Cheap Veggie Chilli

It's down to -8 here in Spixworth and, having just been out to give the birds a top up of Asda cheapo cornflakes I was glad to stick my feet in front of the fire and have a lovely hot cup of tea.

I really need something hot and spicy for my evening meal so decided to have a veggie chilli - cheap, cheerful, hot and filling - just perfect.

All it takes is:

1 x baking potato

1 x sweet pepper

1 x onion

1/2 x chilli pepper

1/2 x clove of garlic

1/2 a large tin of tomatoes

1/2 a large tin of kidney beans

Pinch or so of Oregano and Basil (to your taste)

A couple of tablespoons of Bisto gravy granules.

Put the baking potato in a hot oven and set it cooking for around 1 hr 15 mins.

While it's cooking, soften the onion in a pan with a tablespoon of oil, add the pepper (both sweet and chilli) and continue warming through for about 5 minutes until soft.   Add the crushed garlic, kidney beans, tinned tomatoes and herbs and simmer for about 20 mins.

Now all you need to do is wait for your baked potato to cook through and then, while you're dealing with cutting the potato and adding a bit of sunflower spread or whatever you like, heat through the chilli mix.  When it starts to bubble stir in the gravy granules to thicken and add that meaty flavour but without the meat!

Tip the chilli onto the potato and enjoy!!!

Midweek Munchies

Since having an accident back in October last year and being unable to work my partner and I have been 'making do' with relatively cheap and cheerful food.  

I shop online each week and get a delivery every Wednesday so today was stock up day.

Our delivery arrived just before lunch so I had a toasted crust left over from our old loaf of bread which had gone a bit dry, some vitalite (vegan) spread and topped it off with some garlic and herb cream cheese.  In order to ensure I got part of my five a day fruit and veg I had a handful of baby plum tomatoes, gorgeously juicy and extremely sweet.  I topped this off, rather naughtily, with a custard filled donut (we have to have some treats - five in a packet for just 65p - 83 US cents).  Tried not to lick my lips while I was eating my sugary treat but just couldn't hack it.

Being English I couldn't survive without a cup of tea to wash down my repast and now, at 3.30 in the afternoon, I've had another portion of my 5 a day (a handful of dried cranberries and another refreshing cuppa.

This evening we're having supermarket bought pizzas.  Adam, being a meat eater is having a meat feast and I've gone for a cheese and tomato one but will add some onion, sweet red peppers and sweetcorn to mine.  Each pizza costs £1 - $1.28 - but I'll manage to save half of mine for a meal later in the week as I'll add some salad to it.  Adam, on the other hand, being a typical man, will eat all of his in one sitting.  For a dessert I'll probably open up a tin of fruit which costs no more than 50p and that tin will last me about three days.

So, no major food prep involved, no special cooking skills but a really cheap meal.

Oh, and to wash down my pizza, this week I'm trying a supermarket brand flavoured water - mango and passion fruit.  Another little treat but I got 1 litre (2 pints) of it for just 40p - 51 cents.

I'll keep you tuned as to what cheap and cheerful and easy prep/cooking meals I decide on tomorrow.