Moneysaving tips- menu planning, choosing the right cut of meat for your budget and great “costs less than a bought one” baking – English muffins, freezer rolls, and beer bread. Plus a rustic lentil soup for dunking some of that lovely fresh bread and delicious chicken stew with dumplings.

Latest news from Sophie Gray

“Tough financial times” doesn’t have to mean doom and gloom at the dinner table!

Spring is making its presence felt, and with it we'll soon have fresh seasonal greens to brighten up the menu. Keep your eyes peeled for the first asparagus of the season, make the most of the plentiful rhubarb and get planting for the summer - courgettes, broccoli, lettuce, celery, passion fruit and other greens.  Feed existing plants, fruit trees and the like to set them up for the big growth season. And while we wait for the seasonal banquet to roll around, comfort yourself on a chilly morning by toasting a homemade English muffin.  Warm up a crisp night with a delicious chicken stew with dumplings (from just one chicken breast) or pull your homemade freezer rolls out to bake and serve with a hearty lentil soup.  These recipes and much more are included in this issue of the destitute gourmet newsletter.

I am aware that you haven’t heard from me for a while, to remedy that and the delays in responding to correspondence, I have recently appointed the lovely and super efficient Gillian Hayward as my personal assistant. Gillian is married to Darren and they have 3 beautiful kids. She types at the speed of light, keeps me on task and likes what we do at destitute gourmet. If you are inquiring about dg classes and such like, she’ll be your first point of contact, so say hi to her or flick her an email and make her feel welcome.

Also new to the team, while I’m doing introductions, is Progressive Enterprises - also known as Foodtown, Countdown and Woolworths. We are pleased to welcome them to our sponsor team.
I’ve always used house branded products wherever possible at home and in demonstrations. We estimate an average overall saving of roughly 10% by choosing house brands over big brands.  Foodtown, Woolworths and Countdown currently have  house brands; Home Brand, Signature Range (phasing out), Woolworths Select and Naytura.
 
By using their products in our recipe development, results should be consistent for both New Zealand and Australian users. It also means we can continue to provide dg classes and resources at a price people can afford. For those with health concerns the Naytura range, which is new to New Zealand, offers ingredients and products that meet nutritional guidelines for sugar, salt and fat.
So check out the choices next time you shop and thanks Progressive.

While on the subject of supermarkets I also had the opportunity to hang out with our SimpleSavings friends in Australia recently. It was great to get to know them better, visit lots of supermarkets (now I know what you Aussies are talking about when you refer to Aldi) and work on beating my fear of flying. Thanks to Fiona, Matt, Naomi, Kirsten and all the kids for making me feel so welcome.

Spend less- money saving tip
How much we spend on groceries is affected by more than just what we cook. It’s largely determined by how we shop. Statistics have shown that the average household operates on a repertoire of around 11 recipes. Each week we will need to cook only 7, but we tend to shop and stock for all 11 plus lots of extra bits and pieces in case we decide to make something else instead.

Do you want to save money on grocery shopping? Then decide exactly which 7 dinners you intend to make this week and stick to it.
The menu plan is your first and easiest money saving tool.
Not only will you spend less on your overall shop, you can cost out those 7 recipes, then review the plan.

• Are there dishes the family likes just as much but are less expensive?
• Are you eating the recommended number of serves of fresh fruit and vegetables?
• Are you eating your colours: Purple, Red, Green, Yellow/Orange and Brown/White?
• Do you have enough time to make that dish on that day?
• Can you make a double quantity and freeze one?
• Are there any that are easy enough to allow you to throw together a batch of baking or soup at the same time?
• Are there parts of the recipe other members of the household can manage, to speed things up and get them involved, peeling veg, stirring white sauce, making a salad or measuring seasonings…

Over a month you can work out which were your least costly weeks and why, and get a nutritional overview of the household diet.
If you don’t know the prices of what you buy, the supermarket websites will allow you to browse online. You could pin your recent receipts to the fridge for a quick reference or keep a price book. Click on pricing guide for prices on a range of everyday ingredients.

If you involve the family in the menu plan you may find there are fewer mealtime battles, I’ve found the little people are much less likely to say “yuck” to something they chose!
The menu plan can be as simple as dinners for every night of the week or can go as far as all meals and snacks – We don’t plan all our food to that degree as it would feel to me like I was on a diet (horrors) but some people, particularly larger or very busy households find it a real stress buster.
Take into account which day is your regular shopping day – it’s likely that the day before shopping day, you will be getting low on fresh produce.

Here's an example of a menu plan for a list of 7 family dinners that all cost less than $10.00.
Also if you would like a blank menu plan to use, this link will take you to a printable version.
And if you’ve never visited our forum before, click here to check it out.  Please read the rules and feel free to jump into the discussions with your ideas and experiences.

Meat Matters
Meat makes up a significant chunk of the average grocery bill. The following tips will ensure you are getting the best for your buck.

