Melamine

Sounds like an interesting ingredient for cooking.

How much does it cost?

Frugal Friday - Spicy Carrot and Lentil Soup

This one is not really frugal enough but is delicious.

Spicy Carrot and Lentil Soup

Ingredients:
1 cup of Red Lentils (washed)
1 medium Onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Red Pepper (finely chopped)
3 Carrots (finely cubed)
1 tin of Chopped Tomatoes
1 teaspoon Spanish Smoked Paprika
Half teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Half teaspoon Black Pepper
Half teaspoon Ground Coriander
1.5 Pints Swiss Marigold Vegetable Stock
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
200g Cubed Pancetta (or some Smoked Bacon Rashers, very trimmed)

Method:
If you are using Pancetta, first fry it off in the pan in its own fat, then remove and drain off the fat. Then add a little olive oil and cook the Onion, Red Pepper, Garlic and Carrots until the Onion is transparent and the Carrot is beginning to soften.

Add the dried spices and ensure that everything is nicely coated, and then stir in the Red Lentils and add the Chopped Tomatoes. Mix the ingredients, and when it’s up to temperature, add the stock and bring to a simmer. If you are using Bacon, you should add it to the soup at this point so that it cooks with the Lentils. Simmer for about 30 minutes until the lentils are cooked. Finally, puree half the soup before serving. If the soup is too thick for your liking, add a little more stock.

Found on www.icookfood.com.

Tested and tasted by me.

Frugal tips from an amateur

Whilst I admire the effort that Paul has put in, his tips are still very basic. Not that I have bought his book to see if he has any better ideas.

Frugal Friday - Potato Bake

Having recently found a couple of dented can of soup at the Coles skip bin and a heap of potatoes, I can recommend the following recipe.

Potato Bake


1 can chicken soup

Cup of milk (not too far past the use by date)

Cup of shredded cheese (or something vaguely yellow)

Tablespoon butter (or a bit more of the vaguely yellow stuff)

Pepper to taste

6 potatoes


In 30cm x 20cm dish mix soup, milk, butter and half of cheese. Peel potatoes and slice. Put into mix as you slice so they don’t go brown. Put rest of cheese on top. Put in moderate oven for 1-1.25 hours.

Enjoy

You can also put some diced bacon in if you want to splurge!

Names that are not frugal

Looking across the water at the US Presidential elections, I was surprised by the names given to the children of Sarah Palin, the Republican Vice President nomination.

Her children are Track, Trig, Bristol, Willow and Piper.

I think Sarah and her husband Todd will find it very difficult to pick up cheap birthday presents, such as mugs with names on them, for Track and Trig.

They should be luckier with Buffy the Vampire Slayer toys for Willow.