Budget Meals for One

Thought I would share some of the easy recipes I used during my uni days, many rely on frozen foods and rice. Meat can be replaces/not used, and extra veggies can be added to suit palate/what is in fridge.

Chicken peas and rice

Can be made vegetarian: no chicken, and swap chicken stock with vegetable stock cubes

Ingrediants:

1. 1/2 onion.
2. 1 chicken breat
3. 1 chicken stock dissolved in 1/2 pint hot water.
4. 1 tin chopped tomatoes
5. salt
6. allspcie
7. oil
8. 2 cups frozen peas
9. 1/2 cup basmati or long grain rice.

Method (sauce):

1. chop chicken into cubes
2. chop onion into small pieces
3. heat oil in pan and add onions
4. stir till tender.
5. add chicken and stir till it all changes colour.
6. add tin of tomatoes
7. add salt and allspice
8. add stock mixture
9. when boiling switch to low heat and add peas.
10. will be ready in 1/2 hour in the meantime make the rice.

Method (rice):

1. chuck rice in small pan
2. cover with 1 cup cold water
3. sprinkle a bit of salt
4. put onto a moderate flame
5. cover
6. should be ready in 15 min.

Toast mana2eesh

Ingredients:

1. 2 slices of toast
2. olive oil
3. za3tar

Method:

1. preheat grill to maximum
2. smear oil onto pieces of bread
3. generously add the za3tar
4. put under gril for 2 to 3 min.

Pitta Pizza:

Ingredients:

1. 2 pieces of pitta bread
2. ketchup
3. cheap pitted black olives, 6
4. 2 mushrooms
5. 1/2 green pepper
6. oregano
7. grated cheese… mozeralla or cheap cheddar

Method:

1. preheat oven to 200 celcius
2. smear ketchup onto both pieces of bread
3. finely chop mushrooms and pepper
4. halve the olives
5. add mushrooms, olives and pepper to bread
6. sprinkle oregano
7. cover in cheese
8. put in oven for 20 min

Ma2loobi:
Ma’loobi is a traditional middle eastern dish, and is thus desgined to feed a million people, getting it to taste ‘right’ when making it in small quantities took some work

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 aubergine (cubed) or some cauliflower
2. 3 pieces of lamb, or 1 chopped chicken breast (or 2 chicken legs)
3. allspice, and salt
4. oil
5. 1 cup of rice (basmati/long grain)

Method:

1. Heat oil in small pan
2. fry the aubergine/cauliflour in pan (not frying), remove from pan and set aside.
3. in same panfry the meat/chicken till COOKED, may need to fillet them (i.e. bash them withwooden spoon till flattish), remove and set aside
4. we’re sticking with the same pan (lazy guide too!), sprinkle some rice onto the botton, then chuck in veggie and meat, add rest of rice.
5. In jug, dissolve stock cube in 1 pint water, then add to pan.
6. add the salt and allspice too.
7. put onto moderate heat and cook for 20 min. If rice is cooked, eat and enjoy.

best served with yoghurt and a salad.