Supermarket Essentials for a Basic Budget Shopping List | #ThisGirlEats

I’ve always shopped on a budget and learnt to create tasty, nutritious meals out of pretty basic ingredients. For many, working out how to feed yourself and your family well when money is tight can be a real nightmare.

I’m going to share which ingredients I’ve always made a beeline for in three of the most essential spots in the supermarket to keep my costs down. Hopefully this will help you in creating a shopping list full of basic, adaptable ingredients for the least amount of money possible!


Tins, glorious tins

Honestly, if your cupboard is fully stocked with tins you can’t go wrong. There’s definitely some kitchen snobbery around tinned food but the fact it’s cheaper, more widely accessible and very convenient for quick, basic cooking.

Just because your food comes out of a tin doesn’t mean you have to miss out on basic nutrition; tins can be a great way to get healthier food into your life without spending lots of money on fresh produce that goes out of date every week. And don’t forget, some of the nation’s favourite foods – soups, baked beans, and even fish – are commonly found in tins! 

Chopped tomatoes. The most cost-effective and essential basis of so, so many meals.
Beans. Black beans, kidney beans, baked beans – they all count as one of your five-a-day!
Soup. With a chunk of delicious crusty bread, soup is the perfect winter warmer.
Potatoes. Tinned potatoes are pre-peeled (YAY!) and only take five minutes to cook – stir through some butter and mixed herbs, you’d never know the difference.
Mixed vegetables. The most convenient way to get your five-a-day.
Peaches. Tinned fruit usually sits in syrup which whacks up the sugar, but hey, it’s still fruit! Drain them off and enjoy some sliced peaches for a fraction of the cost.
Lentils. Tinned lentils can be used just like beans to bulk up meals as they’re super filling and nutritious. 

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Jack Monroe’s ‘Tin Can Cook’ is a great read for inspiring, delicious recipes made from tinned food

Eat your vegetables

You might want more variety than the tinned aisle can offer, or simply prefer fresh fruit and veggies – and that’s fine! But the problem for many of us is that these ingredients can be more expensive. 

However, if you know where to look you’ll find plenty of low-cost options. I’ve picked up some right bargains before, and most fruit and vegetables that regularly make my shopping list are cheap, versatile crowd-pleasers.

With fruit, you can usually find decent-sized bags of apples, pears, bananas, peaches, nectarines and oranges for under £1 but, if you’re trying to save money, you’ll probably want to avoid melons and berries as these are often the most expensive fruits on the shelves.

With vegetables, you can stock up on carrots, onions, lettuce, cucumbers, courgettes, tomatoes, mushrooms, cabbage and parsnips without breaking the bank; however, you might want to think twice about avocados (I know they’re technically a fruit but whatever), celeriac, sweet potatoes and sugar snap peas because of their price tag.

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For the carnivores

I don’t eat meat myself anymore – one of the reasons being it’s too expensive! – but it was part of my regular shopping list for years, so I know what it’s like to hunt down the cheapest cuts in the supermarket.

Buying meat does tend to hike up the price of your shop but, for some, it’s part of their diet that does need to be catered for. Unfortunately, most cheaper options are the least healthy, being higher in fat or more “processed”; however, if you look after yourself you can still work these ingredients into a healthy diet.

I always had three main meats that got me through the week and still stayed within my budget.

1. Sausages. A staple of working class diets for donkey’s years, and with good reason. Sausages are reliable family favourites and you can pick up sizable portions for very little – especially if you venture down the frozen aisle.
2. Mince. Is there a more wonderfully versatile thing than a pack of mince? It’s much cheaper than other cuts of beef and can go into endless meals – a winning combo!
3. Chicken thighs. Chicken is one of the UK’s most popular meats, but it can be pricey. Chicken thighs give the best bang for your buck, and are more flavoursome than other cuts too.

