The cost of our favorite meals is skyrocketing, with food inflation at a 45-year high.
Yesterday we reported how spag bol ingredients cost 26 per cent more than a year ago, while vegetarian curry was up 27 per cent and full English 22 per cent.
But it’s possible to do something worth spiraling — and get over the bulge.
Miguel Barclay, 36, is the mastermind behind One Pound Meals, and his latest book, Slimming One Pound Meals, contains more than 85 recipes, all 500 calories or less, that frugal cooks can try.
The chef, who lives in Camden, North London, says: “Times are tougher now.
“With rising food prices coupled with rising energy prices, household budgets are under pressure.
“Every recipe in my latest book costs £1 to make and I’ve simplified every recipe and reduced (pun intended!) the number of ingredients.
“It’s not classic cooking using traditional techniques, it’s cooking you can actually do after a day’s work without too much trouble.”
In our exclusive excerpt, we offer six budget-friendly recipes from Miguel’s latest book.
- Excerpted from Slimming One Pound Meals, by Miguel Barclay, (Headline Home), published 25 May, £20.
Try vegetarian curry instead. . .GALFRESI MUSHROOMS
(238 kcal, 44.5 g carbs, makes one serving)
THIS is totally inauthentic, but tasty and quick.
My hack here is to only use tomato paste and curry powder.
The enemy of delicious mushrooms is moisture, so a drier curry like this works really well to enhance the flavor of the mushrooms.
Plus, it satisfies that curry itch without the calorific sauce.
YOU NEED:
- ¼ cup basmati rice
- ½ cup of water
- ½ onion, chopped
- Handful of sliced mushrooms (any variety)
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 clove of garlic, chopped
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- A pinch of dried chilies
- A small handful of chopped cilantro (optional)
- Butter (any)
- Salt and pepper
METHOD: Put the rice and water in a saucepan with a pinch of salt and cook on a medium heat with a lid on for about 7 minutes, until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked.
Meanwhile, fry the onion and mushrooms in a pan in a little oil over a high heat for a few minutes, then add the tomato puree, garlic, curry and chilli flakes.
Continue to cook for about 10 minutes or until you see the onions nicely caramelizing.
Season to taste, then serve with the rice and garnish with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro, if using.
Instead of pie and porridge, try . . . FILLO PASTA TART WITH BROCCOLI
(500 kcal, 49.7 g carbs, makes two servings)
FILO pastry is a lower-calorie alternative to puff pastry.
It might be less buttery, but it has a lovely texture and a crunch when you bite into it.
The key to this dish is to cut the tender broccoli lengthwise so the stems are thin enough to cook quickly.
YOU NEED:
- 2 sheets of phyllo dough
- 2 tablespoons vegetarian pesto
- A few stalks of tender broccoli, cut lengthwise
- A small handful of crumbled feta
- Butter (any)
- Salt and pepper
METHOD: Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
Place your crusts on top of each other in a rectangular dish, then crimp the edges.
Lightly butter the edges and spread the pesto over the base using the back of a spoon.
Arrange the chopped broccoli on top of the pesto, brush with oil, season, then bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until the edges of the tart are golden brown and the broccoli is cooked through.
Finish with a sprinkle of crumbled feta, a little more pepper and serve.
Instead of a full English experience. . . BREAKFAST EGG TACOS
(293 kcal, 35.4 g carbs, makes one serving)
JAZZING your scrambled egg with onion, bell pepper and red pepper and then wrapping it in a tortilla is a great way to start the day.
You don’t need a lot of onion and pepper, so I measured them in tablespoons.
This may seem strange, but the idea is to put some aside from eating earlier in the week.
YOU NEED:
- 75 g of any pasta
- A handful of chopped smoked bacon or embers
- ½ onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, diced
- ½ can of chopped tomatoes (200g)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
METHOD: Cook the pasta in a pan of salted boiling water according to package directions, then drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water.
Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a drop of olive oil over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes until golden brown, adding the onion and carrot halfway through.
Be sure to scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pan.
Then add the tomatoes, simmer for 10 minutes, adding a little pasta cooking water if necessary, then stir in the cooked pasta, season to taste and serve
Instead of spag bol try. . . BACON BOLOGNESE
(474 kcal, 73.8 g carbs, makes one serving)
WANT to reduce the amount of meat in your Bolognese?
Then let the bacon do all the hard work for you.
Even a small amount of bacon will give the dish that meaty, smoky flavor you crave.
If you let those bacon bits stick to the pan and caramelize, you can get an even deeper flavor.
YOU NEED:
- 75 g of any pasta
- A handful of chopped smoked bacon or embers
- ½ onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, diced
- ½ can of chopped tomatoes (200g)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
METHOD: Cook the pasta in a pan of salted boiling water according to package directions, then drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water.
Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a drop of olive oil over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes until golden brown, adding the onion and carrot halfway through.
Be sure to scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pan.
Then add the tomatoes, simmer for 10 minutes, adding a little pasta cooking water if necessary, then stir in the cooked pasta, season to taste and serve.
Try homemade pie instead. . . MOUSSAKA WITHOUT CHEESE
(347 kcal, 12.7 g carbs, makes one serving)
BY using a bowl of yogurt instead of the traditional heavier bechamel-style sauce, you can turn this dish into a lower-calorie version.
Roasting a whole aubergine instead of going to the trouble of ordering moussaka is a useful shortcut that means midweek cooking is now possible. Win win.
YOU NEED:
- 75 g of any pasta
- A handful of chopped smoked bacon or embers
- ½ onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, diced
- ½ can of chopped tomatoes (200g)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
METHOD: Cook the pasta in a pan of salted boiling water according to package directions, then drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water.
Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a drop of olive oil over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes until golden brown, adding the onion and carrot halfway through.
Be sure to scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pan.
Then add the tomatoes, simmer for 10 minutes, adding a little pasta cooking water if necessary, then stir in the cooked pasta, season to taste and serve.
Instead of frying, try . . . POACHED CHICKEN SOUP WITH FADEE
(359 kcal, 51.9 g carbs, makes one serving)
ADDING noodles to an already rich chicken soup makes for a hearty lunch that will keep you going all day.
Don’t be afraid that you won’t be full, this is not a light soup.
All in one pan, it doesn’t get much easier than this.
YOU NEED:
- 500 ml of water
- 1 cube of chicken stock
- 2 mini chicken breast fillets
- 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
- A small handful of frozen peas
- Sheets of dried rice noodles (about 50g)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
METHOD: Bring the water to a boil in a pot, then whisk in the broth.
Add the chicken and carrots.
Simmer for about 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked, adding the peas and noodles in the last few minutes.
Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks, then return it to the soup. Season to taste and serve with a dollop of mustard.