Ashleigh Mogford AKA Cardiff Mum's thrifty meals for less than £2
We're still a week away from payday in what feels like the longest month ever, but never fear, we're here to help! Get ready to discover how to cook flavour-packed food that won't break the bank with Ashleigh Mogford, AKA Cardiff Mum!
Coconut chicken meatball curry
Serves 4
Ingredients
500g chicken mince4 cloves of garlic, grated3 tbsp soy sauce Olive oil1 tsp grated fresh ginger4 tsp red Thai curry paste, or to taste1 red pepper, sliced1 pak choi, choppedA handful of sugar snap peas1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk2 tsp peanut butter 2 tbsp honey
To serve: White rice A handful of fresh coriander, chopped3 spring onions, sliced finelyA handful of dry roasted peanuts
Method
1. In a bowl, combine the chicken mince with half of the grated garlic and 1 tbsp of soy sauce to make the meatball mixture. Wet your hands to minimise sticking, and roll out 18 small balls, about the size of a golf-ball.
2. Fry the meatballs in a pan with some oil for 7-8 minutes, until they are golden brown all over. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add a little more oil, and, once hot, add the rest of the garlic, the ginger, curry paste, red pepper, pak choi and sugar snap peas, and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the coconut milk, peanut butter, honey and the remaining 2 tbsp of soy sauce, and stir to make a sauce.
5. Put the meatballs back into the pan and simmer for 2 minutes.
6. Serve the meatball curry over rice, sprinkled with coriander, spring onions and a scattering of peanuts.
You can also make this dish from Ashleigh's book using up all of the store cupboard ingredients from the coconut chicken meatball curry.
Chinese chicken fried rice
Serves: 4
Ingredients
6 eggs Salt Olive oil 2 skinless chicken breasts 4 cloves of garlic 8-10 mushrooms 1 pak choi 3 spring onions A handful of fresh coriander 1 fresh chilli 2 tsp butter ½ tsp chilli flakes 1 tsp onion powder 3 tbsp hoisin sauce 4 tbsp dark soy sauce 2 packets of pre-cooked microwavable rice
Method
1. Whisk 2 of the eggs and season with salt.
2. Heat ½ tablespoon of oil, add the eggs and roughly scramble, then remove from the pan and set aside for later.
3. Thinly slice the chicken, and chop the garlic, mushrooms, pak choi, spring onions, coriander and fresh chilli.
4. Fry the chicken in 2 tablespoons of oil and a teaspoon of butter in the same large frying pan or wok, with the garlic, chilli flakes and onion powder.
5. When the chicken is golden and cooked through, add 1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce and 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce and stir to coat. Shred the chicken in the pan with two forks. Add the second teaspoon of butter and fry for another 5 minutes to add more colour to the chicken.
6. Add the chopped mushrooms, pak choi, and two-thirds of the spring onions. Fry for 5 minutes until everything starts to soften.
7. Add the rest of the hoisin sauce and soy sauce, then add the rice and cooked eggs, and fry everything for 5 minutes. Stir in most of the chopped coriander.
8. In a separate frying pan, fry the remaining 4 eggs in oil - sunny side up.
9. Serve the fried rice in bowls and top each one with a fried egg, with the rest of the chopped spring onions and coriander and the chopped chill scattered over.