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Sausage Party / giphy

 

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RECIPE: Beans, Greens & Eggs | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This recipe cost me less than £1 per person.
What are the benefits? This beans, greens and eggs recipe makes a really great vegetarian meal (and you could substitute the eggs with scrambled tofu for a vegan alternative), is at least three of your five a day, and is a great source of plant-based protein.


It’s June, a time of year when we’re supposed to be seeing sunny days and warm evenings – not that you’d know it with the rain we’ve been having!

Anyway, when the summer months start to roll around, many of us feel like a light, fresh meal hits the spot more than those heavy, hearty dishes we love in the winter. I’m the same, I definitely prefer to keep things on the lighter side when it’s hot outside – but that doesn’t mean I just want to live off of salad and cous cous for the next three months!

I still want proper cooked meals (ya gal gets hungry!) but something nutritious rather than stodge, and something that tastes fresh – even if most of it comes from tins like this one!

This recipe – a bed of lightly spiced tomato beans mixed with spinach and topped with fried eggs – is surprisingly filling but, because of the flavours involved and the fact that most of this dish is made up of vegetables and beans, it’s not too heavy.

I’ve used chopped tomatoes, cannellini beans and spinach all from tins because it was the cheapest option for me. You can use fresh ingredients if you’d prefer, but I promise you won’t feel short-changed if you use the tinned versions – it still tastes great.

Tomatoes, cannellini beans and spinach topped with fried eggs
Tomatoes, cannellini beans and spinach topped with fried eggs

INGREDIENTS
1 Large Onion, Chopped
400g Chopped Tomatoes
400g Cannellini Beans, Drained
Tin of Spinach Leaves (approx. 400g), Drained
1 tsp Tomato Purée
4 Eggs

SEASONING
Without a good dose of seasoning this recipe could easily be quite bland; to make sure that doesn’t happen, add a whack of garlic in with the onions (dried or fresh, either is fine), a little paprika and chilli (I use dried chilli flakes), a generous helping of mixed herbs, a touch of salt and loads of pepper.


HOW TO MAKE BEANS, GREENS & EGGS

1. In a large pan with a drop of oil or cooking spray, fry the onions and garlic for a few minutes until they begin to soften.

2. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and cannellini beans, add the tomato puree, and season with mixed herbs, a pinch of paprika, a few dried chilli flakes, plenty of black pepper and salt. Simmer on a gentle heat for 20 minutes, adding in a splash of water if necessary.

3. Heat up a small amount of oil or cooking spray in a frying pan, crack in the eggs, reduce the heat and fry until cooked – should take around 5 – 7 minutes.

4. For the final 5 minutes of cooking, add the spinach in with the tomatoes and beans and stir through.

5. Serve up the tomato, beans and spinach and top with the fried eggs straight from the pan.


Tomatoes, cannellini beans and spinach topped with fried eggs
Tomatoes, cannellini beans and spinach topped with fried eggs

The Moment I Decided to Become a Vegetarian | #ThisGirlEats

I’ve been vegetarian for three months now and haven’t fallen off the wagon once, which I absolutely thought I would! One question people ALWAYS ask upon finding out I’ve gone veggie is: why? So, if you happen to be one of those people, I can pinpoint the exact moment I decided to become a vegetarian.

I’d not really eaten meat for a month or so because, at the start of the year, I set myself a few little foodie challenges – just to test myself, really. One of those challenges was to go meat-free for January, which wasn’t pretty easy, especially as my boyfriend doesn’t eat meat so it wasn’t a massive part of our diet anyway.

Pizza Express margherita pizza

But I never went into that challenge with the intention of giving up meat for good. I’d already reduced my animal consumption in a huge way so didn’t feel the need to push myself any further and was already proud of what I’d done. The first thing I did after completing my meat-free month? I went straight to McDonald’s and bought a chicken and bacon wrap. I didn’t even hesitate.

Well, I say that, but I suppose that’s not completely true. I’d definitely started having feelings of guilt around eating meat since Andy became veggie, thinking about the animals, the environment, all that stuff we know is a affected by animal produce. And feeling guilty around food really isn’t good for me. I’d been working super hard to remove the idea of guilt from my food (and still am!) so having to deal with the repercussions of meat leading to a pang of guilt every time was something I’d already started to struggle with.

