SuperScrimpers

Taste the price difference with a selection of recipes from the Episode 1's £50 Challenge

Scrimper Jane's Banana Muffins

Ingredients
200g/7oz plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large bananas, mashed
150g/5oz sugar
1 egg
75g/2 1/2 oz butter, melted

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180c/fan 160/gas mark 4.
2. Place 12 paper cases the in a muffin tin.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and Salt and set aside.
4. Combine mashed bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter in a large bowl. Fold in flour and mixture until smooth.
5. Spoon evenly into baking cases and bake for 25-30 minutes until the muffins spring back when lightly pressed.

Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients

1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
Splash of olive oil
300g risotto rice
1l vegetable stock (2 stock cubes)
250g mushrooms, roughly chopped
15g butter
50g parmesan, grated
Salt and pepper

Method
In a large pan fry the onion, garlic in olive oil over a low heat and cook until soft and translucent. Add the rice and cook for another minute or so to toast the grains slightly. Continually stir the risotto and add the stock, ladle by ladle, allowing it to be absorbed before adding more.

Meanwhile, in a separate pan, fry the mushrooms in butter over a medium heat for approximately five minutes.

After 15-20 minutes the risotto will be pretty much ready (the rice needs to be soft but still has a bite to it). When the risotto has reached that stage stir in the mushrooms, the majority of the parmesan and season. Serve with remaining parmesan sprinkled on top.

Individual Chicken Pies

Ingredients

1.45kg Chicken
2 carrot, peeled
1 onion, peeled
90g butter
60g plain flour
Approx. 500ml stock (method below but 2 chicken stock cubes may be desired)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
25mls double cream
500g puff pastry
1 beaten egg, to glaze
1kg new potatoes, cooked until tender
400g frozen green beans, cooked until tender
A knob of butter

Method
Place the chicken in a large saucepan with enough cold water to cover and bring to the boil with one carrot and the onion (whole). Skim any scum that forms on the surface and turn the heat down to simmer for an hour or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan, let it cool slightly then strip all the chicken meat off the carcass, and cut into large pieces then put to one side. If the stock lacks flavor you can return the carcass to the pan and continue to reduce for a further hour or alternately you can add a couple of stock cubes if short on time. Strain the stock, making sure not to discard the boiled onion.

Heat the oven to 19oC/ 375oF/ gas mark 5. Chop the remaining carrot into small pieces. Melt the butter in a large pan, stir in the flour and cook for a minute or so. Add the stock, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Add the chopped carrot, boiled onion and the remaining garlic cloves and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Add the cream and chicken pieces and season to taste.

Spoon the chicken mixture into five individual oven proof ramekins. Roll out the puff pastry to 1 cm thick. Cut out 5 circles, slightly larger than the ramekins. Place the puff pastry rounds on top of each ramekin, seal down the pastry by brushing the lip of each ramekin with egg wash. Cut a small slit in each pie top, glaze with egg wash and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is cooked and golden brown in colour.

Add a knob of butter to the potatoes and green beans and season to taste. Serve with the individual pies.

Chorizo and Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

Splash of olive oil
1 onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
225g chorizo, sliced
2 tsp smoked paprika
400g yellow split peas, soaked in cold water for 2 hours
1.5 litres vegetable stock
5 slices of Tiger bread (or a couple more but leave a few slices for Saturday)

Method
Heat a large pan with a splash of oil, add the onion and garlic and fry for a few minutes. Add the red pepper and chorizo followed by the paprika and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. Drain the split peas and add to the pan, followed by the stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes, or until the peas are tender. If it is slightly too thick add a little extra stock to loosen the soup. Serve with the slices of tiger bread.

Chilli

Ingredients

1 large onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
Splash of olive oil
2tsp chilli powder
2tsp ground cumin
2tsp ground cinnamon
500g minced beef
1x 400g tin of plum tomatoes, chopped
1x 400g tin red kidney beans
350g long grain rice
Salt and pepper

Method
In a large pan fry the vegetables in a splash of oil for a couple of minutes on a medium heat. Add the spices and cook for a further five minutes, stirring now and again, until the vegetables have softened and are lightly coloured.

