Knowing how to create a meal plan and a shopping list and then shopping until your grocery money screams is all well and good, but if you don’t know what to do after you’ve brought it all home then it’s just wasted time and money. Preparing and serving the food you’ve bought is the next step to making sure you aren’t wasting your money.
Throughout this book I’ve mentioned different meals and snacks; some of them you may be familiar with, and others will be new. These recipes are the ones I use to keep our grocery bill down. They have all been given the thumbs up by my hungry crew and some of them have been included at their suggestion.
How to Use these Recipes
I am not a great cook. I had to learn to cook from scratch, and how to bake and preserve, so these recipes are not only frugal but easy.
Part of the adventure of cooking is creating new recipes and that’s what I’d like you to do with these. I want you to try them and then make them your own. Test them and tweak them until they become your family’s favourites too.
You’ll notice that I use butter instead of margarine. It’s a personal thing; I prefer butter. You can substitute margarine for the butter if you wish to, it’s up to you. Ditto the milk. If you prefer low-fat milk, or cheese or sour cream, then use those ingredients instead of the full-fat versions. Unless the recipe particularly says not to substitute then there will be no discernible difference in the end result.
Salt does not feature very often in my recipes. I don’t like added salt, but there are a couple of recipes with salt listed as an ingredient – these are recipes I felt actually need added salt. If you use salt then by all means add salt to your meals after cooking. Taste it first to see if you need any.
Starting with the Right Tools
If you are going to slash your grocery bill to the bare bones you are going to need to be creative with your cooking. After all, there’s only so much mince and rice a family can tolerate before they revolt (bet you can’t guess how I know). The day my friend Deb gave me her copy of 1001 Ways to Cook Mince was the day I knew I had to do something about my repertoire of recipes.
I haven’t always been a good cook. Oh, I could cook. Beef Wellington anyone? Or perhaps a coffee meringue after dinner is more to your taste? I had no problem getting a four-course sit-down dinner for 12 on the table. Just don’t ask the old me to make a scone or what goes into a pasta bake.
Of course that was 17 years ago, before Disaster Struck. These days I can make scones and pasta bake in my sleep and you’ll find those recipes in this book (see p129 and p46). Food made from scratch with fresh ingredients has become my friend. I am no longer afraid of raw meat and fresh vegetables.
As I learned to cook from scratch I had to change a few things in my kitchen. With all the cooking I was doing I found I needed more cake tins and saucepans, more baking trays and good knives. I needed a decent food processor and a good mixer.
It took time but I have just about everything I need in my kitchen now. Some tools I bought new, after saving up for them, shopping around and honing my haggling skills. Others have come from garage sales, op shops and friends. They are the staples; the tools I use to get creative in the kitchen. Without them, sticking to my grocery budget would be very hard. And getting meals on the table would be even harder. I don’t have any fancy gadgets shoved in cupboards, taking up space and wasting money. Every tool I have gets used regularly and is an invaluable aid in keeping our grocery bill on budget every week.
In my kitchen you’ll see:
You may already have some or even all of these tools in your kitchen. Hooray, your creative cooking will be even easier.
If you don’t have them, think seriously about getting some or all of them. They really will save you money, time and energy in the kitchen, make cooking more enjoyable and help you keep that grocery bill down.
Before you rush out and buy any of these tools, I suggest you do some shopping around. See what’s on offer, go to some kitchenware stores and ask for product demonstrations. You will probably have to book a session, but that’s great because you’ll have more time to think of all the questions you want, and need, to ask.
And ask around your family and friends, especially the ones who have a reputation for being a good cook. If you are game enough, ask if you can borrow their tools to try them out before you buy.
Once you’ve made up your mind, use your noggin and shop around. And suggest that they also make great gifts – between Christmas, birthdays and possibly Mother’s and Father’s Day you could quite easily equip your kitchen with the tools you need and not spend a cent of your own money!
Prep Work Makes Cooking Easier
Doing some prep work when you get home from the supermarket will save you time and make getting your meals on the table throughout the week a lot easier.
These tips will help you get your meals on the table in a flash:
Remember, the more work you can get done ahead of time, the easier it will be to throw a few things together when you need a speedy dinner during the week.
Substitute Cooking
No, I haven’t found a miracle way to prepare meals for the family. Every now and then I get out my 237 recipe books (only joking, but I have a few) and look for a different recipe to try. Invariably, when I find a recipe that really appeals to me, I don’t have all the ingredients in the house and I have to make a trip to the supermarket, greengrocer or butcher to get something special – or special to us, anyway.
Having to do this takes away all my enthusiasm so I’ve developed the habit of choosing my recipe and then re-creating it, substituting ingredients that I have on hand and that we all like. Nine times out of ten it works and the finished dish is a success. Occasionally the dog gets a treat, sometimes the compost bin gets one.
Once you start to think about substitutes it becomes very easy to adapt a recipe to suit you and your family. Thinking of similar ingredients or flavours ensures your substitutes work.
The following is a recipe that really appealed to me as comfort food during the winter and also looked versatile enough to be a good lunchbox treat, and special enough to serve at a grown-up party without being expensive.
On the left you’ll find the original ingredients. Listed on the right you’ll find my substitutes. Both recipes are delicious; one of them is just cheaper than the other.
Chicken Pies
|
Original |
Substitute |
|
1 leek, sliced |
1 large onion, sliced |
|
handful of mushrooms, sliced |
190g tin of champignon pieces |
|
25g butter |
|
|
2 tablespoons flour |
|
|
250ml milk |
half milk, half water |
|
300g cooked potato cut in small slices |
leftover mashed potato |
|
1 single chicken breast, cooked and shredded |
leftover barbecue chicken, shredded |
|
1 teaspoon dried thyme |
|
|
salt and pepper |
|
|
2–3 sheets pastry |
1 quantity of Easy Pastry (see p40) |
|
1 beaten egg |
|
Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 12-hole muffin tin. Sauté leek and mushrooms in butter until soft. Stir in flour and gradually add milk until a thick sauce is formed. Add potato, thyme, salt and pepper and chicken and set to cool.
Line prepared muffin tin with pastry, then spoon in cooled chicken filling. Use leftover strips of pastry to make lattice tops and brush with egg to glaze. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Makes 8 small pies.
Working with my substitutes as listed above, I roughly followed the method to make individual pies in my pie maker. The pies were delicious and everyone loved them – no leftovers, which is always a good sign. This recipe made eight small pies, with plenty of filling in each.
You can use substitute cooking for just about any recipe you want to try. Substitute ingredients with what you have on hand as long as it’s similar in texture and taste. You can quite easily substitute a green capsicum for a red one (green are half the price) without any change to the texture and flavour of the recipe. Natural yoghurt (with no flavouring) can be substituted for sour cream and vice versa in most recipes. Coconut cream can be substituted with ½ cup powdered milk in ¾ cup water and ½ teaspoon of coconut essence.
If, like me, you love to look through recipe books and try new things, but don’t want to buy one-off or expensive ingredients, give substitute cooking a try. You may end up creating a whole lot of brand-new family favourites.
Shortcut Cooking
There comes a time in everyone’s life when cooking from scratch just isn’t going to work. It could be a new baby in the family, or an illness, or it could just be that you are working late and won’t have time to prepare and cook a meal from the very beginning. That’s when you can justifiably turn to shortcut cooking.
Shortcut cooking is a way of preparing foods quickly and easily by combining prepared food with fresh ingredients. This allows you to take advantage of the convenience of some pre-prepared food, while still enjoying the flavour and health benefits of fresh food. This method of cooking is growing in popularity, and you are most likely already preparing some of your meals this way without even thinking about it.
Have you ever bought a barbecue chicken from the supermarket and made your own side dishes for dinner? Or, have you ever bought a pre-made potato or pasta salad from the deli to serve with the steak you’ve had marinating for the barbecue all day? Well, then you are already familiar with this type of meal preparation – you are already shortcut cooking.
Shortcut cooking proves its worth when your family is going to have an unusually busy week. Because you know ahead of time just how time-stretched you are going to be, try planning a few shortcut meals ahead of time. This way, when you make up your shopping list and hit the supermarket, you will have all the food you need on hand during the week, and get dinner on the table in a hurry. No need for an emergency supermarket dash and no going over your grocery budget.
These are some of my favourite shortcut meals:
TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) – a Meat Budget Friend
Often the largest chunk of your grocery budget is meat, so looking for ways to save money and feed the family while keeping the carnivores happy is a challenge.
There’s a great product available that will help you do all these things – TVP. This versatile meat substitute will slash your butcher bill and still let you have the rissoles, pastas, meatloaves, pizzas, casseroles and stews that you like.
I have been using TVP all my married life; I grew up watching my mother use it. When I married a feed-the-man-meat type of guy, I started substituting half the quantity of meat for TVP. Twenty-three years later I still do it. The only difference is these days he knows it’s in the meal! If you’ve never tried TVP, don’t be afraid. It has a similar texture to mince, will absorb flavour from other ingredients and is very quick to cook – ideal if you’re in a hurry to get dinner on the table.
TVP is made from soy flour and is very low in fat. It is sold in dehydrated granules, and can be used as a replacement for minced meat, or to extend your meat meals and substantially cut costs. TVP is reconstituted in the sauces of dishes, in stock, water and a stock cube, soy sauce and olive oil, tomato paste – it absorbs the flavours it is used with. It looks like minced meat, and is much the same in texture.
One cup of TVP (75g) bulks up to the equivalent of 500g of mince. I pay $3.50 per kilo for bulk TVP and it goes a long way. I’ve seen it in health food stores for a lot more. As for anything, shop around. We tend to use half and half in recipes as we like meat, but also want to save.
It’s available from health food stores in 200g packets – about $2.95. This is a great ‘sample’ size to start with. I buy it in bulk from a wholefoods stall at the market. If you find you like using TVP I suggest you buy it in bulk (at least a kilo at a time) and save around 75%. If you think you need inspiration, go to your favourite search engine and put TVP in the search. You’ll find some really delicious meal ideas to try. TVP can be used in pasta dishes, on pizzas, in soups, pies, meatloaf – in fact, anything that has mince in the recipe.
So, what are the savings over a year? Based on a sale price of mince at $7.00 per kilo, and using 500g of mince and 75g of TVP in one meal:
One meal using 75g TVP per week is 26c x 52 = $13.52
One meal using 500g mince per week is $3.50 x 52 = $182.00
SAVING = $168.50
Not sure you like the sound of TVP? Or perhaps you are absolutely positive your family just won’t eat anything with ‘fake meat’ in it. Well, if you have ever eaten a commercially made meat pie, perhaps a frozen one from the supermarket, then chances are you’ve already eaten TVP. It’s used commercially to bulk up mince dishes.
You have nothing to lose and a few hundred dollars a year to gain by trying TVP in your next mince dish. If you don’t like it at least you’ll know and can find other ways to get the meat budget down.
Cheesy Rabbit
A great recipe for using up dried ends of cheese!
½ cup milk
2 cups grated cheese
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, beaten
4 slices wholemeal bread, toasted
Heat milk and cheese over very low heat until cheese melts and mixture is smooth. Add mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
Gradually stir beaten egg into cheese mixture. Continue to cook until rabbit thickens and becomes creamy. Spoon over toast slices.
