RECIPE: Sausages with Winter Vegetable Mash | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 4
How much does it cost? This recipe cost me less than 75p per person.
What are the benefits? This winter vegetable mash serves at least two of your five a day, is high in fibre and high in antioxidants.


I know everyone is into cool hipster gastropubs and cute boutique cafes serving insta-perfect plates, and that’s all well and good – I like taking pretty pictures of food that no-one cares about as much as the next blogger. But, even so, there’s no excuse to look down your nose at a good ol’ plate of bangers and mash!

It’s comfort, it’s warmth, it’s familiarity. It’s food from childhood, from the local pub menu alongside ham, egg and chips and steak and kidney pie, from family dinners where the mash and gravy were as lumpy as each other but no-one really paid attention because Neighbours was on the telly.

Simpler times, right?

Using carrot, squash and sweet potato alongside the humble white potato still makes a smooth, creamy, delicious pile of mash but with more zing, more colour and, most importantly, more veggies! These classic winter vegetables are full of fibre, vitamin C and antioxidants, and most of them can be found either tinned, frozen or pre-prepared to make life just that much easier.

Using either pork or veggie sausages, these ingredients from my local supermarket served four people at just 68p per person.

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INGREDIENTS
2 Carrots, Peeled & Chopped
1 Butternut Squash, Peeled & Chopped
1 Large Baking Potato, Peeled & Chopped
1 Sweet Potato, Peeled & Chopped
8 Pork Sausages (or veggie alternative)
1 Onion, Sliced
250ml Onion Gravy

SEASONING
For me, well-seasoned mash makes all the difference. As usual, be generous with salt and pepper, but also throw in some dried rosemary, dried thyme and a squeeze of mustard with the vegetables to make a completely mouth-watering mash.


So, this is how I did it…

1. Add the chopped winter vegetables to a large saucepan of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes until everything has gone soft enough to mash.

2. Meanwhile, cook the sausages according to packet instructions (mine are usually oven-cooked, but grilling or frying will do the job too if that’s what you prefer).

3. Heat a frying pan with cooking spray or a very light dash of oil and cook the sliced onion on a low heat for around 10 minutes, until softened.

4. Once the vegetables are soft, drain the water from the pan, season really well and mash. I’ll leave this part up to you – I usually make my mash with a tablespoon of spread and a few splashes of milk, but use whatever method you like.

5. Whip up the gravy by stirring the granules with hot water, according to packet instructions.

6. Serve up the rich vegetable mash and top with cooked sausages, onions and gravy.


Tips & Tricks

  • There is absolutely nothing wrong with using frozen or tinned vegetables, and you can do so for any included in this recipe. It cuts down prep time and makes these ingredients more accessible and, sometimes, even cheaper.

 

  • Plenty of other vegetables, such swede, celeriac, cauliflower and beetroot, could easily make a good mash for this recipe, so don’t be afraid to chop and change your favourites!

 

  • Vegetarian sausages are usually a much lower fat option compared to pork sausages, but they aren’t the only option – chicken and turkey sausages might sound a little unusual, but they’re definitely a leaner meat alternative.

 

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RECIPE: Spicy Bean Burgers | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 4
How much does it cost? This recipe cost me less than 50p per person.
What are the benefits? These beans are absolutely bursting with protein and the burgers pack in two of your five a day, and they’re also a great vegan burger alternative.


I love creating recipes that even a total stranger to the kitchen could have a decent crack at.

I remember the days when my limit was Pot Noodles and frozen pizzas 🍕 It was only when I moved away to university that I realised if I didn’t learn how to cook, no-one else would do it for me!

Basic recipes were my saving grace. I eventually learnt all about flavour combos and cooking techniques, but it was only the help of some truly novice recipes that got me started.

It’s important that my #ThisGirlEats recipes are not only low-cost, accessible, healthier alternatives, but also that they stay simple and become realistic options for as many people as possible. There’s nothing more disheartening than spotting a recipe you love, only to find it requires gizmos, gadgets and a whole bunch of ingredients you’ve never even heard of!

These bean burgers cost me 39p per person to make and they are so, so good for you, with two types of beans and some veggies for good measure. You can grab most of the recipes off the shelf of the tinned food aisle, and it’s basically just a case of draining, mashing and grilling to bring them to life. 🍔

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INGREDIENTS
1 Tin of Black Beans
1 Tin of Kidney Beans
1 Tin of Sliced Carrots
1 tbsp (approx. 15g) Tomato Puree
1 tsp (approx. 5ml) Lemon Juice
4 Wholemeal Burger Buns

SEASONING
I think adding a bit of spice to these burgers gives them a much-needed kick – nothing worse than a bland veggie burger, is there? To crank up the flavour, I added a good dose of chilli flakes, some paprika, a little curry powder and a pinch of ground coriander. And, of course, our trusty salt and pepper!


