Easy dinner ideas - help!
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Topic: Easy dinner ideas - help!
Posted By: arohanui
Subject: Easy dinner ideas - help!
Date Posted: 03 December 2008 at 3:48pm
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With moving into our new home in a couple of weeks, I've decided that I'm using it as a new start. There's a couple of things (house organisational) stuff I'm gonna change, and one of them is dinners and shopping.
I'm going to write meal plans (for lunch and dinner) for 2 weeks ahead, and then write the shopping list according to what we need. DH does the shopping and he's really good cos he only buys what we need. He's doing the shopping tonight so I want to plan our meals for the next 2 weeks before I write the list. We'll be paying a mega mortgage until our rental property sells, so I'm looking for cheap as well as healthy and easy (as when we're tired and can't be bothered cooking, we fall into the trap of getting takeaways... this isn't an option anymore as we actually won't have any $ to do so, which is a good thing in alot of ways but means we have to be organised!). So I would love to hear your dinner ideas that are - cheap - easy - healthy We're going to have a meat free meal once or twice a week. Here's my ideas so far: Dinner -Spag bol with spinach -Spaghetti and meatballs -Homemade burgers -Steak, salad and an egg -Chicken (crockpot), salad and pasta salad -Chicken, Beef or Vege rice risotto -Fish burgers on pita bread -Omelette Lunch (always take fruit and yoghurt too) -Leftovers -Filled rolls -Salad with canned tuna or chicken, or leftover meat -Baked beans on toast -Cottage cheese and tomato on rice cakes -Toasted sandwiches Any ideas appreciated! Thanks heaps  ------------- Mama to DS1 (5 years), DS2 (3 years) and... http://alterna-tickers.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Replies:
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 03 December 2008 at 3:51pm
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sounds good to me.
we also have burittos or pita pockets often. Tom likes pita pockets. |
Posted By: arohanui
Date Posted: 03 December 2008 at 3:56pm
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Oo yeah burritos that's a good one! Do you use a mix, or do you have a recipe (spices) you use for the mince? ------------- Mama to DS1 (5 years), DS2 (3 years) and... http://alterna-tickers.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Daizy
Date Posted: 03 December 2008 at 4:01pm
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At the moment I have been making a lot of salads. Last night it was chicken salad. I just cut a chicken breast and fried it with a little honey mustard sauce. We then had that with lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, and what ever else i oculd find in the fridge. Theres not to much meat but we have heaps of vegies in the salad. Its quick and easy and very yummy! It could also be an easy lunch. Also stirfrys are pretty easy. ------------- 
 
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Posted By: .Mel
Date Posted: 03 December 2008 at 4:05pm
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What about Bacon Cabonara? Maggi have a real simple one that you can make using penne pasta and some bacon. Easy peasy.
Nachos Sweet & Sour Pork Rice Risotto (put in your own meat & Vege in) Homemade Pizza using Pita Bread ------------- Mr Mellow (16) Miss Attitude (8) Destructa Kid (3) 
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Posted By: Freesia
Date Posted: 03 December 2008 at 4:06pm
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I put my stir-fry suggestion in our month thread Liz but I also just wanted to say that you can bulk out a spag bol with grated carrot too. Cheap and healthy.
And if you use the crockpot more, you can buy those cheaper cuts of meat and save a bit there and make enough for the next day too. -------------  
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 03 December 2008 at 4:29pm
| Pasta bakes are cheap. Omlette/frittata is good and very quick which is good for lunch or dinner |
Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 03 December 2008 at 4:36pm
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Thai beef salad is great for dinner.
You cook up the steak in once piece and then leave it to sit for 5 minutes. Then slice it and put it on a bed of baby spinach leaves, red onion, capsicum and (optionally) sliced chillis and coriander and basil and mint. Then you pour over the following sauce: 1 teaspoon soy sauce 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons brown sugar It's from Donna Hay's cookbook and it's great for hot summer evenings Another good one is make a risotto for dinner and make enough so there's leftovers. Then the next day mix in some cooked chopped capsicum, cheese and tomatoes and fry them up in little patties and have with salad. Umm you can also make spag bol with a tuna base rather than mince And tuna on toast with cheese on top is a nice lunch. -------------  
 
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Posted By: AzzaNZ
Date Posted: 03 December 2008 at 4:56pm
| I sometimes do a baked potato (just microwave it) and fill with stirfry... quick, easy and cheap |
Posted By: clover
Date Posted: 03 December 2008 at 4:56pm
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You can also bulk out spag bol or meatballs with lentils as well so it makes the meat go further and the meal better for you.