Optional: place a slice of fresh tomato or chunks of tuna on each slice of toast before pouring the sauce over. Serves 4.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATIONS:
Dutch Babies
These fluffy little pancakes are made in the oven, just ideal for breakfast. I often make the batter and get them into the oven then make the lunches or hang out a load of washing while they are cooking.
3 eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup plain flour
2 tablespoons melted butter
melted butter, extra
sugar, pancake syrup or lemon wedges, to serve
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Use the extra melted butter to grease two x 20cm sponge tins. Beat eggs and milk together.
Place flour in a medium mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Add half the milk mixture and lightly beat. Add remaining milk mixture and mix in gently. Beat in the melted butter.
Pour half the batter into each prepared tin. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 175°C and bake for a further 5 minutes. Pancakes should be puffed and golden.
Cut each pancake into quarters and serve immediately with pancake syrup or sugar and lemon wedges. Serves 4.
Hotcakes
2 eggs, separated
2 cups milk
2 cups self-raising flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 teaspoons butter or margarine
Beat egg yolks and combine with milk.
Combine flour and sugar. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the egg mixture. Beat well.
Whisk egg whites until stiff. Using a metal spoon, carefully fold the egg whites into the batter.
Heat a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Put a little of the butter on the back of a spoon and quickly wipe over the bottom of the frying pan. Pour ½ cup of batter into the frying pan. Use the back of a spoon to gently spread the batter into a circle about the size of a saucer. Add another hotcake if there is enough room. Cook until bubbles form and start popping on the surface of the hotcakes.
Carefully flip the hotcakes and cook a further minute, checking to make sure the centre is cooked.
Serve warm with butter and Pancake Syrup (recipe below). Makes 8 large hotcakes.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATION:
Pancake Syrup
1 cup cold water
2 cups brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine the water and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Slowly bring to a boil over a low heat, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for one minute.
Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the vanilla extract – the syrup will spatter and spit when the vanilla is added.
Allow to cool before using. Keep in the fridge. This syrup will last for at least 3 months in the fridge, if you can keep it that long. Makes approximately 500ml.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATIONS:
Crunchy Granola
If you like the convenience of cereals and the goodness of a muesli for breakfast you’ll love this treat.
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup wheatgerm*
1 cup chopped nuts
½ cup shredded coconut
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup water
180g dried fruits such as cherries, sultanas, apricots, cranberries, pineapple, apple, etc
Preheat the oven to 150°C. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, wheatgerm, nuts, coconut, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the oil, honey and water. Toss the mixture until the ingredients are well combined, then spread it evenly on an ungreased baking tray.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring every 10 minutes to keep the mixture from sticking to the tray. The granola is ready when it’s golden in colour and starting to clump together.
Let it cool completely, then stir in the dried fruit. Makes about 7 cups.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATIONS:
Yoghurt
Making your own yoghurt is not only cheap, it’s also easy and quick. In less than five minutes you can have the yoghurt mixture prepared, ready to set overnight.
To make 1 litre of yoghurt you will need:
a clean 1-litre jar with a screw-top lid
a wide-mouthed thermos that will hold the jar
2 cups milk powder (full cream or skim)
2 tablespoons natural yoghurt (this is the starter)
cool water (tap water is fine as long as it’s not really cold)
Half fill the jar with cool water; add the milk powder and the 2 tablespoons natural yoghurt. Put the lid on and shake well to combine. Make sure there are no lumps of milk powder left. Fill the jar to the top with more water, seal and shake well.
Place the jar in the thermos. Pour boiling water around the jar until it reaches approximately two-thirds of the way up the sides. Put the lid on the thermos, sealing it tight.
Set aside for 8–12 hours, depending on how thick you like your yoghurt. Once it has reached the consistency you like, place the jar of yoghurt in the fridge to cool.
Sweeten to taste with sugar or honey and add fruit, syrups, muesli, etc.
Note: If you have an EasiYo thermos and jar, use these to make your yoghurt.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATIONS:
Morning and Afternoon Tea Treats
3 Ingredient Tea Cake
This is the quickest and easiest fruit cake you’ll ever make and it tastes great! Slice and serve with butter or freeze for a quick grab ’n’ go snack.
2 cups mixed dried fruit
2 cups cold tea
2 cups self-raising flour
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a loaf tin and line with baking paper. Soak the fruit in the cold tea for 10 minutes.
Using a wooden spoon, beat the self-raising flour into the fruit mixture. Pour into the prepared loaf tin.
Bake in the oven for 30–35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let the cake stand in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATIONS:
Anzac Biscuits
These biscuits have been a staple of Australian morning teas and lunchboxes since World War I. There are lots of variations on the original recipe, and this is my adaptation. For under $3.50 you’ll get about 3 dozen biscuits, making them a very frugal treat.
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
1 cup raw sugar
¾ cup coconut
125g butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup
½ teaspoon bicarb soda
1 tablespoon boiling water
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line three baking trays with baking paper.
Combine rolled oats, sifted flour, sugar and coconut. Combine butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan. Stir over a low heat until melted, or place in a small bowl and microwave on high for 20 seconds.
Mix bicarb soda with the boiling water and add to melted butter mixture. Stir butter mixture into dry ingredients, mixing well to combine.
Take teaspoonfuls of mixture, roll into balls and place on baking trays. Gently press down with a fork. Allow room for spreading. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden.
Loosen from trays while still warm. Allow to cool on trays.
Barbara’s Slice
Barbara was a pre-school teacher my boys just loved, probably because of her yummy slice.
1 cup crushed cornflakes
1 cup self-raising flour
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 cup coconut
½ cup sugar
3 teaspoons golden syrup
150g butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
350g cream cheese, softened
1 x 395g tin condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons dry gelatine
1 large banana, thinly sliced
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a slice tin and line it with baking paper.
Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Place golden syrup, butter and vanilla in a small saucepan and melt gently, or place in a small bowl and microwave on high for 20 seconds. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the golden syrup mixture. Mix well. Press into prepared slice tin, pressing down with the back of a spoon. Bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes. Allow to cool in tin.
While base is cooling, use an electric mixer to combine cream cheese, condensed milk, lemon juice and gelatine. Beat well.
When base is cool, layer with banana slices. Spread cream cheese mixture over banana layer.
Place in fridge for at least two hours to set. When set, cut into squares to serve.
Brownie Cake
This quick and easy one-bowl loaf cake smells wonderful while it’s cooking and tastes even better. The combination of nuts, dried fruit – you can use any combination you like, not just commercial mixed fruit – and aromatic spices makes it taste even better than it smells. Brownie cake is a moist loaf, and lasts well if wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge.
2 heaped cups self-raising flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup mixed fruit and nuts
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a loaf tin and line with baking paper.
Sift together flour and spices. Rub in butter and add sugar. Add the milk and mix well. Stir in fruit and nuts. Pour into lined loaf tin and bake in the oven for 1 hour or until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.
One-bowl Chocolate Cake
Originally this was a one-bowl cake recipe, hence the name. Over the years I changed my method of making it and it’s now a two-bowl chocolate cake. I like to crack the eggs individually before adding them to the wet ingredients to combine. If you have an electric mixer you can add all the ingredients to the one bowl and beat together for one minute.
1 cup self-raising flour
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line with baking paper.
Sift flour and cocoa together. Mix in sugar.
Melt butter either in a small saucepan or in a small bowl in the microwave. Beat eggs and whisk in milk and vanilla extract. Add melted butter. Make a well in centre of dry ingredients and add egg mixture. Beat with a wooden spoon for 1 minute.
Pour cake batter into prepared cake tin. Bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes until skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow to rest in tin 5 minutes before turning out onto cake rack to cool. Ice with chocolate icing (see recipe below).
Chocolate Icing
1 cup icing sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon butter
Mix all ingredients together until smooth. If the icing is too thick to spread easily add a little more milk and beat well.
Grandma’s Shortbread
My mother makes this shortbread every Christmas. A few years ago she taught my daughter Hannah how to make it and now she shares the Christmas baking with her, creating a rather nice family tradition.
250g butter
½ cup caster sugar plus 2 tablespoons extra
1½ cups plain flour
2/3 cup rice flour
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease two baking trays and line with baking paper.
Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift flours together. Using your hands, gradually work the flours into the butter mixture until combined. Knead on a floured surface until smooth.
Roll out to 2cm thick. Cut into fingers or circles. Put on prepared baking trays. Prick with a fork and sprinkle with extra caster sugar.
Bake in the oven until firm and light golden at the edges, about 20 minutes. Cool then store in an airtight tin.
Hilda’s Rock Cakes
This recipe was given to me by a friend from the CWA who is a fabulous cook. The secret to these rock cakes is the port – don’t be tempted to substitute something else, they just won’t be the same.
3½ cups self-raising flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
250g butter, chopped into 1cm pieces
1 cup caster sugar
375g mixed fruit (with real cherries)
2 eggs
3 tablespoons port
cinnamon sugar (see p127)
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line a biscuit tray with greased baking paper.
Sift flour and spice into a large bowl. Rub butter into the flour with fingertips. Add sugar and fruit and mix thoroughly. Beat eggs with port and add to the mixture. Stir well to form a dough.
Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking paper. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown. Makes 24.
Cinnamon Sugar
Mix 2 teaspoons sugar with ½ teaspoon cinnamon. This is enough for two batches of Hilda’s Rock Cakes.
Johnny Cakes
Granny Armstrong would make Johnny cakes for morning tea on the farm. They are a family favourite and she kept the recipe a secret for years. She passed it on to me just before I was married. She knew Johnny Cakes are Wayne’s favourite treat.
125g butter, melted
½ cup sugar, plus two tablespoons extra, for sprinkling
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup milk
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup crushed nuts
1 cup coconut
1 cup dried fruit
2 cups self-raising flour
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a baking tray and line with baking paper.
In a small bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, beaten eggs and milk. Mix in cinnamon, nuts, coconut, dried fruit and flour.
Drop tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking tray and sprinkle with extra sugar if desired.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Makes 24.
Lunchbox Cookies
This recipe makes lots of cookies, so is quite economical. You can also substitute sultanas, pie apple, nuts, choc chips, etc for the mixed fruit to give more variety. They are also very nice plain, too.
500g butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
1 tin condensed milk
2 cups mixed fruit
1kg self-raising flour
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease three baking trays and line with baking paper.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add condensed milk and mix well. Stir in mixed fruit followed by the flour. The dough should be firm, but not really stiff.
Roll teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls and flatten onto the prepared trays. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, watching carefully so they don’t burn.
Allow to cool on trays for 5 minutes, then turn onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Makes approximately 100.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATIONS:
Raspberry Fingers 2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, separated
1½ cups self-raising flour
½ cup caster sugar, extra
1 cup coconut
3 tablespoons raspberry jam
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a lamington tin and line with baking paper.
Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg yolks. Add flour and mix to a smooth dough. Press dough into prepared lamington tin.
Beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually add extra caster sugar, beating well until sugar has dissolved. Using a metal spoon, stir in the coconut.
Spread jam over pastry base, then top with the meringue mixture.
