When it comes to food, cheap is not often an attractive prospect but today I prove otherwise. To be able to feed two people three courses in a simple but delicious, and also nutritious, manner for under 20 bucks is not as difficult as you may think.
I have sourced all these ingredients from local shops and steered clear of the supermarket. Talk to your butcher about how to cook the cheaper cuts of meat, plant as much as possible so you have a never-ending supply of essentials like bay leaves and rosemary at the very least, and use what is in season to get the most for your money.
Vege stores and markets offer fresher and often cheaper produce - for example, the broccoli I bought was half the price and looked like it had just been cut, for example - and you can always substitute if a different ingredient takes your fancy. Cauliflower and brussels sprouts would work well, as would pears instead of persimmons.
Cheap can mean tasty especially when it comes to those cuts of meat like neck and shoulder chops. Anything close to the bone has more flavour. The key is to trim off any excess fat and cook slowly. Pouring milk (a splash of cream as well doesn't hurt) over lamb creates a delicious crust during cooking, which uncovers sweet, succulent meat flavoured with bay, olives and garlic. The kitchen smells wonderful. A nice dish to cook in individual dishes. Having the vegetables as the entree means nothing extra is necessary to pair with the lamb.
BAKED PERSIMMONS WITH CARDAMOM AND YOGHURT
Serves 2
4 persimmons ($1.50)
2 Tbs honey, warmed ($1.00)
4 cardamom pods ($0.20)
cup water
4 Tbs Greek yoghurt ($2.00)
(Recipe total $4.70)
1. Preheat oven to 180C. Peel the fruit if preferred, and cut into quarters.
2. Lay in a baking dish and drizzle over the honey.
3. Bruise the cardamom pods with the flat side of a knife so the seeds are visible and the flavour will be released. Tuck among the fruit.
4. Pour over the water and bake for 30 minutes before serving with the yoghurt.
LAMB COOKED IN MILK WITH OLIVES, GARLIC AND BAY
Serves 2
4 lamb neck chops ($4.00)
Salt and pepper
100g green olives ($2.80)
1 whole head of garlic ($2.00)
3 bay leaves ($0.30)
500ml full fat milk ($1.00)
2 Tbs cream [optional] ($0.50)
(Recipe total $10.60)
1. Preheat oven to 170C. Season the neck chops and place in a baking dish. Add the olives. Break up the garlic but don't peel, then add with the bay leaves.
2. Pour over the milk and cream, if using, then bake for 2 hours.
ROAST PUMPKIN AND BROCCOLI SALAD WITH ALMOND CRUMBS
Serves 2
1 small head of broccoli ($2.00)
buttercup pumpkin ($0.80)
1 Tbs olive oil ($0.30)
Salt and pepper
6 toasted almonds ($0.30)
1 slice bread ($0.20)
1 clove garlic ($0.10)
1 tsp fresh rosemary ($0.10)
1 Tbs butter ($0.30)
(Recipe total $4.10)
TOTAL $19.40
1. Preheat oven to 200C. Slice the broccoli into florets. Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds and chop into bite-sized pieces.
2. Toss the pumpkin in the oil, season and roast for 30 minutes then add the broccoli and continue cooking for a further 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a food processor, put the almonds, torn bread, garlic and rosemary. Pulse until you have crumbs.
4. In a hot pan, add the crumbs and butter, season and stir until golden and crunchy. Serve over the pumpkin and broccoli.scented with cardamom to finish rounds dinner off nicely.
CHEF'S TIP
Use bulk bins to buy nuts, grains and spices - they're less expensive and fresher, plus you can buy just the quantity needed and also don't have to pay for the packaging.
Low cost, top quality (+recipes)
Lamb cooked in milk with olives, garlic and bay leaves. Photo / Babiche Martens.
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