Add the minced beef to the pan and fry until browned then stir in the chopped tinned tomatoes. Fill the empty tomato tin with water and pour this into the pan. Simmer for 30 minutes then add the red kidney beans and season to taste. At this point you can always add a bit more spice if you feel it needs it. Leave to simmer for a further hour, stirring now and again - add a little extra water if it needs lengthening at any time.

Cook the rice according to packet instructions and serve with the chilli.

N.B. If you are trying to speed things up you can simmer the chilli for less time e.g 30 minutes but the flavours wont have developed as much

Sausages with Garlic Mash, Peas and Gravy

Ingredients

1.2kg potatoes
10 sausages
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 onions, peeled and finely sliced
2 knobs of butter
2tbsp balsamic vinegar (to taste)
800ml chicken stock (using stock cube)
1tbsp plain flour
250mls milk
400g frozen peas
Salt and pepper

Method
Heat oven to 180oC/350oF./gas mark 4.

For the mash, peel the potatoes and cut into even sized pieces. Place in a pan with cold water, add a pinch of salt, bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes or so or until tender.

Meanwhile, place the sausages and garlic cloves onto a baking tray and into the oven for 25-30 minutes. Halfway through cooking remove the garlic cloves from the oven and leave to one side.

Add the sliced red onions to a saucepan with a knob of butter and cook with the lid on, under a medium heat, for 10 minutes or until soft. Allow the onions to brown by taking the lid off and turn the heat up for a couple of minutes. Add the flour and stir in well before the balsamic vinegar and stock. Bring everything to the boil then reduce the heat a simmer for about 10 minutes until you have your desired gravy consistency.

Meanwhile, drain the potatoes and return to the pan under a medium heat and add the milk and butter. Squeeze the garlic puree from their skins and add to the pan. Mash together and season to taste and keep warm.

Cook the peas in boiling water for a few minutes then drain. Remove the sausages from the oven and serve with the garlic mash, peas and red onion gravy.

American Pancakes with Honey

Ingredients

135g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
130mls milk
1 egg, beaten
2tbsp butter, melted, plus extra for cooking
A spoonful or two of honey

Method
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Whisk together the milk, egg and melted butter in a separate bowl then pour into the flour mixture. Beat together until you have a smooth batter then let it stand for a couple of minutes.

In a large non-stick frying pan add a knob of butter and let it melt over a medium heat. Add 2 ladles of batter either side of the pan (one ladle per pancake). When the pancakes begins to bubble, flip them over and cook for a few more minutes until both sides are golden brown and cooked inside. Repeat until all the batter is used up then serve them with lashings of honey.

Roasted Lemon Chicken

Ingredients

1 lemon
1.45kg whole chicken
A slash of olive oil
2 onions, quartered
1kg new potatoes
2 garlic cloves
600g carrots, cut into large chunks
2tbsp plain flour
500ml chicken stock (1 x stock cube)
500g peas
Salt and pepper

Method
Preheat the oven to 190C/ 375oF/ gas mark 5. Cut the lemon in half; squeeze the juices into the bird cavity and over the breasts then place into the cavity. Drizzle the chicken with oil and season. Place the onions in the centre of a baking tray and sit the chicken on top. Cook in the oven for around 1 hour and 20 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Cut the new potatoes in half, place into a baking tray with the garlic cloves and toss with oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss the carrots in a little olive oil. Once the chicken has had 30 minutes add the potatoes the oven. Put the carrots around the chicken in the tin when it has 35 minutes left to cook.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven, remove the chicken to a serving plate, cover with foil. Skim off any excess fat from the meat juices in the roasting tin then, place on the hob, and stir in the flour. Pour 500 ml chicken stock into the tin, stirring continuously until the gravy begins to thicken. Strain the gravy into a small saucepan, then simmer and season to taste. When you carve the bird, add any extra juices to the gravy.

Cook the peas boiling water until tender. Carve the chicken and serve together with the roasted new potatoes, carrots, peas and gravy.