Bake 30–35 minutes until pastry is cooked and meringue is golden brown. Cool in tin, and cut into 12 fingers to serve.
Simple Scones
3 cups self-raising flour
300ml lemonade
300ml cream
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Grease a baking tray and line with baking paper.
Place flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add lemonade and cream (don’t throw the container out) and mix to form soft dough.
Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth. Pat out to a 2cm thickness and cut scones out with a floured cutter.
Place close together on the prepared tray. Brush with the cream left in the carton (about a tablespoonful). Bake in the oven for 10–15 minutes until well risen and golden. Makes 12.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATIONS:
Cheapskates tips:
Sultana Banana Loaf
This was nicknamed Sloppy Cake by a family friend. It’s not really sloppy at all, but it is a deliciously moist loaf that keeps well and can be frozen.
¾ cup white self-raising flour
2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour
¾ cup caster sugar
250g sultanas
1¼ cups milk
4 teaspoons butter
2 eggs, beaten
4 mashed bananas
2 tablespoons chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, peanuts, etc)
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease two loaf tins and line with baking paper.
Sift white flour and add to mixing bowl with wholemeal flour, sugar and sultanas.
Heat ¼ cup of the milk in a small saucepan on the stove or in a small bowl in the microwave. Add the butter to the hot milk and allow the butter to melt. Add beaten eggs to the butter mixture, then add remaining cup of milk and mashed bananas.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add wet ingredients. Mix well. Pour batter into prepared loaf tins. Sprinkle with chopped nuts.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, checking after 55 minutes. Cake is done when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
Tea Cake
3 cups self-raising flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup sultanas or raisins
1 tablespoon mixed peel (optional)
1 egg, beaten
milk to mix
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Grease a baking tray and line with baking paper.
Sift flour, stir in sugar and rub in butter with fingertips. Add sultanas and peel and mix through. Add the beaten egg and the milk, mixing gently to make a soft dough.
Knead lightly on a floured work surface, and pat into a round about 15mm thick. Place round on the prepared tray and mark into eight pieces. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake in the oven for 10–15 minutes. Serve warm, with butter.
Quick Elephant Ears
Elephant Ears are a fun treat, just right for school holiday afternoon teas.
¼ cup white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
8 flour tortillas
oil for frying
Combine sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl wide enough to fit the tortillas.
Heat about 1cm oil in frying pan. Put 1 tortilla into the oil for 10 seconds. Use tongs to turn tortilla and fry the other side. After it is turned the tortilla will puff up. Remove from the pan with tongs and toss in cinnamon sugar to coat. Makes 8.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATION:
Crumpets
Crumpets are something that we don’t often think to make ourselves. For some reason we have the idea that they are too hard to make at home. Well, they’re not! Crumpets are as easy to make as a batch of pancakes – if you don’t believe me, try this recipe. You can’t beat really fresh crumpets for taste and texture, especially if they are buttered and slathered with honey.
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons dried yeast
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
500ml warm water
½ teaspoon bicarb soda
150ml warm milk
butter, for greasing
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and add water slowly, mixing well until a thick batter has formed.
Beat well with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes until thick and smooth. Cover and leave in a warm spot for an hour to rise.
Add the bicarb soda to the warm milk. Stir milk mixture into the dough, beating well so there are no lumps. The batter should look like thick pancake mix.
Grease a frying pan and egg rings or crumpet rings with butter and heat to a moderate temperature over a medium heat. The frying pan needs to be hot, but not smoking hot. Place 1 tablespoonful of mixture in each egg ring or 2 tablespoonfuls in each crumpet ring. Cook over medium heat until bubbles rise, leave a little longer so the bubbles set slightly – about 30 seconds – then turn crumpets and brown the tops.
After turning crumpets, remove the rings and re-grease. Then start the next batch cooking.
Toast crumpets to serve. Makes about 45 (egg-ring) crumpets or 20 if using crumpet rings. These crumpets freeze well.
Note: You can buy special crumpet rings from cookware shops for around $3 each. A cheaper option is to use 425g tuna cans that have had both ends removed. Be careful of the sharp edges if you use tuna cans. You can roll the edges over with pliers if you want to remove the edge.
Cheese and Vegemite Scrolls
These are great for morning tea while still warm, or for lunchboxes.
2 cups self-raising flour
60g butter
¾ cup grated tasty cheese, plus ½ cup extra, to sprinkle
2/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon Vegemite
1 tablespoon milk
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a baking tray and line with baking paper.
Place flour and butter in a large bowl and use fingertips to rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in ¾ cup cheese. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add milk, mixing to form a dough.
Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface and knead briefly. Roll out dough into a 20cm x 30cm rectangle. Spread with Vegemite, sprinkle with extra ½ cup cheese.
Roll up the dough from the long side to form a log, then cut 1cm thick slices to make the scrolls. Place scrolls on tray and brush tops with milk.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Turn on to wire rack to cool. Makes 12.
Easy Corn Bread
1¼ cups plain flour
¾ cup polenta
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup milk
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a 20cm square pan.
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Stir in milk, oil and egg until well combined. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes or until golden brown.
Food Processor Cinnamon Scrolls
I love cinnamon scrolls, but the $3.80 the bakery charges makes them a very expensive treat, especially when they are so easy to make at home. If you have a food processor they are even easier to make. You’ll get 16 scrolls for around $5.40, a much better price than at the bakery.
DOUGH
2½ teaspoons dry yeast
2½ cups plain flour
2 cups wholemeal plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted
FILLING
1 cup brown sugar
2½ tablespoons cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened
GLAZE
1½ cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk
Warm ¼ cup of the milk to lukewarm and add the yeast. Let mixture sit until it foams, about 5 minutes.
Add the flours, salt and sugar to the bowl of the food processor. Process for a few seconds to combine. Beat the eggs and melted butter into the remaining ¾ cup of milk and add to the processor with the yeast mixture. Process for 3 minutes, until the dough forms a ball and leaves the sides of the bowl.
Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and sit in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about a hour.
Grease a slice tin and line with baking paper. Once the dough has risen, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and allow to rest while you prepare the filling by mixing the brown sugar and cinnamon together.
Roll out dough to a 40cm x 55cm rectangle. Spread softened butter over the entire surface of the dough and then sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Roll up the dough from the long side and trim off uneven ends. Cut the roll into 16 even pieces with a serrated knife and place in the prepared slice tin. Have the pieces just touching each other, as this promotes even rising and cooking.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cover scrolls with a damp tea towel and put them in a warm place to rise until they have doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
It is important to preheat the oven as the scrolls need to go into a hot oven and start cooking immediately or they will be underdone and doughy in the centre.
Once the scrolls have doubled in size, bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
While the scrolls are baking prepare the glaze. Beat icing sugar, butter, vanilla extract and milk with a mixer to a thick pouring consistency. You may need to add more milk if the mixture is too thick.
Remove the scrolls from the oven and spoon any of the filling that has leaked into the pan over the scrolls, then spread with the glaze while still hot. Make sure to get the glaze into all the dips.
Leave for 15 minutes to cool a little before eating if you like them warm. These scrolls freeze beautifully.
Naan Bread
This simple bread goes perfectly with curries but did you know it also makes delicious sandwiches and wraps? Use it instead of bread or tortillas for a different type of sandwich.
½ cup warm water
½ cup natural yoghurt
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups plain flour
Mix all ingredients into a dough and knead for 5 minutes.
Transfer to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes.
Knead again and divide into small balls, approximately the size of golf balls. Roll into thin, flat circles. Cover with a damp tea towel until ready to cook.
To bake in the oven for a crisp naan: Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a baking tray. Place the naan on the tray – they don’t spread so you’ll get quite a few on a baking tray. Bake in the oven for 10–12 minutes, until golden brown.
To cook in a frying pan for a softer, more bread-like naan: Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Melt some butter and brush one side of each naan. Place the naan butter-side down in the pan. Brush the tops with melted butter. Cook for approximately two minutes on each side. They should be slightly puffed and golden. Makes 8.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATIONS:
Tortillas
2½ cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon oil
¾ cup warm water
Combine the dry ingredients in food processor. Add the oil and then gradually add enough of the warm water to form a soft dough.
Knead on a floured work surface for about 5 minutes then allow the dough to rest for at least 10 minutes – this makes it much easier to roll out.
Divide the dough into 10–12 pieces and roll out each to about 20cm across. Cook them in a very hot, lightly oiled frying pan for 30–60 seconds until they bubble and start to brown. Turn and cook other side.
Wrap the tortillas in a damp tea towel to keep them soft until ready to use.
To warm the tortillas, wrap them in foil and heat them in a 180°C preheated oven for 3 minutes. The tortillas can also be frozen: layer freezer plastic between each tortilla to make them easy to separate. Reheat in a hot, lightly oiled frying pan for a few seconds on each side. Makes 8.
If you have children (or a husband) who are always looking for something to eat after dinner, you can put desserts back into your meal plan. Offering them something sweet will give you greater control over your pantry and fridge – how often have you had leftovers, with plans for another meal, only to have the Fridge Fairies strike while your back was turned? Those Fridge Fairies can do a lot of damage to your grocery bill if you aren’t careful.
Anyone can have their dessert and enjoy it. The secret is to remember portion control. If your recipe says it serves six then make sure you get six serves from it. Not five, not four. Six. The size of the serving will affect your grocery budget, especially if you plan for leftover portions to be used for other meals.
Apple Sponge
This is a great recipe for using up wrinkled apples or leftover stewed apple. It is cooked in a bain-marie, or water bath. You’ll need a 2-litre casserole dish and a larger baking dish for this dessert.
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup self-raising flour
2 cups stewed apple or 425g tin pie apple
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 2-litre casserole dish well.
Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla extract, then fold in sifted flour and mix well.
Place stewed apple in casserole dish and spoon sponge mixture over gently. Place the casserole dish in a baking dish. Pour cold water into the baking dish to come halfway up the side of the casserole dish.
Bake in the oven for 30–40 minutes, until the sponge is cooked and golden on top.
Baked Rice Custard
This was the first dessert I ever cooked after we were married. I’ve made one just about every week in the 23 years since then. It really is a family favourite, especially when there’s ice-cream to have with it.
¼ cup rice
2 cups boiling water
3 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup sultanas
2½ cups milk
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cook the rice in the boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain well.
Beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add rice and sultanas and stir to combine. Add milk and stir again, making sure rice and sultanas are evenly distributed.
Pour into a shallow casserole dish. Place the casserole dish in a baking dish and fill with water to about halfway up the side of the casserole dish. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, reduce the heat to 160°C and continue to cook for a further 30–40 minutes, until custard has set. Serves 6.
Bread Pudding
This is a recipe from World War II. It is a good recipe to use up stale bread and crusts so keep them in the freezer until you have enough to make the pudding.
1kg bread and bread crusts
250g butter or margarine
brown sugar to taste
500g mixed dried fruit
2 teaspoons mixed spice
juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons raw sugar
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 150°C. Grease a casserole dish.
Soak the bread in cold water until soft then drain and wring well. A small-holed colander is excellent; press firmly, but not so firmly you push the bread through the holes.
