I’m a savvy cook and here are my simple £1 recipes that feed a family of four
A SAVVY cook has revealed how she feeds a family of four for just £1 per portion.
Becky Excell, a social media influencer and author, has created cheap but nutritious meals for families struggling to cut costs.
Becky boasts more than 190,000 followers on TikTok and her videos have more than one million likes altogether.
She’s created these to help inspire those looking to make more affordable choices during the cost-of-living crisis.
Dishes from the savvy cook include a sweet potato and chickpea curry and an Italian-inspired gnocchi bake.
Becky has also created a sticky sausage stew and turkey and cranberry pie.
The recipes come after research of 2,000 adults, commissioned by Aldi, found the average household spends nearly £230 on food each month – with Brits estimating the average single serving for dinner costs £7.40.
Becky, who has teamed up with the supermarket brand to create the budget-friendly meals, said: “Making recipes like this and combining high quality with low prices is possible if you know where to shop.
“This means there is no need to sacrifice taste, excitement or nutritional value when cooking budget-friendly food.”
More than two thirds (64%) are keen to keep their food bills down and 41% have already changed their habits when it comes to shopping and cooking.
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As many as three in 10 are buying more frozen food while 57% are opting for cheaper alternatives when doing their usual shop.
The study also found 64% now often look for items which have been reduced in price – with 53% citing this as the main priority when it comes to their weekly shop.
While 43% have tried to simplify their cooking to cut back on costs, and 34% have set themselves stricter budgets for food shops.
Despite this, 41% find it difficult to cook on a budget, as three in 10 believe meals aren’t as exciting when a limit has been set.
A further 28% reckon they aren’t as nutritious and 27% said when they spend less on ingredients it results in the finished dish not being as tasty, according to the OnePoll study.
When asked about what they’ve had to cut back on in general, 27% said food shops – but everyday purchases, eating out and takeaways were among the more common things Brits have reduced spending on.
Julie Ashfield, from Aldi UK, said: “We are committed to providing the best possible quality and value to all our customers – and these £1 meal ideas do exactly that.
“We know how hard it is for so many people at the moment which is why we are more focused than ever on delivering our longstanding price promise by offering the lowest possible prices in Britain, every single day.
“These recipes all include ingredients that are easily accessible, and we hope they offer families up and down the country some ideas and inspiration for more affordable meal choices this winter.”
How to make the sticky sausage stew
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 6 sausages or 12 chipolatas
- 2 tbsp clear honey
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes
- 300ml vegetable stock
- 1 tin (400g) butterbeans, drained
- 1.5 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp mixed herbs
- 500g carrots, chunkily chopped
- Large handful of chopped spinach
Method
Preheat oven to 180C fan and lightly oil a baking tray.
Place the sausages onto the baking tray and cook for about 25 minutes until cooked and golden. You will need to turn them during cooking.
Mix honey and dijon mustard. Remove sausages from the oven drizzle the honey mustard all over the sausages, making sure they are well coated. Then pop them back in the oven for 5 minutes to get all sticky.
Whilst your sausages are cooking you can make the stew. Add your chopped carrots to a lightly oiled large pot (with a lid). Allow to cook for a few minutes before adding smoked paprika and mixed herbs. Coat the carrots and cook for about a minute.
Add the chopped tomatoes, stock and butterbeans, give it all a good mix then pop the lid on and cook for about 20 minutes till the carrots are cooked.
Remove the lid and allow to thicken up to your liking, this should take about 5 minutes.
Add the spinach and allow to wilt.
Add the sticky sausages and any of the sticky sauce from the baking tray to the stew and cook for a few minutes more. Then serve up.
For more of her food, check out Aldi’s website and look for “Becky Excell Recipes”.
10 ways you Brits are reducing their grocery bills
As the cost of living rises, many of us are doing everything we can to cut costs.
Here are just some of the ways Brits are making changes to cut their grocery bills:
- Buying cheaper alternatives
- Buying fewer items / simplifying meals
- Setting strict budgets
- Buying more frozen food
- Eating out less
- Buying in bulk and freeze
- Reducing the number of takeaways
- Cooking meals with less meat
- Taking lunch to work rather than buying it
- Introducing a “cheap” night e.g. use frozen food/meals with only a few ingredients
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See here for more ways to cut down on your food shopping.
Other news on smart shoppers includes this lady who found that M&S products were the same, if not cheaper, than similar products at Tesco Express.