Anyway, so I went to Maccy’s for this chicken wrap that I was really craving, took it back to my desk, started to munch away on the familiar delicious taste.. But then I bit into one piece of chicken that had obviously slipped through the cracks in quality control because it was truly DISGUSTING. It was tough, chewy, just absolutely revolting.

I spat it straight out and then thought to myself: why am I doing this?

Like, seriously. Why?

This food was completely gross and all I could think was that this animal definitely didn’t need to die for this crap! It was totally unnecessary for this living, breathing creature to have its life cut short just to make a sub-par, cheap, inedible wrap that literally no-one needs to be eating. It’s cruel, it harms the environment, it’s bad for your health and the end product didn’t even taste good!

I just thought to myself, you know what? I can live without this. So I did.

From the moment I threw that dodgy McDonald’s in the bin, I haven’t eaten meat at all. I’m not going into the pros and cons, I’m not going to preach or badger, I’m not going to do any of that. But if you wondered how I ended up a vegetarian, that’s your answer.

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Healing My Unhealthy Relationship with Food | #ThisGirlEats

Me and food, we’ve got a love-hate relationship. Sometimes it’s my best friend, sometimes it’s my enemy. The problem is, no matter how unhealthy my relationship with food might be, I need it to, y’unno, stay alive. That’s the bottom line, right?

I’ve got an ongoing battle between my love of food and the issues it causes me when it comes to weight, body image and self-consciousness. It’s something I’ve never known how to overcome and, truthfully, never thought I could.

But lately something has changed. I don’t know if it’s the conscious effort I’ve been spending on positive self-image, the incredible body positive women I follow online, or just the fact that I’ve coloured my hair recently and it looks great (not even gonna lie). We all know that when a gal changes her hair some serious shit is going down!

Pink and purple hair

Point is, even though I’m probably at my biggest right now, have stretch marks all over my body and took an incredibly lax approach to shaving my legs this winter, I have been feeling so much more positive about myself, my body and my relationship with food. My mind is like a sat nav, healing my deep-rooted problems with food and rerouting itself down a much better path.

I think this revelation started when I read Ruby Tandoh’s ‘Eat Up’ last summer. It made me start to listen to my body and really enjoy food instead of always fighting against it – you can read more about my thoughts on the book here.

Since then, I’ve definitely realised how negative it is to think some foods are “bad” and that I should feel “guilty” for eating, and that really made a difference.

For example, when me and my boyfriend go out to eat now it’s not about feeling bad for the three-course meal we’ve devoured and how we have to pop open the top button on our jeans on the car ride home. It’s about the quality time we spent together; the laughs we had trying to order items from the menu we couldn’t pronounce, the ideas we came up with for the future while dipping dough balls into garlic butter, the holiday we planned over a margherita pizza, the content quiet between us as we savoured delectable, sweet spoonfuls of chocolate ice cream.

Pizza Express margherita pizza
Pizza Express margherita pizza

It’s about getting out of the house and enjoying what life has to offer. It’s about loving food and company and conversation. It’s about caring for ourselves and nourishing our bodies, minds and souls. It’s about looking after relationships with each other, with ourselves, with food.

I currently have the healthiest view of food and myself that I’ve had in a long, long time. I don’t really know how it happened, or why it’s happening right now. But it is, and I’m happy.

8 Reasons to Love Winter This Year! | #ThisGirlEats

It’s colder, it’s gloomier, the days are shorter and the weather is harsher. I’m afraid the days of summer are behind us for another year and winter is truly starting to settle in for us Brits. It’s pretty easy to get down about that.

You might not feel like it right now but, trust me, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about winter coming around again! From comfort food to comfy clothes, cinema dates to TV binges, winter definitely has its own unique upsides.

If you’re feeling a little glum about the approaching months, I’ve got a few reasons to look forward to winter this year!