Cut butter into small cubes and mix well through the bread. Add brown sugar and the mixed fruit and mix well into bread mixture. Stir in the mixed spice and lemon juice. The mixture should be moist, but not runny. If it is dry, add a little milk.
Press the bread mix into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with raw sugar and nutmeg. Bake in the centre of the oven 2 hours, or until cooked through. Serve with custard or ice-cream. Serves 6.
Caramel Jelly Tart
My mother made this tart for special occasions and we loved it. It wasn’t a birthday or celebration without Caramel Jelly Tart for dessert. This is my adaptation of Mum’s recipe.
1 x 395g tin condensed milk
1 quantity of Easy Pastry (see p40)
1 packet port wine jelly crystals
2 cups boiling water
300ml thickened cream
Place unopened tin of condensed milk into a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Place on stove and bring to the boil. Boil condensed milk for two hours, making sure to top up the water if the top of the can becomes exposed. This forms the caramel.
Meanwhile, make the pastry. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Grease a lamington tin and line with baking paper. Line the prepared lamington tin with the pastry and blind bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Make the jelly by mixing the jelly crystals with the two cups of boiling water. Set aside. Rinse another lamington tin with cold water – this stops the jelly from sticking – and pour the jelly mixture into the tin. Place in the fridge to set.
After two hours, remove the condensed milk from the stove. To open the can, very, very carefully use a bottle opener to puncture a small hole in the top. The contents will be boiling hot and will spurt if the hole is too big. It needs to be just big enough to release the pressure in the can.
Carefully open the can. Make sure to have the opening facing away from you in case the caramel overflows as you open the can. The caramel will be very, very hot so use oven gloves or a folded tea towel to hold the can and pour the caramel into a bowl. Stir in the cream.
Pour the caramel mixture over the prepared pastry base and place in the fridge to chill. Just before serving, cut the jelly into cubes and pour over the top of the caramel. Cut tart into 12 small squares to serve.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATION:
Chocolate Self-saucing Pudding
Who doesn’t love a gooey chocolate pudding? This one is so easy the kids could make it; in fact, they have. This pudding is the first dessert all three of my kids ever made, it’s so easy. Served with ice-cream it is a lovely dessert that’s sure to become a family favourite.
¼ cup butter
½ cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup self-raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
½ cup sugar
SAUCE
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 cups boiling water
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 2-litre casserole dish.
Melt butter. Add the milk, egg and vanilla extract to the butter and mix well.
Sift the flour and cocoa together, then add sugar. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Beat well with a wooden spoon. Pour the pudding mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
To make the sauce, mix the brown sugar and cocoa together and sprinkle evenly over the top of the pudding. Very carefully pour the two cups of boiling water over the pudding.
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, until the sponge is done and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and the sauce is thick. Serves 4–6.
Ginger Cake
1¼ cups self-raising flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup sugar
1 cup cream
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup chopped glace ginger
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line with baking paper.
Sift flour and ground ginger into a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar.
In a separate bowl, beat together cream, eggs and vanilla. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and stir in wet ingredients, beating until smooth and thick, about 5 minutes.
Fold in chopped ginger and pour into prepared cake tin. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Leave in the tin for 5 minutes to cool and then place on a wire rack to cool completely. Ice with ginger or lemon icing (see recipes below).
Ginger Icing
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons boiling water
Sift the icing sugar and ginger into a bowl. Mix in the butter and boiling water, stirring until smooth. Spread over the cooled cake with a spatula or flat knife.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATION:
Golden Syrup Dumplings
Another old favourite, and not just because it’s easy on the budget. Serve the dumplings with Homemade Ice-Cream (see below) and lots of syrup for a decadent dessert.
2 cups self-raising flour
pinch salt
1 tablespoon butter
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup milk
SYRUP
4 cups water
2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons golden syrup
Sift flour and salt into basin and rub in butter. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and stir in the beaten eggs and milk to make a dry dough.
Roll dough into small walnut-sized dumplings and set aside.
Place ingredients for syrup into a 3-litre saucepan, and heat until boiling. Add dumplings to the boiling syrup all at once. Lower heat to a simmer and cook gently for 15–20 minutes. Serve hot with vanilla ice-cream and cream. Serves 4.
Homemade Ice-cream
1 x 395g tin sweetened condensed milk
600ml thickened cream
2 tablespoons sugar
4 eggs
Place a large bowl into the freezer to chill. This helps the ice-cream to set faster.
Mix all ingredients together. Pour the ice-cream mixture into the chilled bowl. Freeze until slushy then beat with electric beaters (not blender) until mixture turns creamy and doubles in volume.
Press cling wrap down over the top of the ice-cream. This stops ice crystals forming on the top. Return to freezer and freeze for 4 hours or until set. Makes 1 litre.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATION:
Stirred Custard
You don’t need a carton in the cupboard or even custard powder to serve rich, creamy and smooth custard for dessert. This custard is so quick and easy you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with the other stuff.
1 tablespoon cornflour
2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup sugar
Method 1
Mix cornflour into ½ cup milk. Add to the rest of the milk. Beat eggs and vanilla together and add to milk. Stir in sugar.
Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils. Turn heat down and simmer for one minute. Makes 500ml.
Method 2
Mix cornflour into ½ cup milk. Put the remaining milk and sugar in a microwave-safe jug. Beat eggs and vanilla together and add to the milk in the jug. Stir in sugar. Add cornflour mixture and stir to combine.
Cook on high for one minute. Whisk. Cook on high for another minute and whisk. Cook on high for 30 seconds and whisk. The custard should be starting to thicken. Continue cooking in 30-second bursts and whisking until the custard boils.
Method 3
Mix cornflour into ½ cup milk. Add to the rest of the milk. Beat eggs and vanilla together and add to milk. Stir in sugar.
Pour mixture into a double boiler. Cook over simmering water, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils. Turn heat down and simmer for one minute.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATION:
Lemon Delicious
This pudding is light and in the olden days was referred to as a ‘summer’ pudding. I think it’s delicious enough to eat all year round. If you have your own lemon tree it’s a very frugal dessert too.
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons self-raising flour
2 lemons, juiced and zested
2 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 2-litre casserole dish.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add sifted flour.
Add lemon zest and juice, egg yolks and milk to the creamed butter mixture.
Beat egg whites until stiff. Using a metal spoon, gently stir egg whites into mixture. Pour into the prepared casserole dish.
Stand casserole in a baking dish. Fill baking dish with cold water to halfway up the sides of the casserole dish. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Serves 4.
Lemon Impossible Pie
250g butter
1¼ cups sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup light sour cream
zest of 1 lemon
½ cup plain flour
SYRUP
1/3 cup lemon juice
½ cup caster sugar
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease a 25cm pie dish.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs slowly, beating well. Fold in sour cream and lemon zest. Add flour, mixing well.
Pour into prepared pie dish and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Do not overcook as this will make the base dry.
Meanwhile, to make the syrup, combine juice and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over a low heat until sugar is dissolved.
Poke holes over the top of the pie with a skewer and pour the syrup over the hot pie. Serves 4–6
If you have a family you’ll know just how much it costs to keep them in cordial, juice and soft drink. Even buying generic brands or on-sale drinks can make up around 20% of your grocery budget.
We all know that sugary, fizzy drinks aren’t good for us, but the occasional treat is nice. Save your money, keep the preservatives out of your mouth and make your own soft drinks. You’ll be saving your back too, because you won’t have heavy bottles to carry home from the shops.
Ginger Beer
My mother makes the best ginger beer and this is her recipe. I have fond childhood memories of sitting on the lounge and suddenly the lounge exploding around me, with ginger beer raining down. Mum kept her bottles lined up behind the lounge to brew and occasionally one would explode out of the blue!
GINGER BEER PLANT
4 teaspoons sugar
2 cups cold water
2 teaspoons ground ginger
juice of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon of lemon pulp
8 sultanas (yes, you have to count them)
FURTHER INGREDIENTS
sugar
ground ginger
3 lemons
To start the plant, mix all the ingredients and put in a screw-top jar for 3 days with the lid on.
After 3 days, feed the plant by adding 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon ginger on alternate days, for 6 days. You can make up your ginger beer on the seventh day.
To make up, dissolve 2½–3 cups sugar in 3 cups of boiling water in a large stock pot. Add the juice of 3 lemons and the strained liquid from your ginger beer plant, plus 3½ litres of cold water.
Bottle the ginger beer and cap. Make sure the caps are screwed down as tight as they can be. Leave for 1 week in a cool, dark cupboard to brew before using. This makes around 5 litres of ginger beer.
To make further batches, halve plant, add 1 cup cold water, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon ginger to the mush from your first plant and continue to feed as before.
Note: You can buy bottles for your ginger beer from homebrew suppliers. Or you can recycle soft drink bottles. Wash them thoroughly in hot soapy water, rinse and air dry. Then wash them again in very hot water (not boiling as they will distort and start to melt) and allow to air dry. Wash the caps using the same method.
Iced Coffee Syrup
This syrup was originally posted to the Cheapskates Club website and was an instant favourite with members and my family. I keep the syrup in a flip-top bottle in the fridge, right next to the milk. An icy cold iced coffee for afternoon tea is the perfect refreshing drink on a hot afternoon.
1kg sugar
50g strong instant coffee
500ml boiling water
500ml cold water
100ml vanilla extract
Put sugar and coffee in a large saucepan. Pour in the boiling water and heat gently, stirring until sugar dissolves. The mixture should be thick and sticky, the consistency of ice-cream topping.
Add the cold water and vanilla essence. Bottle, label and store in the fridge. Makes 1.5 litres.
To make up, pour 50ml (2 tablespoons) into a glass and top with icy cold milk. Stir to mix.
Fizzy Lemonade
A fizzy version of old-fashioned lemonade, this drink has a refreshing tang to it. There’s no need for special equipment – I use 600ml homebrew bottles for this and my ginger beer. They are easy to seal, can be washed, sterilised and reused and are the right size to share a drink with a friend.
6 lemons, quartered
5 litres cold water
3½ cups sugar
275ml apple cider vinegar (it must be apple cider vinegar)
Mix lemons, water, sugar and cider vinegar in a clean bucket. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to ferment for 48 hours.
Strain through a jelly cloth (I use calico) and bottle. Leave for at least 10 days before drinking well chilled. Makes 6 litres.
Lemon Barley Water
This is a very old-fashioned drink, often given to children and invalids. I love it in summer, icy cold from the fridge. You’ll find pearl barley with the soup mixes and lentils at your local supermarket or at a good wholefoods store.
60g pearl barley
3 teaspoons sugar
peel of ½ lemon
600ml boiling water
Put barley in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and boil for about 3 minutes.
Strain barley through a fine sieve or cheesecloth. Put into a tall jug with sugar, lemon peel and boiling water. Stir. Cover and let stand until cold. Strain.
Serve plain, or add lemon juice and sugar to taste and or serve over ice. Makes 600ml.
Lemon Cordial
A tall glass of lemon cordial, topped off with crushed ice – how refreshing, especially on a hot summer day.
2kg caster sugar
1 litre water
30g citric acid
30g tartaric acid
juice and pulp of 6 lemons, strained
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
Dissolve sugar in water over a medium heat in a stockpot. Add citric acid and tartaric acid. Stir to ensure sugar is completely dissolved. Cool. Stir in juice, pulp and zest and bottle. Makes 2 litres.
