The Thrifty Kitchen

Thrifty Kitchen cookbooks are now 50% off!

2010-08-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

The Thrifty Kitchen cookbook is now on sale at the reduced price of £5.00 plus p and p. The cookbooks were originally on sale at £9.99, so this is a real bargain! If you would like to order a copy-or a few-at this new low price, please phone Miren Budd on 020 7605 4209 to make a secure payment by card. All purchases benefit Independent Age.

Correction

2010-01-25T07:54:00.000-08:00

Hold the Parmesan!

On page 40 of the Thrifty Kitchen cookbook, the quantity of Parmesan cheese in the recipe for Risi Bisi should be 25g, not 225g. Whoops!

photo by captainame from www.sxc.hu

Treacle Oaties

2009-11-27T04:04:00.000-08:00

Today is the second of Independent Age’s garage sales, where we use the garage behind our London head office to hold a jumble and baked goods sale to raise funds for the charity. Philip Rosser, Head of Volunteers and National Networks, contributed a batch of Treacle Oaties from the Thrifty Kitchen cookbook. Here is a picture of him hard at work in his kitchen:

Treacle Oaties are thick, chewy, moreish flapjacks that combine treacle, porridge oats, and a hint of coconut. Philip says it is, “probably best to prepare these oaties late at night so you the amount of sugar goes unnoticed – delicious. Size matters though to retain softness, if the mixture is spread too thin you have biscuits.“

We’ll be sampling them soon—can’t wait.

Watch us on YouTube

2009-11-23T07:25:00.000-08:00

The first segment of Channel M's Thrifty Kitchen cooking programmes is now up on You Tube! Chef Rebecca Law shows us how to make a warming baked rice pudding, and gives Nigella a run for her money:

Keep checking this blog for more video demonstrations from the Thrifty Kitchen. We will put them up as soon as they air.

Thrifty Kitchen on Telly

2009-11-16T07:23:00.000-08:00

By Rebecca Law, Editor of the Thrifty Kitchen

I’ve always fancied myself as a chef on the telly. I can’t tell you how many evenings I’ve wiled away on the sofa, eating pre-fab pizza, passively taking in re-runs of Masterchef/ River Cottage/ Ready Steady Cook. All the while, mentally honing my own TV persona in my head: a little more gracious than Gordon, a little less busty than Nigella. In the safety of my living room, I knew exactly who I was going to be when my time came to appear alongside the big culinary names on the TV screen.

And then it came. Ok, so I wasn’t exactly “alongside” the big names but, Channel M, which airs across Greater Manchester, did offer us the opportunity to film four three-minute segments, showcasing recipes from our Independent Age cookbook, The Thrifty Kitchen, to run on a weekly basis ahead of Christmas.

In preparation, it became less about the TV persona and more about which recipes were least likely to backfire in the presence of a camera. Suffice to say, the selected recipes, which were all very straightforward (and delicious!) included no chopping, no peeling and no egg-breaking (not for me, anyway).

I opted to cook the Friday Night Soup; a spicy lentil and tomato based soup, which I inherited from a friend in Holland, who had a knack of knocking up something delicious, regardless of what she had languishing in the cupboard. It takes about five minutes to prepare, with everything going into one pot, and about twenty minutes to cook. This is a lovely, textured soup, with no need to blend. My second dish was a baked rice pudding, another borrowed recipe, this time from a friend who once cooked for me on a blisteringly cold evening in Hamburg. This recipe is even simpler. It takes about three minutes to prepare (which translates as throwing everything into a baking dish) and then baking on a low heat for about an hour and a half.

I’m pleased to say I had a partner for the day, journalist, Ian Gilbert, who had contributed his grandmother’s lemon curd recipe to The Thrifty Kitchen. He was clearly feeling much braver than I, and knocked up several jars of this lemon curd, with awe-inspiring ease (and smoothness when it came to his egg-breaking skills). His second dish was Peter Gordon’s rather yummy hot-smoked salmon fish cakes with a dill and mustard dressing, which had us all clambering for tasters when the camera stopped rolling. That one’s a great example of The Thrifty Kitchen’s main principles, as even though it makes use of a relatively expensive ingredient – the hot-smoked salmon – it does make a very small amount go a very long way.

Watch this space for details on when the appearances will be aired, which can also be caught on Sky and Cable, for those of us who aren’t based in Manchester.

Peter Gordon's hot-smoked salmon fish cakes

2009-11-02T03:01:00.000-08:00

Today's treat from the Thrifty Kitchen is a recipe from celebrity chef Peter Gordon: hot-smoked salmon fish cakes with dill mustard dressing. New Zealand born Peter Gordon is co-owner and Executive chef of London's Providores and Tapa room, and the author of several cookery books. He has also appeared on various TV programmes on the BBC, Discovery, Channel 4 and the Carlton Food Network.