1. At this time of year, TV is like a cuddly comfort blanket. There are some staples of British wintertime telly that just remind us of the season, year in, year out, and it’s like greeting an old, familiar friend every time they come around. Family favourites like Strictly Come Dancing, The X Factor and all the soaps building up to their Christmas storylines might not be BAFTA-worthy watching but they make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside each year and I love watching them!

2. Grab some popcorn and your 2 for 1 cinema tickets, because there are some fantastic movies coming out in the next few months! There’s something for everyone – the latest Marvel character is being introduced with ‘Venom’; the life of Freddie Mercury is explored in Queen biopic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’; Lady Gaga takes a turn in her first starring movie role with Bradley Cooper’s ‘A Star is Born’; we’re on the next train to the wonderful wizarding world with ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’; another addition to our Disney collection is on its way with ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’; and we’re going back to our childhood with the sequel to one of my all-time favourites, ‘Mary Poppins Returns’. I’m excited, are you?!

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3. Now that festival season is over, loads of bands and artists are going out on their own headline tours in the winter, and this year sees some cracking tours making their way up and down the country. Personally, I’ve got some awesome gigs coming up which I’m super excited about – Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish, Dashboard Confessional, You Me At Six and Enter Shikari are just a few! Are any of you heading out to any tours this winter? I’m open to recommendations!

4. Possibly my favourite thing about the cold weather is digging out my winter wardrobe! Summer clothes are beautiful but for me – someone who’d wear black in a heatwave and prefers to hide her wobbly bits than parade them on the beach for all to see – winter clothes are my preferred choice. Cosy knitted jumpers and killer boots accessorised with stylish scarves and funky jackets… I just can’t wait! Many high street stores are already advertising their latest range for the new season.

winter coat
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5. Christmas markets are on the way and, as far as I can tell, that can only be a good thing! My favourite Christmas festival is London’s Winter Wonderland, which has been announced as returning for yet another year to the gorgeous Hyde Park. It’s an amazing free festival and I’d recommend it to anyone in the area, but there are plenty of local Christmas markets up and down the country that will be opening up in the next couple of months and they’re always worth checking out for gift ideas and yummy festive food and drink.

6. Let’s face it, from Sunday roasts to midweek stews, comfort food reaches its peak in winter. There’s nothing better than a plate of hearty to food to warm you up on a cold day – check out these recipes for slow cooked pulled pork, veggie chilli with baked potato and carrot and coriander soup for some great winter recipe ideas.

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7. It’s the festive season, and that means it’s also the party season. An excuse to dress up and drink up, whether it be the office Christmas party or getting together for New Year’s Eve, is definitely on its way. Winter invites parties and if you love socialising, dancing, getting dolled up and painting the town red, this is your time to shine…

8. … and if parties aren’t your cup of tea, that’s fine too because winter is absolutely perfect for staying in! Cosy nights indoors, with the heating whacked up and the glow of the telly lighting up the dark nights, nursing a mug of hot chocolate and filling your belly with warm food to protect you from the wind and rain outside… Honestly, is there anything better?!

RECIPE: Mixed Vegetable Fajitas | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 6 (makes six wraps)
How much does it cost? This recipe cost less than 50p per person.
What are the benefits? These delicious fajitas are responsible for at least one of your five a day (depending on how many wraps you eat!), are suitable for vegetarians – and vegans if you choose your toppings carefully – and is super low in fat.


I love making fajitas because they’re just so adjustable. You can chop and change them depending on what you fancy or what’s leftover in the fridge, and that kind of laziness flexibility is right up my street.

I’ve opted for vegetarian fajitas here because not only is sweet potato deeee-licious, but it’s also a chunky filling that leaves you feeling pretty stuffed with basically zero fat or carbs. I also like to try something new and while I’ve eaten chicken fajitas A THOUSAND TIMES, I’d never tried sweet potato fajitas – turns out, they’re pretty good.