So, this is how I did it…

1. Drain and rinse the black beans, kidney beans and carrots. Make sure they are thoroughly dried, patting down with kitchen roll if needs be, otherwise you’ll end up with mush rather than burgers.

2. Once dried, pour all the contents into a large bowl and mash together with a potato masher. I left mine quite chunky because I like the texture, but just keep mashing until you reach a consistency you’re happy with.

3. Add the tomato puree, lemon juice, spices and seasoning. Combine it all together and shape into burger patties. If the mixture is a bit dry, add more lemon juice. On the other hand, if it’s too wet you could add a few spoonfuls of flour or breadcrumbs to help hold it all together.

4. Grill on a medium-high heat for 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Serve in burger buns and top with anything you fancy.


Tips & Tricks

  • For me, the best part of a burger is the toppings. Guacamole and sour cream make great sauces for this bean burger, as does sweet chilli sauce if you want another hit of heat. Halloumi and fresh, sliced tomato would also be great toppings.
  • My preferred beans to use are kidney beans and black beans, but they definitely aren’t your only option. Any would work just as well – even a basic tin of baked beans with the sauce rinsed off!
  • These make great leftovers. You could shape any leftover mixture into balls, cook in the exact same way and throw in with a salad, or stuff into a pitta pocket for lunch the next day.

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RECIPE: Tomato Pesto Pasta | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This cost me less than 50p per person.
What are the benefits? From this dish you’ll get two of your five a day and plenty of fibre, not to mention it is vegetarian-friendly as long as you double check the pesto!


This recipe is a perfect example of how just a few simple ingredients can be turned into a nutritious, robust, colourful, exciting meal for the whole family (although in my house I’m the only one who eats tomatoes. Never mind – more for me! 😋)

This idea was inspired by a day of spring cleaning (yes, that does happen from time to time!) I spent the morning clearing out our kitchen and came across some leftover bits tiptoeing dangerously close to their expiry dates and thought I’d better rescue them! We had an unopened jar of pesto 🌿 the last squeeze in a tube of tomato purée 🍅 and obviously heaps of pasta because, you know, we love carbs 🍝

What I love about is recipe that it really is what #ThisGirlEats is all about. It’s cheap – around 44p per person (ingredients bought from ASDA) – with really basic, accessible ingredients that give a fresh, flavoursome taste on a budget. And, of course, it’s good for you too – vegetables, wholewheat pasta and a splash of light pesto, that’s really all there is to it!

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INGREDIENTS
140g Wholewheat Pasta
1 Tin of Chopped Tomatoes
1 Onion, Chopped
2 Fresh Tomatoes, Chopped
15g (or 1 heaped tbsp) Light Green Pesto
5g (or 1 tsp) Tomato Purée

SEASONING
As always with pasta, season the saucepan of water with salt to give it some flavour. When the onions are cooking, throw in some dried garlic (or fresh, if you’ve got it) and, to the tomato sauce, add a good helping of dried basil and dried oregano, as well as a pinch of salt and pepper.

So, this is how I did it…

1. Cook pasta in a pan of boiling water according to packet instructions, which usually takes somewhere between 10 – 15 minutes.

2. Fry the onions in a frying pan with cooking spray or a drop of oil for around 5 minutes, until they begin to soften.

3. Add the tin of tomatoes, fresh tomatoes and tomato purée to the frying pan, season and simmer for around 10 minutes. If you’ve got any to hand, you could always add a teaspoon of sugar here to make it a little less acidic, but it’s not a necessity.

4. Stir the pesto into the sauce. Drain the pasta, combine with the tomato sauce and serve, with a sprinkle of cheese on top if you fancy.

Tips & Tricks!

  • Any leftovers from the family dinner can be packed up and reheated for lunch tomorrow. Don’t let it go to waste!
  • There’s always flexibility with pasta dishes, and this one is no different! Bulk it out with even more vegetables, it’s a great way of using up any veggies on their last legs.
  • If you want to treat yourself, sprinkle some grated cheese on top to make the dish extra tasty.

RECIPE: Five Bean Chilli | #ThisGirlEats

Chilli was probably the first meal I learnt to cook from scratch and really “perfected” (there’s always room for improvement, but my chilli is pretty damn good I’ll be honest) and it’s still my favourite home cooked meal. 🌶️

It started with beef mince, then I moved onto using Quorn or mince alternatives to experiment with different versions of my most cherished recipe. I fancied trying something new, so I thought I’d have a go at making a bean chilli which bursts with colour, flavour and texture, as well as being an excellent choice for vegetarian or vegan meals.

You could make this recipe even easier by just buying a couple of tins of mixed beans rather than buying each individually – this will shrink both the cost and ingredient list – but I prefer choosing which beans go into my chilli and having the option to chop and change each time I make it.

