Tortillas are such a flexible meal for the family. You can whip them up in 2 minutes and you’ll never buy shop bought again! They are perfect for a picnic lunch and used as a wrap with your favourite fillings. My daughter loves to make them, placing each dough ball in the cast iron press and making perfect little rounds.

I bought my cast iron press from Mexico – via E-bay – it really wasn’t expensive. It’s great for entertaining guests as makes good party food. Here’s the recipe:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (if you’re gluten free use Masa Harina – Mexican corn flour)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

  In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10-12 times, adding a little flour or water if needed to achieve a smooth dough. Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes in the fridge.

  Divide dough into 12 portions, and roll each portion into a little ball. I use a tortilla press, but you can easily use your hands or a rolling pin. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a disk. In a large non-stick skillet cook the tortillas over medium heat for 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. NB/ You don’t need any oil to do this.
  Serve with whatever filling you like. (I did a pulled pork, salsa and guacamole for Father’s day, but you could easily do re-fried beans and cheese for a delicious frugal lunch.

Everyone’s got a jar of horseradish at the back of the fridge, waiting for a roast. However, if you see it going off, here’s the perfect way to use it up. Beetroot’s earthy sweet and vibrant flavour is the best accompaniment. Beetroot are packed full of vitamins, minerals and protective antioxidants demonstrated by their beautiful colour.

This recipe is very easy to prepare and also very cheap. It’s adapted from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s excellent River Cottage Veg Every Day book. I didn’t have a kilo of beetroot so halved the recipe and added some carrots instead that were fresh from our North Aston veggie box.

Take 250g of fresh beetroot and 250g carrots. Scrub them clean, slice into chunks, then place them in roasting tin with a few cloves of garlic, some thyme, salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Pour in a glass of water to keep everything moist when baking. Cover with foil and roast for 40 minutes to an hour on gas mark 6. Once cooked through and cooled, remove the skins of the beetroot.

Now blend the vegetables with a pint of chicken or vegetable stock. I make mine from leftover roast chicken bones, but Alders butchers will sell you some bones for £1 – much better than shop bought stock. Blend everything together until smooth and then gently reheat in saucepan. You may need to add more water if the soups is too thick. Mix a tbsp of horseradish sauce with a tbsp of natural yoghurt and stir into the soup before eating. Hearty, warming and beautifully pink!

Budget?
Stock = £1
Beetroot = 90p
Carrots = 30p
Garlic & herbs = 10p
Horseradish and yog – 20p

Total = £2.50 for 4 (63p per portion)

I’ve been experimenting with Millet recently. While millet has been used primarily for birdseed and livestock fodder in Europe, it is now gaining popularity as a delicious and nutritious grain that has gained in popularity because it is naturally gluten-free.  It’s good for making creamy like mashed potatoes or fluffy like rice, and goes well with many types of food. It’s got a cous cous or quinoa like quality and is a very versatile grain – excellent for making porridge, salads and even cereal breakfast bars as I’ve just discovered. It’s also good source of some very important bone nutrients, including copper, manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium.

It’s also remarkably cheap coming in at about £2.50 kg. Not as cheap as cous cous but much more nutritious! I made a large batch up last week and we’ve been eating it for lunch sprinkled with sprouted chickpeas and salad. Here’s the recipe –

Weigh out 200g (1 cup) of dried millet. In a large, dry saucepan, toast the raw millet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until it turns a rich golden brown and the grains become fragrant. Don’t let it burn. Add 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt, give it a good stir and bring to the boil. Simmer with the lid on until all the water is absorbed (about 15 minutes). Switch off the heat and let the millet stand and steam for 10 minutes – this way all the water is absorbed and the grain becomes lovely and fluffy.

Millet (like cous cous) is very versatile, so it’s a perfect way to get rid of leftover veg. I used cucumber, tomato, some grated red cabbage, fresh herbs and sprouted chickpeas and seasoned with salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil. It would be delicious with some crumbled feta and toasted nuts and seeds too!

Budget?

200g millet = 50p
Herbs = from the garden
Lemon, olive oil, salt & pepper = 20p
Vegetables & chickpeas = £1

Total = £1.70 for 4 (43p per portion)