Recipes – #ThisGirlEats

Store Cupboard Recipes: 4 Things to Make with Leftover Salad

How’s everyone getting on? It’s pretty boring, this lockdown stuff. I’ve resorted to playing Roller Coaster Tycoon, listening to rewatch podcasts (Office Ladies and Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach and Donald if you’re interested) and exercising – FOR FUN. Ew.

But it’s important that we keep plodding along for our own protection and the protection of everyone around us, so well done for doing your bit! While we’re all still pining after our favourite food, I’ve found that coming up with new meal ideas a welcome challenge to distract me from constant daydreams about Nandos and Pizza Express.

I know salad isn’t exactly a “store cupboard” food but, in our house, it’s ALWAYS leftover – I guess that’s what happens when you ignore it and eat pizza instead. Who knew?! And I know we’re not alone, so here are a few ideas for using up that wilting bag of salad leaves before it dies a sad, lonely death in the bottom of the vegetable draw.

1. Lemon ‘n’ lime salad

This is my favourite go-to salad because it’s super easy, really refreshing (perfect for the hot weather we’re having!) and full of flavour. If you don’t have fresh lemon and limes – I literally NEVER do – then bottled lemon and lime juice is something I’d definitely recommend picking up; seriously, so handy. I also find having various nuts and seeds in the cupboard (sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, cashews – whatever you like and whatever is in your budget) is really useful, especially for dishes like this.

Believe me, those limp lettuce leaves will come ALIVE with this recipe! Empty your leftover salad into a large bowl (along with any other salad ingredients – tomato, cucumber, red onion, grated carrot, etc.) and add a few drops of lemon and lime juice (I prefer more lime than lemon, but each to their own) and season with a pinch of garlic powder, salt, pepper and a teeny drizzle of oil. I also like to throw in pine nuts and sesame seeds, and I have a little shaker of ~~fake parmesan~~ “hard cheese” that I like to use for a delicious savoury flavour. I can find everything here in my kitchen 99% of the time, and they can all be swapped for whatever you have at home.

2. Burrito bowl

I’m seriously missing burritos right now, you guys. No Mexican restaurants are open for delivery near us, the supermarkets have v. limited veggie options and whenever I make burritos at home I always overfill them and they split (me? greedy? never!). So, right now, a burrito bowl is the closest thing – and they’re awesome!

Burrito bowls are perfect because you can make them using fairly basic ingredients, swapping most of them out for something else if you prefer. All you need to do is layer a bowl with rice and salad, throw some peppers and onions (with paprika, chilli flakes, salt and pepper) on top with a spoonful of beans – I like black beans or mixed taco beans, but you can spice anything up with garlic and paprika – and finish off with a little cheese, salsa and sour cream. Throw in plenty of spices along the way and you can’t go wrong!

3. Club sandwich

Lunch is something I’ve reeeally struggled with during lockdown – without my Boots meal deal, I’m lost. Trying to make something exciting to look forward to every day (because let’s face it, even from home the best part of the work day is lunchtime) has been hard for me. I’ve fallen back on a pot of Super Noodles more than once these last few weeks, let me tell you!

Club sandwiches are probably the closest to a pub garden lunch we’ll get for a while, and it’s a really good way to use up some of those random fridge ingredients in one big wedge of sandwich-y goodness. Take a few slices of bread, layered up with your choice of main filling – chicken, turkey, or maybe mushrooms or marinated tofu – and then stuff in your salad along with any optional extras like avocado and tomato, perhaps a little mayonnaise or mustard, add in some egg or cheese if you feel like it, and you’ve got a great lunch! Don’t forget that extra slice of bread in the middle to make it a true club sandwich…

4. Mixed bean salad

I’m aware that a mixed bean salad probably sounds like the most boring thing in the world right now and, well, I won’t lie to you – you’re not wrong. It won’t light fireworks, but it’s a healthy, colourful plate, quick to put together and really good way to use up lots of different ingredients. And sometimes, in the middle of a pandemic, that’s all you need.

