Storecupboard Challenge

Feed your family for around £35 per week



My storecupboard challenge





I have a real passion for simple food, nothing fancy just good honest grub made with love and care. I, like most people are feeling the economic pinch, and with increasing living costs it has never been harder to eat well and importantly these days, cheaply. When I mean cheaply I don’t mean compromising on lovely ingredients, you can ditch those economy burgers and pot noodles for something homemade, simple and delicious.



With a list of essential ingredients that will cost as little as £35 per week you can make 7 great dishes. Some days you can eat some incredible food and others your evening meal will be a modest affair. The key to making this work is by sticking to your list and not being tempted by other offers. My shopping list is based on a supermarket but you will often find cheaper and better quality food at the market or ethnic food store.



I have been doing this for a few weeks now and found that my original shop lasted about 9 days and on week 2 I substituted some ingredients for others as you will find you may fancy a change or that you haven’t actually used all the things on your list. Not included in the list are some staple ingredients that you should have in your cupboard. Also, the total price is for the cheaper or basic range of foods, which are fine but if you wish to have free range eggs or chicken then you basket total will increase. All recipes feed 4 people.







The supermarkets and the media recently discussed whether you could feed a family of 4 for £50. Sainsbury's launched a campaign recently saying it could be done (by shopping in one of their stores obviously) and an article in the Times a few months back had a balanced view on the matter. We had a yes no and a maybe. One contributer said that it was possible if you shopped around and another said it took all the joy out of eating.


Well my own challenge is officially at an end and my conclusion? It can be done for around£30 and you can eat a variety of lovely simple meals. The main problem is that you have to plan in advance and not veer away from your shopping list. Fancy some lamb chops? forget it and also you end up eating lots of carbohydrates as they are cheap and filling. I got all my groceries from one place in any given week. I used Sainsbury's and Asda and found the latter to be cheaper, but I preferred some of the lines in the former. You could probably do it cheaper if you used your local market.


The purpose of this challenge for me was to be more disciplined when shopping as my food budget is now pretty strict. I've come away from a supermarket over £100 pounds worse off with not much to show for it and needing to go shopping a few days later. The other reason is that I don't agree with the economic argument that people are becoming obese because they cannot afford to eat healthily. My weekly food contained oily fish, chicken, salads and vegetables and were simple to cook. Although my challenge is over for the purpose of this blog, I will continue to let it be a guiding principle and also if you have these basics in your cupboard you will always have something to eat.


I think 3 weeks of blogging on one subject is enough for now and I am going to let the blog return, for a while, to it's original purpose, as a means to give my daughter's all the recipes I've cooked them. Which is, of course, how I express my love for them.


staples



All these items will last a while so won’t need to be bought every week



  • Plain flour
  • salt and pepper
  • sunflower oil for frying
  • stock cubes (vegetable)
  • tomato puree
  • olive oil


Storecupboard items



  • Pasta (500g) - £1.00
  • Chopped tinned tomatoes (400g) x 2 - 31p for basics, 59p for own brand and 98p for Napolina
  • Medium curry powder (80g) - 99p
  • Extra virgin olive oil (500ml) - £1.99
  • Rice - basics long grain 45p for 1kg or £1.46 for 500g basmati
  • Bread, unsliced (800g) - £1.20
  • Burger buns (4) - £1.00
  • Cashew nuts (90g) - £1.44
  • 3 x tins chickpeas (400g)  - £1.29
  • Wholegrain mustard - £1.59



Total: £11.56 (basics)



Fruit and veg items



  • Herbs - 2 for £2 (coriander and parsley)
  • Fresh basil 59p
  • Onions - 98p (kg)
  • Garlic - 30p (clove)
  • Potatoes (jackets) – 57p (4)
  • 1 red pepper – 80p
  • Carrots - 75p (1.5kg)
  • Mixed chilli - 54p
  • Lemon - 30p
  • Tomatoes - 72p (450g)
  • Frozen Peas - £1.75 (900g)
  • Spinach - £1.50
  • 1 small leek – 60p
  • 1 round lettuce – 55p



Total: £11.95


Fridge items



  • Parmesan cheese - £2.30 (250g)

  • Chorizo (cooking) - £2.39 (225g)
  • Cream - 95p (300ml)
  • Eggs (dozen) - £1.40 (barn) or £2.50 (free range)
  • Whole chicken (medium) - £4.00 (standard), £6.00 (free range), £8.00 (organic)
  • Minced beef (500g) - 96p (standard mince) or £2.96 (minced steak)

