Two Budget Recipes Before Lockdown Easing
Cooking On A Budget Ahead Of Exiting Lockdown
Today is the 22nd of February, a significant day for all in the UK after almost a year of tough restrictions in the United Kingdom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Later today, prime minister Boris Johnson will announce the UK’s lockdown exit strategy to return the country to some form of normality following the pandemic that has devastated not just this country but the world.
As of 9:00 am (when this blog is being written), there has been no current exact announcement of what the strategy will look like, however, there has been rumours from highly reliable sources as to what the strategy may look like, with the most common rumour being that hospitality will open in May, and non-essential retail will open in March. So be it that this is true, it would mean that we still have pretty much another month of a lockdown, and money can be saved ahead of things reopening.
Being at home can still be expensive, as you still have to care for yourself in terms of cleaning, paying for utility and water bills, and more important and arguably the most expensive, eating. Eating at home does not have to be expensive though, and there are many recipes out there to eat at home on a budget. In this blog, we take a look at two recipes that can be made on a budget to save for the grand reopening in 2021.
Sausage Ragu
Pasta is always a delicious low-budget choice, but this low-budget option delivers an explosive infusion of flavour, without draining your wallet.
Ingredients
Three tablespoons of olive oil
One finely chopped whole onion
Two crushed garlic cloves
A quarter teaspoon of chilli flakes
Two Rosemary sprigs with their leaves finely chopped
800 grams of canned chopped tomatoes
One tablespoon of brown sugar
Six pork sausages (or alternative meat, vegetarian, or vegan sausage)
150 millilitres of whole milk
One whole lemon, zested
350 grams of dried rigatoni pasta
grated parmesan
Half a small bunch of parsley leaves, roughly chopped to serve
Method
Heat two-thirds of the olive oil in a saucepan over your hob medium heat, then fry the onion with a pinch of salt for 7 minutes until the onions are browned. Following this, add your garlic, chilli and rosemary, and cook for one minute more. Just after this, tip in the tomatoes and sugar, and simmer for 20 mins.
Heat the remaining oil in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat, then squeeze the sausagemeat from the skins and fry, breaking up the sausagemeat with a wooden spoon, frying for five to seven mins until golden. Once this is done, add to the sauce with the milk and lemon zest, then simmer the sauce for a further 5 mins.
Cook your dried rigatoni pasta pack instructions, then drain and toss with the sauce. Scatter over your choice of the amount of parmesan you want and parsley leaves to serve.
Crispy Cod Fingers With Sweet Potato Wedges and Gherkin Coleslaw
Going to the chippy isn’t cheap, so why not attempt this incredible twist on the classic British chippy tea?
Ingredients
Three large sweet potatoes, all scrubbed and cut into wedges
Half a tablespoon of sunflower oil
A quarter of large red cabbage
Half of a medium red onion, finely sliced
Six large cornichons or gherkins, cut into quarters
Three tablespoons of greek yoghurt or plain mayonnaise
25 grams of finely chopped dill
Four skinned fillets of cod
Two large eggs
100 grams fresh or panko breadcrumbs
Method
Heat your oven to the correct setting: 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
In a bowl, toss the sweet potato wedges with the sunflower oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of pepper. Transfer the seasoned wedges to a baking sheet and roast them for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through cooking. The wedges should be crisp and golden brown on the outside.
Meanwhile cooking, follow these steps to make the coleslaw: remove the cabbage’s white core and discard it, then slice the cabbage leaves as finely as possible and place into a large mixing bowl with all of the onion and cornichons or gherkins. In another separate bowl, combine the yoghurt or mayonnaise with the dill and 2 tablespoons of the cornichons’ pickling liquid in the jar. Mix the dressing with the other slaw ingredients until everything is well coated, then set aside to rest before serving.
Heat your grill to a high temperature, then slice each cod fillet into two or three fingers. Beat the eggs lightly and thoroughly in a shallow bowl and pour the breadcrumbs into another bowl with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Dip each sliced cod finger into the egg and then in the breadcrumbs until well coated, and place on an oiled baking sheet. Grill the cod fingers for six to seven mins or until cooked through, crispy, and golden. Once cooked, serve with the crispy sweet potato wedges and a generous helping of the dill pickle slaw.
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