You can either grab a few different tins of beans yourself, or find a ready-made tin of mixed beans if you can’t be bothered to pick and choose (like me!). All you need to do is heat them up, season with paprika, garlic, chilli flakes, salt and pepper, and toss them together with your leftover salad ingredients and BAM – you’ve done it! Tuck into this for a quick lunch, or perhaps serve up on the side of chicken or with a garlic flatbread to make more of a meal out of it. Perfect for a lazy summer evening!

Store Cupboard Recipes: 5 Things to Make with Chopped Tomatoes

With everyone being locked inside right now, more of us are being forced to cook – even on those lazy days when we really can’t be bothered. Takeaways are limited, restaurants are a no-go and it’s hard to justify queuing 45 minutes at the supermarket for a microwave burrito, so we don’t have a whole lot of options…

Being at the mercy of your own kitchen comes with plenty of downfalls. Not only do you have to muster up the energy to cook every. single. night. (seriously, what the hell is that about?), but we’re also having to deal with the fact that our shopping trips are restricted and you never know what will actually be available on the shelves once you get there. It’s really put “making the most of what you’ve got” to the test, food-wise.

I’m lucky that I enjoy cooking and find the kitchen a creative space; it’s a distraction for me, really. I’ve had fun rummaging through the cupboards, trying to figure out what we can do with the most basic store cupboard ingredients, and I thought it was about time I shared a few ideas with you all – and I’m starting with one of my favourites! If you’re looking for inspiration on what to do with that old tin of chopped tomatoes gathering dust on the back of the shelf, look no further…

1. Quick spaghetti bolognese

It’s the obvious choice, but you literally can’t go wrong with a heap of delicious spaghetti in a sweet tomato sauce topped with a shaving of cheese. The most popular way to make spag bol is with beef mince, but you can use lamb mince, soy mince, or replacement vegetables such as lentils – whatever you’ve got at home!

I make mine with a veggie mince alternative – all it takes is frying off a little onion and garlic, adding the mince (or your weapon of choice) and sliced mushrooms, followed by a cheap tin of chopped tomatoes. Then simply season with a crumbled stock cube, a dash of tomato puree, mixed herbs, a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper and combine with spaghetti until it transforms into that delicious hug in a bowl – i.e. spag bol.

2. Winter stew

You can whip up a super quick stew (yes, there is such a thing) using nothing but the humble chopped tomato as a base. The best thing about this sort of meal is that you can use literally anything – I’ve made this using black beans and sweet potato, chicken and root vegetables, and even a random array of canned and frozen veg that happened to be around.

For the sake of lockdown, I’d suggest going for the latter – grab your unwanted tins of sweetcorn, kidney beans and baby carrots, along with that squashed-down, half-empty packet of Birds Eye Mixed Vegetables in the bottom of the freezer, throw the lot into a pan or slow cooker with chopped tomatoes, 200ml of stock and a little seasoning (whatever you have – I like using garlic, thyme, marjoram, paprika, chilli flakes, salt and pepper in mine) and cook down for 20-30 minutes.

3. Chickpea chilli

Chickpeas are always knocking about in my kitchen and, given how quickly they disappeared from the supermarket shelves at the start of all this, it makes sense that there are a lot of unwanted chickpeas kicking around in other people’s kitchens up and down the country right now.

I’m a big fan of chilli – especially making my own random versions depending on how bothered I can be or what I have to hand. Sometimes, that’s chickpea chilli. Rinse off the chickpeas and cook them in a pan with onions, peppers, kidney beans and, you guessed it, chopped tomatoes, along with a generous dose of paprika, cinnamon, cumin and chilli. I like to pile my chilli on top of steaming hot jacket potatoes with a handful of cheese and sour cream, my boyfriend prefers to carb-load with a mountain of rice – go with your heart.

4. Patatas bravas (sort of)

Okay, so I probably don’t make this quite right. Patatas bravas is a traditional Spanish tapas dish, and I make some sort of version of it using what I have in my kitchen. I also make it into a larger portion because I’m greedy and tapas is too small for my liking – unless someone else is cooking it, obviously.

