WEEK THREE

MONDAY:	Boiled Bacon & Roast Potatoes with Roasted Vegetables
TUESDAY:	Vegetable Tortilla
WEDNESDAY:	Pork Meatballs, Tagliatelle & Tomato Sauce
THURSDAY:	Stuffed Peppers
FRIDAY:	Pacific Pie

THE SHOPPING LIST:
Bacon joint	£3.29
Tuna	0.98
Cheese	£1.59
Chopped tomatoes	0.21
Plum tomatoes	0.13
Baked beans	0.17
Minced pork	£1.08
Sweetcorn	0.39
Spinach	£1.29
Mixed peppers	£2.58
Potatoes	£1.59
Savoy cabbage	0.58
Couscous	0.82
Mushrooms	£1.15
Butternut squash	£1.36
Tagliatelle	0.69
Eggs (12 free-range)	£1.75
Onions	0.16
Ready salted crisps (x 6)	0.85
	_______
	£20.66

WEEK THREE: THE RECIPES

MONDAY:

BOILED BACON & ROAST POTATOES WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES The bacon joint can be roasted or boiled (preferably ahead of time if you’re out all day), then sliced up and re-heated at the bottom of the oven halfway through the cooking time of the roast vegetables. (If you’ve got more bacon than you want to use tonight, save some for tomorrow.)

Make more roasted vegetables than you need and keep the rest in the fridge for Tuesday’s vegetable tortilla. The quantities below should be more than enough for four people with plenty to spare, especially if you’re having roast potatoes and more green vegetables – otherwise, make more.

ROASTED VEGETABLES:
1 butternut squash
3 peppers: red, yellow, orange (preferably one of each)
4–5 large, thin carrots
2 small onions (or 8 small shallots)
4 large mushrooms (or 6–8 small ones)
Sesame seeds, olive oil

GRAVY:
Gravy granules
Tomato puree
1/2 pint (250 ml) boiling water

METHOD

• 1.Peel potatoes first so you can par boil them on a low heat while you prepare the rest of the vegetables; roast them separately on a higher shelf and swap them over with the vegetables about halfway through.
• 2.Cut the butternut squash in half; peel the skin with a potato peeler, remove the pips and the foamy inner bit and cut into wedges.
• 3.Scrape the carrots and slice them diagonally; halve the peppers and cut them into strips; peel and slice the onion, or if you’re using shallots, peel and cut them into halves or quarters; peel and cut the mushrooms into chunks.
• 4.Put the vegetables into a large ovenproof dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• 5.In a measuring jug, mix 1 tablespoon of gravy granules with a little tomato puree, add boiling water up to the 1/2 pint (250 ml) mark and whisk with a fork. Pour the gravy over the bacon in an ovenproof dish, cover with a lid or a piece of silver foil and put in the bottom of the oven until the roast potatoes and vegetables are done. (Or if you prefer, re-heat the bacon in the microwave.)

TUESDAY:

VEGETABLE TORTILLA

Not strictly a vegetable tortilla if you’re adding leftover bacon, obviously...

SERVES 4–6:
2 tbsp plain flour
1 egg
1/2 pint (250 ml)milk
Remains of yesterday’s roasted vegetables
(Leftover bacon)
Oil

METHOD

• 1.Pre-heat the oven on high, Gas Mark 7–8 (200–220°C) and warm a little oil in a very large ovenproof dish.
• 2.Make a thin pancake batter with the flour, egg and milk, mash the leftover roasted vegetables with a fork and beat the vegetable mash together with the batter to make a smooth paste.
• 3.If you’ve got leftover bacon, chop it into small pieces and put it into the hot oil first, then spread the veggie batter mix over the top to completely cover the bottom of the dish.
• 4.The tortilla cooks in about 20 minutes, so if you want baked beans and tinned plum tomatoes with it, put them in a covered casserole dish at the very bottom of the oven when you put the tortilla in; everything will be ready at the same time.

WEDNESDAY:

PORK MEATBALLS WITH TAGLIATELLE & TOMATO SAUCE (see Chapter 3: Make Dinner, Not Excuses).