 Total: £12.00 (basics)


Basket Total: £35.51 (basics)





Day 1


Chicken with spinach, mustard and cream



This is the first meal of the new storecupboard challenge, and one of the easiest as it’s a one pot dish and takes 20 minutes to prepare and about half an hour or so to cook. The key to making meals go further this week is to use a whole chicken over breasts or portions as you can make a stock with the carcass and you will invariably have enough left over for a pasta dish the following day. You can serve rice or potatoes, peas and carrots if you wish. The chicken is jointed into pieces which is quite easy to do. The sauce is thick and indulgent with cream, mustard and parmesan cheese and perfect for a Sunday lunch.



1 whole chicken, jointed (make a simple stock with the carcass for later in the week, simmer with an onion and carrot for 1 hour)

150ml double cream

handful of washed spinach leaves

300ml chicken stock

25g grated parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 tbsp chopped parsley

oil for frying





1) In a non stick frying pan brown the chicken pieces and transfer to a large pan. In the frying pan cook the onions and garlic for a few minutes. If you have any white wine or vermouth handy then pop a splash in and reduce (by no means essential). Now add the mustard and chicken stock and then pour this over the chicken pieces in the large pan.



2) Bring the liquid to the boil and then simmer for 20 - 25 minutes with a lid on. Check the chicken is cooked (check the thigh pieces as they take longest) and remove it to a plate while you finish the sauce.



3) Bring the liquid to a rapid boil to reduce the volume by half. Add the cream and simmer until thick. Add the spinach, it will only take a minute to wilt, and then add the parmesan cheese. Put the chicken pieces back into the sauce to warm, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.


Day 2

Spinach pesto with pasta


Traditional pesto is gorgeous and my kids really like it, so I took the opportunity to add spinach to it to see if they noticed and they didn't. It is quick and easy for me to make and depending on how much you use it will last a few days. I've used cashew nuts instead of pine nuts because they are cheaper and to be honest there's no real difference.



150g pasta

1 small bunch of basil

1 large handful of spinach, washed and dried

25g cashew nuts, toasted

1 small clove garlic

zest of 1 lemon

1 tspn dried chilli flakes or 1/4 chopped fresh chilli

75g grated parmesan cheese

100ml olive oil





1) Cook pasta according to packet instructions

2) Make the pesto by placing the toasted cashews and other ingredients (except for olive oil and parmesan) in a large food processor and whizz up. I like mine quite smooth but you can make it to the texture you like. Add the parmesan and then gradually add the oil and if it isn't enough (i.e. pesto too dry) then add a little more.

3) Stir in the pasta and serve with a little more parmesan if you like.


Day 3

Chicken, spinach and chickpea curry

I threw this together in about 10 minutes and it is utterly delicious and totally unauthentic. It is a lovely way to use up the leftover chicken and I made it healthier by adding some spinach and chickpeas.



1 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 thumb sized piece of ginger

1/2 green chilli

some coriander stalks



whizz all of the above up in a food processor



leftover chicken from day 1

2 tbsp medium curry powder

1 tbsp flour

1 tbsp tomato puree

100g chopped tomatoes

handful of spinach

1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained

100ml cream

200ml stock or water

fresh coriander, chopped

40g cashew nuts









1) In a large frying pan fry the chicken then add the ginger etc that you have whizzed up and cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat.

2) Add the chickpeas and cook for a few minutes more. Now add the curry powder and cook out for a minute or so, then add the flour and tomato puree and cook for a further 2 minutes.

3) Add the chopped tomatoes and stock. You should have a thick consistency. Add the spinach and cream and simmer for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Season with salt if needed and add some fresh chopped coriander and cashew nuts. If the curry isn't thick enough, increase the heat and reduce the sauce. Serve with plain boiled rice.



Day 4



Homemade burger and chips



The burger tends to get a bad press, mainly because of its association with the fast food industry. Like pizza it’s a great healthy meal, if homemade and served with a green salad. It took less than 5 minutes to make and shape them and 10 minutes to cook - now that’s fast food! Homemade deep fried onion rings or homemade chips finish it in style. I personally don't think you should over complicate the flavour in the burger - keep it simple or the flavour of the meat will be lost.