To make up, mix 1 part cordial to 2 parts cold water.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATIONS:
Aunty Mary’s Beef Casserole
This is a very simple casserole full of flavour.
500g chuck steak
½ cup plum jam
¼ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
steamed rice, to serve
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cut steak into bite-size cubes. Place into a 2-litre casserole dish.
Combine jam and sauces and pour over meat. Cook 1½ hours. Serve over steamed rice. Serves 4.
Baked Bean Curry
This curry is so easy you would be forgiven for thinking it’s just a quick pretend curry dish. There is nothing pretend about this dish – it is full of flavour and, being meatless, it is very, very frugal.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
1–2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon grated ginger
4 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 large tomato, diced
800g can baked beans in tomato sauce
In a large heavy-based saucepan heat oil and sauté the onion, garlic and ginger until onion is tender, then add curry powder and spices. Stir for 30 seconds then add tomato and baked beans.
Heat tomatoes and beans through, then check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over steamed rice, with Homemade Naan (see p136). Serves 4.
Braciole
This is a one-pot dish that can use a cheap cut and turn it mouth-wateringly tender through long slow cooking in a delicious tomato sauce.
500g rump steak
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
125g grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup fresh basil leaves (or to taste)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 x 410g tins diced tomatoes
¾ cup tomato paste
Slice the steak, horizontally, into very thin slices to make steaks. Place each piece between 2 sheets of baking paper and pound even thinner with a meat mallet or your rolling pin if you don’t have one.
Mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and basil together and sprinkle over the steaks. Roll-up each steak and secure with toothpicks.
Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a heavy saucepan. Brown the braciole.
Mix the diced tomatoes and tomato paste together and pour over the meat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours, turning the rolls occasionally, until the beef is tender when pierced with a knife. Check from time to time to see if the sauce is becoming too dry; add a little water if needed. Serves 4.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATION:
Cath’s $5 Spaghetti
Who doesn’t love a good spag bol? Served with a big green salad and homemade garlic bread, this meal is big enough for the heartiest of appetites.
500g mince ($2.50)
1 large onion, diced (50c)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 x 425g tin tomatoes (75c)
1 x 410g tin tomato soup (89c)
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
500g spaghetti (59c)
In a non-stick pan, brown the mince, then rinse under hot water to remove remaining fat. Drain and set aside. Sauté onion and garlic in pan. Add mince and stir to combine. Add tomatoes and tomato soup, then stir in mixed herbs.
Bring sauce to the boil, turn heat down and let simmer over a low heat, stirring occasionally, while you cook the pasta according to directions on packet. Drain pasta, top with sauce and enjoy. Serves 4.
Cheat’s Beef and Vegetable Soup
When you need a hearty soup in a hurry, Cheat’s Beef and Vegetable fits the bill. It’s a hearty meal in itself and you’ll have it on the table in 30 minutes! No need to make stock or for the long, slow cooking required when you use shin bones – this soup makes good use of everyday ingredients to save you money, time and energy.
500g beef mince
1 cup dried soup mix
3 medium carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 can tomatoes, crushed
2 cups pasta
Brown the mince in a frying pan and drain.
Add all the ingredients to a large soup pot. Cover with 3 litres of cold water and bring to a rolling boil. Cover, turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Serves 4.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATIONS:
Chicken Alfredo
This simple pasta dish packs some serious WOW factor, whether it’s for a simple family dinner or a formal dinner party. Slice the chicken fillets through while partly frozen; they will be easier to cut. Use kitchen scissors to chop the parsley. Use wholemeal fettuccini if desired.
6 medium garlic cloves, peeled and flattened with a knife
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
2 skinless chicken breast fillets, halved
cooking spray
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup cream
¼ cup Greek yoghurt
250g uncooked fettuccini
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup parsley, fresh, finely chopped
Rub garlic and pepper over chicken then reserve garlic. Set chicken aside.
Heat a large heavy frying pan over medium heat. Remove frying pan from heat and coat with cooking spray. Turn heat to medium-low and sauté the garlic for 1 minute. Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes each side, or until golden.
Combine stock, cream and yoghurt and pour over chicken.
Scrape bottom of frying pan to incorporate seasonings and pan brownings.
Turn heat down and simmer chicken gently, turning once, for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Cook pasta according to the directions on the packet, then drain.
Remove chicken from cream sauce and set aside. Add Parmesan cheese to cream sauce and stir through. Add cooked pasta and parsley, and toss well. Serve pasta topped with chicken and remaining parsley. Serves 4.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATIONS:
Chicken and Mushroom Risotto
This is another cheat’s recipe, so much faster than a traditional risotto, but just as smooth, creamy and tasty. Make sure your chicken stock is hot when you add it to the pan.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
1 large onion, diced
2 chicken breast fillets, skin removed, diced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 litres chicken stock
250g button mushrooms, sliced
200ml sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Heat olive oil in large frying pan. Add rice, stirring to coat completely. Add onion and cook until soft. Add chicken pieces and celery.
Bring chicken stock to boil and slowly add to pan, stirring constantly. Once all the stock has been added, turn the heat down to low and let simmer for 20 minutes, until stock has almost been absorbed.
If rice is not cooked, add more boiling stock and cook until rice is done to your liking. Stir through mushrooms, then turn off the heat and cover until mushrooms are soft. Stir through sour cream and garnish with parsley to serve. Serves 4.
Cheat’s Burritos
We love Mexican dinners but I definitely don’t like the work involved in the preparation. These burritos are so quick and easy that you can have them in the oven in under ten minutes if you want dinner fast. Otherwise do as the recipe says and marinate the chicken overnight. It’s still a great dinner.
300g chicken thigh meat, diced
1 x 410g can baked beans in tomato sauce
1 300g jar mild salsa
8 x tortillas
250g grated tasty cheese
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a lasagne or baking dish.
Marinate the chicken in 2 tablespoons salsa for at least two hours, preferably overnight.
Mix chicken with baked beans. Spoon equal amounts of chicken and bean mix into each tortilla and roll up. Place burritos in prepared baking dish. Pour remaining salsa over the burritos and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Serves 4.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATION:
Chilli con Carne
This version of the traditional favourite chilli con carne is simple, quick, cheap and very warming – just right for cooler nights. Team it with brown rice and a chunk of warm Corn Bread (see p134) and you’ll have the family begging for seconds.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
500g mince
1 onion chopped
1 tablespoon vinegar
4 tablespoon tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chilli powder (more or less to taste)
1 x 310g can red kidney beans, drained
1 x 410g can baked beans in tomato sauce
Heat oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan and fry mince until lightly browned. Drain then rinse under hot water to remove remaining fat, drain again and return to the pan. Add all other ingredients except the beans. Simmer for 10–15 minutes. Add kidney beans and baked beans and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Serve with Savoury Rice (see p175), tossed salad and cornbread. Serves 4.
Colleen’s Sausage Casserole
1kg potatoes, peeled, roughly chopped
40g butter, chopped
¾ cup milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, sliced
500g sausages
¼ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
35g packet French onion soup mix
1 tablespoon plain flour
½ cup grated tasty cheese
Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium – low and simmer for 20–25 minutes or until tender. Drain.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Return potatoes to pan. Add butter, milk and salt and pepper. Mash until smooth.
Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes, or until tender. Add sausages and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, or until browned. Chop sausages into bite-sized pieces.
Whisk tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soup mix, flour and ¾ cup water in a jug. Stir into sausage mixture and bring to the boil.
Spoon sausage mixture into an 8-cup capacity casserole dish. Top with potato. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes, until cheese is golden. Serves 4.
Corn Fritters
If you need a meatless meal, without everyone knowing it’s a meatless meal, corn fritters are the go. Serve them hot from the pan with homemade wedges and tossed salad, with a little salsa on the side, and you’ll be getting requests for seconds. They are also good cold, too, making them a great addition to lunchboxes.
1½ cups self-raising flour
1 cup milk
440g tin creamed corn
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
oil for frying
Mix all ingredients, except oil, together until well combined. Heat oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Drop tablespoonfuls of mixture into oil and cook for 2 minutes, until brown on bottom and bubbles are forming. Turn and cook other side until golden brown. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel before serving. Makes 12 fritters.
Cream Cheese Patties
This recipe is the one I am asked for most (apart from the washing powder recipe) by Cheapskates Club members. We have these patties at least once a fortnight, either hot for dinner with veggies or salad, or cold on their own or in a roll for lunch. They are so good I have to hide them or they disappear as soon as they come out of the frying pan.
1 cup rice
250g cream cheese
1 large onion, grated
1 large carrot, grated
1 egg
½ teaspoon mixed herbs
olive oil for frying
MOO Shake ’n’ Bake (see p100)
½ cup milk
Cook the rice in boiling salted water for 12 minutes.
Cut the cream cheese into 2cm cubes (this makes it easier to melt).
Drain rice and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add cream cheese, onion, carrot, egg and herbs to the hot rice, stirring to combine and melt the cream cheese.
Take ¼ cup of mixture and shape into a patty. Continue until all the mixture is used up. Dip each patty in milk then in Shake ‘n’ Bake to coat.
Let the patties rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before frying in hot oil until golden brown on both sides. Serve hot or cold. Makes 12 patties.
Divine Burgers
These burgers may be meatless but they certainly don’t lack any substance. They are truly hearty, a meal in themselves and absolutely delicious.
1 cup boiling water
1 cup TVP
1 x 425g tin Sanitarium Rediburger
1 grated onion, plus 1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 egg, beaten
6 hamburger buns
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
lettuce leaves
sliced tomato
6 cheese slices
To make the burgers, pour the boiling water over the TVP and let it soak for 5 minutes. Mash the Rediburger with a fork, add the TVP, grated onion and beaten egg. Mix well. Shape into 6 large burgers. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Heat a chargrill, barbecue plate or frying pan until hot. Spray with cooking spray or lightly oil. Add the sliced onion to the pan to cook. Add burgers to pan and fry over a medium heat for about 2 minutes on each side, until browned and set.
While the burgers are cooking, toast the hamburger buns.
Mix the tomato sauce and mayonnaise and spread on one side of each bun. On the base of the bun put a lettuce leaf, slices of tomato and a slice of cheese.
When the burgers and onion are cooked place a burger onto the cheese, add some onion and top with the other half of the hamburger bun. Makes 6.
Honey Mustard Chicken
You’ll never buy a jar of honey mustard sauce again. Who knew it would be so easy (and economical) to make your own?
500g skinless chicken fillets, thigh or breast, cut into 2cm cubes
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup honey
3 tablespoons dijonnaise
½ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 190°C. Brown chicken in a non-stick frying pan. Remove chicken from pan and set aside to keep warm.
Melt the butter and honey in the frying pan. Add dijonnaise and salt and mix well. Add chicken to sauce and toss to coat thoroughly. Lightly grease a casserole dish and tip chicken and sauce into dish.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn chicken and bake for a further 15 minutes. Serve over steamed rice or with mashed potato, carrot straws and green beans. Serves 4.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATIONS:
Fish Cakes
Not just for Fridays, these fish cakes are good any day, hot or cold.
