We’ve got soups, sauces and curry coming out of our ears, all for a weekly shop costing a tenner! If you have any recipes for cheap eats you’d like to share, please email us at editor@quidsinmagazine.com. We’ll feature some of the best on the Quids in! site

Joe’s Weekly Shop

Couscous
Mushrooms (loose x10)
Sweet Potatoes (x3)
Aubergine
Garlic
Coconut Milk
Celery
Onions
Carrots
White Potato
500g beef mince
500g pasta
Wholemeal Bread
Chopped Tomatoes x 4
Chick Peas

£9.98 Total Spend – Tesco

Meals – Approx. 20 portions

Sweet Potato, Vegetable and Chick Pea Couscous (x 4 portions)
Aubergine and Mushroom coconut curry (x 4 portions)
Pasta Bolognese (half mince, half mushroom) (x4 portions)
Chilli Con Carne (x 4)
Mushrooms on toast (x4)

Sample Dinner Recipe: Sweet Potato and Chick Pea Couscous

Makes 4 portions

Ingredients

• 2x onion
• 2x garlic clove
• 3 x sweet potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 2 sticks of celery
• 1 tin chick peas
• 1 tin tomatoes

Method

1. Finely chop the garlic and onion, celery and carrots and add all to a pan with some oil. Simmer for 5 mins
2. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into 2 cm cubes. Add to the pan and stir
3. Add generous pinch of salt and pepper and any other seasoning (cumin, fennel seeds and coriander all work well)
4. Cook for another five minutes on low heat before adding tinned tomatoes
5. Add a pint of boiling water to the pan, stir and cook on a high heat for 2-3 mins
6. Cover the pan and simmer for 20 mins, adding a little water if the sauce becomes too dry
7. Add the chickpeas and simmer for further 5 mins before taking off heat
8. For the couscous: Add a cup of couscous to a pan (off heat), add a pinch of salt, cover with boiling water one centimetre over couscous level, cover pan, leave for ten mins. Separate couscous with a fork

Serve hot, and store leftover portions of curry in the freezer.

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Jeff’s Weekly Shop

Rice
Pasta
Tinned Tomatoes
Chick Peas
Kidney Beans
Mushrooms
Eggs
Cheese
White Bread
Frozen Peas
Frozen Veg
Mushrooms
Whole Chicken
Onions

(Total spend £10.06 – Tesco)

Meals – approx. 22 portions

Mushroom Omlette
Cheese Omlette
Cheese Sandwich (x2)
Eggy Bread (French Toast) (x2)
Chicken and Chick Pea Curry with rice (four portions)
Chicken and Veg Pasta (Four portions)
Chicken soup (made from stock) (two portions)
Egg Fried Rice (four portions)

Sample lunch recipe: Cheese and Mushroom Omelette

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 Mushrooms
• Small handful of grated cheese

Method

1. Crack eggs into a cup, add a pinch of salt and beat with a fork until the white and yolk are mixed well
2. Chop mushrooms into 1cm pieces, grate cheese
3. Add a knob of butter to a frying pan on a low heat. When butter melts and goes white, add in the beaten eggs
4. Evenly coat the pan with the eggs, add mushrooms and cheese.
5. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then fold omelette in half. Cook for 30 secs, then turn over, cooking for a further 30 seconds

Serve hot.

Check out our full range of Readers Club recipes here.