Cheap, cheerful, healthy and green
These letters are in reply to an editorial written by Julie Eley asking for ideas for cheap and healthy meals.
My husband and I are vegetarians and we came up with this cheap and easy recipe which we both love. Hope TV Guide readers enjoy it too. Ingredients: 3 corn cobs; ½ large red onion –- chopped; handful of chopped fresh coriander; 1 avocado – chopped; ½ telegraph cucumber – chopped; 3 tomatoes – chopped. Method: 1) Half fill a large pot with water and bring to the boil; 2) Turn down element to medium heat; 3) Remove husks from corn cobs and place in pot; 4) Boil on medium heat for six to eight minutes; 5) Remove cooked corn cobs from pot and use a sharp knife to scrape corn off cob. 6) Place corn kernels in a salad bowl with rest of ingredients and toss 7) Serve up in pasta-sized bowls. Tip: To bulk up salad you could add a can of red kidney beans or chickpeas.
Shirley (Whangarei)
My recipe for a cheap and healthy meal was when my children were growing up in the 80s-90s. Cheap mince (cooked slowly, take fat off), brown it off in pan on stove, mixed spiced added and a cup of sultanas, transfer to casserole dish, tin of spaghetti next, and mashed potatoes on top. Add cheese and oven bake for 1 hour on 350 degrees. My boys (and husband) loved it. They called it goody food. They probably had it a least twice a week. Another, was mince (cooked slowly, take the fat off), add baked beans, or spaghetti, mixed spice, a cup of sultanas, cheese, thicken with corn flour, eat with tacos or chippies, another favourite. Both have partners who have tried doing it but they still say mum’s is the best goody food they have ever tasted.
Sandra G. (Waikanae)
Getting children to eat vegetables was always a problem in my house but everyone seemed to love pancakes stuffed with spinach or silverbeet, depending on what was in the garden, and tomatoes. Simply make a batch of pancakes – I allow three per person – and cover half with wilted spinach and chopped tomatoes. Roll pancake into a tube and place in an oven-proof dish. Cover in cheese sauce and bake in the oven for around 25 minutes. Serve with a salad. Really cheap and cheerful and if you make a double batch they freeze really well.
Angela (Timaru)
My mother used to say you don’t need a lot of money to make a healthy, nutritious meal and she was right. Mum and Dad used to grow all their own vegetables in our backyard. We didn’t have a big section but they made use of all the space. Mum used to make this wonderful meal of fried mince and chopped onions mixed with fresh vegetables from the garden including silver beet, peas, carrots, cauliflower and cabbage. It was like a stir-fried mix and then Mum would add her own herbs and spices. She is gone now so I can’t ask her what they were but even now I can still smell those wonderful aromas and taste those delicious meals. Heaven.
Brian B. (Auckland)