500g minced beef

1/2 onion, chopped very finely

salt and pepper





1)  In a large bowl mix, with your hands, all the ingredients and then shape into burger patties and cook in a griddle pan or heavy frying pan for 5 minutes on each side. Or you can do them in the oven but it needs to be really hot. Make sure they are cooked all the way through but still juicy.

2) Pop them in a bun and garnish with lettuce and tomato

3) If you are pushing the boat out make some onion rings by peeling a large onion and slicing into rings. Make a simple batter with plain flour and  ice cold water so its thick. Dip the onion rings in and fry for a few minutes until crisp. Drain and sprinkle some salt on.

4) If you are making chips and have a deep fat fryer, cook them on a low heat (140) until almost cooked. I then gave them a second fry on a moderate heat (160) until they coloured slightly and finally finished them off on a high heat (190), drained them and sprinkled them with sea salt. Alternatively bake some wedges in the oven for 30 minutes, brushed with oil.



Alternative dishes – spaghetti bolognaise / chilli con carne



Day 5



Chorizo and Chickpea Stew


Spain has a lot to offer the frugal cook and the star of this dish is chorizo sausage (not to be mistaken for the salami style), which is spicy with smoked paprika. It will last for ages in the fridge and a little goes a long way as it is so packed with flavour. Here I am using tinned chickpeas as life is too short to wait for them to soak then cook, and anyway I can't tell the difference, and the cost is roughly the same. The simplicity and flavour of this dish is incredible and I like to serve it with a slice of toasted bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled with oil.



2 tins chickpeas, drained

1 large onion, chopped,

125g chorizo sausage, sliced

2 tins chopped tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1tbsp olive oil

handful chopped flatleaf parsley (optional)





1) In a large non stick pan heat the oil then fry the onions and chorizo until cooked. Add the garlic and cook for a minute longer.

2) Add the tomatoes and chickpeas and simmer for about 2 hours (or pop in a slow cooker for the day), checking it doesn't become too dry. At the end, season and add the parsley. Simple as that!


Day 6



Cream of vegetable soup


A recipe is not really necessary here, just some guidelines. Chop into small dice 2 carrots, 1 onion, 1 small leek and 1 of the jacket potatoes. Sweat these in a little oil and add a tablespoon of flour and stir in. Add a pint of hot stock gradually and simmer for 30 minutes. 5 minutes before the end add 100g frozen peas. Add about 50ml of cream, salt and pepper and some chopped parsley. Puree in a blender if you wish and serve with crusty bread.



Day 7



Spanish omelette



A lovely simple meal which can use up any odds and ends you may now have in your fridge.



6 - 8 eggs, lightly beaten and seasoned

1 large potato, cut into small dice

1/2 onion, finely diced

100g cooking chorizo, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper





1) In a large non stick frying pan heat some oil on a medium heat and fry the chorizo, pepper, onion and potato until crisp and cooked.

2) Add the eggs and stir gently. Now you can let it cook for a couple of minutes until it is safe to turn it over (turn it onto a plate and then back into the pan). Cook the other side for 2 minutes, serve immediately. Some dressed spinach leaves would be nice.



Alternative dish – Spanish savoury rice




Week 2



A new list and summer vegetable risotto



A somewhat beleted start to week 2 of my attempt to feed my family for around £36 a week on everyday basics. On the whole last week was a success but the trick, I think, is to do this week in week out and keep it interesting. I found there were some ingredients that I didn't use and wished I had more of other things. In reality last weeks shopping kept us for about 9 days, with a little repitition of dishes, particularly pasta, but to my mind that is better than giving your kids rubbish or having takeaways.



OK my list has changed a little as I have certain ingredients left from last week. Items like chorizo, rice, curry powder, peppers, basil and dried mushrooms I still have. I have replaced some of these items as you will see below.



