GRAB the tin opener because all you need to make these delicious hearty meals by chef Theo Michaels are tinned ingredients and a few budget-friendly extras.
On day two of our Squeeze Team Cost Of Living series, we take a look at how to make meals for under £1. Our experts also share their tips on how to save on YOUR grocery shopping.
CREAMY TOMATO AND TUNA PASTA BAKE (SERVES 4 – 55P PER PORTION)
5
THEO says: “I love how the cream of tomato soup softens the sauce, making it a little creamier than using regular canned tomatoes.
“Plus it’s really quick – you just need to put it together and whack it in the oven!
“And to ring the changes, this recipe works equally well using cream of mushroom or asparagus soup (just leave out the tomato purée).”
YOU NEED:
- 360g dried fusilli or penne pasta
- A splash of olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 tsp dried mixed herbs or dried oregano
- Half a 150g can pitted black olives, drained
- 400g can cream of tomato soup
- 110g can tuna, drained
- 100g grated Cheddar cheese
- 150g mozzarella ball
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD: Preheat the oven to 220C/ 200C fan/gas mark 7. Cook the pasta in a pan of salted boiling water for about eight minutes (undercook it by a minute or two).
Drain, reserving 125ml of the cooking water.
Meanwhile, heat a splash of olive oil in a large ovenproof pan and fry the onion for a few minutes until softened. Then stir in the garlic for a moment.
Follow this with the tomato purée, dried herbs, olives and a generous seasoning of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Pour in the can of soup, stir and let it simmer gently for a few minutes.
Tip the drained pasta into the sauce and stir to incorporate fully, then add the reserved pasta cooking water.
Crumble in the tuna, folding it in just enough to be fully coated – you don’t want it obliterated in the sauce.
Scatter the grated Cheddar all over the top, then cut the mozzarella into five or six slices and lay them over the top.
Then finish with a little drizzle of olive oil.
Pop into the preheated oven for ten minutes or until the cheese has fully melted, then serve.
PEACH, APRICOT AND PLUM CRUMBLE (SERVES 6 – 62P PER PORTION)
5
THEO says: “This crumble can be put together in a flash, with whatever canned fruit you have, but I enjoy this combination in particular.
“The slight sharpness of the plums contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the peaches and apricots.
“In the colder months, steeping a little bag of mulled wine spices in the plum syrup adds aromas and warming spice. Serve with canned custard or ice cream.”
YOU NEED:
- 411g can peach slices
- 411g can apricot halves
- 567g can plums
- 80g demerara sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- A few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 200g plain flour
- 100g butter
- 30g rolled oats
- 400g can custard or vanilla ice cream, to serve
- 28 x 20cm/11in x 8in high-sided baking pan
METHOD: Preheat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7.
Drain the peaches and apricots and put the fruit into the baking pan. Drain the plums, saving 150ml of the syrup in a bowl.
If using plums that contain their stone, use your hands to tear the plums in half to remove these and drop the flesh into the baking pan with the rest of the fruit. Add just over half the sugar and mix together.
Add the cornflour, vanilla extract and lemon juice to the bowl containing the reserved plum syrup.
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Whisk together to combine (don’t worry if you have a few small lumps of cornflour) and pour over the fruit.
In a large mixing bowl add the flour and remaining sugar and butter, then work it together with your fingertips to create a crumble mixture.
Once fully combined, fold through the oats and scatter the mixture over the top of the fruit.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then let it rest for five minutes before serving with custard or ice cream.
HARVEST PIE (SERVES 4 – £1 PER PORTION)
5
THEO says: “My harvest pie is packed with canned lentils and vegetables and uses potato and leek soup to bring everything together for a hearty and savoury supper.
” If you were feeling exceptionally lazy, you can mix the filling directly in the pastry case and just top with a pastry lid, then pop into the oven for an even quicker fix.”
YOU NEED:
- 500g own-brand ready-made puff pastry
- 1 egg, whisked
- 2 x 400g cans green lentils, drained and rinsed
- 400g can baby carrots and petit pois, drained and rinsed
- 400g can green beans, drained and rinsed
- 400g can potato and leek soup
- 25g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 15g butter, diced
- 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp curry powder
METHOD: Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7.
Cut the block of pastry in half and roll out one half on a floured work surface to about 3mm thick.
Use this to line a 28cm x 20cm baking pan, allowing the pastry to overhang the top lip of the pan.
Line with baking parchment and baking beans (or raw rice) and blind bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, remove the parchment and baking beans, then brush with some of the whisked egg and return to the oven for another five minutes.
In a mixing bowl, gently fold all the remaining ingredients together.
Pour into the baking pan on top of the cooked pastry and level out with the back of a spoon.
Roll out the remaining pastry to cover the top, crimping around the edges to seal.
Pierce the top with a sharp knife to help the steam release, brush with the remaining egg and season the top.
Bake in the oven for a further 30 minutes or until the top is golden.
Leave to rest for at least 15 minutes to allow filling to set before serving.
HAM AND CHEESE TORTILLA WITH PIQUANTE SALSA (SERVES 4 – 50P PER PORTION)
5
THEO says: “I love the convenience of using canned potatoes and ham to whip up this tasty Spanish-style tortilla in half the time it would usually take.
“The best bit is no one even knows I’ve taken a few shortcuts.”
