Fight the high cost of family meals

HOUSEHOLDS trying to deliver tasty meals without blowing the budget need to have a selection of key ingredients on hand.

There’s no doubting Australians are obsessed with being gourmet master chefs in their own kitchen and are often inspired by reality TV shows to whip up designer dishes.

But experts say spending a fortune is not required; the focus should be on maintaining key foods that will allow delicious meals to be served easily and relatively cheaply.

Kate Butler, 27, is one of the “Butler” family team on Channel 9’s newest foodie series, Family Food Fight, and is an expert at cooking mouthwatering meals on a budget.

“Bulking out your meals with things that are in your pantry like legumes, lentils and rice can real make a meal quite cost-effective,’’ she said.

“When you have got vegetables in the fridge and they are looking a bit sad try and use them up in a quiche or a stir-fry or a frittata.”

Ms Butler also said costconscious households should ensure the “freezer is their best friend” and freezing vegies, bones and meat allows the food to be used at a much later date.

Tasked with finding “Australia’s No. 1 food family”, one of the show’s judges, chef Hayden Quinn offers sound advice on tasty meals without too much cash.

“It’s important to have foods like mince, lamb chops, sausages, steaks, chicken breasts and what I do at home is also have great spices,’’ he said.

“People might say spices are expensive but if you buy them and you have got them in your cupboard they are an arsenal of flavour that you can use across a broad spectrum of dishes and different cuisines.”

His “go-to” spices include cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, chilli and salt and pepper. Mr Quinn also suggests growing herbs in your backyard or just on your windowsill.

“You just snip and go as you need them,’’ he said.

GREAT TASTE: Channel 9's Family Food Fight contestants sisters Kate Butler, 27, and EJ (Elyse) Butler, 30, know the importance of cooking on a budget.