But the best thing about these is, really, that you can make them however you like. If you want to make them with meat, go for it. If you don’t, that’s cool too! If you want to stick with vegetables and wholemeal wraps then it’s a tasty, satisfying meal, but if you feel like treating yourself to a little sprinkle of cheese on top, maybe a spoonful of sour cream or a splodge of guacamole, that’s totally up to you. The question is, do you have the willpower to resist the guac? I know I don’t…

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At their bare basics, these fajitas are super good for you. Sweet potatoes are high in fibre and anti-oxidants and brown rice is good for your heart, digestion and cholesterol, so you’re already onto a winner – and that’s before you realise it’s cooked in nothing more than water and spices, and the entire recipe is made up of wholegrains and vegetables. All bloody good stuff!


INGREDIENTS
1 Sweet Potato, Chopped
2 Bell Peppers, Sliced
2 Onions, Sliced
1/2 Cup of Sweetcorn
6 Tomatoes, Chopped
6 Wholemeal Tortilla Wraps
Vegetable Stock Cube
125g Brown Rice

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS
Grated cheese 🧀
Salsa 🌶
Guacamole or smashed avocado 🥑
Sour cream 🌯
Shredded lettuce 🥗

SEASONING
You don’t need one of those cardboard box kits to make fajitas at home, if you have the right spices in your cupboard it’s just as easy. Just throw in some dried garlic, paprika, cumin, chilli flakes, salt and pepper and you’ve got a robust, spicy, flavoursome fajita mix.


So, this is how I did it…

1. Cook the sweet potatoes, chopped onion and garlic in a large frying pan for 5 – 10 minutes to soften. Add a splash of water if they start to stick (sweet potatoes always stick to the bottom of my pan ☹).

2. Throw in the peppers and fry for another minute or so before adding a small cup of water 💦 and season with paprika, cumin, chilli flakes, salt and pepper.

3. Crumble a stock cube into the water, add the tomatoes and sweetcorn and cook on a low heat for around 10 minutes, until the water dries up. If the veggies aren’t soft or cooked, add another drop of water and cook for a little longer.

4. Microwave the rice (only takes a couple of minutes) and warm the tortillas. Get together any extras – cheese, lettuce, salsa etc. -, serve the vegetables in a dish, wrap ’em up and e-n-j-o-y!

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RECIPE: Chicken Salad Wraps With Smashed Avocado | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This recipe cost me less than £1 per person.
What are the benefits? These wraps provide at least one of your five a day, as well as being high in fibre and vitamins from the avocado.


Guacamole is a b-e-a-utiful thing, but it can be tricky to create an absolutely perfect version of the quintessential Mexican dip. However, no fear; there is a shortcut – smashed avocado. It’s creamier than just chunks of avocado but not as much effort as full-on guac, which is the perfect middle ground for me. 🥑

This wrap is a great packed lunch idea because it’s so quick and easy to put together with only a few ingredients. If you wanted to make it more adventurous you could always adapt; add some sauce, onions and peppers, perhaps some bacon… I’ve kept things simple here, but that doesn’t mean you have to!

If you’re after feel-good food, look no further. Avocado is bursting with “good” fats and, along with the salad, this little wrap packs in a hell of a lot of healthy greens! Chicken provides the lean protein, and will leave you feeling full without being bloated on fatty, greasy meat.  Perfect!

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INGREDIENTS
1 Chicken Breast
1/2 Bag of Prepared Mixed Salad
1/2 Avocado 
4 Cherry Tomatoes, Quartered
2 Tortilla Wraps

SEASONING
For the chicken, simply season with a touch of dried garlic, salt, pepper and a little olive oil. If possible, the smashed avocado could do with a dash of lime juice, coriander and chilli flakes to give it more of a “guacamole” taste, but if you can’t get your hands on them it’s not the end of the world – a sprinkle of salt and pepper will do.


So, this is how I did it…

1. Season the chicken and pop in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes (depending on size) on 200°C.

2. Remove the avocado half from its skin and, along with the chopped cherry tomatoes in a bowl, smush together with a fork until you’ve created a chunky paste.

