Date Slice - Cheap Tuesday Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of dates - chopped
• 1 Cup of Water
• 1/4 cup of Honey
• 1 tablespoon of sugar

• 1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup of Apple Sauce
• 1/2 Cup of margarine

• 1 & 1/3 Cup of whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
• 1 & 1/2 Cups of Rolled Oats
• 2 tablespoons of cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a 20 x 30 cm baking tray with baking paper and/or  canola spray
2. In a saucepan place the dates, water, honey and teaspoon of sugar and over a medium heat cook and stir for approximately 10 minutes or until the dates have absorbed all the liquid. allow to cool to room temperature
3. Mix the margarine, brown sugar and apple sauce with electric mixer until well combined
4. Sift in flour and bicarb soda - stir until well combined, and then add in rolled oats and cinnamon and mix well
5. Press half the oat mixture into the lining baking tray
6. Spread date mixture evenly over the top
7. finally, place or crumble the remaining half of the oat mixture over the top so dates are completely covered
8. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until golden brown, cut into slices and enjoy!

xxx

Mad moroccan veggie patties - Cheap Tuesday Recipe

I kind of winged this recipe and it worked out so thats always promising! Veggie patties are a great healthy and cheap alternative to meat patties.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 400 g can of chickpeas
• 1 onion diced (I used purple onion)
• 2 carrots grated
• 2 potatoes grated
• olive oil
• 1 tbsp of minced garlic
• 1 1/2 tbsp of morrocan spice (or try cumin & curry powder if you don't have)
• 1 tbsp of mixed herb
• 1 cup of plain flour
• 1 large egg
• pinch of salt and pepper
• seasame seeds sprinkled on top of patties before cooking (optional)

note: next time I think I would add some breadcrumbs

Method:

1. Drain and wash chickpeas, and then mash/ blend  with tsp of olive oil to a smoothish texture
2. squeeze excess moisture out of the carrot and potato and then add to chickpea mixture
3. lightly fry the onion, garlic and herb/ spices for around 3-4 minutes and allow yto cool a bit before added them to the mixture
4. Add in quinoa, flour, egg and salt & pepper and mix, using hands to combine the mixture
5. Mixture was quite sticky so this is where I would add some breadcrumbs next time. Roll 6-8 balls depending on the size you want, and sprinkle some sesame seeds on the top.
6. In a frying pan, fry the patties in some olive oil (push the balls into a patty shape with spatula) cook until brown on both sides continuously turning and until pattie in cooked all way through! Approx 15 min
7. Serve with salad and buns or if you're feeling extra creative use large (oven-cooked) mushrooms as the bun for an ultimate veggie burger.

Enjoy xxx

Feel good Chicken Soup (Cheap Tuesday Recipe)

Winter is definitely around the corner, and as much as I have tried to avoid it the dreaded 'Common Cold' has struck me down over the weekend. So this is exactly what I felt like - a healthy feel-good soup to warm me up and make me feel better! And it cheap and easy to make!! This is another one that cost me less than $10 to make (not including pantry staples)

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 500 g Chicken Thigh (or breast) diced
• 1 Brown onion
• 2 tsp of minced garlic
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 L Chicken Stock, salt reduced
• 1 packet of chicken noodle soup ( makes up to a 1 L solution)
• 3/4 cup of pasta
• 2 Carrots, diced into chunks
• 2 Potatoes, diced into chunks
• 3 Celery stalks, diced
• 1-2 tsp's Mixed herb and pepper
• I topped my soup with some spring onion

Method:

• Place large soup pot on stove (medium/high temp) and cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil for about 2 mins
• Add in the chopped up vegetables and herbs, stir and cook for 5 min, stirring often
• Pour in chicken stock and chicken noodle soup mix, bring soup to boil and then allow to simmer for 10-15 min
• Add in diced chicken and cook for further 10 minutes
• Add in pasta last and cook for a further 8-10 minutes or until pasta is tender and chicken and vegetables cooked through!
• Ladle into bowls and add chopped spring onion or herbs on top, and serve with a nice toasted bread!

*Tip from my mum: If you have left over soup the next night, a great way to change it up a bit or if more liquid is needed; add a tin of tomato soup and its corresponding water gives the soup a whole new flavour!

Enjoy xxx

Home made Muesli Bar Slice

This is a quick and easy recipe, and easily adapted to what you have in your own pantry! next time I would like to add pumpkin seeds. Omit nuts if for primary school kid's lunch box. Great way to save money on pre-packaged muesli bars and they are so yummy!

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup plain flour  
• 3/4 cup of chopped dates or dried fruit preference (sultanas, dried apricots, craisens etc)
• 3 tablespoons of chia seeds
• 1/4 cup of sesame seeds
• 1 cup of mixed chopped nuts
• 1/4 cup of shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup of dark choc chopped

• 1/4 cup of milk
• 1 egg

• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 60 g butter or margarine or coconut oil
• 1/4 cup of honey

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180*C
• Place all the dry ingredients except for the brown sugar in a bowl and mix together
• Place the brown sugar, butter and honey in a separate bowl and place in microwave for 1 minute
• Then add the brown sugar mix to the dry ingredients and mix
• Finally, add in the milk and egg and mix again
• Line a laming ton dish with baking paper and grease the edges. Place mixture in, and cook in oven for 15 minutes
• Once cooled, slice and enjoy xxx

10 tips to decrease grocery bill - Fun Fact Friday

Happy Friday Everyone!