YOU NEED:
- A splash of olive oil
- 1 large red onion, sliced
- 4 eggs
- 60g grated Cheddar cheese
- A sprig of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 200g can Danish ham, cut into 1cm cubes
- 360g can new potatoes, drained and cut into 5mm thick slices
- 15g butter
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Rustic bread, to serve
- For the piquante pepper salsa:
- 100g jar piquante peppers, drained (reserve the juice)
- A few slices of red onion (reserved from making the tortilla)
- A sprig of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Sugar or honey, to taste
- 20cm/8in ovenproof frying pan
Method: Preheat oven to 220C/ 200C fan/gas mark 7. Heat a splash of olive oil in the frying pan.
Set aside a few onion slices for the salsa. Add the rest to the pan and fry over a low heat for about eight minutes until soft and golden.
Whisk the eggs in a bowl and fold through the grated cheese and chopped parsley.
Once the onion is ready, fold it into the bowl of whisked eggs. Using the same pan, fry the ham for a few minutes to give it a little colour, then add the potatoes to warm them through.
Season generously, then fold them into the eggs as well.
Wipe the pan if it is sticky. Add the butter, return the pan to the heat and, once foaming, pour in the egg mixture.
Leave to cook for a few minutes until you can pull the edges of the tortilla away from the edge of the pan a little (it will still be raw on top), then pop into the preheated oven for five minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven, place a plate on top and, holding the plate in place, flip the pan over so the tortilla rests upside down on the plate.
Now slide it back into the pan (you’ve flipped the tortilla to cook the top of it in the pan).
Cook for a few more minutes in the oven, then leave to rest while you make the salsa.
To do this, dice the piquante peppers, reserved onion and parsley and mix together in a bowl.
Stir in the tomato purée, olive oil, plus a tablespoon of juice from the jar of peppers. Sweeten to taste with sugar or honey.
Serve the tortilla in slices with a little of the salsa spooned over the top and with rustic bread on the side.
CORNED BEEF SHAKSHUKA (SERVES 4 – 93P PER PORTION)
5
THEO says: “I remember having corned beef hash as a kid. This recipe is really a fusion of that throwback brunch with the more recent darling of brunch menus, shakshuka (with good reason – it’s delicious).
“A little crumbled feta over the top as it comes out of the oven is nice if you fancy it.”
YOU NEED:
- 360g can new potatoes, cut into 2½cm cubes
- 1 red onion, diced
- ½ small fresh red chilli, chopped
- A splash of olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- A pinch of ground cumin
- 200g can corned beef, roughly chopped
- ½ x 400g can cherry tomatoes (about 12 tomatoes plus some juice)
- 4 eggs
- Handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
- 100g crumbled feta cheese, to serve (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD: Preheat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7. Fry the potatoes, onion and chopped chilli in a splash of olive oil in a large ovenproof frying pan for a couple of minutes over a high heat (the potatoes won’t take on colour, but that’s OK).
Once the onion has softened, sprinkle in the Worcestershire sauce and ground cumin and season generously with freshly ground black pepper and a small pinch of salt.
Fold in the corned beef, breaking it up a little in the pan and incorporating it into the other ingredients.
Dot the cherry tomatoes around the pan and drizzle over a couple of tablespoons of the juice.
Make four small “pockets” in the mixture and crack an egg into each one.
Leave on the heat for a minute to help cook the undersides of the eggs.
Drizzle over some olive oil, then place the whole pan in the preheated oven for six minutes or until the tops of the eggs have just solidified.
Remove the pan from the oven (remember the handle will be hot), garnish with chopped parsley and serve straight away at the table.
If you wish, crumble the feta over the top just before serving to give a nice contrast to the dish.
TIPS TO SAVE AS YOU SHOP
OUR Squeeze Team experts share their top money-saving tips for your food shop.
BE APPY WITH BEST DEALS: MAKE the most of free apps to find the best discounts and deals. Vix Leyton, from HotUKDeals, says: “ClickSnap gives you cashback on certain products at super-markets, and Too Good To Go offers leftover food from restaurants and shops.”
GET SAVINGS ON TRACK: ON more expensive items, such as baby formula, it pays to do your research. Martyn James, from resolution service Resolver, says: “Use a price tracker like the one at trolley.co.uk to see if you are buying at the right time or to find out which shop has a discount.”
CASH IN WITH CODES: SEARCH for codes at vouchercodes. co.uk or supersavvyme.co.uk. Supermarkets offer newbie online shoppers discounts on their first website orders. Sainsbury’s has £15 off a £60 shop, while Morrisons has £20 off your first £60.
WORLD-BEATING: “FOR store cupboard staples, check the world food aisle in bigger supermarkets,” says Vix. “They often have great-value options on herbs and spices, as well as kitchen essentials such as tomatoes and chickpeas.”
FREEZE THAT SPENDING: FROZEN meat is often cheaper than fresh. Vix says: “You can get bags of chicken breasts and mince to store for later and use it to bulk out dishes.”
ON A BUDGET? GET UGLY: SUPERMARKETS sell “wonky” veg cheaper. Martyn says: “There’s nothing wrong with ugly veg.” For example, 1kg of wonky carrots at Morrisons is 29p, compared to 45p for the standard version.
IS THE PRICE RIGHT? WHEN shopping online, have your search results ordered by price low to high to make sure you are not missing out. Vix adds: “It’s harder when you are in a supermarket but check the unit price displayed on the shelf to make sure it’s worth it.”
- Extracted by NATASHA HARDING from Canned, by Theo Michaels (published by Ryland Peters & Small, £18.99). Photography: Mowie Kay © Ryland Peters & Small.