Review what cuts of meat you most regularly purchase and are they appropriate for your budget?
Go for quality over quantity. I don’t buy cheap nasty meat to save money. I buy the best we can afford even if it means we have less.

Where do you buy your meat? I love the convenience of the supermarket but it is rarely the best value place to buy meat and fresh produce.

Is the price on the sticker the only price? Many butchers will give a discount for bulk purchases. A bulk purchase could be anything upwards of 4kgs. It’s worth asking, especially if you have space in the freezer.

Do you know which are the cheapest cuts and which are the most expensive?

Do you know how to cook less expensive cuts of meat?

If you are big meat consumers, consider buying a whole or ½ lamb or ½ a beef from your butcher.  They’ll cut it into its respective portions, including making mince and sausages, along with chops, fillets, steaks and rest. It’s a lot of meat but the price when averaged out is MUCH cheaper than buying a bit each week… My local butcher charges roughly $6.50 per kg for beef and $8.99 per kg for a Lamb (NZ prices). If you can’t use that much consider going in with a family member and see if you can share their freezer too.
Around 30 % will be what we would consider to be gourmet cuts, the steaks, fillets etc. The remaining 70% is useful for stewing casseroling etc
 
Beef and Lamb information; which cuts of meat are best suited to which cooking methods.

                         
Recipes

Save some dough

I love bread, its fun to make and home made is so much better than bought, its more filling, much tastier and its cheaper.
I’ve chosen the following recipes as they are easy ones for beginning bread makers. They are also cheap things to make but expensive to buy so dig out the mixing bowls and save some dough.

To speed the home bread making process along I use the microwave to raise the dough. It takes around 22 minutes (instead of 50 minutes – 1½ hours). This method is fine for most everyday breads; it will not work for artisan breads like Ciabatta which characteristically have large air holes. Those large air holes are formed during long, slow rising. For everyday breads though, anything from a pizza base to hot cross buns the microwave method is brilliant.

Raising dough using the microwave method
Place dough into a clean greased bowl, cover with cling film and microwave on low power for 1 minute, rest the dough for 10 minutes then repeat. After the second rest the dough should have doubled in size. (Alternatively set aside in a warm place until doubled in size).

English Muffins
My family all like English muffins as a quick breakfast or snack, but boy they’re expensive to buy for such a simple thing! These homemade ones are lovely and easy enough for a novice baker.   (cost to make this recipe $2.45).
 
4¼ cups plain flour
1 sachet instant yeast
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 cups warm milk
1 egg beaten
50g butter
Dust 2 oven trays with flour

In a large bowl combine the instant yeast, sugar, flour and salt.
In a small pan, melt the butter then add the milk and heat gently. The liquid should be warm but not hot. If you are not sure, hold your little finger in it and count to 10. If it’s uncomfortably hot by the time you get to 10 allow it to cool a little, if it doesn’t feel warm at all, heat it up.
Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the egg and the butter and milk mixture. Use a large metal spoon to mix to a soft dough.
Knead lightly for 2 minutes then place into a large greased bowl and allow to rise. Either by setting aside in a warm place until doubled or by using the microwave method.
Pre heat the oven to 190°C
When the dough has doubled in size knead it lightly and roll on a floured bench to 1 cm thickness. Cut into circles using a large cutter (I use my favourite “tuna tin” cutter to make 10cm circles). Re roll the trimmings and you should end up with 15 muffins. Place on floured trays and rest for 10 minutes.
Bake them for 7 minutes then turn them over and bake a further 7 minutes, until lightly golden.
To serve split muffins in half and toast lightly, top with jam, honey, ham or whatever else you fancy.

Cook’s Tip: If you are planning on freezing the muffins, split them first, they’ll defrost quicker.

Milk and Honey Freezer rolls
These rolls are frozen unbaked, so you can pull them out, defrost them while the soup is cooking and bake them in a few minutes. Extra yeast is added to the dough so enough yeast survives freezing to enable the bread to rise when baked.  (cost to make this recipe $2.58)

5½ cups plain flour
2 teaspoons salt
50g melted butter
2 sachets instant yeast
1½ cups warm milk
¼ cup honey
½ cup warm water – use more or less as required

In a large bowl combine the flour, salt and instant yeast and make a well in the middle.
Combine the honey, milk and water in a small pan and heat until warm but not hot. If you are not sure, hold your little finger in it and count to 10. If it’s uncomfortably hot by the time you get to 10, allow it to cool a little, if it doesn’t feel warm at all, heat it up.
Add the melted butter to the liquid and pour into the dry ingredients. Mix with a large metal spoon till combined then turn out onto a floured bench and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Dust with flour as you knead to prevent dough sticking.
Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover with plastic film or slip the bowl into a plastic bag and allow to rise until doubled. In a warm place this will take around an hour or use the microwave method.
Knead the risen dough lightly and divide into rolls – 12–18, depending on how dainty you want them.