We have a lot of stirfry's and pasta, I make my own sauces rather than buying canned/bottled ones as it is much cheaper. Have a look at www.taste.com.au, there is a whole section on budget cooking it is a brilliant site. |
Posted By: AzzaNZ
Date Posted: 03 December 2008 at 4:58pm
| Other cheap and easy's are a sausage stew (you can do a great one with apple cider and mustard, or with a tomato and paprika based sauce), risotto, or... send DH fishing and make fishcakes |
Posted By: GuestGuest
Date Posted: 03 December 2008 at 5:14pm
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Bobbie, I make that Thai beef salad too and it's great!
We also plan a 2 wk menu and shop to the ingredients. It saves heaps! For a really cheap fortnight we try to make big batches of things such as chilli con carne, curry, lasagne or fish pie, that way it lasts over several nights rather than just one. ETA: as well as cheap it makes it mega easy as some nights we just have to heat up the meal |
Posted By: AzzaNZ
Date Posted: 03 December 2008 at 9:16pm
| SallyBelly, would you post your chilli con carne recipe? I'd love to try make some |
Posted By: GuestGuest
Date Posted: 03 December 2008 at 10:01pm
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Hi AzzaNZ, I use this recipe:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/chilliconcarne_67875.shtml - Chilli Con Carne It is so good! I especially like the part about pouring a glass of wine for yourself
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Posted By: MummyFreckle
Date Posted: 03 December 2008 at 10:03pm
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I do a lot of things with cous cous as well - its so quick and easy. Roasted veges with cous cous Cous Cous salad - chopped capsicum, red onion, fresh parsley, pistachio (or any other nuts), chopped apricots, feta....just toss it all together with your favourite dressing. Morrocan lamb / chicken - cook up the meat, onion, a tin of moroccan tomatoes, a tin of chickpeas, and whatever other veges you want...I often do this in the crockpot. Sometimes I throw in prunes or apricots too. Serve with cous cous or rice. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 04 December 2008 at 7:07am
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www.taste.co.nz
fabulous for tasty tasty recipes that aren't expensive to make |
Posted By: AzzaNZ
Date Posted: 04 December 2008 at 9:56am
| thanks SallyBelly! |
Posted By: arohanui
Date Posted: 04 December 2008 at 10:00am
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These are briliant ideas, thanks! And good to hear the dinner plan works budget wise too.
Wil deflinitley check out taste.co.nz - any tried and true recipes you love on there liz? ------------- Mama to DS1 (5 years), DS2 (3 years) and... http://alterna-tickers.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 04 December 2008 at 10:49am
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Chicken breasts stuffed with ham and cheese then tin of diced tomatoes poured on top plus lump of cheese and put in oven for 40 ish mins
Chicken pie pastry (flaky puff pastry best) chicken cut up can campbells chicken soup mix vegies stir last 3 ingredients together , put in pastry , put another sheet of pastry on top and put in oven for half an hour After reading your post you inspired me as well, so i wrote out 2 weeks worth of dinner meals corned beef the first chicken recipe i said spag bol bacon and egg pie home made pizza chicken pasta sausages (probably in a casserole ) chicken pie mince on toast home made florentines home made hamburgers omelettes the chicken florentines (which arent really florentines unless you have spinach ) are just diced chicken, mushrooms cheese etc rolled into puff pastry and cooked for 30 mins, i usually put tomato paste and sweet chilli sauce on the pastry first a few other faves here are bacon carbonara, nachos and burritos . also , if you count the meals you will see that there is only 12 meals, thats because on fridays we have takeaways, old habits die hard ... ------------- 
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Posted By: jaz
Date Posted: 04 December 2008 at 5:34pm
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I buy maggi seasonings and bit on the side for meat and serve with salad or steamed veges.
