You may know Miguel Barclay as “the £1 chef” or from his Instagram account (@onepoundmeals). Since launching the account, he’s released two books, One Pound Meals and Fast and Fresh, creating simple recipes to make individual meals for just £1.
Being the savvy MoneySavers that we are, we wanted to know what happened to the remaining ingredients if they were only being used for one meal – were they going to waste? We asked him, and together we set him the challenge of making four people five dinners for £20, making sure to use up all the ingredients.
Miguel came back with five recipes: moussaka with rocket & feta salad; chicken and leek pie with peas; meatballs and spaghetti, pea and feta quiche with rocket; and mini Turkish pizzas with pea and feta salad.
Here’s the full list of ingredients:
- Lamb mince (500g) – £3.75 at Sainsbury’s
- Three aubergines – £1.95 at Lidl
- Chicken thighs (1kg) – £1.89 at Lidl
- Cheddar cheese (250g) – £1.59 at Lidl
- Beef mince (250g) – Lidl at £1.59
- Peas (1kg) – £1.05 at Lidl
- Puff pastry (1 sheet) – £1 at Sainsbury’s
- Milk (2L) – £1 at Tesco
- Feta cheese (200g) – 99p at Lidl
- Rocket (140g) – 90p at Lidl
- Six eggs – 89p at Lidl
- Two packs passata (2 x 500g) – 70p at Lidl
- Two tins chopped tomatoes (2 x 400g) – 58p at Lidl
- Plain flour (500g) – 50p at Sainsbury’s
- Spaghetti (500g) – 45p at Lidl
- One leek – 36p at Sainsbury’s
- Garlic bulb – 30p at Tesco
- One red onion – 14p at Tesco
- One white onion – 14p at Tesco
We’ll add each full recipe and how-to video every day this week. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for instant updates.
Monday – Moussaka with rocket & feta salad
Ingredients
- 1 white onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- Olive oil
- 450g lamb mince
- 2x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 125g flour
- 330ml milk
- 80g cheddar, grated
- 3 aubergines
- 2 eggs
- 70g rocket
- 50g feta cheese
Method
- Preheat oven to 190°c/ gas mark 5
- Finely chop the onion and garlic and fry in a pan over a medium heat in a splash of olive oil.
- Break up the lamb mince and add to the pan. Season well and brown the mince.
- Add the chopped tomatoes. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes break down and the sauce thickens.
- Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat around 120ml of olive oil. Add the flour and mix well to form a smooth, thick paste. Slowly add the milk whilst continually mixing until you have a thick sauce.
- Sprinkle in most of the grated cheddar and mix again until smooth, take off the heat and allow to cool.
- Slice the aubergine lengthways and put to one side.
- Whisk an egg into the cheese sauce.
- Assemble the moussaka by layering half the lamb mince, the aubergine and then the cheese sauce. Repeat once more and sprinkle the remaining cheese on the top.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the aubergine is soft enough to easily put a sharp knife through all the layers. Take out and leave to cool slightly (it makes it easier to serve).
- To make the salad, toss the feta with the rocket, drizzle the olive oil, season and serve.
- Enjoy and check back here for tomorrow’s recipe.
Tuesday – Turkish pizzas with pea & feta salad
Ingredients
- 325g flour (plus extra for dusting)
- 200ml cold water
- 50ml passata
- ½ red onion, finely chopped
- 50g lamb mince
- Olive oil
- 300g peas
- 25g feta
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190°c/gas mark 5
- Mix the flour and water with a good pinch of sea salt in a bowl to form a loose dough. Tip the dough onto a floured worktop and knead it for a few minutes until smooth (sprinkle more flour if it gets too sticky).
- Cut the dough in half with a sharp knife, then cut each half into quarters so you have eight separate pieces of dough. Roll each one into a ball then use a rolling pin to flatten them out into rough oval shapes about 2mm thick. Fold in the edges to prevent the filling from spilling out.
- Spread the passata evenly on each pizza base. Sprinkle the red onion and lamb mince on top, season well and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until the bases are crisp.
- Whilst the pizzas are in the oven, cook the peas in boiling water for around 3 minutes, drain and mix with the feta cheese. Serve with the pizzas.
Wednesday – Meatballs and spaghetti
Ingredients
- ½ red onion
- 250g beef mince
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- Olive oil
- 2x 500g cartons passata
- 50g cheddar cheese
- 500g spaghetti
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190°c/gas mark 5
- Finely chop the onion, break up the minced meat with your hands and mix together in a large bowl with the garlic.
- Season then shape the mixture into large meatballs. Pan-fry them in a splash of olive oil on a medium heat and keep turning them so they are well-browned all the way round.
- Arrange the meatballs in an ovenproof dish, pour over the passata and season well. Sprinkle on the cheddar cheese and cook in the oven for around 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a large pan of salted water for the spaghetti. Cook as per pack instructions. Drain and serve with the meatballs.
Thursday – Pea and feta quiche with rocket
Ingredients
- ½ sheet puff pastry
- 4 eggs
- 80g cheddar
- 100g feta cheese
- 250ml milk
- 300g peas
- 70g rocket
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190°c/gas mark 5
- Fit and press the puff pastry to the bottom and sides of a round ovenproof pan or dish.
- Whisk together the eggs with most of the cheeses and the milk. Season well and add the peas.
- Pour the mixture into the puff pastry dish then sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the eggs are completely set. Serve with rocket.
Friday – Chicken and leek pies with peas
Ingredients
- 1 large leek
- Olive oil
- 1kg chicken thighs
- 50g flour
- 250ml milk
- ½ sheet puff pastry
- 300g peas
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190°c/gas mark 5
- Slice leek lengthways then chop into discs. Sauté in a pan on a medium heat until soft. Turn down the heat to prevent the leeks from burning.
- Meanwhile, de-bone the chicken thighs and take off the skin. Cut them into chunks and add them to the pan with the leeks.
- When the chicken starts to brown, sprinkle in the flour and stir well to ensure it’s evenly distributed. Slowly add the milk while stirring continuously, to create a creamy sauce.
- Transfer the mixture into four separate small ovenproof dishes, making sure there’s an equal amount in each.
- Cut a piece of puff pastry to fit the top of the dish and cover the chicken and leek filling. Lightly press the edge of the pastry to the rim of the dish to avoid any leakage. Cook in the oven for about 25 minutes or until the pastry is a golden colour.
- Take the pies out of the oven and allow to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, heat a pan of water. Once boiling, throw in the peas and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and serve with the pies.