1kg potatoes
1 x 425g tin tuna in water
1 large onion, grated
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
2 eggs
Shake ‘n’ Bake (see p100)
vegetable oil for frying
Peel potatoes and cut into quarters. Cook in boiling water for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Drain and mash.
Drain tuna and flake. Add to potato. Add onion and mixed herbs to potato mixture. Beat 1 egg and stir into potato mixture.
Beat the other egg. Pour some Shake ’n’ Bake onto a plate.
With wet hands, take ½ cup of mixture and shape into a patty. Dip patty in egg, then in Shake ’n’ Bake. Place onto a clean plate. Continue in this way until all the mixture is used up.
Place the patties, covered, in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up before cooking. This also gives the coating time to set.
Heat a little vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the patties for about 3 minutes on each side or until coating is golden brown. Serve with salad and tartar sauce. Makes 12 cakes.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATIONS:
French Shepherd’s Pie
This recipe stretches a tiny bit of leftover roast and mashed potato to an amazing number of serves. Cut into squares to serve hot with greens or cold with salad.
olive oil for frying
200g leftover roast lamb or beef, or 200g mince
1 large onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon mixed herbs
4 large potatoes, peeled and boiled
1 beaten egg
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Oil a lasagne or baking dish well.
Cut lamb or beef into 1cm cubes. If you are using mince instead, brown mince in a large frying pan, drain, rinse under hot water, drain again and set aside.
In the same pan heat a little olive oil and fry onion until transparent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return meat to the pan, add herbs and mix to combine.
Mash potatoes and stir through the meat mixture. Pat the mixture into the baking dish. Run a fork over the top of the potato to rough up then brush with beaten egg.
Cook in the oven for 25–30 minutes, until heated through and top is golden brown. Serves 4.
Frugal Fritters
The first time I tried making these they were an absolute disaster. Since then I’ve modified and tweaked the ingredients. Now they are yummy, especially with gravy or a chunky tomato sauce. These are a great waste not, want not recipe as they use bread ends and crusts. Keep crusts in a bag in the freezer until you have enough to make your fritters.
2–3 cups of bread crusts, about 8 crusts
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ cup parsley, chopped
2 eggs
1 tablespoon milk
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
oil for frying
Process bread crusts, onion and parsley in a food processor until finely ground. Add eggs, milk and mustard. Process until well blended and the dough is pliable.
Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan. Drop heaped tablespoons of mixture into the hot oil. Cook fritters for 3–4 minutes until golden brown, then turn and cook the other side. Makes 24 small or 12 large fritters.
Golden Roast Chicken with Bread Stuffing
We like our roast chickens seasoned with bread stuffing and lots of gravy.
1 x no. 20 chicken
olive oil, for brushing
BREAD STUFFING
8 slices day-old bread
1 large tomato
1 large onion
1 egg, beaten
mixed herbs
Preheat oven to 180°C. To make the stuffing, tear the bread into tiny pieces. Roughly chop the tomato and grate the onion and place in a large bowl. Add the beaten egg and a good pinch mixed herbs. Add the bread and mix into a dough.
Rinse and dry the inside of the chicken. Fill the cavity with the stuffing mixture. Dry the outside of the chicken and then lightly brush with oil (not too much). Bake in the oven for 1½ hours or until the chicken is cooked. I test by using a skewer pushed into the breast. The chicken is cooked if the juice runs clear. Serves 4.
Haystacks
Haystacks feature on our meal plan for nights when we need a quick dinner or on weekends when the cook would like a night off.
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 packet taco seasoning
2 x 410g tins baked beans in tomato sauce
1 x 300g tin red kidney beans, or dried equivalent, soaked and cooked
2 x 410g tins diced tomatoes
1 x 200g bag corn chips
lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced cucumber, for salad
½ cup grated cheese
½ cup salsa
100ml sour cream
Sauté onion, add taco seasoning and then beans and tomatoes. Heat through. Pour over corn chips, add salad to suit and top with cheese, salsa and sour cream. Serves 4.
Note: I usually put the salad, cheese, salsa and sour cream on the table and let everyone make their own.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATIONS:
Hot Potato Salad
Who said potato salad had to be cold? This dish is good on its own or as a side to steak or chops.
1kg potatoes, cooked in their jackets
1 kransky (optional, but really delicious)
1 large onion, sliced
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 cup water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
Let the potatoes cool and then thickly slice. Slice the kransky. Cook in a large frying pan with the onion until the kransky is brown and the onion is soft. Set kransky and onion aside.
Brown the flour in the same pan. Slowly add the water, stirring well to avoid lumps. Add the vinegar and cook until thick.
Carefully add the kransky and onion mix to the sliced potatoes, then stir through the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.
Mum’s Meatloaf
500g mince
2 large tomatoes, pureed
¼ cup sultanas
¾ cup bran
1 egg
sprinkle of celery salt
¼ cup wholemeal flour
Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease a loaf tin.
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. You may need to use your hands for this. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin.
Bake for 25 minutes. Remove meatloaf from the oven and carefully drain the fat from the tin. Return to the oven and bake for a further 25 minutes. Let meatloaf stand for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cutting board. Serves 4.
Mexican Lasagne
A twist on an old favourite. Using mountain bread instead of lasagne sheets or tortillas is a frugal substitution that works really well.
1 cup TVP
1 cup boiling water
500g minced beef, lamb or chicken
1 x 410g tin tomatoes
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet corn mountain bread
1 cup grated cheese
Soak the TVP in the boiling water for 5 minutes.
While the TVP is soaking, brown the mince. Add the TVP, tomatoes, taco seasoning and 1 cup of water to the mince. Mix and simmer for 20 minutes until the mixture is cooked and slightly thickened.
Spray a lasagne dish or baking dish with cooking spray and spread ¼ of the meat mixture in the bottom. Cover with two sheets of the mountain bread. Repeat the layers, finishing with the meat sauce.
Sprinkle with the grated cheese. Bake in a moderate oven for 25–30 minutes, until the cheese is golden and the sauce is bubbling. Serves 4.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATIONS:
Oven Baked Chicken and Rice Casserole
I know this casserole uses three tins of soup, but you can buy them on sale to use just in this recipe. Don’t make the recipe a regular menu item – save it for a time when you need to know dinner will be tasty and ready on time, even if you are too busy to keep a close eye on it. It’s one of my all-time favourite shortcut meals.
125g butter
1 x 400g can cream of chicken soup
1 x 400g can cream of mushroom soup
1 x 400g can cream of celery soup
1 cup rice
3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
Preheat oven to 180°C. Melt butter in a large baking dish. Mix soups, rice and 1 cup water in a bowl. Stir well to remove all lumps. Pour over the melted butter and place chicken on top. Season with salt and pepper and cover with foil. Cook in the oven for 2 hours.
This is a perfect winter dish and an ideal ‘put in the oven, ready after church, football, golf, etc’ meal if you cook it at 120°C for four hours. Serves 4.
Pastie Slice
30g butter
1 medium onion, grated
500g minced beef
250g sausage mince
1 beef stock cube
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup grated apple
1 quantity Easy Pastry (see p40)
3 tablespoons grated tasty cheese
Preheat oven to 220°C. Grease a lamington tin.
Melt butter in a large frying pan and cook onion until soft. Add minces and cook until the meat changes colour.
Dissolve stock cube in 1 cup water, then add tomato sauce and mix to combine. Whisk in the flour and curry powder. Stir sauce into the meat mixture and cook until mixture thickens. Add carrot and apple and stir gently to combine.
Halve the pastry. Roll one half out and use it to line a prepared lamington tin. Pour the cooled meat mixture into the pastry base. Roll out the other half of the pastry to fit the top of the pastie and place on top, pressing the edges together. Cut vents in the top.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Turn heat down and cook a further 10 minutes at 175°C. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before cutting into squares to serve. Serves 4.
Penny Pinching Pizza Base
Pizza – every teenager’s favourite food. Sure there are those deals, delivered to your door. But they are not cheap, especially when your kids eat a whole pizza each! I can make three Penny Pinching Pizzas from scratch and have them on the table faster than we can get three pizzas delivered and for less than a third of the price!
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon dry yeast
2 cups plain flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
Dissolve the sugar in ¼ cup of the warm water and then add the yeast. Put aside to ferment for 5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Process the flour and oil for a few seconds until the mixture becomes crumbly. Add the yeast mixture and process. Slowly pour in the remaining ¾ cup warm water.
Process until a dough ball forms. Continue processing for 30 seconds. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, cover with a damp tea towel and let it sit for 10 minutes (or freeze the dough in a ball to use later on).
Press dough into a Swiss roll tin (22 x 33cm), using the palm of your hand. Try not to roll it with a rolling pin as it toughens the dough. Base should be 1cm thick when pressed into the tin. If you don’t have a Swiss roll tin use a 30cm round pizza tray.
Top with your favourite pizza toppings and bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes until the base is browned and the topping is bubbling nicely.
Suggested toppings:
Some sweet toppings:
Salmon Impossible Pie
1 x 220g tin salmon
3 eggs
2 cups milk
1 onion, thinly sliced
½ cup self-raising flour
½ cup grated cheese
Preheat oven to 180°C. Drain the salmon and flake into a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl beat the eggs with the milk and add to the salmon along with the onion and self-raising flour. Mix with a wooden spoon. Pour into a greased 20cm pie dish or 6 greased muffin tins. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
Bake for 30–40 minutes for a large pie, 15–20 minutes for muffin-sized pies, until golden brown, puffed up and set. Serves 4.
Pot Roast
One-pot dinners are not only time savers but they usually require long, slow cooking, making them ideal for cheaper cuts of meat. Pot roast really is a one-pot dinner – the meat, vegetables and gravy all cook together to create a mouth-watering meal. Any leftover meat can be shredded and used on sandwiches the next day.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2½ kg chuck or bolar blade roast
salt and pepper
2 cups beef stock
½ cup red wine (optional)
3 large brown onions, cut into large wedges
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 dried bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1kg carrots, cut into 4cm chunks
1kg chat potatoes, washed and halved
Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a large Dutch oven or flameproof casserole dish, heat oil over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle roast all over with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Place in pan, and brown on all sides – this should take about 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Add stock, wine if using, onions, garlic, bay leaves and thyme to pan. Stir in tomato paste.
Return meat to pot, fat-side up. Bring to a simmer and cover. Roast in the oven for 3 hours, checking regularly. If gravy is evaporating, add a little cool water and stir.
Add carrots and potatoes, and cook for 1 hour, or until vegetables are tender.
Remove roast and veggies from pot. Skim the fat off the surface of the cooking liquid. Cut the roast into thick slices and serve with the vegetables and pan juices as gravy. Serves 4.
Quick Beef Stroganoff
500g stewing steak, cubed and browned
2 cups water
1 x 400g can cream of mushroom soup
1 small onion, finely sliced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Worstershire sauce
300ml sour cream
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
Place beef and water in saucepan and cook until fork tender. Stir in remaining ingredients, except for sour cream and parsley, and warm over medium – high heat until bubbly. Stir in sour cream and parsley.
Serve over cooked noodles or steamed rice. Serves 4.