Staples

4 types of flour - plain, self raising, gram and bread

caster sugar

milk

salt and pepper

sunflower oil for frying

marigold vegetable stock



All of the above I bought a while ago and still have plenty of them



Storecupboard items

Pasta (1kg) x 2 - £1.00

Chopped tinned tomatoes (400g) x 2 - 31p for basics, 59p for own brand and 98p for Napolina

Bread, unsliced (800g) - £1.20

Cashew nuts (90g) - £1.44

Arborio risotto rice - 96p

Tortilla wraps - £1.00

Soy sauce - £1.14

Dried egg noodles (4) - £1.04



Total: £9.04 (basics)



Fruit and veg items

Herbs (coriander) £1.44

Onions - 31p (2)

Garlic - 30p (clove)

Potatoes (baking) - 70p (4)

Carrots - 65p (1kg)

Lemon - 30p

Tomatoes - 72p (450g)

Spinach - £1.50

Beetroot (cooked) - 56p

Courgettes (4) - £1.60

Rocket (salad leaves) x 2 - £1.00

Cabbage - 69p

Ginger - 60p



Total: £11.37



Fridge items

Cheese

- Parmesan - £2.30 (250g)

Cream - 95p (300ml)

Natural yogurt - 54p (basics) or £1.00 (own brand)

Ham - 85p (basics, 200g) or £3.00 (breaded, own brand)

Parma ham - £2.00 (70g) or £2.69 (85g)

Eggs (dozen) - £1.40 (barn) or £2.50 (free range)

Whole chicken (medium) - £4.00 (standard), £6.00 (free range), £8.00 (organic)

Minced beef (500g) - 96p (standard mince) or £2.96 (minced steak)

Bacon (thick cut, streaky) - £1.79

Total: £14.79 (basics)



Basket Total: £35.20 (basics)







1)    Summer Vegetable Risotto



A lovely cheap and healthy meal.



2 courgettes, diced

Handful frozen peas (defrosted)

1 carrot peeled and finely diced

75g butter

½ onion, finely chopped

250g risotto rice

50g grated parmesan

1 ½ ltr veg stock

How to do it



  1. In a large pan melt half of the butter and then add the onion. This needs to be cooked for about 5 minutes but with no colour. Then add the carrots and courgettes and cook for a couple of minutes longer.
  2. Now add the rice and stir
  3. Now add the stock 2 ladles at a time until it has almost evaporated and so on until rice is cooked(add the peas 1 minute from the end as the don't need much cooking). Ensure it is not too sloppy as you now need to add more butter and parmesan to finish the dish. Turn the heat off.
  4. Season as you wish, spoon the risotto into 2 large bowls and serve with a little more grated parmesan.





2)     chicken and chorizo casserole



Now we head off to another great culinary nation for inspiration - Spain. One of my favourite food countries, Spain has a lot to offer the frugal cook. The star of this dish is chorizo sausage (not to be mistaken for the salami style), which is spicy with smoked paprika. It will last for ages in the fridge and a little goes a long way as it is so packed with flavour. Here I am using tinned chickpeas as life is too short to wait for them to soak then cook, and anyway I can't tell the difference, and the cost is roughly the same. The simplicity and flavour of this dish is incredible and I like to serve it with a slice of toasted bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled with oil.



Chorizo and Chickpea Stew



2 tins chickpeas, drained

1 large onion, chopped,

125g chorizo sausage, sliced

2 tins chopped tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1tbsp olive oil

handful chopped flatleaf parsley (optional)



1) In a large non stick pan heat the oil then fry the onions and chorizo until cooked. Add the garlic and cook for a minute longer.

2) Add the tomatoes and chickpeas and simmer for about 2 hours (or pop in a slow cooker for the day), checking it doesn't become too dry. At the end, season and add the parsley. Simple as that!





3)    Chicken with porcini mushrooms and triple cooked chips



Proof that you can eat like a king budget! It is essential you use dried mushrooms as the flavour is far more intense and the water you soak them in makes a lovely stock for the dish. I recently invested in a deep fat fryer which I only occassionally use but now wouldn't be without. You could make the chips by baking them or blanch them in boiling water and shallow fry if you don't want to deep fry them. I served peas with this.



1 chicken, cut into saute (8 pieces)

25g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked for 20 mins in hot water, water retained and the mushrooms chopped

4 - 5 button mushrooms, chopped

1/2 a diced onion

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tbsp marigold veg stock powder

125ml double cream

thyme leaves, chopped

4 baking potatoes, cut into thick chips

oil for frying



1) In a large non stick frying pan colour the chicken pieces and remove. Fry the onion, garlic and field mushrooms for a few minutes. Add the porcini mushrooms and then you can add some wine, vermouth or brandy if you want and reduce that down but it is not essential and I didn't use any today. Add 200ml of the mushroom stock (stir the marigold powder in beforehand) and place the chicken pieces back in along with the thyme and simmer, with a lid on for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

2) When the chicken is cooked remove it from the pan and add the cream and let it reduce until the sauce is thick. Place the chicken back in the pan and coat with the sauce.

