[IsobelRose22]

I'm currently out of work at the moment. I'm struggling to come up with cheap quick, and satisfying recipe idea's.

My problem is that if I eat the same things I get bored quite quickly and start going for cheap junk food instead. Any idea's people may have would be greatly appreciated!

x

[Britt83]

I love fajitas!
I use the weight watchers wraps, lots of peppers and onions, and either chicken breast or beef.
Then top with low fat sour cream, cheddar cheese, and salsa!!!
So delicious and so satisfying.
They usually only take us about 20 minutes to make!

[mhill0823]

Fajitas are so amazing!!!

I love to experiment with the girls at work with salad.
We will start adding random ingredients.
Last week we had lettuce, strawberry, blueberry, and a touch of pepper with some mozzarella cheese.
Doesn't sound great but I loved it! Each week we try something different to spice it up!!

[jumelle]

How about a Taco Pizza? You can get a packet of 'just add water pizza dough' or any other pre-made pizza crust, ground beef (or any other meat you'd like), taco seasoning and cheese.

Click for pictures here and here.

I was getting really bored with food too and decided that meal planning was the way to go. It helps me budget better when grocery shopping and I also commit to trying new recipes.

I've got a couple of websites that are my inspiration this month. Click here, here and here for recipes.

Of those three, Skinny Taste is my favorite, because she provides nutrition info and her website is geared towards people losing weight or those looking for healthier alternatives. Pioneer Woman has recipes that are kind of on the more expensive side, but you can remove things from her recipes that you either don't want to spend money on or don't normally eat. But she does have a lot of recipes that are delicious, quick to make and won't bust your budget.

[kaplods]

You'll find tons of tips and recipes in the Shoestring Meals forum. The hillbillyhousewife website also has a lot of information and recipes in the "dieting on a budget" section.

[tuende]

I'm in the same boat and I tend to not do a lot of meat because it is so expensive! Instead, I eat tons of beans. If you buy them dried and in bulk and soak/cook them yourself they are super cheap and you can put them in everything. I put them in scrambled eggs, mixed in with tuna, thrown on a salad, I make veggetarian chili, etc. They are delicious and full of protien! I also started my own little garden on my balcony, so that's nice to go get free herbs to cook with and soon I'll have veggies!

[claire0412]

My favourite cheap recipe is lentil salad. It is really easy to cook:
Cook 2 garlic cloves (crushed), a bit of ginger (grated or powdered) and cumin seeds for 2 minutes
Add 300g split peas / split red lentils (I've done it with both, both yummy)
Add 700ml water with one soup cube in (I use a veggie one)
Cook for 20 minutes until the lentils are cooked and all the water is gone
Stir in some baby spinach and top with caramelised red onions (just onions and a bit of balsamic vinegar in a pan until they taste sweet) + goat's cheese if I can afford it.
Voila! Dinner for less than 400 calories and €1 per person