverkale.co.uk/). So embrace the curly Kale and join the club.

Things you'll need:

(Serves 1)

• 100g Kale
• 1/4 Chorizo Ring (50g)
• 1 x Egg
• 4/5 x Baby Potatoes (Or 1 x Potato)
• 1 x Shallot (or small onion)

Price per portion: £1.35

Cooking Instructions:

1. Slice your potato(es) into bitesize chunks and par-boil in boiling water for 5-7 minutes until tender. Then drain.
2. In a frying pan, fry the shallot and sliced chorizo until soft. Then add the drained potatoes and crisp up the edges (about 5 minutes).
3. Add the Kale handful by handful. I found it was similar to spinach in that it shrinks to half the size once it hits the heat. 
4. Finally, create a gap in the middle of the pan and break the Egg. Continue on the heat until cooked.

The final great thing about this recipe is you can combine it with any leftover bits: onion, cherry tomatoes - it's one of those dishes you can throw just about anything into and it will work (because Kale won't argue with your other ingredients: he is a super versatile and healthy friend to us all.)

Whether you want to start your day on the best possible foot or, like me, need to improvise something with leftovers, this dish is for you. Healthy, quick, and under £1.50 per portion! 

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!

Gordon Ramsay's Pork and Sauté Vegetables

Gordon Ramsay's Pork and Saute Vegetables

This dish is inspired by a Gordon Ramsay recipe, but I have replaced the original meat ingredient (Veal) to Pork because it is cheaper and more readily available from supermarkets. There are no carbs in this dish, you can easily add potatoes or rice if you wanted to, but I went without and doubled my veg intake instead and felt perfectly satisfied. I improvised a sauce to go with the Pork which soaks up all the juices - really easy and delicious! 

Things you'll need:

Serves 2

• 2 x Pork Steaks
• 1 x Courgette
• 1/2 x Aubergine
• 1/2 x Pepper
• 200ml x Creme Fraiche*

* I also added chopped apple to my sauce, just because it goes really well with Pork! But if you want to really cut your costs, don't bother with the sauce, it's completely up to you.

Price Overall: £3.36

Per serving: £1.68

Cooking Instructions:

• Place the Pork Steaks in a frying pan with a little oil. Fry for around 10-15 minutes, turning half way until golden brown on both sides.
• Meanwhile, chop the Courgette, Aubergine and Pepper into 1cm cubes. 
• Place the vegetables in a frying pan with a little oil and fry for 5 minutes until just tender.
• Just before serving, add the Creme Fraiche to the Pork in the pan and scrape any juices from the bottom of the pan, the sauce should be a creamy brown colour. Serve with your saute vegetables.

Always remember, white meat tends to contain less saturated fat than red meats, so it's always good to vary your diet and have a night off from chicken with a dish like this! Plus, the vegetable quantities I've stated above can easily be changed if you want to pack more goodness into your dish, or if you're worried the lack of carbs will leave you hungry - just add more veg! This student take on a Ramsay recipe is quick, delicious, and has little ingredients to shop for. 

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.

Healthy Fish & Chips

Healthy Fish & Chips

Not many people can resist a greasy Fish & Chips every now and again. With this recipe, ditch the grease and enjoy more regularly without the guilt. I've substituted the deep fried batter for a crispy herb and breadcrumb topping, and the fatty chips have been replaced by roasted Sweet Potato wedges!

Things you'll need:
Serves 2

• 2 x White Fish Fillet*
• 1 x Sweet Potato
• Tsp Breadcrumbs
• Tsp Tarragon (Optional)
• 200g Frozen Mixed Vegetables

* I used Cod, but any white fish will work. The cheapest option is to buy them frozen (see here)
I also highly recommend Frozen Mixed Vegetables: they're a lot cheaper than fresh vegetables and still have all the goodness locked in the pack. (see here)

Price overall: £1.55
Per serving: 78p

Cooking Instructions:

1. Wash and slice the Sweet Potato into wedges. Put in a roasting dish with a splash of oil + salt and pepper (Optional). Put in the oven on 180 degrees. These will need 10 minutes cooking ahead of the fish.
2. Meanwhile, mix together the Breadcrumbs and Tarragon. Lightly oil the fish and then cover with the breadcrumb mixture. Put in the oven with the wedges for 15-18 minutes until cooked.*
3. For the last 3 minutes of cooking, put Mixed Vegetables in small amount of water in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 3 minutes on high. Then drain and serve with your Fish & Chips.

Enjoy fish & chips without all the extra calories and save yourself a stack of money! A really quick and easy alternative to satisfy your fast-food temptations.

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! 

Beef and Vegetable Casserole

This recipe takes some time to make, so perfect if you have some extra time on your hands (which most students do, let's be honest!) The actual preparation takes no time at all, but the slow cooking makes the beef really tender and tasty. I took this recipe from BBC Good Food (here) and didn't need to alter it too much as it's really simple and packed full of goodness (5 of your 5 a day!)

Things you'll need:

Serves 2-3*

• 1 x Pack of Casserole Beef (Steak or Diced)
• 1 x Onion 
• 1 x Carrot
• 1 x Leek
• 1 x Garlic Clove
• 2 x Celery Sticks
• 75g Mushrooms
• 500ml Beef Stock
• 2 x tbsp Tomato Puree

* This may seem like too much, but to save the awkwardness of only using half a carrot (etc), make a big Casserole and Freeze the other portions for a later date!

Price Overall: £5.71 (Approx)

Per Serving: £1.90 (3 Servings) 

Cooking Instructions:

1. Add a splash of Olive Oil and Fry the chopped Onion, Leek, Carrot, Celery and Garlic in a large saucepan and cooking gently for 5 minutes. Add the Mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes until transparent but not browned. Remove all vegetables from the pan and set aside.
2. Add a splash of Olive Oil and gently fry the diced Casserole Beef and then brown all over. Then return the vegetables to the pan and add the Beef Stock and Tomato Puree. Simmer on a low heat for 1 1/2 hours until tender.

Ensure that you check on the Casserole every 20 minutes or so, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan and keep everything moving - the last thing you want to do is burn it! Feel free to leave it to cook for longer if you want the beef to be more tender. Serve with Mash Potato! A super cheap student dish and a great replacement for those Sunday Roasts you might be missing!