All you need is potatoes and chopped tomatoes – couldn’t be simpler, right? I like to throw in some chopped onions and serve it up on a bed of greens as well, but that’s totally your call. Simply chop the potatoes into cubes and roast in the oven until crispy – in the meantime, simmer the chopped tomatoes for around 10 to 15 minutes with some garlic, paprika, chilli, salt and pepper. That’s all there is to it, and you’ve got a lightly spiced dish with very little effort.

5. Vegetable soup

I know tins of soup were at the top of everyone’s shopping list as soon as whisperings of lockdown started, because it’s a classic, right? If you’re cold, if you’re sick, if you’re feeling a little down… there isn’t much that a bowl of soup can’t solve. I firmly believe that being able to find comfort in the time it takes to microwave a tin of Heinz tomato soup is a blessing, but if your local store is sold out or you just fancy making your own, chopped tomatoes go a long way.

Fry off some onions and garlic, add a litre of stock and literally any vegetables you want – seriously, anything will do – along with a tin of chopped tomatoes, then season (I’m using cumin, coriander, mixed herbs, salt and pepper, with an optional dash of English mustard and tomato puree) and simmer for 20 minutes or so. Cool, blitz in a blender and then heat as and when you want! You can freeze it, keep it in the fridge, batch cook it, reheat it (safely, of course) – it’s the perfect lockdown recipe.

RECIPE: Bacon, Pepper and Avocado Salad | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This cost me less than £1 per person
What are the benefits? This recipe is low in carbs, low in sugar and mounts up to 2 portions of your 5 a day

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never really been a big salad person. I suppose it really depends on what else you put in with it, because I can’t imagine anyone loving just a few limp lettuce leaves!

So I’ve created one that’s brilliant for me and works with the things I love to eat, as well as still being quite healthy – who knows, it could be perfect for you too!

It’s a great low-carb lunch option, if that’s what you’re after. Not to mention, it also contributes to your five a day, and avocado is full of healthy fats to help keep you full all day long.

INGREDIENTS
4 Slices of Back Bacon, Chopped
1 Avocado, Peeled, Stone Removed and Chopped
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, Sliced
Half a Bag of Pre-Prepared Salad

SEASONING
There wasn’t too much seasoning involved in this one, just some black pepper and garlic added to the frying pan last-minute. You don’t even need salt as the bacon does that for you, but you could add some salad dressing for extra flavour if you wish.

So, this is how I did it…

1. Firstly, spray a frying pan with cooking spray or a small drop of oil and allowed it to heat up before chucking in the chopped bacon and cooking for roughly 10 minutes, until the bacon is all lovely and crispy.

2. Add the peppers to the pan after about 5 minutes of cooking the bacon, just enough so they aren’t raw but still have a crunch, and cook for about 5 minutes.

3. The chunks of avocado go into the pan for the last minute or so of cooking – this is optional, but I prefer my avocado to be warm here, so I cooked it for just enough time to simply warm it through. At this point, also add some black pepper and dried garlic to the pan for flavour.

4. Take the ingredients from the pan and add to a bowl of salad, stir it all through and you’re done!

Tips & Tricks

You know what else would go great with this? Halloumi, of course. It’s great with everything, and could turn this into a veggie-friendly salad.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you don’t have to buy a pre-packaged salad – that’s just laziness on my part! Make your own up and create the absolutely perfect dish for you.

It makes a great lunch, but you could also shrink this down to a small side salad or bulk it up for a full dinner meal. The choice is yours!

RECIPE: 3 Super Smoothies to Start Your Day | #ThisGirlEats

For me, smoothies are the answer to everything. Don’t have time for breakfast? Make a smoothie. Need more fruit in your diet but can’t be bothered to actually sit and eat it? Drink a smoothie. Kinda peckish but don’t want to give in to junk food temptation? Have another bloody smoothie.

I use a Blend Active Pro to make my smoothies – they’re simple, easy to clean, come with their own bottles and you can get them for around £20 online.

These are just three of my own favourite smoothie recipes, all of which take about 30 seconds in the smoothie maker. Couldn’t be simpler!

Berry Burst & Banana
High in antioxidants and potassium, great for your immune system!