3. Grab some tortilla wraps and lay out the mixed salad. Remove the chicken from the oven, slice, and arrange on top of the salad leaves. Spread a dollop of smashed avocado alongside.

4. Wrap and enjoy there and then, or pack for lunch the next day! 🌯

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RECIPE: Citrus Chicken With Herby New Potatoes | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This recipe cost me less than £1.25 per person.
What are the benefits? This dish is a great source of nice, lean protein but is low in both fat and sugar.


This recipe was originally planned as a light, fresh meal perfect for summer. Unfortunately, the weather seems to have changed and it’s getting a bit dreary outside so it looks as though I’m a little late… Still, it’s cheap, easy and good for you, so it’s well worth a go. ☀️

Essentially, at the bare bones, it’s just chicken and potatoes. Good, basic food, you can’t get much simpler than that. But plain ‘n’ simple isn’t exactly my thing, I’m afraid – I like to take the very concept of plain ‘n’ simple and jazz it up a little. With just a squeeze of citrus and a spoonful of butter and herbs, these ingredients become an exciting, flavoursome dish at a lower price.

how its done
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INGREDIENTS
2 Chicken Breasts
1 Lemon
1 Lime
1 Tin of New Potatoes
1 Tbsp of Butter, Margarine or Dairy-Free Alternative
1 Tbsp Dried Parsley

SEASONING
The flavours really shine in this recipe, and the seasoning definitely helps with that. Add a pinch of salt, pepper and dried garlic to the lemon and lime juice, and spruce up the chicken with one last dash of salt and pepper before it goes into the oven too. With the potatoes, salt the water that they boil in and, of course, coat with dried parsley. If you haven’t got parsley, there are plenty of other herbs you can use that’ll be just as good.


So, this is how I did it…
(Serves 2)

1. Squeeze the lime juice and lemon juice into a bowl, season with dried garlic, salt and pepper, and place the chicken into the bowls. Make sure they’re coated entirely in the juices. 🍋

2. Place the chicken on a baking tray (with a tiny drop of oil or cooking spray so it doesn’t stick), sprinkle with a dash more salt and pepper, and bake for 20 – 30 minutes on 200°C.

3. Rinse the tinned potatoes under some cold water, cook in a pan of boiling water according to packet instructions (mine took 5 minutes) and drain once cooked.

4. Stir the butter and parsley into the pan with potatoes until coated.

5. Serve! (I threw together a nice mixed salad to go with mine 😋)

 

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Since When Did Festival Food Become So Fancy?! | #ThisGirlEats

Festival food used to be questionable, at best. Smelly, grubby food trucks selling your bog standard burgers, chips and, if you’re lucky, a bacon roll in the mornings – more often than not, food poisoning was just a chance you’d have to take if you wanted to eat. Salmonella and chips, as Del Boy would say.

It was all about convenience; if it soaked up the beer, it did the job. But now, that’s all changed. Festival food is all part of the experience – everything has got to look the part, picture perfect and ready for online exposure. You can’t upload greasy food in a floppy polystyrene carton to the ‘gram. It’s this social media demand, I think, that has led to the new crazy-good quality of festival food.

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King of the Yorky: all the best bits of your Sunday roast served in a giant Yorkshire pudding bowl. 

For a start, the sheer variety has come on leaps and bounds. Gone are the days of chips, chips and more chips – at a decent sized festival, you can chow down on just about anything. From ostrich burgers to vegan buddha bowls, oven-baked mac ‘n’ cheese to Mexican burritos, we really are spoilt for choice.

Even your most basic options have upped their game and evolved from their classic foodie forefathers. A quarter pounder becomes a double beefburger dipped in gooey cheese sauce and topped with onion rings. Hot dogs become gourmet German sausages smothered with anything from fried onions to chilli con carne. A plain ol’ portion of chips becomes a plate of crispy sweet potato fries. We’re not in Kansas anymore, folks.