For an even quicker alternative to the DIY Pasta Sauce in

Chapter 3 make the easy tomato sauce below:

1 standard tin of chopped tomatoes

Tomato puree

Garlic puree

Spinach

1 onion or a few shallots

Herbs: basil, Italian herbs or parsley

Olive oil & butter

METHOD

• 1.Chop the onion or shallots; wash and tear spinach into small pieces.
• 2.Warm the oil and butter in a large shallow pan; add the onion, garlic and spinach and fry for a few minutes until the onion is soft.
• 3.Add the tinned tomatoes, turn the heat up and make it sizzle, then add herbs, tomato/garlic purees, stir well and simmer the sauce until the pasta is ready.

THURSDAY:

STUFFED PEPPERS (see Chapter 3: Make Dinner, Not Excuses) .

FRIDAY:

PACIFIC PIE (see Chapter 4: Quick Fixes).

WEEK FOUR

MONDAY:	Liver, Bacon & Onions
TUESDAY:	Tomato & Red Lentil Soup
WEDNESDAY:	Salmon & Tomato Pasta Bake
THURSDAY:	Pork Ribs, Sausages & Rice
FRIDAY:	Bread Roll Pizzas

THE SHOPPING LIST:
Back bacon (x 2: Buy 1 Get 1 Free)	£ 2.59
Lamb’s Liver	£ 1.02
Pork ribs	£ 3.39
Sausages (x 10: 82% pork)	£ 2.09
1 large tin of salmon (Alaskan)	£ 2.29
Lentils	0.69
Rice	0.55
Pasta	0.37
Soft bread rolls (very large x 12)	£ 1.50
Cheese	£ 1.29
Broccoli	0.65
Onions	0.39
Mushrooms	0.99
Spinach	0.99
Potatoes	£ 1.78
Fresh tomatoes	0.75
Cucumber	0.74
Tinned tomatoes (x 3)	£ 1.35
Pineapple rings	0.75
	______
	£24.17

WEEK FOUR: THE RECIPES

MONDAY:

LIVER, BACON & ONIONS with mashed potatoes and green vegetables

SERVES 4 –6:
1–2 packets of lamb’s liver
2 onions
1 packet of bacon (streaky or back)
1/2 pint (250 ml) lamb or beef stock
Tomato puree
Flour
Oil

METHOD

• 1.Peel the potatoes and put them on to simmer gently while you prepare the liver in the usual way, i.e. wash it well, removing any sinewy bits and coat in a little seasoned flour.
• 2.Warm some oil in a large pan and fry the liver for a couple of minutes before transferring to a casserole dish with a lid.
• 3.Fry the onions the way you like them and add the stock to the pan with a big spoonful of tomato puree; stir well, then pour the onion gravy into the casserole dish and put it in the middle of a moderate oven.
• 4.Roll up the bacon rashers and place on a baking tray on the top shelf of the oven.
• 5.When the bacon rolls are brown and crisp (about 20–25 minutes), slice thinly and scatter over the liver and onions, then serve with the mashed potatoes and green vegetables. (N.B. Make extra gravy if you think you need to.)

TUESDAY:

TOMATO & RED LENTIL SOUP (see Chapter 5: The Joy of Soup) .

Cheese on toast or bacon sandwiches are perfect with tomato soup.

WEDNESDAY:

SALMON & TOMATO PASTA BAKE

Needless to say, this can just as easily be made with tinned tuna instead of salmon...

SERVES 4–6:
Tomato & red lentil soup
Pasta shapes
1 large tin of tuna
1 small tin of sweetcorn
Lemon juice
Black pepper
2 oz (50 g) grated cheese
1 packet of ready salted crisps, broken up in the bag

METHOD

• 1.If necessary, thin the soup with milk or tomato juice, or a combination of both.
• 2.Drain the tins of tuna and sweetcorn, empty into a large ovenproof dish, sprinkle with lemon juice and black pepper and mix with the tomato soup and uncooked pasta (approximately one generous handful per person).
• 3.Scatter the grated cheese and crushed crisps over the top and bake in a moderate oven, Gas Mark 4 (180°C) for about 30–40 minutes.

