Cooking on a budget

With the cost of living crisis affecting many people, they may find it harder to purchase the foods and produce that they were able to buy previously. To try and help with this, we have compiled a few recipes that are filling and tasty, and most importantly, affordable. You can find these recipes below.

Salmon and Pea Pasta (Serves 4 from 21p per head)

Ingredients:

300g spaghetti, 12p (20p/500g, Asda)

  • 150g salmon paste, 54p (27p/75g jar, Stockwell at Tesco)

  • 60ml milk, 3p (52p/1l UHT, Asda)

  • 200g frozen peas, 14p (68p/1kg, Asda)

  • Lemon juice (3p) and plenty of black pepper, (1p)

Cooking Instructions:

  1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil, and add the pasta. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the peas halfway through to defrost and cook so they’re lovely and tender.

  2. While the pasta and peas cook, grab a small bowl, and beat together the salmon paste, milk and lemon juice. Season generously with black pepper.

  3. When the pasta is cooked, remove from the heat and drain. Tip the pasta into the pan and coat with the sauce, and serve.

Chocolate Brownies: Makes 12 small but very sweet brownies from 22p each

Ingredients:

300g milk chocolate, 90p (Smartprice at Asda, 30p/100g)

  • 100g butter or cooking oil, 11p (Asda sunflower oil, £3.20/3l)

  • 200g sugar, 20p (£1.04/kg, Asda)

  • 100g plain flour, 3p (Smartprice at Asda, 45p/1.5kg)

  • 3 large eggs, 45p

    100g decorative chocolate, such as Smarties, Mini Eggs, Creme Eggs, whatever you have to hand, £1 (Smarties, Asda, £1/118g)

Cooking Instructions:

First break up your chocolate and pop it into a heatproof bowl, along with the butter or cooking oil. Bring a small pan of water to the boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Place the heatproof bowl on top, making sure no water touches the bottom of the bowl, and melt the chocolate and butter (or oil) together.

  1. While the chocolate is melting, turn the oven on to 180C and lightly grease a square tin – around 30cm x 30cm.

  2. When the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the heat, and stir in the sugar and flour. Crack in the eggs and beat vigorously to stir through, to form a thick, sticky, glossy batter.

  3. Spoon the brownie mixture into the prepared tin. Press half the assorted chocolates into the mixture, and keep half to one side for the end.

  4. Place the tin into the oven and bake for 45 minutes on the centre shelf. Remove and top with the remaining chocolates, pressing them part-way into the top of the brownie, and return to the oven for five minutes. Remove again and allow to cool for 30 minutes before serving – the brownie will continue to cook and firm up in the tin, so this step is essential!

  5. Once cool, it will keep for three days in an airtight container, or three months in the freezer.