Morrocan/portugese chicken salad Satay chicken salad with crispy noodles Stir fries Hot beef salad (whole steak sliced once cooked) Make chilli con carne in bulk and freeze the leftovers for burritos/tacos or nachos. On Friday we have home made fish and chips (sealord battered fish and oven fries) which is healthier than takeaways. Special treat on Sunday is 'nibbly night' which isn't that cheap is quick and healthy - hommos/dips, vege sticks, bread, crackers, grapes, deli meat and a bottle of wine. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: arohanui
Date Posted: 04 December 2008 at 7:09pm
Awesome, I have so many good ideas now!! DH didn't end up doing the shopping last night so is doing it tonight instead. I'm gonna print this page out and we're gonna sit down and plan our menu 
(Bobbie and Freesia just bringing your stuff over from the other thread so I can have it all together )
------------- Mama to DS1 (5 years), DS2 (3 years) and... http://alterna-tickers.com" rel="nofollow">
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Bobbie wrote:Posted By: Snappy
Date Posted: 04 December 2008 at 8:28pm
Sausage meat pie has been a very cheap and easy meal for us... Its $2.50 for the sausage meat and $1.58 for the pastry, and it makes so much you can have it over 2 nights 
1 tube of sausage meat, 1 Onion Half teaspoon curry powder 1 cup of cooked rice (You can just use the uncle bens pre-cooked stuff) 1 egg Pastry (I use the pams stuff that you have to roll yourself as its cheaper) Optional : Add parsley and grated apple Roll pastry out to about 40cm x 20xcm, Mix the sausage meat, onion, cooked rice, egg, parsley and apple with a fork and place in the centre of the pastry, then fold each end (similar to a sausage roll ) Glaze with an egg and cook at 180 for about 30 mins. And yes, its massive! ------------- Mummy to two beauties... Formerly Kaiz. |
Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 04 December 2008 at 8:32pm
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I love sausage pie , but I have a much quicker recipe for me
1) ring my dad who makes the BEST sausage pie ever 2) say "dad , i believe you should make me a sausage pie " 3) wait until he calls back and says "ivemadeyouabloodysausagepiecomeandbloodygetit" 4) go round ,pick pie up , ignoring his "oh ive worked SO hard " look 5) get home and eat it ! *right, off to ring my dad * -------------
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Posted By: McPloppy
Date Posted: 04 December 2008 at 8:42pm
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ha ha, wish that worked for me.
Hey jaz could you post that satay chicken salad with crispy noodle recipe? We make a bacon pesto pasta...one piece of bacon per person with a red onion fried up then add a pottle of Meditereanian (sp) basil pesto with cashews to it then mix in your fettucini or spag noodles...takes about ten mins to make. We are also eating a lot of salad from the garden with new potatoes and whatever meat we have. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: jaz
Date Posted: 04 December 2008 at 9:48pm
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Satay chicken salad with crispy noodles (serves about 4 and uses about $7 worth of chicken)
Dice one double boneless chicken breast Stir fry until cooked through Add 1/3 to 1/2 a bottle of watties bit on the side satay sauce and stir until totally coated Make a salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, capsicum, lightly steamed asparagus or whatever) Put crispy noodles on top of the salad, top with the satay chicken, and eat straight away. You can make the salad while the chicken cooks so dinner is on the table in about 15 mins. You will only have to wash your plates, forks, pan and chopping board. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Glow
Date Posted: 05 December 2008 at 7:30am
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mmmm lots of tasty sounding meal ideas
I can add Fried Rice & /or Sausages & peaches For Sausages & Peaches, brown sausages, add flour, worchestershire sauce to thicken, add peaches & Juice & serve with pasta spaghetti ------------- Mummy of Two Boys B: 2004 K: 2007 |
Posted By: arohanui
Date Posted: 05 December 2008 at 11:03am
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Brilliant. Well I sat down and planned our meals, turns out we bought enough food for 17 dinners and only spent $200! That included 2 things of formula too, and fruit and vege. I'm so impressed.
And it's so good having all these ideas to go from, will def keep referring back to this thread when we're stuck for ideas! ------------- Mama to DS1 (5 years), DS2 (3 years) and... http://alterna-tickers.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: My3Sons
Date Posted: 05 December 2008 at 1:12pm
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Just had a quick read through, wow what great ideas!! ------------- Mum to Mr 10, Mr 6 and Mr 4 
 
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Posted By: Danash
Date Posted: 05 December 2008 at 3:31pm
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I just found this and am printing it off too!!! But this is an easy one for your meat free: Sweet corn fritters - the recipe is in the Edmunds Cook Book. I normally add peas, capsicum and bacon to ours and make them for lunches and sometimes dinner. I always make double the batch. So cheap and easy and Daniel loves them. Yummy with sour cream and sweet thai chilli sauce. |
Posted By: lovingmummyhood
Date Posted: 05 December 2008 at 4:41pm
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Mmmmmmm yum!! What a great idea!! And 17 meals for $200! Wow! I'm so going to have to start doing this!! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 05 December 2008 at 6:18pm
| taste has a great meatloaf recipe - we use ALL the time |
Posted By: arohanui
Date Posted: 29 January 2009 at 5:15pm
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Bump.... ------------- Mama to DS1 (5 years), DS2 (3 years) and... http://alterna-tickers.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: lisa85
Date Posted: 29 January 2009 at 5:49pm
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Check out the food in a minute site http://www.foodinaminute.co.nz/Search/search_results.aspx?searchType=adv&cat0=66&cat1=0&cat2=0 - food in a minute
I love it for really simple cheap meals. -------------  
TTC #3 since Jan 2010 - PCOS MC April 2010 |