These fish cakes are a simple, moreish favourite in the Independent Age office. Simon Bottery, director of Policy and Communications, made these for his family and said:

"They were lovely and really easy to make. If you want real thrift you could make them with tuna and not lose much. The dill dressing has unusual ingredients (I don’t think I’ve ever been asked by a recipe to mix vinegar and sugar together) but turns out brilliantly."

For another thrifty option, these fishcakes can also be made with smoked mackerel instead, for a nice smoky flavour. If you try these at home, let us know what you make of them.

Peter Gordon's hot-smoked salmon fish cakes

Makes 8 fish cakes or 20 smaller ones--allow two large ones per main course, or serve the smaller ones as a starter or chunky canape.

Ingredients:
500g/1 lb boiling potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

3 tablespoons grain mustard

2 tablespoons sugar (brown or white)

1 tablespoon vinegar (any kind)

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped dill

4 tablespoons self-raising flour (plus extra for dusting the fish cakes)

250g/9oz hot-smoked salmon, skin and bones removed

A handful of roughly-chopped parsley

Vegetable oil for cooking (or use butter and oil together)

Rocket or watercress for garnish

Instructions:

Put the potatoes and half the sliced onions in a pot and cover with cold water. Season with salt and pepper and gently boil until the potatoes are cooked. While they're cooking, mix the mustard, sugar, vinegar and dill together and put to one side. Drain the cooked potatoes in a colander - making sure as much moisture as possible is drained off. Return to the pot and mash them then mix in the flour. Flake the salmon and add this along with the remaining sliced onion and the parsley and mix it all together. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Once it's cool enough to handle, divide into either 8 or 20 fish cakes - then roll into balls. Flatten them into barrel shapes then dust generously in more flour. Heat up a pan and add 4mm oil (or a mixture of butter and oil) and when it's hot begin to cook the fish cakes. Gently flip them over when golden and cook on both sides. If you're making a lot of these it may be easier to colour them in the pan then cook on a tray lined with parchment in an oven set at 180°C/gas mark 4 until warmed through - around 5-8 minutes depending on their size.

To serve: place the fish cakes on warmed plates and garnish with the rocket, then dollop some of the dill mustard to the side.

Parsnip soup makes a great winter warmer

2009-10-30T04:28:00.000-07:00

Rebecca Law, who edited the Thrifty Kitchen cookbook, has had the enviable job of testing all of the recipes inside. Now that the weather is getting cooler, she has gone back to this tasty parsnip soup. Originally she was not a parsnip fan, but this soup with its warming touch of curry won her over. She says:

"Don’t get me wrong. I don't have anything against parsnips. I adore them roasted with other root veg, but the idea of them in soup had never really appealed. Pat Hammett, one of our beneficiaries from Southampton, who submitted a recipe for curried parsnip soup for our cookbook, The Thrifty Kitchen, reassured me that I wouldn't be disappointed with this wintery concoction.

"Pat admitted that she wasn’t too keen on parsnips herself but that they worked wonderfully in this recipe, which uses parsnips as its base with the addition of a few potatoes, a cooking apple for sweetness and some curry powder.
It cost little more than £2 to knock up a large pot of this soup and the result was divine. It’s now definitely up there among my favorite soups. Thanks Pat!"

If you would like to try Pat's parsnip soup, here's the recipe:

Curried Parsnip Soup
Ingredients (serves 4):

2oz (60g) low fat margarine
1 onion (chopped)
1 large clove garlic (peeled and crushed)
12oz (375g) parsnips (peeled and diced)
1 medium-sized potato
1 large dessert apple (peeled, cored and diced)
1-1½ tsp mild curry powder
½ tsp turmeric
1 ½ pints of beef stock (made with cubes)
Salt and pepper
1-2tbsp low fat natural yoghurt
Toasted croutons to serve (optional)

Method:
• Melt margarine in large saucepan, fry onions, garlic, parsnips and potato for about 5mins, stirring frequently.
• Add apple and cook for a further five mins, until the vegetables and apple are just tender.
• Stir in the curry powder and turmeric and fry for a further minute.
• Make up beef stock with boiling water and add to the vegetables
• Bring to the boil, turn down heat and simmer for 15 mins: leave to cool slightly.
• Puree in a food processor or liquidiser (or pass through a sieve).
• Pour back into the pan and reheat gently.
• Add seasoning to taste and stir in yoghurt.
Serve immediately with croutons.
Note: this soup freezes well.

Auntie Pheemie's War Time Dumpling - better than Christmas pud?

