THE Chancellor vowed to splurge billions but balancing the budget at home is all about keeping a lid on costs.
With a price war raging between the supermarkets and Morrisons cutting the cost of 500-plus items, saving is easier.
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These three recipes create delicious dishes the whole family can enjoy – for less than £1.70 a head.
So tuck in and enjoy seconds . . . without a second’s thought.
Aubergine and mince bake – £1.66 per portion
(Serves four)
Prep time: 20 mins.
Cooking time: 1 hour.
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YOU NEED:
- 400g minced beef
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 150g red split lentils
- 400g chopped tomatoes
- 400ml beef stock, made from a cube
- 300g potatoes, peeled and sliced
- 1 aubergine, sliced
- 10g sunflower spread
- 20g plain flour
- 400ml semi-skimmed milk
- 2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
METHOD: Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and dry-fry the mince until brown.
Drain the fat then add the curry powder, lentils, chopped tomatoes and stock. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Spoon into an ovenproof dish.
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes and aubergine in separate pans for five minutes, then drain and arrange them over the mince.
Place the sunflower spread, flour and milk in a non-stick pan.
Cook, whisking all the time, until it forms a smooth, thick sauce.
Pour the sauce over the bake, arrange the tomatoes on top and bake for 30 minutes until piping-hot and golden.
Vegetable and bean soup – £1.64 per portion
(Serves two)
Prep time: 5 mins.
Cooking time: 40 mins.
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YOU NEED:
- 2 onions
- 4 carrots
- 2 sprig thyme
- 4 celery stalks
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 pints stock from vegetable cube
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 2 tins cannellini beans, drained
- 4 handfuls spinach
METHOD: Chop the onions and carrots, then sweat them in a pot over a low-medium heat along with the thyme, celery and garlic.
Add the stock and tinned tomatoes, then cook for 20 minutes.
Add the beans and spinach, cook for a further ten minutes then serve.
White chocolate cheesecake – 50p per portion
(Serves 18)
Prep time: 30 mins.
Chill: 1 hour.
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YOU NEED:
- 300g chocolate digestive biscuit
- 60g butter
- 720g Philadelphia
- 100g icing sugar
- 500g white chocolate
- 100g dark chocolate
- 1 handful raspberries
- 1 handful pomegranate.
METHOD: Mix biscuit crumbs with melted butter and press hard into a 23cm spring-form tin lined with parchment. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Mix the Philadelphia and icing sugar in a bowl. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
Add the Philadelphia mix to the chocolate one large dollop at a time, mixing well. Add the remaining Philadelphia mixture into chocolate mixture and mix.
Tip mixture over biscuit base, smoothing off with the back of a spoon. Pop the cheesecake in the fridge for 30 minutes. Decorate using a swivel peeler to make chocolate curls. Top with berries.
