Money Saving Meals

Money saving winter warmers

Head for the comfort zone with these money saving soups and stews that will warm you up on the inside. We have provided links for the ones that are on the website; the others are in our book, Money Saving Meals.

Soups

Golden Pea and Ham Soup provides the TLC of serious comfort food. Our money saving tip: make it with bacon bones instead of a smoked ham hock. There's still plenty of flavour, just a little less meat. Here on the website, the Mushroom Minestrone with Barley will have them lining up for seconds.

Stews

Red Beef and Pumpkin Curry delivers a fast and frugal curry fix. Not only is it hot, it is speedy and on the table in around 35 to 40 minutes. And for a hearty, rough-but-homely, everything-into-the-pot money saver, you can't go past Bangers and Creamy Mash Stew.

Roasts

Pot roasting is simplicity itself. With our Simplest Beef and Red Wine Pot Roast you virtually have a complete meal in the pot as you cook the meat on a bed of vegetables and add the potatoes halfway through cooking time. Also in the book you'll find a Slow-roasted Mustard Honey Lamb with Roast Vegetable Couscous, which is perfect for winter entertaining at just over $4 a serve (made with a boned shoulder of lamb on special).

Pies

Domestic Goddess Diane followed the triumph of her Rosemary Beef and Vegetable Pot Pies with these mouth-watering Chicken and Mushroom Pot Pie. They are both on the website. If you don't want to use pastry, top with mashed potato or a potato and pumpkin combo.

Emily's home-made stock

Emily, one of our readers, was horrified that we bought our stock for making our soups and stews. It's so easy to make she said. And explains here how she does it...

'I have 2 very young children and I'm usually pushed for time but I can't stress enough how easy it is to make your own stock! We domestic goddesses already need to dispose of a carcass after a roast (particularly chicken) so why not just throw it in a container and pop it in the freezer. Later in the week you can pull it out and search through your fridge for slightly sad vegetables and chop them up roughly. I also save any good vegetable scraps from meals that week and bung them in together. Throw in a roughly chopped onion (skin and all) and a few herbs from the garden (whole sprigs) and pop it on the stove to simmer away. About an hour later you will have wonderful stock to strain and freeze. Honestly it takes only a few minutes of your time ... and makes you sound like a chef extraordinaire when you tell people you made your own stock- it feels like you're cheating!'