In the penultimate of our series aimed at helping cash-strapped Islanders during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, the team at Beresford Street Kitchen offer a selection of budget recipes, all of which have been made for a total cost of £5 or less
THE Family Meals for a Fiver initiative continues with a rather unique take on the premise.
This week, the Beresford Street Kitchen team selected three crew members to take part in the challenge, Amy Goodchild, Jen Crocker and Fabio Cerveira, all three of whom are currently working on ‘household management and budgeting’ as part of the BSK educational programme.
As per the Family Meals for a Fiver rules, Amy, Jen and Fabio were then given the challenge of each creating a meal that could feed a traditional family of four – two adults and two children – using ingredients bought from the Co-op for a combined total cost of five pounds or less.
Rob d’Orleans oversees the ‘Learning For Life’ programme at the popular St Helier-based café and said: ‘I set Amy, Jen and Fabio the challenge of creating a family meal for a fiver on their own, which they then presented to us.
‘They each had some support and guidance from our chef team to perfect the dish, but only if they needed it.
‘Ahead of the challenge, the guys were all very excited – and also a little nervous – but they were quite confident with their dishes.’
- For more Beresford Street ideas, visit beresfordstreetkitchen.je
Fabio’s minestrone soup, £4.30
INGREDIENTS
1 onion, finely chopped, 13p
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped, 5p
1 courgette, finely chopped, 95p from £1.89 pack of two
100g smoked bacon lardons, £1.45 from 200g pack (£2.89)
400g can of butter beans, 89p
400g can of chopped tomatoes, 59p
70g small pasta, 24p from 250g pack (85p)
1 large garlic clove, crushed
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
½ tsp dried mixed herbs
1.2 litre vegetable stock
METHOD
1) Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a low-medium heat and gently fry the onion, celery, carrot, courgette and smoked bacon for ten minutes.
2) Add the garlic and mixed herbs, and cook for one minute.
3) Tip in the beans, chopped tomatoes, purée, stock and bay leaf. Season to taste.
4) Bring to the simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
5) Add the pasta and cook for a further 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve.
Jen’s quiche lorraine, £4.96
INGREDIENTS
250g ready-made shortcrust pastry, £1.75
1 onion, finely chopped, 15p
4 rashes of streaky bacon, £1.24 from £3.09 pack of ten
100g cheddar cheese, £1.19 from 240g block (£2.85)
2 eggs, 63p from £1.89 carton of six
300ml milk
1 tablespoon of oil
Paprika
Salt and pepper
METHOD
1) Roll out the pastry to line an 8-inch quiche tin. Make sure it is placed to fit just above the sides of the tin because the pastry will shrink as it cooks.
2) Fry the onion and the bacon in a frying pan for a few minutes, until softened, then spread evenly over the pastry.
3) Sprinkle half of the cheddar over the bacon mixture.
4) Beat the eggs and milk and season, then pour over the cheese and bacon mixture.
5) Sprinkle the remaining cheese and a little paprika on the top.
6) Bake in a moderate oven, 190°C gas mark 5, for 40–45 minutes
7) Serve hot or cold with a mixed salad.
Amy’s chicken stir-fry, £4.72
INGREDIENTS
2-3 chicken thighs, cut into bite-size chunks, £1.15 from pack of five (£2.87)
1 large pepper, sliced, 79p
4 egg noodle nests, £1.49
Black bean sauce, £1.29
1 tablespoon of oil
METHOD
1) Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan, then add the chicken chunks and cook until browned.
2) While the chicken is browning, boil the noodles for the time shown on the packet.
3) Add the sliced peppers to the pan and then continue cooking until they have gone soft.
4) Then put the egg noodles in pan and add the black bean sauce and cook for a few more minutes.
5) Serve hot.