If you're anything like me, a trip to the grocery store can be a daunting experience especially when I go over budget, or forget something on my list, or worst of all don't plan for all the week's meals meaning more than one trip to the supermarket!

So I've done some research, and with the help of the FOODcents Training that I did through uni; I have compiled a list of ten must-do things which will help keep your food budget in line

1) Most important thing is to plan all the meals and snacks that you and your family will need for the week, and WRITE A SHOPPING LIST :)

2) When writing your meal plan and shopping list be aware of the current specials, and mark downs so you can factor a cheaper option into your budget.

3) Include at least one meat-free meal per week, this will help to keep costs down as meat can be the most expensive item on the shopping list. For protein sources make use of beans and other legumes.

4) Shop for your staples first: fruit and vegetables, meat, dairy, bread and cereals first. Around the outskirts of the supermarket, instead of down the aisles as they say!

5) A very very important handy tip is to look at the price per 100 g of the product instead of the price of the item. That way you can get a much better idea of which product is actually cheaper!

6) Consider buying in bulk as it can work out cheaper for staples that you use frequently. Also buying your meat in bulk and then freezing in portions is great if you have the space.

7) Make your own snacks (i.e for the lunchbox) instead of buying overpriced pre-packaged items.

8) Don't shop on an empty stomach! Trust me, I know first hand that when I've done the grocery shop while hungry I have always brought unnecessary or unhealthy snacks.

9) Consider the 'home-brand' / cheaper alternatives, some times they come from the same factory as the more expensive brand-name products. Although try and support Australian-made products when you can!

10) Beware of the Buy-One-Get-One-Free promotions. Only factor it into your shop if its something you actually need, otherwise your spending over your budget.

For more great tips check out these links:

Nutrition Australia budget buying
Kidspot- Family Budget
Daily Telegraph- 50 ways to save

Enjoy your weekend xxx

Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Soup - Cheap Tuesday Recipe

Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Soup

This is a great recipe coming into the colder months, very easy to make and cost me only $10 for ingrediants (minus the spices, oil and garlic which i already had) 

Serves 6 

Ingredients:

• 1 Kg of Pumpkin ( I used Kent)
• 1/2 Kg of Sweet Potato
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 Large Onion (chopped finely)
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 L of chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 tsp of cumin
• 1 tbsp of Italian/ mixed herb
• 1/2 of chopped spinach leaves
• drizzle of low fat thickened cream or sour cream to serve

Method:

• Cut the pumpkin and sweet potato up into roughly 1-2 cm cubes (remembering that the smaller the pieces the less time they will take to cook), also chop onion.
• In a large pot fry the onion  in the olive oil until soft, then add in garlic and spices and cook for extra minute.
• Add in the pumpkin, sweet potato, spinach and stock. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft and break apart easily.
• Turn heat off and cover soup, allowing to cool a bit before blending it.
• I used a kenwood hand blender, which made it a lot easier and less messy as I could just blend the soup while it was still in the pot!
• Serve soup with a drizzle of cream and some nice crusty bread.

Enjoy xxx

Quinoa Pancakes - Cheap Tuesday Recipe

This weeks recipe had to be based on whatever I had in the pantry and fridge as I am poor with a capital P! So with a bag of Quinoa sitting in my cupboard I decided it was a great opportunity to use this protein-filling alternative to grains and rices.

 Quinoa is actually pronounced KEEN- WAH,

A few reasons why quinoa could be a great addition to your next shopping trip include:

• It contains 10-18% protein and contains all the essential amino acids (which is a great option for non- meat eaters).
• It is rich in insoluble fiber, so good for the digestive system.
• It is a gluten-free option for those who suffer from intolerance or Celiac's disease.
• Quinoa contains minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium.

Quinoa Healthy Pancakes

Adapted this recipe from a recipe on fitsugar.com

Serving: 6-8 Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup of cooked quinoa
• 3/4 cup of plain flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tablespoon of margarine 
• 1/4 cup of almond milk ( I used Almond Breeze- 98% Fat free and unsweetened)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of honey & bit extra for serving
• 1 banana (to top when serving)

Method:

1. Mix quinoa, flour, baking powder and salt in one bowl, and in a separate bowl whisk together eggs, margarine, milk and honey until smooth
2. Combine the two mixtures and whisk until smooth
3. Lightly coat a non-stick fry-pan with margarine or butter and heat to medium temperate
4. Drop one or two scoops of batter into the frying pan (I used a soup ladle) and cook on one side until bubbles appear on the top ( Around 2 minutes)
5. Flip pancake and cook until underneath is brown ( Another 2 minutes)
6. Serve with a drizzle of honey and cut up banana

Easy and Healthy alternative to Sunday Breakfast this Weekend :)

Mini Quiche Recipe

Easy Mini Quiches!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Makes: 12 mini quiches

Ingredients:

4 Eggs

1 1/2 Cups of Low Fat Milk

3 Tablespoons of melted Margarine or butter

1/2 of wholemeal self-raising flour (or gluten free flour substitute of your choice if need)

1 1/2 Cups of grated reduced fat cheddar cheese

2 Cups of fillings of your choice

( I used 1 cup spinach (chopped finely), 1/2 cup of ham pieces and 1/2 of mushrooms (chopped finely)

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 180°C

2) Grease a 12 piece muffin dish with butter or margarine

3) Whisk eggs quickly and then add milk, margarine and flour and whisk together

4) Fold in cheese and fillings

5) Pour into muffin tin compartments ( I found that using a big soup ladle spoon helped to pour consistent amounts into each

6) Bake for 15 minutes or until set

:) xxx