Refrigerator Lasagne
This lasagne is perfect for those times you just know you won’t be able to get dinner together on the night, but don’t want to have to resort to takeaway or convenience meals.
250g mince
oil, for frying
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 cups TVP rehydrated in 2 cups boiling water
1 x 400g tin tomato soup
1 x 410g tin tomatoes
1 x 410 tin baked beans
1 egg
500g cottage cheese
125g grated Parmesan
2 packets large lasagne sheets
Brown the mince, rinse under hot water, drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in the same pan and cook the onion and the garlic for a few minutes until soft. Return the mince to the pan, then add the TVP and tomato soup.
Process the tomatoes and baked beans in a food processor until the beans are a smooth paste, then add to the mince mixture. Heat through and cook for 10 minutes.
Mix the egg into the cottage cheese and set aside. Spread a thin layer of meat sauce in the base of the lasagne or baking dish. Cover with lasagne noodles. Continue to layer sauce, cottage cheese mixture and noodles, ending with sauce layer. Sprinkle grated Parmesan over the top.
Cover dish with foil and refrigerate overnight. Cook in a preheated 180°C oven for 1 hour. Check after 45 minutes, and then continue cooking if needed. Serves 4.
Savoury Rice
2 litres water
1 tablespoon oil
2 cups rice
1 large onion, diced
2 chicken stock cubes
¼ cup peas
½ red capsicum, finely diced
Bring the water to the boil in a large saucepan. Once boiling, stir in the oil, rice, onion and stock cubes. Stir well to stop the rice sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Add peas and red capsicum. Bring back to the boil and keep at a rapid boil for 12–15 minutes, until the rice is cooked. Drain well. Serves 4–6.
Sausage Rolls
Sunday lunch? School holiday snack? Party food? Sausage rolls are a favourite no matter what the occasion. Homemade sausage rolls are far superior to anything you can buy.
1kg packet puff pastry sheets
6 slices bread
1.5kg sausage mince
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons mixed herbs
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
Preheat oven to 230°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Separate the pastry sheets and allow them to thaw.
Soak the bread in boiling water to soften. Squeeze to remove water. Mix bread, mince, onion and herbs together.
Cut each pastry sheet in half. Place small amount of sausage mince along one edge of pastry. Roll pastry to cover sausage mince.
Cut through pastry and sausage mince at required length. For children, bite size, or as savouries, you’ll get 8 sausage rolls from every length. For lunchtime size, cut each sausage roll in half.
Use a fork to prick down the length of each sausage roll. Place rolls on prepared oven trays and brush with glaze made from mixing the egg yolk and water.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, and then reduce oven temperature to 180°C for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a cake rack. Makes 16 large or 64 mini sausage rolls.
Savoury Mince
This is a basic savoury mince recipe that is very versatile. It can be used as the base for a shepherd’s pie, served on toast, and with vegetables. It keeps for up to 5 days in the fridge and freezes well.
1 large onion
2 carrots
2 sticks celery
1 parsnip
1 small turnip
1 tablespoon oil
500g mince
1 packet cream of mushroom soup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups water
1 teaspoon Vegemite/Marmite
Dice onion, carrots, celery, parsnip and turnip or whizz them in a food processor.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Brown all the vegetables and remove from pan. Add mince to the pan and brown. Drain and rinse under hot water, drain again, then return mince and vegetables to the saucepan and stir to combine.
Add soup mix and Worcestershire sauce to the water and stir to combine. Add Vegemite to soup mixture and stir to dissolve.
Pour sauce over meat and vegetables and mix well. Bring to the boil then turn heat down and simmer for 20 minutes or until meat and vegetables are cooked and sauce has thickened. Serve with mash and peas. Serves 4.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATIONS:
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
This is a complete dinner cooked in one pot – my very favourite type of cooking. It uses cheap roasts and the long, slow cooking tenderises the meat while the veggies cook and the gravy is made at the same time.
olive oil for frying
2kg roast beef, chuck or bolar blade
salt and pepper
1 large onion, diced
200g mushrooms, sliced
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons plain flour
½ cup water
6 small red potatoes, scrubbed
Heat oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Season the meat with salt and pepper and brown over medium heat, turning to brown all sides of the roast. Don’t rush this step; it will take around 10 minutes. Remove roast and reduce heat to low.
Add diced onion and mushrooms to pan and sauté until onions are clear and mushrooms are soft.
Mix milk and plain flour together, then add to onion and mushrooms with water, stirring constantly until sauce thickens and the meat brownings have been scraped off the bottom of the pan.
Pour half the mixture into the slow cooker, place the roast on top and pour remaining sauce over the meat. Arrange potatoes around meat. Cover and cook for 6–8 hours, until the roast is fork tender and potatoes are cooked through. Serves 4.
How to Make a Meat or Chicken Stock
Stock is the liquid obtained by cooking bones, vegetables and herbs in water for hours (three to six on average). It is the strained liquid that is the stock and it is this liquid that is the foundation for soups, gravies and stews.
3–4kg bones
6–8 litres cold water (use one litre water to 500g bones)
1 tablespoon salt
1 large onion, cut into quarters
1 large carrot, cut into chunks
1 turnip, roughly chopped
3–4 celery stalks and leaves, roughly chopped
ground black pepper
Remove as much visible fat as possible from the bones. Put the bones, water and salt into a large stockpot and bring slowly to the boil. This will take up to half an hour, depending on the amount of cold water. As the water begins to boil, skim the scum off the top of the pot.
Add the vegetables and ground pepper to the stock and allow to simmer for 3–6 hours, continuing to skim the scum from the top as it rises.
Allow to cool slightly and strain. Remove bones and meat from strainer. Take meat from the bones (reserving the meat for use in a Stock Soup – see recipe p180) and return the bones to the stock. Chill in fridge and remove the layer of fat that rises to the top. Makes 6–8 litres.
How to Make a Stock Soup
Stock soups are made from stock with the addition of meat and fresh vegetables and a grain, cereal or bean, i.e. dried lentils, kidney beans, rice or macaroni.
4–6 litres stock
meat from the bones used to make the stock
1 large onion, finely diced
1 large carrot, finely diced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 small turnip, peeled and diced
1 parsnip, peeled and diced
2 cups dried soup mix
Bring the stock to a rolling boil in a large stockpot. Add the vegetables and the soup mix and stir, then add meat.
Turn the heat down until the liquid is at a rolling simmer. This is important because unless you want to stand and stir constantly for hours, you need the vegetables and soup mix to keep rolling around in the pot. If they settle they will stick to the bottom of the pot and burn, ruining the soup.
You can add any other vegetables you like to your soup pot. Potato makes a good addition, bulking out the meal and acting as a thickener when soup mix is scarce. You can also add tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage – you are limited only by your imagination and the contents of your fridge.
To make your own soup recipe follow this outline:
Bring a stock – chicken, beef or lamb – to the boil in a stock pot.
Add a protein – meat, chicken, lamb, ham or bacon bones.
Choose a thickener and add 2 cups – dried soup mix, beans, lentils, macaroni, pasta twirls, broken spaghetti, rice or barley.
Throw in the vegetables, as many as you like, to make up 4 cups – onion, carrot, celery, zucchini, cabbage, capsicum, tomato, mushroom, broccoli, cauliflower, parsnip, turnip, swede, squash, pumpkin, green beans, peas.
Season to taste – salt, pepper, bouquet garni, thyme, parsley, chives, coriander – and simmer for at least an hour. Serves 8–12.
It is better to under-season and add more seasonings at the table than it is to over-season and have a soup that is too salty or too spicy. If you do over-salt the soup, add two potatoes, peeled and halved, about 20 minutes before the end of cooking time. The potato will absorb some of the salt.
$5 Swedish Meatballs with Cream Sauce
Meatballs are a really frugal meal and kids just love them. I love Swedish meatballs and used to buy them frozen from a particular Swedish furniture store. Then I read the packet and realised I could make them myself and have them whenever I was in the mood. This recipe costs under $5 to make and is more than enough for four hearty serves.
750g mince ($3.75)
1 onion, grated (30c)
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs (30c)
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 egg, beaten (18c)
oil, for frying
1 cup beef stock (free if homemade)
1 teaspoon cornflour (5c)
½ cup cream (20c)
Combine mince, grated onion, breadcrumbs, allspice and egg until well combined. Roll teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls. Chill for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a lightly greased frying pan and cook meatballs until browned all over and cooked through. Set aside to stay warm.
In a small saucepan, whisk together the beef stock and cornflour and bring to the boil. Whisk in the cream and simmer, stirring continually, for 3 minutes. Pour sauce over meatballs and serve with mashed potato. Serves 4.
Tuna Layer Casserole
This tuna casserole is nothing like the gluggy, pale dishes that were popular during the 1960s and 70s. This 21st-century version is full of colour, texture and flavour, making it a real winner.
500g pasta spirals
2 teaspoons butter
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon curry powder (use more or less to taste)
½ cup milk powder
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 cups water
185g tin tuna in brine or spring water
½ cup frozen corn kernels
½ cup frozen peas
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
½ red capsicum, deseeded and diced
100g cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a lasagne dish or baking dish. Cook pasta according to directions on packet.
Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a saucepan and sauté onion and curry powder.
Mix milk powder and plain flour to a paste with ½ cup of the water. Add remaining 1½ cups water to saucepan and whisk in the milk paste. Cook, whisking, over low heat until the sauce starts to boil, then turn down to a simmer.
Add drained flaked tuna, vegetables and remaining teaspoon of butter. Stir gently to combine. Continue to cook until sauce thickens.
Pour cooked and drained pasta into prepared lasagne dish.
Pour sauce over the top. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown and sauce is bubbling. Serves 4.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATIONS:
Twice-Cooked Veggie Quiche
This is the perfect dish for ‘clean out the fridge’ day, the day before garbage day, or the day before shopping day, when you need to use up all those odd leftovers lurking in the fridge.
4 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup self-raising flour
½ teaspoon salt
425g can creamed corn
1½ cups grated cheese
2 cups of leftover vegetables, chopped – potatoes, broccoli, zucchini, pumpkin, carrot, cauliflower, etc
Preheat oven to 220°C. Grease a large pie dish.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, flour and salt. Stir in corn and grated cheese, add the chopped veggies and pour into prepared dish. Bake in the oven for 20–30 minutes, until centre is firm. Leave to rest for 10–15 minutes before slicing to serve. Serves 4.
In today’s fast-paced world getting the recommended five serves of vegetables should be easy, but it’s not. Sure there are frozen veggies, and they serve a purpose, but the variety is limited. We need more than just potatoes, peas, corn, carrots and beans every day. Add some colour and variety to your five a day with these tasty ways to serve vegetables.
Baked Italian Salad
1 medium yellow capsicum
1 medium red capsicum
1 medium green capsicum
1 medium eggplant
coarse cooking salt
¼ cup olive oil
250g mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of extra olive oil
2 tablespoons of shredded fresh basil
Quarter capsicums, remove seeds and membranes. Grill, skin-side up, until skin blisters and blackens. Peel skin away carefully.