The trick to making a perfect roll is to flatten the ball of dough slightly on a non-floury surface and circle with the palm of the hand. When you can feel that the ball of dough has “grabbed” bench then continue to circle but begin to cup your hand around it. The outer layer of the dough gets pulled smooth and tight around the ball and disappears in a neat little spiral on the base. This technique takes a little practice but is much quicker and gives a better result in the long run. I form mine in this manner, then elongate them slightly by rolling them back and forward to form an oblong. Place them onto a sheet of non stick baking paper and using a serrated knife cut a diagonal slash along the top of each roll. Allow them to rise until nearly double their original size then freeze them. When frozen they can be stored in a plastic bag in the freezer until required. (Up to one month, longer and they may not rise so well).

To bake the rolls, remove them from the freezer and allow them to defrost for roughly an hour. Don’t panic if they look a little deflated at this stage, they will experience “oven spring” when the heat of the oven kicks in. Preheat the oven to 200°. Place the rolls on a greased or floured tray – you can glaze them with milk if you want a crisper crust. Bake them for 20-15 minutes until well risen and lightly golden.

Easy Beer Bread
Breads made with beer have a marvelous light texture and a savoury tang. This is a quick bread, much like a scone dough. It goes really well with savoury soups and gravy, its also good just warm from the oven with a big chunk of butter but I’m not telling you how I know that.  (cost to make this recipe $1.73)
 
3 cups self raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
60g butter (or dairy free spread)
½ cup beer
½ cup milk

Preheat oven to 200°C
In a bowl or processor combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Rub or pulse in the butter till the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.
Add the liquid and pulse or stir until just combined.
Turn out onto a floured bench and Knead just enough to form a malleable dough. Divide into 8 and roll into balls. With a serrated knife cut a cross into the top of each ball and place on a cold tray. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until well risen and turning golden.
These like all quick breads are best the day they are made. Leftovers can be frozen.
 
Friary lentil Soup
This rustic soup is thick and delicious, easy to make and very cheap to prepare.
We often intend to include more pulses and whole grains in our daily diet but fail to do so, this dish has all the elements that we are supposed to eat more of, so go ahead.

Serves 4 as a main course with bread.

1 tbsp olive oil
2 celery stalks finely chopped
1 carrot peeled and finely chopped
1 onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic crushed
2 fat rashers of good bacon
1 400g tin tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 pinch sugar
1 cup uncooked brown lentils
1 litre of chicken stock
1 large sprig of rosemary

Remove the rind from the bacon and chop into small pieces. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the chopped vegetables, garlic and the bacon pieces. Cook gently until the bacon is cooked and the vegetables are beginning to soften. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste and pinch of sugar and then mix in the stock. When the stock is simmering add the lentils and rosemary and continue to cook for around 35- 40 minutes, until the lentils are plump and tender, the vegetables soft and your mouth is watering. Serve with a chunk of cheesy bread.

Chicken stew with dumplings
This recipe makes a little bit of chicken go a long way. I use cooked chicken, the leftovers from a roast work well. Alternatively you can use a large boneless breast cooked. It doesn’t take long to make and is good and filling.

Serves 4

1½ cups cooked chicken
1 tsp oil
2 stalks celery chopped
1 onion chopped
1-2 small chorizo sliced or chopped
1 litre of chicken stock
1 cup kumara or sweet potato diced
½ tsp mixed herbs
1½ cups (1 x 400g can) cannellini beans or other beans, such as kidney or butter beans
1 tbsp corn flour



For the Dumplings

120g Self raising flour
50g butter or non dairy spread
Pinch of salt
1 tsp mixed herbs
Scant 1/3 cup water to mix
Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion, celery and carrot. Add the Chorizo, stock and herbs and simmer until veg are tender crisp. Stir in the Kumara and cooked chicken and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the vegetables are soft.
To make the dumplings combine the flour, salt and herbs in a bowl or processor then rub the fat into the flour. Stir in the water to make a soft dough. Divide the mixture into 12 balls – they’ll swell a lot as they cook.
Stir the beans into the chicken mixture then pop in the dumplings, spooning mixture over the top of them to submerge them. Simmer gently for 10 minutes or until dumplings are puffed up and piping hot. Mix the corn flour with a drop of cold water and stir it in to thicken the gravy. Serve with vegetables.

Cooks tip:If you don’t have chorizo, a spicy Spanish style sausage flavoured with chilli and paprika you could use a little chopped bacon for extra flavour.
Gluten free: You could make this without the dumplings. Reduce the liquid so there is just enough for a good gravy and serve it over creamy mash. If using sausage in the recipe check it is gluten free, also check the sausages are gluten free
Dairy free: Use Non dairy spread such as Olivani in the dumplings.
 
Any prices quoted are in NZ$ and are a guide only