Our pick of your favourite frugal fare proves that cheap needn't mean cheerless
It may be cucina povera, but there's been no scarcity of contributions this week – visit the GuardianWitness site for more inspiration (and the full story of Rachel Kelly's glorious curry).
None of the recipes below taste too shabby either; heartily sized and rich in flavour, and they'll keep you going for hours, proving that a modest investment in your storecupboard can make even the most humble ingredients exciting, from wilting veg to stale bread. For sheer satisfaction, though, I couldn't resist DebW's simple bake; the sweetness of the cauliflower works brilliantly with the cheese and mustard, and the whole dish disappeared in minutes – which is a result, whatever your budget.
*Cauliflower cheese and potato pie*
Cheap as chips and perfect for a cold winter evening. Meat-eaters could add bacon too. Should serve 4 but people tend to get greedy so don't expect leftovers.
DebW via GuardianWitness
Serves 4
*2 onions, chopped*
*25g butter*
*6 large potatoes, peeled and cubed*
*1 medium cauliflower, broken into florets*
*1 tsp mustard *
*All the leftover cheese you have in your fridge, grated ... the more the merrier! *
*1 egg*
*A splash of milk*
*1 tomato, sliced (optional) *
*1* In a large pan, fry the onions in the butter, then add the potatoes and cauliflower. Cover with salted water and boil until tender. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
*2 *Drain and mash the cooked vegetables, then add the mustard. While the mixture is still hot, stir in most of the grated cheese to melt it, reserving a little cheese to sprinkle on the top of the pie.
*3 *Beat in the egg and a splash of milk, then season.
*4 *Transfer the mixture to an ovenproof dish, then rough the top with a fork. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top. (If you're feeling arty you could space out some sliced tomatoes over the top too.) Bake until the top is brown and crispy.
*Panade (savoury bread pudding)*
Leftovers disguised as toothsome comfort food, and my favourite way to use up remnants of Sunday lunch as a midweek dinner. If you don't have leftovers, just cook up some greens instead.
Julsbo via GuardianWitness
Serves 4-6
*500g stale bread *
*Olive oil*
*2-3 onions, thinly sliced*
*2 garlic cloves*
*1 litre chicken or vegetable stock*
*A few handfuls of leftover cooked vegetables and meat (greens such as kale or chard are especially good)*
*A couple of handfuls of grated cheese*
*1 *Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Cut the bread into 4cm cubes. Toss with a little olive oil and toast for 10-20 minutes until completely dry, then cool. Keep the oven on.
*2 *Meanwhile, cook the onions very slowly in a spoonful of olive oil until soft and golden. Chop the garlic and add to the onions, stirring to soften. Warm the stock to a simmer.
*3 *Take a wide, shallow casserole dish, and smear half the onions across the base, then layer half the bread on top followed by half the veg and meat mixture, and then half the cheese. Press down firmly. Repeat until you have used all the ingredients, finishing with a layer of cheese.
*4 *Pour the warm stock over the top till it reaches 1cm from the top of the pan, and then cover. Bake for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes until the top is crusty and the filling bubbling. Cool for 10 minutes before devouring.
*Chickpea and spinach soup with bread dumplings*
A traditional Spanish dish for Lent. Soak the chickpeas overnight.
ID5413629 via GuardianWitness
Serves 4
*2 green peppers, finely chopped *
*1 onion, finely chopped*
*Olive oil*
*1 tomato, diced*
*A pinch of saffron*
*A pinch of hot paprika*
*400g chickpeas *
*1 bay leaf *
*5 garlic cloves*
*, 4 whole, 1 finely chopped*
*2 potatoes, diced*
*100g spinach *
*2 eggs *
*100ml milk *
*A few stems of parsley, finely chopped*
*4 thick slices of bread, whizzed into crumbs *
*1 *Saute the peppers and onion in a pot with a splash of oil. When they start to soften, add the tomato, a few strands of saffron and a pinch of paprika and season. Cook for about 10 minutes.
*2 *Add the drained chickpeas, bay leaf and four whole garlic cloves, plus the potatoes. Cover with water, cover and cook for 25 minutes. Add the spinach.
*3 *Meanwhile, make the bread dumplings. Mix the eggs, remaining garlic, milk, a pinch of salt and most of the chopped parsley. Beating well, gradually add the breadcrumbs until the mixture holds together. Form into balls and fry in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Drain on absorbent paper.