Cut eggplant into 5mm slices. Place eggplant slices on a wire rack, sprinkle with salt, and stand for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Rinse eggplant under cold water, drain on absorbent paper. Place on an oven tray and brush with oil. Cook for 10 minutes, then turn and cook for a further 10 minutes, until browned on both sides, brushing occasionally with oil.
Layer capsicums, cheese and eggplant in overlapping slices on an ovenproof serving plate and drizzle with extra oil.
Bake uncovered in the oven for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and capsicum is heated through. Sprinkle with basil to serve. Serves 4.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATION:
BBQ Rosemary Potatoes
4 medium-sized potatoes cut into 4cm chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Prepare a charcoal grill or preheat the kitchen grill.
Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water for 10 minutes, or until tender. Cool slightly and thread them onto metal or bamboo skewers. If using bamboo skewers, soak in warm water for 10 minutes prior to use to prevent burning.
In a small bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Brush the potato skewers with the rosemary mixture (leaving some for basting) and place on the grill.
Cook, basting with the rosemary mixture and turning several times, until the potatoes are browned and cooked. If preferred, the potato chunks may be cooked without the skewers on a greased barbecue plate, turning often to brown evenly.
Note: I’ve used chats (baby potatoes) for this recipe with great success. You can boil them ahead of time and either store in the fridge or freeze them, ready to barbecue. Saves time on the day.
Copycat Pasta Salad
This pasta salad is a copycat version of the deli-style pasta salad available from your local supermarket. It’s so easy to make and around half the price – why wouldn’t you make it yourself, at home, and enjoy a truly fresh creamy pasta salad.
250g small pasta shells
300ml store-bought coleslaw dressing
¼ cup sour cream
1 carrot, grated
1 stick celery, chopped
1 spring onion, white part discarded, finely chopped
½ red capsicum, diced
2/3 cup grated tasty cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
Cook pasta according to packet directions, drain and chill.
In a small bowl, combine the coleslaw dressing and sour cream. Combine pasta, vegetables, cheese, parsley and coleslaw dressing mix.
Chill for at least 2 hours to give the flavours time to develop before serving. Serves 4.
Curried Pasta Salad
250g dry pasta twirls
2 teaspoons curry powder
½ cup French dressing
½ cup sultanas
2 sticks celery, sliced
2 spring onions, sliced
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the packet. Drain.
Mix the curry powder into the French dressing. Toss the sultanas, celery and spring onion through the pasta. Pour the salad dressing over the pasta and toss to mix. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Serves 4.
Irish Potatoes
These potatoes are delicious and very easy. They also transport well so are perfect for taking to pot-luck dinners. If you have any leftovers (highly unlikely; they are really good) fry them in a non-stick pan the next day and serve with a fried egg for a quick and tasty meal. You won’t need to add any butter or oil to the pan – there will be enough in the sauce.
1kg potatoes washed and cut into wedges (no need to peel)
½ cup water
½ cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 spring onions, finely sliced
3 teaspoon dried dill
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Put the potatoes and water into a casserole dish and cover with a lid or foil. Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain potatoes and return to casserole dish.
Combine melted butter, lemon juice, parsley, spring onions, dill and seasonings. Pour over potatoes and return to the oven for 15 minutes, or until heated through.
Mrs A’s Potato Salad
I first had this deliciously simple potato salad on New Year’s Eve a couple of years ago and it has become a favourite. So simple to make and because it doesn’t need to be chilled, it’s quick to serve too.
500g chat (baby) potatoes
1 small brown onion
oil, for frying
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ cup egg mayonnaise
Boil the potatoes in their skins until fork tender. Drain and set aside until they are cool enough to handle.
Slice the onion and fry in the oil until crisp and brown. Cut the potatoes into quarters and place in serving dish.
Combine balsamic vinegar and mayonnaise, mixing thoroughly. Stir the dressing through potato and sprinkle the fried onion on top. Serve at room temperature. Serves 4.
Potato Bake
4 large potatoes, washed and thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
600ml cream
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a casserole dish. Layer potato, carrot and onion in the prepared casserole dish. Pour over cream and add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste.
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked and the top is golden. Serves 4.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATIONS:
Simple Salad
1 head lettuce, washed and torn
1 cucumber, cut into 1cm slices
½ green capsicum, cut into thin strips
2 large tomatoes, cut into 8 pieces each
1 red onion, thinly sliced
Toss everything together in a large salad bowl. Chill. Add Simple Salad Dressing (see below) just before serving. Serves 4.
Simple Salad Dressing
½ cup water
2 tablespoons milk powder (skim or full cream)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons honey
juice of 1 lemon
Place all ingredients in a glass jar, screw the lid on tightly and shake vigorously until well combined. This dressing will keep for up to a week in the fridge.
Summer Slaw
1 medium cabbage, tough leaves removed, cored and shredded
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1 green capsicum, cored, deseeded, and finely diced
2 tablespoons onion, grated
2 cups mayonnaise
¾ cup white sugar
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons celery seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon white pepper
Combine vegetables in a large salad bowl. In another bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Add to the vegetables and toss well. Cover the coleslaw and refrigerate for 3–4 hours, allowing the flavours to develop, before serving. Serves 4.
It’s the little things that impact the most on grocery spending. After the seasonings and spices, preserves are the next biggest ‘little’ thing.
Jams and marmalades, pickles, chutneys and sauces are all expensive items that can be made at home in just a few minutes for a fraction of the price.
Years ago homemakers spent days jam and pickle making, toiling over hot stoves, chopping, dicing and boiling. Today we have gas and electric stoves, microwave ovens, food processors and other tools that make the job so much easier. They also let us make just a jar or two at a time; no need in today’s modern world to spend days slaving over the preserving pot.
Sadly, those of us old enough to remember those times have accepted the marketing that tells us it’s much more convenient to just buy what we need. Some younger people know no other way than choosing food off a supermarket shelf.
Try your hand at making the jams, pickles and sauces your family enjoys. You’ll not only be saving money but eating better too.
How to Sterilise Jars and Bottles for Preserving
Preserving fruit and jams is a great way to use up excess fruit and to provide fruit for the table through the year. Before you begin your preserving you need to ensure that the jars and lids you are using are perfectly clean – sterile, in fact – to avoid the risk of contaminating the food and causing food poisoning when it’s eaten. These are two tried and true methods of sterilising.
Microwave Method
This method is suitable for jars to be used for preserving fruit that is to be cooked, or preserved, either in the microwave oven or in a water bath.
Oven Method
This method is suitable for jars that are to be used for jams, jellies and marmalades.
Homemade Barbecue Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup onion, diced
½ cup tomato sauce
1 cup apple juice
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon hot chilli sauce
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan and cook onion until clear.
Slowly stir in the liquid ingredients, then stir in the garlic powder and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes, stirring continuously.
Bottle immediately. Makes 750ml.
Cheapskate’s Burger Sauce
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons French dressing
1 tablespoon sweet mustard pickles
1 tablespoon tomato sauce
1 tablespoon very finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon white vinegar
pinch salt
Mix all the ingredients together. Let the sauce sit for about half an hour before using, to allow the flavours to develop. Store in a small (200ml) jar in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Note: Don’t be tempted to use low-fat mayonnaise or dressing in this recipe – it just doesn’t turn out right. For the tiny amount you have, it just isn’t worth it unless you are on a very strict diet.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATION:
Grandma Curtin’s Fig Jam Recipe
Fig jam is a family favourite and Mum’s fig tree keeps us all supplied with delicious, ripe fruit. This is my great-grandmother’s recipe, copied straight from my recipe book, and it never fails.
fresh figs
juice of one medium lemon
equal weight of white sugar to figs
Wipe the figs with a damp cloth, quarter them and place in a very large saucepan. Jam needs lots of room to boil, so the fruit should only fill one-quarter of the pot.
Add the lemon juice. Lightly crush the figs with a potato masher to release the juice. Slowly bring the figs to a boil. The juice from the fruit will boil and soften the fruit.
When the fruit is soft, turn the heat down and add the sugar in one lot. Stir until the sugar dissolves then turn up the heat and bring back to the boil. Place a clean saucer in the freezer so you can use it to test the jam.
Boil the figs and sugar rapidly for 10 minutes, skimming any foam off the top.
After 10 minutes do a gel test: take the saucer from the freezer and drop a small amount of jam onto it. Wait 30 seconds then push the jam with your finger; if it wrinkles, the jam is set. If the jam isn’t ready, boil another five minutes and test again.
Continue in this way until the jam sets; it should take no longer than 20 minutes. Pour jam into hot sterilised jars and seal.
Six-minute Lemon Butter
This is yet another grocery item that is bought more often than made at home, when really it is so easy to make. It’s so much nicer than the bought product that even if it weren’t cheaper I would still make it.
3 eggs
1 cup caster sugar
½ cup lemon juice
125g butter (real butter, not margarine in this recipe)
Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs until they are light and fluffy. If you don’t have an electric mixer you can use a stick blender or a large balloon whisk. Add the sugar to the eggs in two parts and continue beating until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the lemon juice.
Melt the butter, pour into the egg mixture and beat well. Pour mixture into a microwave safe jug or bowl and cook on high for two minutes. Beat well. Cook for another two minutes. By now the mixture will be starting to thicken. Make sure you beat it well to make it smooth. Cook for a further two minutes. Beat well, breaking up any lumps. The mixture should be thick and have a similar texture to pouring custard.
Pour your lovely, hot lemon butter into hot, sterilised jars. Seal immediately. Once cool, place in the fridge. The lemon butter will set as it cools. Keep refrigerated. This lemon butter will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge. Makes 500g.
CHEAPSKATES VARIATION:
Quick Citrus Marmalade
Any citrus fruit or combination of citrus fruits can be used in this recipe. I have made orange, lemon, orange and lemon, cumquat, and ginger cumquat marmalade using this recipe and they have all worked perfectly every time. The cooking times will vary depending on the type of fruit used, but always start with the minimum in the instructions.
500g (3 large) lemons, oranges, grapefruit, etc
1½ cups water
3 cups sugar
Quarter fruit, discard seeds. Chop fruit finely in a food processor or blender.
Place fruit in a deep dish with water and cook in microwave on high for 10 minutes or until rind is tender. Stir in sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, on high for 18 minutes, or until jam gels when tested on a cold saucer.
Stand for 5 minutes before pouring into hot sterilised jars, and seal when cold. Makes 1.5kg.
Raspberry Jam
500g frozen raspberries
2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Place frozen berries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Stir over a low heat until berries have thawed and sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to medium and continue to stir until jam has reached setting point, about 15 minutes. Stir continuously to avoid burning and sticking.
Once jam is ready, allow to cool slightly before pouring into hot sterilised jars and sealing. Makes 1kg.
Zucchini Pickles
2kg zucchini
500g onions
1½ litres vinegar
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons mustard powder
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 teaspoon pickling spices*
750g sugar
1 cup plain flour
Grate the zucchini and onions – a food processor makes this easier. Place the zucchini and onions in a large saucepan with one litre of vinegar. Cook over medium heat until tender.
Mix the remaining dry ingredients together. Whisk in the remaining half litre of vinegar and add the mixture to the pan. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Let the mixture cool down slightly, then pour into 2 x 1-litre hot sterilised jars and seal.