FOOTNOTES
LIST OF RECIPES
COPYRIGHT
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
‘Ten years ago I had to dismiss my chauffeur and sell my Bentley after a failed business venture. Often it is the loss of a status symbol which causes shame and a feeling of worthlessness. But it can mean the start of a new venture in life, the beginning of self-discovery where you find you have to get your priorities sorted out and when hidden strengths and talents start to emerge out of necessity. Necessity is the mother of invention. Business failure can sometimes be a blessing in disguise.
I was used to spending £150 a week on food, drawing up outside restaurants, buying lots of take-aways and my bread from specialist food shops. After my income dropped dramatically I had to learn very quickly how to manage on a pittance. I was fearful of the future and dreaded those quarterly bills. I just did not see how I could possibly manage, and at first couldn’t — I was sinking quickly into debt and even running out of food at the end of the week.
In order to manage I allowed myself just £4 a day to feed my family and buy household goods. I started cooking and experimenting with ingredients, trying to reproduce many of the meals I had enjoyed in vegetarian restaurants, and found I could produce delicious meals which were nutritionally excellent and cost very little. So we were eating a superior diet at minimum cost, and as the number of my recipes grew we found we were actually eating better than before …’
Strange to think I wrote that back in 1991, and even stranger to go back all those years when I bought my first car – a 1950s Bentley MK VI, the most voluptuous car I’d ever seen.
So much has changed since then – the children have grown up, as children always do all too quickly before your eyes, and I am now a grandmother!
Mind you, I don’t feel it and am grateful to be fit enough to run around and play boisterous games with my grandchildren, which I put down to my good diet and genes. I’ve always been fascinated by the nutrients nature has provided to help us stay healthy and youthful and which you can easily find at your local greengrocer.
There’s a Victorian saying, ‘The healthiest feast costs the least!’, and it still rings true today. In order to stay within budget, it’s necessary to eat less red meat and more beans and pulses, which turns out to be healthier anyway. I know it’s incredible but after all these years, it’s still possible to feed a family of four a healthy diet for just £5 a day. This is because, fortunately, the cost of its staple ingredients – wholegrains, beans, pulses and chicken – has not risen sharply, and let’s pray it continues to stay that way in the face of rising food prices and increasing global food insecurity.
One key approach that can help you stay within budget is to plan meals as a weekly whole, rather than on a daily basis, so a week’s worth of meals can be made from one main ingredient. For example, a pot roast can become sandwiches, pies, stews, stir-fries and soups. Another, of course, is eating seasonal produce, which tends to be cheaper and fresher than produce bought out of season.
In order to keep within budget, I try not to waste food or throw it away, and turn leftover ingredients into meals. ‘Wilful waste makes woeful want’ after all, and food waste is a major global issue.
This updated edition of How to Feed Your Family for £5 a Day is even better than before, and not just because of the new, mouthwatering and simple-to-follow recipes. More than that, these recipes are based on a diet which is sustainable – better for the planet, better for the body and better for the purse, and they all use ingredients that are a cinch to get hold of.
Also included to help you avoid overspending is my Good Budget Guide, which includes Top Shopping Tips, a Seasonal Food Calendar, Uses for Leftover Ingredients and tried-and-tested advice to show you how to eat better and save money.
The most accurate way of measuring with a spoon is to use level measures; that is, level off the top of the spoon with a knife. (A heaped spoon can contain anything from two to four times as much as a level spoon.)
Spoon Measurements
1 teaspoon = 5ml
2 teaspoons = 10ml/1 dessertspoon
3 teaspoons = 15ml/1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon = 15ml
1 level tablespoon sugar = 28g
1 heaped tablespoon flour = 28g
With a well-stocked store cupboard you can knock up a quick meal at any time with just leftover ingredients. It’s like having a meal for nothing!
Fish
Tuna, sardines, salmon and mackerel are all rich in Omega 3 and 6. Great for tuna pasta, sardines on toast, fish cakes and salmon salad.
Beans
As well as baked beans, try red kidney