*4 *Add the dumplings to the pot of chickpeas and cook for 5 minutes. Season, sprinkle with the remaining parsley and a little oil, then serve.
*Anchovy and broccoli pasta*
This quick and easy recipe is gloriously flavourful – don't be put off if you're not a fan of anchovies; they dissolve, leaving a gorgeous umami taste.
Zahra Saeed, @misszahras
Serves 2
*8-10 medium broccoli florets (frozen is fine)*
*1 garlic clove*
*1-2 green or red chillies, to taste*
*Olive oil*
*50g tin of anchovies in olive oil*
*Juice of 1 lemon*
*200g penne pasta*
*Extra virgin olive oil, to serve (optional)*
*1 *Boil the broccoli till just al dente.
*2* Meanwhile, finely chop the garlic and chillies. Cook on a medium heat with a small splash of olive oil. Once warmed through, add the anchovies – oil and all – and mash with a spoon. Add the lemon juice.
*3 *Lift out the broccoli, salt the cooking water, bring to the boil and cook the penne as per packet instructions.
*4 *When the broccoli has cooled slightly, finely chop it into very small pieces and add it to the anchovy sauce. Leave on a low heat as the pasta cooks, adding a little pasta water to stop it drying out.
*5 *Drain the pasta and toss well with the sauce. Divide between plates and garnish with a little lick of extra virgin olive oil, if you like.
*Malaysian potato, egg and pea curry *
This curry itself isn't authentically Malaysian, but it seemed to work with what I could afford to buy at university, and I ended up living on the stuff over the following few years.
It's a great way of using up vegetables a bit past their prime.
Rachel Kelly via Guardian Witness; marmadukescarlet.blogspot.co.uk
Serves 2
*4 medium potatoes*
*2 eggs*
*Vegetable oil, to cook*
*2 onions, chopped *
*3-4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped *
*2cm root ginger, grated *
*1 tsp coriander seeds (or 2 tsp ground) *
*1 tsp cumin seeds (or 2 tsp ground) *
*1 tbsp garam masala, plus 1 tsp to serve*
*½ tsp cayenne pepper *
*½ tsp chilli powder (or to taste) *
*400g tin plum tomatoes, roughly chopped*
*2-3 tsp tomato puree *
*1 tbsp lemon or lime juice *
*250ml vegetable stock *
*2-3 tbsp creamed coconut*
*100g frozen peas, or to taste *
*Fresh coriander, to serve (optional) *
*1 tomato, finely chopped, to serve (optional)*
*Steamed rice, to serve*
*1 *Chop the potatoes into large chunks and parboil. Hardboil the eggs, then peel and quarter them.
*2 *Meanwhile, heat about 2–3 tbsp oil in a large lidded saucepan. Fry the onion with a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the garlic, ginger and spices and stir well to coat them in oil. Cook for 1 minute, stirring.
*3 *Add the drained potatoes and stir to coat, then tip in the tomatoes, tomato puree, lemon juice and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
*4 *Add coconut to taste and stir until dissolved, then stir in the eggs and peas. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
*5 *Check the seasoning. Stir through the remaining garam masala, and serve with a little chopped coriander and tomato, and steamed rice.
*Sweetcorn chowder*
This is a cosy comforting dish for the winter – you can use ordinary potatoes, or add white fish poached in milk, or prawns or bacon. When reheating, add either stock or milk to thin it out.
mimicucumber via GuardianWitness
Serves 4
*1 large potato*
*1 small sweet potato*
*Oil, to fry*
*1 small onion, chopped*
*1 garlic clove, chopped*
*570ml chicken or vegetable stock*
*1 x 200g tin sweetcorn*
*1 bay leaf*
*½ tsp cumin*
*½ tsp paprika*
*A dash of cream or whole milk*
*1 tsp honey (optional)*
*2 spring onions, finely chopped*
*1 *Peel, dice and parboil the potato and sweet potato.
*2 *Fry the garlic and onion until soft. Add the potatoes, stock and half the sweetcorn, plus the herbs and spices. Season to taste and heat everything through until the potato is soft.
*3 *Remove the bay leaf, and then blend as chunky or as smooth as you like. Return to the heat and add the remaining sweetcorn and a slurp of cream or milk. Taste, and if you like a sweeter chowder, add a spoonful of honey. Serve with black pepper and chopped spring onions sprinkled on top. Reported by guardian.co.uk 20 hours ago.