Beans are honestly so, so good for you. First off they count as one of your ‘Five A Day’ so, along with the carrot, onion, pepper and chopped tomatoes, you’re well on your way with this recipe! Beans also help with heart health, are a good source of protein and fibre, and keep you fuller for longer. They’re cheap, too, so make a great base for eating on a budget.

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So, this is how I did it…
(Serves 4)

1. Heat up a large pan with a touch of oil (or some light cooking spray) and gently fry the onion and carrot on a low heat for 10 minutes.

2. Pretty much everything else goes in once the carrot and onion have softened. Add all of the beans (make sure you drain the ones in water), chopped tomatoes, chopped pepper, a crumbled stock cube, tomato puree and the seasoning.

3. Simmer for 10 – 15 minutes, giving the flavours a chance to develop.

4. Serve with a jacket potato, rice, flatbreads, whatever you fancy! 🍚

The prices below are the cheapest I could find when doing a comparison and are accurate at the time of publishing!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 Tin of Baked BeansReduced Sugar & Salt Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce – 30p – Sainsbury’s 
Tin of Cannellini BeansCannellini Beans in Water – 42p – ASDA
Tin of Black Eye BeansBlack Eye Beans in Water – 55p – ASDA
Tin of Pinto BeansPinto Beans in Water – 55p – ASDA
200g Tin of Kidney Beans in Chilli SauceChilli Beans in Chilli Sauce – 40p – ASDA
Tin of Chopped TomatoesSmartprice Chopped Tomatoes in Tomato Juice – 29p – ASDA
1 Carrot, ChoppedCarrots, Loose – 6p – Tesco
1 Onion, ChoppedGrower’s Selection Onions by Weight – 15p – ASDA
1 Bell Pepper, ChoppedRed Pepper – 41p – Tesco
Vegetable Stock CubeStock Cubes, Vegetable – 39p – ASDA
1tsp Tomato PureeDouble Concentrated Tomato Puree – 37p – ASDA

SEASONING
When you start frying off the vegetables, throw in some dried garlic flakes along with them. Then, once you’ve added the beans and tomatoes, season with a generous helping of paprika and cumin, a pinch of dried chilli flakes and salt and pepper to taste.

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RECIPE: Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Jambalaya | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This cost me less than £1 per person.
What are the benefits? This recipe provides at least two of your five a day, is full of fibre and a great vegan meal.


Apparently, I’m going through a “rice phase”. Since discovering how cheap it can be, how long it lasts and how versatile it is, I’ve realised it’s the perfect ingredient for creating a bunch of budget meals, so a lot of my recent recipes have been bulked out with brown rice. I think the other people in my house are getting a little sick of it, actually… 🍚

But who cares when you can make brilliant dishes like this with it?! Jambalaya is something I wasn’t all that familiar with if I’m honest, but my limited experiences with it have always been amazing. The flavours, textures, sights and smells of this gloriously exciting meal are a real pleasure, and I enjoyed experimenting with different jambalaya recipes until eventually coming up with my own take on it.

This meal is really great if you’re trying eat more healthily – there’s no dairy, barely any fat, very little sugar… basically, it’s just rice and vegetables! Sweet potatoes and brown rice are excellent ways of getting energy into your system without the sugar rush and inevitable crash of processed carbs. On top of that, you’ve got Vitamin C from the onion and pepper, fibre from the sweetcorn and antioxidants from the chopped tomatoes – who says nothing good can come from a tin?!


INGREDIENTS
2 Medium Sweet Potatoes, Chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, Sliced
1/2 Cup of Frozen or Fresh Sweetcorn
1 Large Onion, Chopped
1 Mug of Vegetable Stock
1 Tin of Chopped Tomatoes
140g Brown Rice

SEASONING
There’s a really lovely, mild spice to this recipe, and it’s very rich in warm flavours but still fresh and not too heavy. This balance comes from using just the right seasoning; dried garlic flakes are added at first with the sweet potatoes, while paprika, cumin, dried chilli flakes, dried basil, pepper and salt (or onion salt, if you’ve got it) go in with the stock, tomatoes, etc..


So, this is how I did it…

1. Heat a large pan or stove-top dish and throw in the sweet potato, onion and garlic and fry on a medium heat for around 10 minutes, but make sure the potato doesn’t stick to the bottom – keep stirring! 🥄

2. Once the onion has softened, add the red pepper, stock, chopped tomatoes, spices and rice. Simmer on a medium heat (and cover if possible!) for 30 minutes. Check on the rice – if it’s still crunchy, it needs more time! If your rice takes a while to cook you may need to add a little more liquid so it doesn’t dry up.