THURSDAY:

PORK RIBS, SAUSAGES & RICE WITH SALAD

METHOD

• 1.First prick the sausages and put them in a hot oven, Gas Mark 6 (200°C).
• 2.After about 15 minutes, wash the rice and put in a pan of slightly salted boiling water, boil rapidly for a couple of minutes, then simmer very gently, checking after about 12 minutes to see if it’s done.
• 3.Meanwhile, season the ribs, drizzle with a little olive oil and grill on high, turning at least once.
• 4.Make salad with tomatoes, spinach and cucumber from this week’s shopping list, plus anything else you have and wish to include.
• 5.Strain the rice in a colander, rinse well with boiling water, and serve.

FRIDAY:

BREAD ROLL PIZZAS

These can be made with baguettes sliced lengthways, or readymade pizza bases if you prefer. (See also Baked Potato Pizzas: Chapter 3: Make Dinner, Not Excuses).

Very large soft bread rolls, roughly 1 per person
Onions
Pineapple
Grated cheese
Leftover bacon and/or sausage
Spinach
Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Tomato puree or ketchup
Olive oil

METHOD

• 1.Slice the bread rolls in half and lightly toast the underside of each half under the grill while you warm some oil in a large pan.
• 2.Finely chop whatever you have to use for the toppings and fry everything except the pineapple for a few minutes, enough to soften the onion and brown the meat a little.
• 3.Spread the upper side of the bread rolls with tomato puree or ketchup, cover with the mixture, top with grated cheese and place under a hot grill for a few minutes, until the cheese has melted, browned and bubbled.

WEEK FIVE

MONDAY:	Corned Beef Hash
TUESDAY:	Fish Finger Pie
WEDNESDAY:	Spaghetti Bolognese
THURSDAY:	Curried Nut Roast & Rice
FRIDAY:	Gammon Steaks, Egg & Homemade Chips

THE SHOPPING LIST:
Minced beef (2 x 500 g packs)	£ 5.50
Corned beef (x 2 tins)	£ 2.38
Gammon steaks (x 4: large)	£ 5.88
Fish fingers (x 16)	£ 2.49
Eggs (12 free-range)	£ 2.35
Cheese	£ 2.49
Spaghetti	0.28
Rice	0.78
Bread	0.55
Monkey nuts (large 450 g bag)	£ 1.69
Tomato puree	0.32
Sweetcorn	0.63
Stock cubes (x 12)	0.76
Baked beans	0.47
Potatoes	£ 2.09
Spinach	£ 1.79
Mixed peppers	£ 1.38
Mushrooms	£ 1.49
Onions	0.55
Carrots	0.85
Asparagus	£ 1.99
Tomatoes	£ 1.89
Cucumber	0.75
	______
	£39.43

WEEK FIVE: THE RECIPES

MONDAY:

CORNED BEEF HASH WITH BAKED BEANS

SERVES 4–6:
2 large tins of corned beef
2–3 lb (1.5k g) potatoes
2 large onions
Oil

METHOD

• 1.Peel and boil the potatoes until they’re just done, then cut into cubes.
• 2.Warm the oil in a very large frying pan (or a large deep-sided pan to give you more room to manoeuvre) while you cut the corned beef into chunks and slice the onions.
• 3.Fry the onions and potatoes in the hot oil, adding the corned beef once the onions are starting to brown.
• 4.Fry for a few more minutes until it looks good to you – and serve.

TUESDAY:

FISH FINGER PIE WITH POTATO WEDGES AND SWEETCORN FISH FINGER PIE (see Chapter 4, Quick Fixes).

POTATO WEDGES:

METHOD

• 1Give the potatoes a quick wash with a nailbrush in a bowl of cold water; cut into wedges, place on a large ovenproof tray, drizzle with oil and bake in a hot oven, Gas Mark 6 (200°C) for 20–25 minutes.
• 2.Get the ingredients for the pies ready and grill the fish fingers after about 15 minutes, once the potatoes are halfway there.