2009-10-14T06:29:00.000-07:00

Irene Dourie, of Dundee, has sent us a recipe that she claims is "lighter than a rich Christmas pudding" but with an ingredients list boasting dried fruit, sugar and suet in equal amounts, it sounds pretty decadent (and tasty) to us. We can only imagine what a treat this would have made during the rationing and austerity years.

Irene writes:

"Auntie Pheemee's War Time Dumpling is a great favourite now handed down to my family and used every Christmas and for birthdays."

Auntie Pheemee's War Time Dumpling

Serves 6

Cooking time 4 hours

Equipment needed:

large pot, 2 pint bowl to cook, large baking bowl

Ingredients:

1 cup self-raising flour

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 cup sultanas

1 cup currants

1 cup suet

1 cup sugar

fairly large grated carrot

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix soft with milk

Mix all dry ingredients and add milk to dropping consistenct, not too runny. Put in the 2-pint bowl. Cover with greaseproof paper or foil and boil for at least 4 hours. Makes a nice light dumpling for Christmas Day. Serve with Carnation milk and sugar if desired.

Thanks, Irene! And to all of you reading this blog, if you try this, or any other Thrifty Kitchen recipes, why not drop us an email at thriftykitchen@independentage.org.uk to let us know how they turned out? Even better, send us pictures of your creations--and keep those recipes coming!

Whoops! Babuffca Cake Corrections

2009-10-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

This is the lovely Agnes Reid, who gave us her recipe for Babuffca cake. Somehow we goofed, and misprinted her recipe. Babuffca cake is a lovely moist marbled cake, and it needs the eggs that we forgot to mention in the list of ingredients. Agnes, we are so sorry! Here is the recipe as it should be:

Ingredients:
1 mug of sugar
2 mugs of self-raising flour
1 mug of milk
1/2 mug of cooking oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 dessert spoon of drinking chocolate
2 large eggs
Plus: large baking tin or ring tin

Mix all of the ingredients together except the drinking chocolate. Put half the mixture into the tin. Gntly mix the drinking chocolate into the mixture left in the bowl, then add this to the tin and gently blend to create a marble effect.

Bake in the oven at 180°C/gas mark 4 for 40-45 minutes.

We have also printed correction slips, which will be sent out with future orders of the Thrifty Kitchen. If you already have your copy of the Thrifty Kitchen, please email us, and we can send you one too.

Thrifty Recipes Contest - our first entry

2009-09-21T06:09:00.000-07:00

Now that our Thrifty Kitchen Website is up and running, so is our Thrifty Recipes Contest. Over the next few months, we're looking for creative thrifty cooks to send us their recipes. The Thriftiest, Tastiest, and most Creative entries will be awarded a copy of The Thrifty Kitchen cookbook, a Thrifty Kitchen shopping list notepad, and a set of biscuit cutters. You can read more about the competition here.

Today's recipes are some sweet treats from Mrs. M. Ryder, of Northumberland. If you try them, why not leave a comment to let us know what you think? Your comments will help determine the contest winners.

Infallible Meringues

Ingredients:
1 egg white
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp. boiling water
8 oz. Caster Sugar

Method:
1. Lightly beat egg white with an electric whisk.
2. Add all ingredients and beat over a bowl of hot water until fluffy.
3. Off the heat, beat for 2 minutes.
4. Spoon the mixture onto a greased baking sheet in small batches.
5. Cook for an hour in a low heat oven, 300 degrees F or Gas Mark 2.

Whizz Creams

Ingredients:
1 Jelly tablet (lemon or a flavour to partner the fruit)
¼ pt very hot water
15 oz. can of fruit – apricots, raspberries, etc.
1 small tin of evaporated milk
Whipped cream (for decoration)

Method:
1. Heat liquidiser goblet with hot water. Drain.
2. Cut jelly tablet into small pieces and put into goblet.
3. Pour on ¼ pt. Very hot water – leave 1/2/ minute. Then switch on for 20 secs.
4. Wait ½ minute. Then repeat for a further 20 secs.
5. Drain a 15 0z. can of fruit. – reserve a little fruit for decoration.
6. Add remaining fruit and half juice to goblet with a small can of evaporated milk and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.
7. Switch on for 20 secs. Twice. Pour into four coupe glasses.
8. Chill. Decorate with whipped cream and reserved fruit.

The Thrifty Kitchen: Watch this space

2009-09-07T08:54:00.001-07:00

Check back later for more recipes, stories, and press reviews of Independent Age's new cookbook, The Thrifty Kitchen: Wartime Lessons for the Modern Cook.

If you would like to buy a copy, click here to purchase online from the Independent Age website. All proceeds go to benefit Independent Age.