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Shaken Udder Milkshakes: choose your favourite chocolate bar or biscuit and turn it into a delicious milkshake

The downside of this is, of course, the price. The more pretentious – sorry, I mean delicious -, the more expensive. We all know these things are overpriced, we know we’ll pay a fiver for a warm pint and have sadly made our peace with that. But when it starts creeping up to near a tenner every meal, that’s a serious chunk of your hard-earned cash. We’ll be at Reading Festival in a couple of weeks for four days, so we’re spending at least £40 a day on food (!!!) with just one meal a day, and I’m not a ‘one meal a day’ kinda gal. So it better be bloody good!

Price tag aside, I think it’s awesome that festivals have integrated food to become such an integral part of the event. We want a whole experience from a festival, especially when we’re forking out so much for weekend tickets. It’s not just about watching a few bands anymore, it’s about everything in between – and these days, you can’t have a bangin’ festival without some bangin’ food.

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All About the Sausage: over ten flavours of foot long sausages and endless topping combos.

 

Dinner With… Cooking On A Bootstrap | #ThisGirlEats

Welcome to the first in a short series of #ThisGirlEats blog posts which recreate recipes from some of my favourite online chefs, cooking websites and foodie videos.

I’m always scrolling social media for new recipe inspo (there’s a LOT out there!), some in particular I really love reading (and drooling over). But because I’m always so wrapped up in my own ideas, I don’t often get a chance to actually cook the amazing recipes I find after hours of glorious internet browsing. There are a few that always stick out as producing amazing-looking food time after time, so I’ve decided to try a few recipes from each one and see how things turn out!

Kicking things off is Jack Monroe, bestselling author, creator of the fabulous website Cooking On A Bootstrap and all-round brilliant human being. I’ve been an admirer of Jack’s work for a while now and feel like Cooking On A Bootstrap – a website chocka with affordable family recipes – is a shining light when it comes to low-cost food. I’ve always wondered just how cheap these recipes really are, because they just look too good to be true! So I picked these three to try…

Mushroom Mac ‘n’ Cheese

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I love mushrooms (which drives my boyfriend mad but who cares, more for me!) so this was a no-brainier. There’s nothing too complicated here, and it’s a great one for chucking in the oven and forgetting about for 45 minutes. It’s made with very simple, basic ingredients but feels indulgent when you tuck in, with gooey, creamy cheese and heaps of pasta. If you’re being health conscious, it’s easy to switch things up – wholewheat pasta, milk alternative, low fat cheese, etc. I took Jack’s recommendation of adding garlic and it was totally, utterly delicious. Plus, it fed me for one dinner and two lunches, so it’s definitely cost-effective. Recipe here.

Chickpea and Peach Curry

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This is an AMAZING find for anyone with a sweet tooth! Some people hate sweet ‘n’ savoury combos (Hawaiian pizza is the height of food controversy, right up there with how to pronounce ‘scone’ and whether chips deserve curry sauce or gravy), but I’m quite partial it myself. This curry is so simple, most ingredients are straight out of a tin with minimal effort required. The whole thing is basically comprised of fruit and vegetables, and it doesn’t need to be spicy at all so makes a great curry for the kids. This one will definitely be making a more regular appearance in my house! Recipe here.

Pork and Prune Burgers

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Confession time: I didn’t follow the recipe exactly here. I don’t like prunes, but I swapped them out for chopped apricots instead and it was all good, still super tasty. Again, these were incredibly easy to make – mix together, smush into burgers and cook. Bosh! Done! They’re a seriously scrumptious healthier choice, you don’t miss the beef whatsoever. These burgers are both genuinely affordable and thoroughly enjoyable. We honestly scoffed them down, they barely touched the sides! Recipe here.

 

* None of the people featured in this little series are affiliated with #ThisGirlEats whatsoever and were not involved in the ‘Dinner With…’ blog posts. It’s just a bit of fun and a chance to try some new recipes!