INGREDIENTS
90g Frozen Berries
1 Medium Banana
200ml Skimmed Milk (or milk alternative)

Vegan Choco-Nana
Oats are full of fibre and keep you fuller for longer!

INGREDIENTS
1 Medium Banana
200ml Soya Chocolate Milk
15g / 2tbsp Porridge Oats
Handful of Ice Cubes

Pinapple Sugar Rush
This will give you a quick zap of energy, not to mention loads of vitamin C!

INGREDIENTS
115g (or roughly 3tbsp) Pineapple Chunks
Small Pot of Low Fat Fruit Yoghurt
200ml Fresh Fruit Juice
Handful of Ice Cubes

RECIPE: Chunky Vegetable Curry with Crispy Tortilla “Naans” | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 4
How much does it cost? This cost me less than 50p per person
What are the benefits? You get at least 3 of your 5 a day, it’s vegetarian friendly and makes a great takeaway alternative

I’m a thief. I’ve nicked the idea for this from two different recipes; one a cheap student affair and one a low-fat chicken curry.

I’ve shamelessly pinched my favourite bits from both to make this yummy mid-week meal. It’s fairly straightforward, low in cost, full of nutrition and incredibly versatile, as you can use any vegetables in the house for a delicious outcome.

The tortilla “naans” (which are not naan breads at all, but are an alternative side to this curry dish) were an idea born from a combination of having leftover tortillas dangerously close to going off and forgetting to buy actual naan breads in the week. They turned amazing!

It’s a lower carb option than fluffy naans and, being chock-full of veggies, it’s much lower in fat than the usual creamy carnivorous curries we get. Butter chicken and onion bajhis may have my heart, but this is a pretty second choice!

tumblr_mml50yIGSr1qbq5v7o4_250 — *tumblr.com*

INGREDIENTS
1 Medium Potato, Chopped
1 Carrot, Sliced
1 Onion, Chopped
1 Bell Pepper, Sliced
4 Mushrooms, Sliced
1 Tomato, Chopped
1 Apple, Chopped
400g Tin Chopped Tomatoes
400ml Coconut Milk (reduced fat if you can)
2 tbsp Curry Paste
1 tsp Tomato Puree
1 Vegetable Stock Cube

SEASONING
Each part of this recipe kinda lives and dies with the seasoning. For the curry, you want to add some dried garlic, dried coriander leaf, salt, pepper and chilli flakes to the pan. If, like me, you find rice quite bland, add some salt, pepper, thyme and coriander leaf as the rice cooks just to give it a pop. And, finally, before you put the tortillas in the oven, you want to cover them with a sprinkling of garlic flakes, coriander leaf and cracked black pepper.

So, this is how I did it…

1. First thing’s first, heat up the frying pan and add your chunkier vegetables – potatoes, carrots, anything that takes a little longer to soften up. Fry these off for about 5 minutes.

2. Then add the rest of your veggies, along with the chopped tomatoes, coconut milk, curry paste, tomato puree, crumbled stock cube and seasoning. Cook this for about 15-20 minutes, and just keep an eye on the liquid levels – if it starts to dry up, add a splash of water to tide it over.

3. Following the packet instructions, along with some seasoning, and cook the rice, either on the hob or in the microwave.

4. Place the tortillas on a baking tray, brushed with a teeny tiny amount of oil, sprinkled with seasoning and put them in the oven for about 5 minutes, until they crisp up.

Tips & Tricks

An excellent way to bulk this up even further (as if it doesn’t have enough going on already!) is to add lentils or chickpeas. They’re both really filling, are great for you, and are awesome ingredients for a curry.

If you’d like the sauce a little thicker, sprinkle in a small pinch of flour and stir. It’ll help thicken everything up (I’m not a fan of runny sauces).

Got a slow cooker? This recipe is wonderfully tasty and so incredibly easy in a slow cooker, just bung the ingredients into the crockpot and cook up the rice when you’ve got the chance.

RECIPE: The Cheese Lover’s Quesadilla | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 1
How much does it cost? This cost me less than 50p per person
What are the benefits? The wholemeal tortillas are high in fibre, the fillings are low in sugar, and it’s a great takeaway alternative

Mexican food is the best, isn’t it?!