3) While the chicken is simmering you can make the chips. I now have a deep fat fryer and cooked them on a low heat (140) until almost cooked. I then gave them a second fry on a moderate heat (160) until they coloured slightly and finally finished them off on a high heat (190), drained them and sprinkled them with sea salt.



4)    Stuffed Jackets



A baked potato, with a little butter added is the simplest meal ever – all you do is pop them in the oven and leave them to cook. However, for something a little different you can fill ‘em and grill ‘em!

Makes 4 potatoes

Bake 4 medium sized baking potatoes in a moderately hot oven for 1 to 1 ½ hours. Wash and prick them before baking and if you like rub with oil and sprinkle with salt.

Cheese, ham and onion

Cut your potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl. Add 1/4 chopped onion, 50g chopped ham, 1tbsp mayo or crème fraiche and 50g cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper if you like and mix together. Then spoon mixture back into the potato shells, sprinkle with a little more cheese and pop under the grill until golden brown.

Mushroom melt

As above but replace the ham with 150g chopped fried mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper if you like and mix together. Then spoon mixture back into the potato shells, sprinkle with a little more cheese and pop under the grill until golden brown.



5)    Pasta with chicken, cream and mushrooms

400g pasta

Leftover chicken and creamy sauce from yesterday’s lunch

Parmesan cheese



Heat sauce and any leftover chicken (over 75 degrees c) and mix with cooked pasta and parmesan cheese. A cheap simple supper



6)    Pasta al la aglio

Ingredients:

·         1-2 cloves of garlic, minced, or more to taste

·         glug good olive oil

·         400g pasta

·         Grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Bring lightly salted water to a boil and add the spaghetti. Meanwhile, mince the garlic and sauté. Turn off the heat (the garlic will continue to brown; you don't want it to overbrown and become bitter).

When the pasta is done, drain well, transfer to a bowl, and stir the sauce into. Serve with grated parmesan



7)    Spanish style rice



My version of savoury rice had a spanish flavour with chorizo and red pepper. All I did was fry 50g diced chorizo with half a diced onion, half a diced red pepper and a crushed clove of garlic in a little oil. Add 1 cupful of rice and 2 cups of stock (made up with marigold powder) and simmer with a lid on until the liquid is absorbed and the rice cooked. Oh I also threw in a handful of peas 2 minutes before the end.





Week 3



My third and final storecupboard challenge and this week is the cheapest yet at £31.53 for 7 dishes for the whole week for a family of 4. I am really pleased with this as all 7 dishes are going to be delicious, wholesome and homecooked and in my opinion (for what it is worth) supports the idea that you can not only eat cheaply but eat some fantastic and varied dishes on a tight budget. The recipes are simple to make and it all boils down to choices - you can choose to eat well or not. I have shown that over the past 3 weeks that you can make 23 dishes for around £100 and that equates to £4.30 per dish or £1.08 per person.

I am generally not a fan of supermarkets but if your budget is tight and you stick to your list then you can get good quality, fresh ingredients at a low price (today I went to Adsa). I love my local market and my next 'challenge' will be to make some comparisons between the two.





Thai fishcakes



Chicken with tarragon / Chicken spanish style



Roast stuffed breast of lamb with roasted vegetables



Spaghetti with arriabiata sauce



Courgette frittata / Courgette carbonnara



Summer vegetable soup



Pasta with chorizo, mushrooms and peas





Staples

plain flour

salt and pepper

sunflower oil for frying

marigold vegetable stock

olive oil



All of the above I bought a while ago and still have plenty of them



Storecupboard items

Pasta (1kg) x 2 - 73p (500g penne and 500g spaghetti)

Chopped tinned tomatoes (400g) x 2 - 31p for basics, 59p for own brand and 98p for Napolina

Bread, unsliced (800g) - £1.20

Thai red curry paste - £1.21

Tinned salmon (400g) - £1.58

Rice (500g) - 54p

Canellini beans (tinned, 400g x 2) - 88p



Total: £6.76



Fruit and veg items

Herbs (coriander) £1.07

Thyme - 65p

Tarragon - 65p

Onions - 34p (2)