It may be cucina povera, but there's been no scarcity of contributions this week – visit the GuardianWitness site for more inspiration (and the full story of Rachel Kelly's glorious curry).
None of the recipes below taste too shabby either; heartily sized and rich in flavour, and they'll keep you going for hours, proving that a modest investment in your storecupboard can make even the most humble ingredients exciting, from wilting veg to stale bread. For sheer satisfaction, though, I couldn't resist DebW's simple bake; the sweetness of the cauliflower works brilliantly with the cheese and mustard, and the whole dish disappeared in minutes – which is a result, whatever your budget.
*Cauliflower cheese and potato pie*
Cheap as chips and perfect for a cold winter evening. Meat-eaters could add bacon too. Should serve 4 but people tend to get greedy so don't expect leftovers.
DebW via GuardianWitness
Serves 4
*2 onions, chopped*
*25g butter*
*6 large potatoes, peeled and cubed*
*1 medium cauliflower, broken into florets*
*1 tsp mustard *
*All the leftover cheese you have in your fridge, grated ... the more the merrier! *
*1 egg*
*A splash of milk*
*1 tomato, sliced (optional) *
*1* In a large pan, fry the onions in the butter, then add the potatoes and cauliflower. Cover with salted water and boil until tender. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
*2 *Drain and mash the cooked vegetables, then add the mustard. While the mixture is still hot, stir in most of the grated cheese to melt it, reserving a little cheese to sprinkle on the top of the pie.
*3 *Beat in the egg and a splash of milk, then season.
*4 *Transfer the mixture to an ovenproof dish, then rough the top with a fork. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top. (If you're feeling arty you could space out some sliced tomatoes over the top too.) Bake until the top is brown and crispy.
*Panade (savoury bread pudding)*
Leftovers disguised as toothsome comfort food, and my favourite way to use up remnants of Sunday lunch as a midweek dinner. If you don't have leftovers, just cook up some greens instead.
Julsbo via GuardianWitness
Serves 4-6
*500g stale bread *
*Olive oil*
*2-3 onions, thinly sliced*
*2 garlic cloves*
*1 litre chicken or vegetable stock*
*A few handfuls of leftover cooked vegetables and meat (greens such as kale or chard are especially good)*
*A couple of handfuls of grated cheese*
*1 *Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Cut the bread into 4cm cubes. Toss with a little olive oil and toast for 10-20 minutes until completely dry, then cool. Keep the oven on.
*2 *Meanwhile, cook the onions very slowly in a spoonful of olive oil until soft and golden. Chop the garlic and add to the onions, stirring to soften. Warm the stock to a simmer.
*3 *Take a wide, shallow casserole dish, and smear half the onions across the base, then layer half the bread on top followed by half the veg and meat mixture, and then half the cheese. Press down firmly. Repeat until you have used all the ingredients, finishing with a layer of cheese.
*4 *Pour the warm stock over the top till it reaches 1cm from the top of the pan, and then cover. Bake for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes until the top is crusty and the filling bubbling. Cool for 10 minutes before devouring.
*Chickpea and spinach soup with bread dumplings*
A traditional Spanish dish for Lent. Soak the chickpeas overnight.
ID5413629 via GuardianWitness
Serves 4
*2 green peppers, finely chopped *
*1 onion, finely chopped*
*Olive oil*
*1 tomato, diced*
*A pinch of saffron*
*A pinch of hot paprika*
*400g chickpeas *
*1 bay leaf *
*5 garlic cloves*
*, 4 whole, 1 finely chopped*
*2 potatoes, diced*
*100g spinach *
*2 eggs *
*100ml milk *
*A few stems of parsley, finely chopped*
*4 thick slices of bread, whizzed into crumbs *
*1 *Saute the peppers and onion in a pot with a splash of oil. When they start to soften, add the tomato, a few strands of saffron and a pinch of paprika and season. Cook for about 10 minutes.
*2 *Add the drained chickpeas, bay leaf and four whole garlic cloves, plus the potatoes. Cover with water, cover and cook for 25 minutes. Add the spinach.
*3 *Meanwhile, make the bread dumplings. Mix the eggs, remaining garlic, milk, a pinch of salt and most of the chopped parsley. Beating well, gradually add the breadcrumbs until the mixture holds together. Form into balls and fry in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Drain on absorbent paper.