WEDNESDAY:

SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE

For young children, break the spaghetti into small pieces before putting it into the boiling water, or use small pasta shapes instead.

SERVES 4–6:
1 lb (500 g) (1 large pack) minced beef
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 carrot, grated
Mushrooms
1 beef stock cube
1 standard tin of chopped tomatoes
Tomato puree
Oregano or Italian herbs

METHOD

• 1.Cook the meat in a large pan over a medium-high heat, turning it over occasionally with a wooden spoon while you prepare the vegetables.
• 2.Strain the meat to get rid of the fatty liquid, (see notes, page 43), add the finely chopped onion, mushrooms, grated carrot, crushed garlic, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, stock cube and seasoning, and cook for a few more minutes.
• 3.Adjust the consistency of the bolognese with more tomato puree to make a richer sauce, or add a little beef stock if you want to thin it down.
• 4.Simmer gently for about 15 minutes while you cook the spaghetti; serve with grated cheddar cheese or parmesan.

THURSDAY:

CURRIED NUT ROAST

This nut roast is delicious hot or cold with salad and rice, or on its own with chutney or a yoghurt dressing. Buy monkey nuts if you can’t get ready-shelled peanuts in the supermarket, or try a local shop; you’ll find large bags of shelled nuts in any good Asian food store. (For a nut-free alternative see Chapter 3: Make Dinner, Not Excuses.)

SERVES 4–6:
1/2 lb (225 g) peanuts or cashew nuts
2 smallish peppers – red/orange and green
1 large onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 standard tin of chopped tomatoes
Breadcrumbs made with 4–5 slices of white bread
3 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
Marjoram or mixed herbs
1 egg, beaten
Olive oil
Sunflower/corn oil

METHOD

• 1.Make the breadcrumbs in a blender or food processor then put them in a very large mixing bowl.
• 2.Blend the nuts for about 30 seconds and add them to the bowl.
• 3.Meanwhile, chop the onions and peppers and fry with the crushed garlic in a mixture of olive oil and sunflower, or corn oil, until the onion is crisp and golden.
• 4.Add the fried vegetables to the bowl with the chopped tomatoes, herbs, spices and the beaten egg and mix thoroughly – use a fork, it’s easier – to bind everything together.
• 5.Press the mixture into a well greased, standard-sized loaf tin (long-strip-lined with greaseproof paper) and bake in a pre-heated oven, Gas Mark 6 (200°C) for about half an hour, until golden.
• 6.Cook the rice and make salad while the nut roast is in the oven, then cut into slices and serve.

FRIDAY:

GAMMON STEAKS, EGG & HOMEMADE CHIPS

There’s no chip like a homemade chip and they’re dead easy to make yourself, although you wouldn’t think so to hear some celebrity chefs’ advice on the subject, what with rinsing the potatoes under cold running water for 5 minutes (5 minutes! Doesn’t anyone have a water meter?), flash-frying the chips in hot oil, then sprinkling them with this and that and finishing them off in the oven.

All you really need is good potatoes (Maris Pipers are ideal) and a very large saucepan about 2/3 full of hot oil – unless you’ve got a proper electric fryer (I haven’t), in which case you’ll know what to do. 1 gammon steak per person (although young children probably won’t be able to eat more than half a steak)

Potatoes

Eggs

Asparagus

METHOD

• 1.Peel the potatoes, cut into chunky chips, roughly 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) thick and rinse well in cold running water for a mere 30 seconds.
• 2.Allow the chips to drain while you heat the oil, making sure you’ve got rid of every last drop of water with an old, clean tea towel or kitchen roll.
• 3.When a cube of stale bread dropped into the oil turns golden within seconds, the oil is hot enough.
• 4.If you have a chip basket big enough, use that, otherwise cook the chips loose, lowering them into the hot oil as carefully you can.
• 5.Cover with a lid and check them often; they should be ready in about 20 minutes.
• 6.Grill the gammon steaks about halfway through the chips’ cooking time.
• 7.Remove the chips from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain them on plenty of kitchen roll on a large tray while you quickly fry an egg for each gammon steak and cook the asparagus spears in the microwave, according to the instructions on the packet.