Cooking on a Budget

Taste magazine editor Suzanne Dale shares her tips for eating well without blowing the budget.

Everyone’s talking about high food costs and most of us are no longer so casual about what we throw into the supermarket trolley. Even so, with a little planning, it’s possible to eat well without breaking the bank. And there’s always comfort in the knowledge that imported, expensive fruit and veg are no longer PC and growing your own produce is not only budget-friendly but a planet-saver too. Even with just a small courtyard space you can still grow lemons, limes, lettuces, tomatoes, beans and herbs – and lots more besides.

Here are a few budget-saving tips from Taste magazine:

Buy budget-friendly cuts of meat

These must be cooked slowly for the connective tissue to break down and for the meat to tenderize. Check out our website for more great tips for cooking with slow-cook cuts. Look for:

Beef – bolar, blade, cross-cut blade, blade roll, chuck, shin, spare ribs, brisket, whole thick flank, corned silverside.

Lamb – whole shoulder, shoulder and neck chops, shank, leg chops, forequarter.  (Offal lovers should try café chef Jo Pearson’s delicious but super-cheap Braised Lamb Neck & Kidney Pie)

Pork – knuckle, hock, belly slices, hand, shoulder chops, blade, shoulder, foreloin chop. Boned and rolled cuts like the forequarter and belly can also be roasted but more slowly and for longer than lean roast cuts.

More protein power

Consider swapping meat for alternative sources of protein. Look for recipes for pulses, beans and nuts. Did you know if walnuts are eaten in combination with a whole grain their protein content is equal to that of meat? For an ultra-comforting meal, try combining pasta with beans as Julie Biuso has done here. So nutritious too. And, remember, you don’t have to lash out on expensive artisan pastas. For a purse-friendly, dried Italian brand, look for Barilla. It can be found at some supermarkets, at importers and at specialty stores.

Pulses pack a lot of dietary punch. Try chickpeas in this flatbread wrap filling. Sustaining, it’s a great lunch or light dinner dish and is low in fat too

For more tasty recipes that cost less, check out the Taste Budget-beating Recipe Collection.

Published 20th Oct 2008

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