Slimming World on a Shoestring

A delicious, heart warming beef lasagne that serves four. Ingredients: 500g lean beef mince (< 5% fat) - €3, ALDI Chestnut mushrooms - €0.79, ALDI Passata - €0.49, ALDI Fat free natural yoghurt - €0.55, ALDI Lasagne sheets - €0.49, ALDI (I used gluten free ones which are a bit pricier) 160g low fat cheddar cheese - €1.79, ALDI Store cupboard staples: one onion, two cloves garlic, beef stock cube, one egg, nutmeg, basil Total: €7.11, aside from store cupboard staples (serves 4, so €1.78 per serving) Method: Spray a frying pan with low calorie spray and fry the mince. When the beef is cooked through, add chopped onion and follow with garlic and mushrooms. Turn the heat down and add passata and crumble in a beef stock cube. In a separate bowl, mix the yoghurt and one egg and add a sprinkle of nutmeg. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C for fan assisted oven) and spray dish with low calorie cooking spray. Spoon one third of the mince mixture into the dish, cov...

A chicken dish that tastes like more! This recipe make five portions and, aside from cupboard staples, comes in at under €2 per portion. Note: these cupboard staples can be bought in bulk (and ideally when on offer!) to keep costs low - then they can be added to dishes without significantly increasing the cost per portion. I'll have a post on my key cupboard staples in the next few weeks! Ingredients: 700g chicken strips - €5.98, ALDI (I bought the chicken mini fillets) 500g jasmine rice - €1, Lidl (a 1kg bag cost €1.99) - any rice will work 500g green beans - €0.42, Lidl (a 1kg bag of frozen beans cost €0.84, fresh beans may be more expensive) 4 tbsp honey 4 tbsp soy sauce (I use tamari soy sauce) 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar Total: €7.40 (this has five servings, and works out at €1.48 each). Method: Cook the rice in a pan of boiling water (according to instructions). Mix the honey, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar in a bowl. Spray a frying pan with low calorie s...

A delicious, creamy smoked bacon tagliatelle that feeds four, takes 10 minutes and costs less than €2 per portion. Ingredients: 250g gluten free tagliatelle - €1.19, Tesco 170g garlic and herb Philadelphia light - €1.27, Tesco Smoked bacon medallions, 1 pack (200g or 7 medallions) chopped into bite-size pieces - €1.35, Lidl Mixed leaves - €1.29, Lidl Cherry tomatoes - €1.49, Lidl Total: €7.35 (as this has four servings, that works out at €1.84 each). Method: Cook the tagliatelle in a pan of boiling water (according to instructions). Spray a frying pan with low calorie spray and fry the bacon. Add the Philadelphia to the pan and heat through. Add the cooked and drained pasta and mix. Serve with mixed leaves and tomato salad. Preparation time: < 5 minutes Cooking time: 10-15 minutes Syns: 3.5 per serving (approx) - t he Philadelphia can be used as part of your Healthy Extra B, which would make this completely free.

A hearty, filling egg fried rice and a great way to use up leftovers. The ingredients below made five meals, and only takes 15 minutes to make. This dish works out at just over €1 per portion, so it's a great budget friendly option. Ingredients: 400g jasmine rice - €0.80, Lidl (a 1kg bag cost €1.99) - any rice will work 350g diced chicken - €2.59, Lidl 500g green beans - €0.42, Lidl (a 1kg bag of frozen beans cost €0.84, fresh beans may be more expensive) 1 courgette - €1.49, Lidl (I had a packet of courgetti that I needed to use up, you can get a single courgette for cheaper) 1 egg (I had eggs on hand, but can be purchased very cheaply if bought in bulk) Soy sauce (again, I had this on hand - soy sauce is a cupboard staple for me)  Total: €5.30 (as this has five servings, that works out at €1.06 each ) Method: Cook the rice in a pan of boiling water (according to instructions). Spray a frying pan with low calorie spray and fry the diced chicken (I like to add a...