Economy Gastronomy

Don't know if anyone else watched this series on BBC2, but I did and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I couldn't believe the amount of money some people waste on ready meals and take aways, or the amount of food that gets thrown out.

Basically the two chefs taught the families (mostly quite well off ) how to plan, shop and cook for the week.

They came up with what they called 'bedrock recipes' which were turned into 'tumbledown recipes'.

I've tried a few and found they are a great way of saving money and organising my cooking time better. As I work full-time, creating a basic three meal recipe one evening and just tweaking it for three days has saved me lots of time and head scratching.

Today I'm doing the braised mince which will be turned into Spag Bol, Chilli con carni and Cottage Pie for three days next week.

Basic Braised Mince

Ingredients
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3 onions, peeled, chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 kg/2¼lb beef mince
1 x 400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 beef stock cubes

Method
1. Heat half of the vegetable oil in a large pan over a high heat. Add the onions, garlic and herbs and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until softened and golden-brown. Turn off the heat and set the pan aside.
2. Heat half a tablespoon of the remaining oil in a separate pan over a medium heat. Add a third of the beef mince and fry for 4-5 minutes, or until browned.
3. Transfer the browned mince to the pan containing the onions, garlic and herbs.
4. Repeat the process twice more with the remaining oil and the remaining batches of mince. (NB: Overloading the pan will not speed things up because the pan will lose heat, so take your time.)
5. Return the pan containing the cooked mince and vegetables to a medium heat. Add the canned tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce and stir the mixture well to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
6. Meanwhile, crumble the stock cubes into a large heatproof jug and add 1 litre/1¾ pints of boiling water. Stir until the stock cubes have dissolved.
7. Add the stock to the beef and tomatoes mixture and bring to a simmer. Simmer for one hour, uncovered, or until the volume of liquid has reduced slightly and the sauce has thickened.
8. The braised mince can be eaten straightaway, served with rice or spaghetti. Alternatively, it can be used as a base for more complex dishes. It can be set aside to cool, then frozen or chilled in the fridge until needed (it can be kept in the fridge for up to three days).

NB: This braised mince makes enough to be used as a base for other dishes such as chilli con carne. It can be kept in the fridge for up to three days, or divided into portions that can be frozen and defrosted when needed

For the chilli con carne

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
350ml/12fl oz red wine
1 x 400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes
splash Worcestershire sauce
2 red chillies, finely chopped
A third of the braised mince (see above)
250g/9oz mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 x 410g/14¼oz can red kidney beans, rinsed, drained
1 stock cube, dissolved in 250ml/9fl oz boiling water
To serve
300g/10½oz long-grain rice, cooked according to packet instructions, drained
4 warmed tortilla wraps
1 x 142ml/5fl oz pot soured cream
100g/3½oz mature cheddar, grated

Method
8.For the chilli con carne, heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until softened and slightly browned.
9. Stir in all the ground spices until they coat the onions and garlic, then pour in the red wine and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 6-8 minutes, or until the volume of liquid has reduced by half.
10. Add the chopped tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and chopped red chillies and continue to simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly.
11. Add a third of the braised mince, mushrooms, kidney beans and beef stock, stir well, then simmer over a low heat, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the sauce has thickened and the flavours have intensified.
12. To serve, divide the rice equally among four serving plates. Spoon over the chilli con carne. Place one tortilla alongside each serving. Place the soured cream and cheese into small bowls and serve alongside.

What a good idea to cook inbulk like that, Jovi. Sorry - I hadn't looked in here before. The chilli sounds especially good using your own spices. With the shop bought packs it's either too mild or too mild. This way you can add a bit more or less as prefered. Thankyou!