Quick and Easy Meals

To make a good meal it is no longer necessary to think of a lump of meat on a plate surrounded by vegetables.

This is not the way to save money.

There are other ways to eat well, with variation and not breaking the bank.

It is easy when you know how! Read on.

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To make sure you get the most from your money when buying the ingredients for your quick and easy meals take a look at this excellent web site.

Why not start the easy way and try just one meatless day a week as suggested at meatlessmonday ?

A QUICKIE LUNCH or SUPPER Definitely a quick and easy meal.

Try a portion of CheatsRisotto, some sardines (get your Omega 3 here) plus a portion of Pick and Mix Salad with some beetroot. Keep a bowl of this salad in the ‘fridge ready for emergency meals, and the Risotto can be stored in individual portions in the freezer. A meal put together in minutes! This is quick, nutritious and will save money and time

These recipes can all be found on our Recipes to Save Money at Cooks Corner page, which include other tasty quick and easy meals such as Pasta with Tuna, Savoury Omlettes and Tuna Bake.

CRUNCHY LENTIL BAKE

For another quick and easy meal, fry gently together in olive oil 2 chopped onions and one crushed clove of garlic until transparent. Add ½ pint water and 2 teaspoons Marmite or Vegemite, stir to dissolve. Remove the pan from the heat and add 6ozs. Egyptian (orange) Lentils and 3 ozs. Grated cheese. Pour mixture into a casserole dish and sprinkle a further 1 oz. Grated cheese mixed with bread crumbs over the top. This mix forms a crunchy topping. Bake in a slow oven 300°F /150°C. for 1½ hours.

Serve with a jacket potato which can be cooked at the same time.

If you are a red kidney bean fan, there is also a Red Kidney Bean baked dish that is very versatile and rates as a quick and easy meal. RED KIDNEY BEAN BAKE A versatile and quick and easy meal.

Fry 1 large chopped onion in olive oil until tender/transparent, add two tins (14 oz./400g.) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained, one tin chopped tomatoes, 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup or a large squeeze of tomato puree. You can then either mash the mixture with a potato masher or pour it into a food processor for a quick whirl. If you go for the food processor method, it is easiest to empty the cans of beans and tomatoes etc. straight into the processor and then add the onions and ketchup. As you add the tomatoes,because brands are different, reserve some of the juice as you do not want a 'slushy' mixture

Then you have these choices:

First of all the 'Pie' option.

Pour the mixture into a greased casserole, top with mashed potatoes spread neatly to cover the mix, plus a sprinkling of grated cheese (if available) and brown under the grill or in a moderate oven. Make sure the mixture is warmed right through before serving. Serve with a green vegetable.

Secondly as a stuffing - Use some of the mixture to fill pancakes or jacket potatoes.

OR - stuff a marrow with it and bake in the oven. The flavour of this mixture definitely brings a bland marrow to life and gives another meat free meal for you to consider.

OR - add a topping as in the Crunchy Bake.

Potatoes surely rate as one of the best quick and easy meals because of their availability, and the fact that no real skill is needed to produce the meal.

Both of these dishes - the Crunchy Bake and the Kidney Bean Bake can either be baked in a large dish for a family meal, or baked in small individual dishes for storing away in the freezer for future use. This is about the best way to produce a quick and easy meal! Think of saving time and energy as well as money when you have a quick meat free dish to serve to the family.

Don’t forget the marvellous standby

CAULIFLOWER CHEESE

Cut one large cauliflower into sprigs. Place in a pan of boiling, lightly salted water and cook for around 10 mins. until tender being careful not to over cook. Drain and place in a large, flat oven proof dish.

Make a simple cheese sauce by melting 2 oz. butter in a saucepan. When melted gradually add add 3 tablespoons flour (wholemeal gives a lovely speckled effect) Gradually stir in milk to give a sauce that coats the back of the spoon. Bring to a slow rolling boil,(bubbles across the surfazce of the sauce) adding seasoning to taste and slowly cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in 1 oz. of the total amount of 4 oz. grated cheese. Don't attempt to add the cheese to the sauce whilst it is still on the heat - it can spoil the sauce. Pour this cheese sauce over the cauliflower in the dish, sprinkle the rest of the grated cheese on top. Place under a hot grill until nicely browned.

This is a real old stand-by and must be one of the original meat free meals. It is good either served with frozen peas and tomatoes - which, for quickness can be cooked in the microwave – just slice the tomato in half, place on a dish and cook for around 1 minute. Watch you don’t overcook as they will quickly disintegrate using this quick method. Just as a treat, serve the meal with a bowl of potato crisps.

This really is an ages old recipe and we make no apologies for including it here as it will save money which is what this web site is all about.

OTHER MEAT FREE OPTIONS

If you are really short of time, Tesco do very good Vegetable Spring Rolls, in the chiller shelves.

Then there are smoked mackerel fillets that are good used as another quickie. Let’s face it – we all need a helping hand at times. Meat free from the supermarket no less! Serve either the Spring Rolls or mackerel with frozen peas, and tomatoes as before. If you have some frozen mashed potatoes in the freezer, then your meal is ready in a flash.

If you buy some ready-made pastry from the supermarket, this can form the basis of a whole series of dishes – quiches, savoury tarts, etc.such as the following Onion Tart.

Two onions, thinly sliced and gently fried in a minimum of olive oil until transparent. Beat together one small tin evaporated milk and enough full cream milk to make up 1/2 pint and 1 large egg. (Add chopped parsley to give an extra interest). Put friend onion rings into the bottom of the flan case, pour the milk/egg mixture on top and bake at Mark 6. 400°F/200°C for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F/180°C. for a further 30 minutes.

This dish can be served hot with a jacket potato and green vegetable or cold with our Pick and Mix Salad.

According to the Institute of Food Research onions help 'cut heart disease risk'.

There are other variations on this basic flan recipe, such as a cheese flan, or tomato, cheese and chive flan.

The first suggestion from a reader and shown below, comes from Julie in Southampton, for which many thanks.

SOYA or QUORN PASTA

For a quick and easy meal, cook 500g./1 lb. whole-wheat pasta in a saucepan following the manufacturer's instructions. Whilst this pasta cooking, in a wok or frying pan cook some chopped onions in olive oil until transparent, add a packet of Soya or Quorn mince along with a can (400g/14 oz.) chopped tomatoes, a heaped tablespoon of tomato puree and a stock cube. If you like it, add a spot of garlic puree to give it the extra 'zing'. Cook until the mince is ready. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Add this mixture to the cooked pasta. As a pleasant alternative touch, sprinkle with chopped parsley or chopped chives and serve. It is also possible to add chopped leeks and courgettes to soya/quorn mix whilst it is cooking - all adding to your 'five-a-day'.

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