*4 *Add the dumplings to the pot of chickpeas and cook for 5 minutes. Season, sprinkle with the remaining parsley and a little oil, then serve.
*Anchovy and broccoli pasta*
This quick and easy recipe is gloriously flavourful – don't be put off if you're not a fan of anchovies; they dissolve, leaving a gorgeous umami taste.
Zahra Saeed, @misszahras
Serves 2
*8-10 medium broccoli florets (frozen is fine)*
*1 garlic clove*
*1-2 green or red chillies, to taste*
*Olive oil*
*50g tin of anchovies in olive oil*
*Juice of 1 lemon*
*200g penne pasta*
*Extra virgin olive oil, to serve (optional)*
*1 *Boil the broccoli till just al dente.
*2* Meanwhile, finely chop the garlic and chillies. Cook on a medium heat with a small splash of olive oil. Once warmed through, add the anchovies – oil and all – and mash with a spoon. Add the lemon juice.
*3 *Lift out the broccoli, salt the cooking water, bring to the boil and cook the penne as per packet instructions.
*4 *When the broccoli has cooled slightly, finely chop it into very small pieces and add it to the anchovy sauce. Leave on a low heat as the pasta cooks, adding a little pasta water to stop it drying out.
*5 *Drain the pasta and toss well with the sauce. Divide between plates and garnish with a little lick of extra virgin olive oil, if you like.
*Malaysian potato, egg and pea curry *
This curry itself isn't authentically Malaysian, but it seemed to work with what I could afford to buy at university, and I ended up living on the stuff over the following few years.
It's a great way of using up vegetables a bit past their prime.
Rachel Kelly via Guardian Witness; marmadukescarlet.blogspot.co.uk
Serves 2
*4 medium potatoes*
*2 eggs*
*Vegetable oil, to cook*
*2 onions, chopped *
*3-4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped *
*2cm root ginger, grated *
*1 tsp coriander seeds (or 2 tsp ground) *
*1 tsp cumin seeds (or 2 tsp ground) *
*1 tbsp garam masala, plus 1 tsp to serve*
*½ tsp cayenne pepper *
*½ tsp chilli powder (or to taste) *
*400g tin plum tomatoes, roughly chopped*
*2-3 tsp tomato puree *
*1 tbsp lemon or lime juice *
*250ml vegetable stock *
*2-3 tbsp creamed coconut*
*100g frozen peas, or to taste *
*Fresh coriander, to serve (optional) *
*1 tomato, finely chopped, to serve (optional)*
*Steamed rice, to serve*
*1 *Chop the potatoes into large chunks and parboil. Hardboil the eggs, then peel and quarter them.
*2 *Meanwhile, heat about 2–3 tbsp oil in a large lidded saucepan. Fry the onion with a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the garlic, ginger and spices and stir well to coat them in oil. Cook for 1 minute, stirring.
*3 *Add the drained potatoes and stir to coat, then tip in the tomatoes, tomato puree, lemon juice and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
*4 *Add coconut to taste and stir until dissolved, then stir in the eggs and peas. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
*5 *Check the seasoning. Stir through the remaining garam masala, and serve with a little chopped coriander and tomato, and steamed rice.
*Sweetcorn chowder*
This is a cosy comforting dish for the winter – you can use ordinary potatoes, or add white fish poached in milk, or prawns or bacon. When reheating, add either stock or milk to thin it out.
mimicucumber via GuardianWitness
Serves 4
*1 large potato*
*1 small sweet potato*
*Oil, to fry*
*1 small onion, chopped*
*1 garlic clove, chopped*
*570ml chicken or vegetable stock*
*1 x 200g tin sweetcorn*
*1 bay leaf*
*½ tsp cumin*
*½ tsp paprika*
*A dash of cream or whole milk*
*1 tsp honey (optional)*
*2 spring onions, finely chopped*
*1 *Peel, dice and parboil the potato and sweet potato.
*2 *Fry the garlic and onion until soft. Add the potatoes, stock and half the sweetcorn, plus the herbs and spices. Season to taste and heat everything through until the potato is soft.
*3 *Remove the bay leaf, and then blend as chunky or as smooth as you like. Return to the heat and add the remaining sweetcorn and a slurp of cream or milk. Taste, and if you like a sweeter chowder, add a spoonful of honey. Serve with black pepper and chopped spring onions sprinkled on top. Reported by guardian.co.uk 20 hours ago.