I’m a lover of enchiladas and, damn, in my eyes a world without guacamole isn’t worth living. My cooking hasn’t stretched too far into the cuisine yet (mostly because I can’t resist over-stuffing burritos to the point that they physically won’t wrap and it basically ends up as rice, chicken and salsa slopped on a tortilla plate…)

I did recently try making my own version of quesadillas which, as it turns out, is super easy! You can fill them with whatever you like which makes them hugely versatile and you can spend as much, or as little, as you want.

The whole thing honestly takes about five minutes (ten at a stretch!) which is perfect for when you can’t really be arsed to cook.

I’ve chosen fillings that I always tend to have at home but, of course, you can absolutely swap these for pretty much anything you like, so it’s convenient as well as being tasty, quick and easy. What more could you want?!

INGREDIENTS
2 Wholemeal Tortilla Wraps
25g Grated Cheese (low fat if you can)
2 Mushrooms, Sliced
1/2 Medium Onion, Chopped

SEASONING
This really depends on what you put into the quesadilla. With mine, which was made with cheese, onion and mushroom, a touch of mixed herbs gave a nice extra touch, but feel free to play around with your options.

So, this is how I did it…

1. Heat up a large frying pan and placing one tortilla straight on there, no oil or cooking spray needed.

2. Sprinkle the grated cheese and the rest of your fillings across the entire surface of the tortilla, being careful not to overdo it with a mountain of toppings. If you’re a feeder like me then just watch out for that!

3. Once the cheese begins to melt, it’s probably about time to whack the second tortilla on top.

4. Then it’s just a simple (ha ha HA!) case of flipping the tortilla over with a spatula so it cooks on both sides. Yes, some of the filling will probably fall out. Yes, there’s a good chance it will get a little messy. But hey, practise makes perfect and it’s a great excuse to just keep making yummy quesadillas!

5. Give them a couple of minutes on each side, making sure the bottom of each tortilla doesn’t burn, and then slide it out of the pan with a spatula, slice into quarters and dig in!

Tips & Tricks

You don’t even really need two tortillas for this – use one, sprinkle the toppings over only half, and then fold it over. Ta-da! 👏

Obviously, a quesadilla would be bloomin’ marvellous dipped into some traditional dips to go alongside it. If you can make up some salsa, guacamole or sour cream (or buy some from the shops, who’d know the difference?) I promise you won’t regret it! 🥑

I know I’ve already said this, but this recipe truly is so versatile – so use your imagination! But make sure whatever you put into the quesadilla cooks thoroughly. Safety first, kids. ⚠

RECIPE: Baked Potato with Meat-Free Chilli | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 4
How much does it cost? This cost me less than £1.50 per person
What are the benefits? You’ll get at least 2 of your 5 a day, it’s vegetarian friendly and it’s high in fibre

Chilli is probably my favourite home cooked meal (okay, I know I’ve said before that pizza is my fave but I’m going to class that as more of a snack or, you know, addiction). I could eat chilli by the gallon.

I’m not vegetarian, but I find eating veggie meals regularly is a great way to cut down on fat, get your five a day and be a little kinder to the environment, not to mention saving a few quid.

So I knocked up this vegetarian chilli and it’s now a staple part of my cooking regime, I honestly love it. It’s got all the same flavours of my old beef chilli recipes and just as much punch, and piled on top of a delicious baked potato makes for a mouth-watering meal.

INGREDIENTS
250g Meat Free Mince
1 Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Medium Carrot, Chopped
1 Medium Bell Pepper, Chopped
400g Tin Chopped Tomatoes
1 tsp Tomato Puree
1 Stock Cube (vegetable stock cubes will keep this a strictly veggie affair, but if you’re desperate for a meaty flavour then use a beef one instead)
400g Tin Kidney Beans
4 Baking Potatoes

SEASONING
Seasoning is essential to this dish, so make sure your store cupboard is stocked up! Dried garlic flakes (or fresh if you’ve got it) go into the pan to cook with the onion and carrot, and while paprika, cumin, cinnamon and chilli flakes are a great flavour combo for chilli. And, of course, salt and pepper for good measure!

