Today, I did a demo of ThriftyLesley food at a local church, although I am atheist, to about 15 ladies.
In one hour, we managed to produce 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners.
Started off with a bacon and sweetcorn pie, to demonstrate the oil pastry, and put some carrots in to roast for carrot hoummous.
Then went on to jammy oat bars and tomato scones, cut small, and cooked those at the same time.
Next was supposed to be spicy parsnip soup, but sainsbury didn’t have any parsnips when I went there last night, so I did sweet potato and lentil soup instead.
Whizzed up the carrot and chickpea hoummous (hummi?)
Then the shortest cooking time things, raisin breakfast pancakes and spaghetti carbonara.
I was waffling away the whole time, and as I hoped, the ladies were asking questions as we went, plus I remembered to keep asking them questions that needed more than a yes or no.
It all went very well and I hardly took any food back home.
We produced 29 meals and a batch of scones for the grand total of £4.95. The organiser insisted I tell her how much the food cost, otherwise I wouldn’t have added it up, but this miserly total brought it home to me just how bargainous our meals are!
We had pizza this evening, and I finally got to test some of the anchovy paste. I did the 2 big pizza mix and topped DP’s with HM tomato sauce, heavy on the onion, mushroom, pepper, sweetcorn and cheese. Then the other half, I split into two again, and did one half with just tomato sauce, more onions and a small sprinkle of cheese and a few half tsps of soft cheese, and the final piece with a smear of anchovy paste, onions, olives and a few tsps of soft cheese.
Wish I could take pictures that reflected the flavour of the things I make!
This was one of those times that I was surprised by the cost, it was more than I thought it would be.
Utterly delicious mind! The anchovy paste delivered only the mildest of fishy flavours while tasting deeply savoury, with little hits of creaminess from the soft cheese, and the olives didn’t make it too salty either. It was lovely, recommended.
I still haven’t checked the price of the anchovy paste, so assuming it was the 90p/57g I think it is
Anchovy paste, a tsp, 10g, 16p
The pizza base, 2p
26g olives, Asda 350g drained weight/90p, 6p
100g onions, Asda 2kg/98p, 10p
20g soft cheese, 300g/75p, 5p
39p for the pizza
Even leaving off the olives and soft cheese would only bring it down to 28p, which is still more than the original
these are the pizzas, the anchovy one first, then the other one
I am gradually getting better at the picture taking, but they still don’t look anything like the lovely Green Kitchen or Smitten Kitchen ones!
Still, as you say, it is the eating that is the most important part
Let me know what you try, I love to hear what people do and the lovely variations that are invented
Ah, Lesley, you’re amazing!! I too lack skills in the food photography department, but food is meant to be eaten!
I’m currently jotting down a list of your recipes that I’d like to try!
I only added it up at the end because the organiser wanted to reimburse me for the ingredients, so I just added up the recipes. Bacon and sweetcorn pie x 4, etc. I do actually need to amend it because I missed out the jammy oat bars, but it still only makes it £5.58. Haven’t worked out the calories, wonder if it would be enough to live on for a week!
That is a fantastic amount of food made for just £4.95, I bet they were all amazed 🙂
Sounds like you had a lovely old time in the kitchen 🙂
I made the roasted carrot hoummous today..excellent!
I tossed in a cup of cooked chickpeas that were lurking in the freezer as well. I used your spice suggestions as well as adding a good slug of cheapie smoked paprika and a tbsp. of olive oil to the puree..I had used very little oil for the roasting part.
Excellent and very versatile recipe!
I also roasted rutabaga chips [swede?] with the paprika as I try to change up the sweetness of the roast veg now and again. Half the chips will be for a side dish and the rest wiil be put into one of your quickie soups using red lentils, cooked beets and 500ml of chicken stock [ also unearthed in the freezer!]
I love the thickening power and the added, sneaky protein that the red lentils provide….
Tomorrow I shall attempt your mini Yorkshires, now that I know that they can be frozen.
thanks!
Well it all disappeared very quickly, and there were lots of lovely comments 🙂
29 meals plus scones for £4.95…you rock!
I hope those ladies were suitably impressed.