Garlic - 30p (clove)

Carrots - 65p (1kg)

Courgettes (3) - £1.00

Brocolli - 87p

Butternut squash - 84p (95p per kilo)

Spring onions - 83p

New potatoes - 94p

Mushrooms (organic, 250g) - 87p

Mixed peppers (3) - £1.00

Leek (1 small) - 39p





Total: £10.40



Fridge items

Cheese

- Parmesan (pecorino) - £2.00 (250g)

Cream - 95p (300ml)

Eggs (15) - £1.50 (free range)

Whole chicken (medium) - £3.50 (standard, medium)

Chorizo sausage (cooking) - £1.96

Frozen peas (907g) - 85p

Frozen broad beans (500g) - £1.00

Lamb (new season, breast of) - £2.61



Total: £14.37



Basket Total: £31.53 (basics)



Thai fishcakes

These are a revelation. I came up with this recipe at Dwr y Felin school so that I could get the kids to eat oily fish once a week, which is rich in omega 3. I didn’t think they would be keen but they have proved a hit. Any health concerns you may have about fying is, in my opinion, offset by the general healthy nature off the dish itself.

Serves 6



What you need:

25 – 50g Thai red curry paste (depending on how spicy you like it)

1 bunch coriander, chopped

300g mashed potato (or butternut squash or mixture of both)

400g tin of pink salmon, drained with skin and bone removed

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 bunch spring onions, sliced

Oil for frying

For the coating:

200g breadcrumbs

1 egg, beaten

100g flour



How you do it:

1) Cook the red onion, chopped coriander stalks and spring onions in a little oil for a few minutes

2) Either using a food processor or a potato masher, combine all the ingredients together so it is well mixed

3) Shape into cake shapes with your hands and place in the fridge to firm up for an hour

4) Now you are ready to coat them in breadcrumbs. In 3 separate bowls, place the flour, egg and breadcrumbs. Take each fishcake and coat it in the flour (shake off the excess) then dip it in the egg and finally coat with breadcrumbs. Repeat until they are all done.

5) In a large frying place some oil and put on a medium heat. Fry the fishcakes on each side until golden. Finish cooking in the oven for 10 minutes until piping hot.







The supermarkets and the media recently discussed whether you could feed a family of 4 for £50. Sainsbury's launched a campaign recently saying it could be done (by shopping in one of their stores obviously) and an article in the Times a few months back had a balanced view on the matter. We had a yes no and a maybe. One contributer said that it was possible if you shopped around and another said it took all the joy out of eating.



Well my own challenge is officially at an end and my conclusion? It can be done for around £30 and you can eat a variety of lovely simple meals. The main problem is that you have to plan in advance and not veer away from your shopping list. Fancy some lamb chops? forget it and also you end up eating lots of carbohydrates as they are cheap and filling. I got all my groceries from one place in any given week. I used Sainsbury's and Asda and found the latter to be cheaper, but I preferred some of the lines in the former. You could probably do it cheaper if you used your local market.



The purpose of this challenge for me was to be more disciplined when shopping as my food budget is now pretty strict. I've come away from a supermarket over £100 pounds worse off with not much to show for it and needing to go shopping a few days later. The other reason is that I don't agree with the economic argument that people are becoming obese because they cannot afford to eat healthily. My weekly food contained oily fish, chicken, salads and vegetables and were simple to cook. Although my challenge is over for the purpose of this blog, I will continue to let it be a guiding principle and also if you have these basics in your cupboard you will always have something to eat.



I think 3 weeks of blogging on one subject is enough for now and I am going to let the blog return, for a while, to it's original purpose, as a means to give my daughter's all the recipes I've cooked them. Which is, of course, how I express my love for them.



Chicken and chorizo casserole



I made this in my slow cooker - brown the chicken off and literally chuck the rest of the ingredients in the slow cooker and relax.



1 whole chicken, jointed into 8 pieces

1 onion chopped

3 cloves of garlic

200g diced chorizo sausage

2 tins chickpeas or canellini beans, drained

1 400g tin chopped tomatoes

1/4 pint of water

2 tspn smoked paprika (opt)



As I said, brown the chicken pieces in a frying pan and add all the other ingredients. You can bring them to the boil (if you wish) then add it all to the slow cooker or a casserole dish / large saucepan and cook for hours.