So, this is how I did it…

1. The baked potato takes a while in the oven, so give that somewhere between an hour and an hour and a half (or microwave for 7-8 minutes)

2. Into a hot frying pan, add the onion, carrot and garlic and fry for a couple of minutes.

3. Then add, well, pretty much everything else! The tin of chopped tomatoes, veggie mince, pepper, tomato puree and all the spices – paprika, cumin, cinnamon, chilli flakes, salt and pepper. This is a vegetarian recipe, of course, but if you really feel like you need some kind of meat in there, you can add a crumbled beef stock cube into the pan at this point too. But, I promise, it really doesn’t need it! A vegetable stock cube will do the job.

4. Simmer for 15 – 20 minutes with the kidney beans going in for the last couple of minutes.

5. Pop the potato out of the oven or microwave, open it up and pile on the chilli!

Tips & Tricks

When you think of chilli, it’s all about big, bold spices – that’s no different when it comes to this veggie version! Make sure you’re generous with your seasoning because you really want that flavour to shine.

Try swapping out the potato for a scrumptious baked sweet potato instead. Y-U-M!

Always go overboard on how much you cook here, because these leftovers make an excellent lunch the next day!

Dirty Burgers on a Healthy Diet (& a Healthy Budget!) | #ThisGirlEats

I love a burger. Who doesn’t?! Tucking into a greasy one from the local chippy after one too many drinks, spilling ketchup down myself and eradicating any ounce of class I left the house with several hours earlier. It’s a beautiful thing.

Last week we needed to use up some mince at home and also found some mega-cheap rolls in the shining light of a late-night supermarket shop, the reduced aisle. They’re super easy too so I thought, bugger it, why not?

But then I hit a bump in the road – I couldn’t really imagine having a big, juicy beef burger without an equally gorgeous side – golden chips, spicy wedges, crispy fries, etc. And that would take our dinner from being only “slightly cheeky” to “one big fat whopper of a meal” and I really wanted to avoid that.

Then BAM. It hit me! A salad – so simple, so obvious – but with the scrummy addition of some chunky roasted vegetables. Big on veg, big on flavour! Hurrah.

And then I thought, well, in for a penny in for a pound – why not load up the burger as well?! Topped with tomato, cheese, avocado, onion and mushroom, I created some serious towers on a plate and, in the end, it looked like one of the dirtiest burgers imaginable. But it was all a lie! A lie loaded mostly with vegetables and surrounded by salad. Brilliant!

Home made beef burgers with roasted vegetable salad

I mean, honestly. How good does that look?! It’s making me hungry…

You can check out my recipe for homemade beef burgers here.

#ThisGirlEats

#ThisGirlEats
Everyday food from an everyday girl.

I’m someone who loves food and loves to cook, but hates how difficult it can be to balance healthier choices with affordable, delicious food that I enjoy.

I’ve followed so many celebrities and health gurus over the years who talk about creating “normal meals” on a “normal budget” but, for me, they always inevitably end in disappointment when I realise this is food that I would never be able to fit into my normal working life with my tight budget.

I want to be more conscious of what I’m putting into my body – but I don’t want a life of kale smoothies, spelt flour and soya milk. I don’t want to cut out carbs, sugar or, God forbid, cheese. I don’t want to ban myself from ever eating a slice of pizza or a bar of chocolate again. I don’t want to change my entire lifestyle just for the sake of cutting a few calories!

I’m also a graduate with mounds of student debt and a retail job behind me, so it’s not like I have money to waste. Food that might be “affordable” to a celebrity chef certainly isn’t affordable for thousands of hard-working, bill-paying, money-saving people like myself. I want to be healthier, but I want to use the food in my cupboard and my usual weekly budget to do it.

#ThisGirlEats is about finding a healthier lifestyle in a truly realistic way, in a way that doesn’t break the bank and doesn’t change my whole life. So follow me as I work out some new recipes, discover helpful tips and try my best to make little differences that still fit into a normal lifestyle – but still stuff my face on the way!