3. For the final 5 minutes of cooking, add the sweetcorn and stir through so all flavours are well-combined.

 

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RECIPE: Pizza Stuffed Bell Peppers | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This recipe cost me less than £1 per person
What are the benefits? This is a great low carb recipe, a creative takeaway alternative, and provides you with one of your five a day.


I’m forever on a quest to find a way to eat pizza and be healthy. The two don’t exactly go hand in hand, but I feel like it’s my kryptonite. Pizza is just one habit I can’t kick and, being completely honest, I’m not entirely sure I want to… 🍕

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My latest attempt at getting that saucy, cheesy satisfaction without all the, y’unno, grease, is to take classic pizza toppings and load them into a fresh vegetable rather than on top of a thick, doughy crust. I won’t lie to you – no, it’s not the same. You can’t swap a deep dish for a red pepper and expect not to know the difference. BUT, it still tastes delicious.

It gave me the same yummy flavour I was after but also oozing nutritional value, unlike pretty much any pizza ever! Not only that, but I managed to get hold of everything I needed for this recipe for just 80p per person.


INGREDIENTS
2 Bell Peppers, Halved and Deseeded
1 Ball of Light Mozzarella Cheese
4 Large Slices of Pepperoni
1/2 Carton of Passata
Sprinkling of Parmesan or “Hard Cheese”

SEASONING
Mix a good dose of garlic flakes, dried basil, dried oregano, salt and pepper into the passata so the pizza sauce has strong flavour. With the peppers, they shouldn’t need much tweaking – just a touch of salt and pepper on the outside.


So, this is how I did it…

1. First off, add a very small dash of cooking spray or a teeny drop of oil to a baking tray, use a tissue to spread it across the tray and place the bell peppers, skin side up. Don’t let it get too oily, otherwise the peppers will go almost soggy, which is great for a succulent roast pepper but not great for holding their structure when stuffed. Season and cook for 20 – 25 minutes on 200°C.

2. Pour the passata into a bowl and stir in a hefty helping of herbs, garlic and seasoning.

3. Remove peppers from the oven and fill with the pizza stuffing – one layer of passata, torn chunks of mozzarella (drained as much as possible before using!) and the pepperoni, chopped or torn into small pieces.

4. Place back into the oven, stuffed side up, for another 20 minutes or so.

5. Switch on the grill and leave the peppers underneath for a couple of minutes, just until the tops crisp up and the parmesan cheese browns. Delish!

stuffed peppers

RECIPE: Crispy Ham & Roasted Parmesan Potato Salad | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This cost me less than £1 per person.
What are the benefits? This recipe is very high in antioxidants, provides at least one of your five a day, and both the cous cous and salad are, surprisingly, excellent sources of fibre.


Growing up, ham salad was one of my most dreaded dinners. When I got home from school, asked mum what was for tea and that was her answer, turning my nose up was almost instinctual. I’d ask if I could make myself something else just so I didn’t have to face a plate of cold ham, plain boiled potatoes and a few lettuce leaves. It did NOT appeal to me!

But as an adult, I now totally appreciate the benefits of this meal!

It’s really cheap – like living on a shoestring kinda cheap – it’s healthy, and you can throw it together in a matter of minutes.

So, I’ve taken this idea and turned it into something perhaps more inspiring, with the ham cooked until it’s warm, salty and crispy, the potatoes roasted with a parmesan crumb and the salad vibrant, full of colours and textures. It’s still a low cost, healthy dish but with a little more pizzazz.

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INGREDIENTS
4 – 8 (depending on size) Slices of Wafer Thin Ham, Sliced
1 Baking Potato, Cubed
Sprinkle of Parmesan Cheese 
1 Bag of Prepared Salad Leaves
8 Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
1/4 Carrot

SEASONING
As I’ve mentioned, it’s really important to me to make sure this recipe is full of flavour. The potatoes, as well as shavings of parmesan, should be coated in a teeny tiny dash of olive oil and a generous helping of salt, black pepper, dried rosemary and garlic flakes. The ham, even though already a salty meat, needs a touch more salt added whilst frying to give it that real bacon flavour, as well as some black pepper and dried thyme.


So, this is how I did it…

1. Chop the potato up into small cube shapes (or as close as you can get!). Place them in a roasting tray, coat with cooking spray and seasoning, sprinkle over some parmesan cheese and pop them into the oven on 200°C for about 30 minutes.

2. Slice the ham into strips or ribbons, place in a hot pan with the tiniest dash of olive oil, with a dash of salt and pepper, and cook on a pretty high heat for 10 minutes or so. The ham will cook incredibly quick but don’t be scared! We want it to get really crispy, almost to resemble bacon.

3. To get the salad together, slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Use a potato peeler to shred super thin slices to add raw carrot to the salad. Toss them in with the salad leaves.

4. Remove the potatoes from the oven and the ham from the frying pan, place on top of the salad mix and enjoy!

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