I’m a little surprised how much I’ve been loving the challenge of feeding myself for $2 a day. It’s been refreshing to look at the world in a different way. It’s also been great hearing from people, especially their tips for saving money on food.

And after a wonderful long weekend eating and drinking my way around Melbourne, my bank balance was screaming out for a little moderation. So I’m back with one last $2 a day menu and a list of tips for minimising your food costs. Some that I use myself, other that I’ve picked up from readers both here on stonesoup and over at Casual Kitchen where my mate Dan put a call out to his readers for their own frugal food tips.

For those that missed the original post, you can read about how and why I’ve been taking the challenge to eat for $2 a day HERE.

18 tips to minimise your food costs

1. cook from scratch
Convenience is expensive so it’s best to cook things from scratch where possible. I’ve used canned chickpeas in the recipe below because I could afford them (only just) and I wanted to share some quick recipes after last week but if I had cooked dried chickpeas myself it would have only cost about 25c instead of the 50c for canned.

2. reduce your meat intake
We all know that animal products tend to be expensive and if you do find cheap meat, you’ve got to question why it is. If the thought of turning vegan scares you, why not start with eating meat-free a few times a week or decreasing the amount of meat in a recipe and supplementing with lentils or beans or even tofu. A few thin slices of proscuitto as a ganish can keep the carnivores happy without the cost of a steak.

3. try ‘unfashionable’ foods
Alex, a reader who had some wonderful suggestions in the comments, had a great insight to look for food that isn’t fashionable. I don’t know if I’ll get the courage to try her sheep’s head this winter. But I do love the idea of a fish head curry.

4. buy in bulk
A good rule of thumb, but larger pack sizes aren’t always better value, so it does pay to check the price.

5. shop with a list
Planning ahead is a great way to economise and reduce the risk of expensive impulse purchases.

6. shop without a list
No I haven’t just done a backflip, well maybe. This probably should read be flexible with your list, or have contingencies withing your list. The aim is to be able to be flexible to make the most of the things at reduced prices.

7. buy veg in season / on special
Fresh fruit & veg are one of the most price variable foods. So it is generally better value to buy in season, although with the whole global food trade, it can be tricky to predict what you’ll find discounted in your supermarket from one week to the next.

8. find an ethnic market
As much as I love shopping in some of the ‘farmers markets’ in Sydney, they can be incredibly pricey. If you’re on a budget, better to head to the far less glamorous ethnic makets in your area. Shop where the migrant communities are.

9. shop at closing time in the large markets
While closing time at the markets can be a scary thing, it can be a great chance to pick up some really great deals.

10. reduce your portion sizes
I’m stating the obvious here but serving less and eating less are one of the most immediate changes you can make. And your waistline will thank you.

11. avoid processed, packaged foods
Marketing costs money, so does fancy packaging. Boxed cereal is one glaringly expensive item that comes to mind.

12. consider frozen veg
Until I started this project, frozen peas and an occasional bag of frozen broad beans were about as far as my frozen vegetable knowledge extended. Have some fun experimenting, especially if you find things on special.

13. invest in a water filter
Buying bottled water, juices and soft drink is an easy way to blow out your budget (lets not even think about luxuries like red wine). I love my water filter, it tastes great, is better for the environment and my budget, and saves me lugging heavy bottles up the stairs.

14. don’t peel your veg
I tend not to peel things because I’m lazy and I prefer a more rustic look. But why throw away valuable nutrition when you don’t have to. Besides, there can be a lot of flavour in the skins.

15. avoid ‘lite’ foods
Someone made a comment not to buy lite milk but to dilute regular milk with water. Not a bad idea when you think about it. So rather than paying a higher price for the ‘lite’ version, just dilute or use less of the full fat product.

16. grow your own
One of the most difficult things I found about the live below the line campaign was the rule about not using home grown ingredients. I was itching to throw in a few sprigs or rosemary or a bay leaf or two. While a veggie patch can be a real source of savings, starting small with a little rosemary plant or some fresh mint can be a great way to supplement your food budget.

17. get creative with spices
One commenter, Martjin spoke about travelling through Central America and living on beans and rice and how boring that can get after a while. This is where a little judicious use of spice can come in handy. It doesn’t take much to change the flavour profile with a little curry powder or ground cumin. And don’t forget the wonderful mood enhancing properties of some chilli warmth.

18. become a forager
Another activity banned in the campaign but a great suggestion if you are trying to save on food in the real world. I have dreams of one day learning to forage for wild mushrooms but so far I’ve got as far as wild fennel and olives growing on the roadside when I lived in the Barossa Valley. And I have been known to occasionally ‘prune’ the rosemary on Jersey Road in Paddington. Best to check up on the legalities of foraging in your area before you get started though.

a final $2 a day menu

breakfast
porridge with milk & brown sugar 25c
tea with milk 9c
lunch
macaroni with buttered peas 39c
dinner
spiced chickpeas with cauliflower 120c
TOTAL – $1.93

[5 ingredients | 10 minutes]
macaroni with buttered peas
serves 1

I was really surprised that the cheapest pasta in my local supermarket was only 59c /500g – about 1/10 the price I normally pay for my artesanal Italian pasta. Happy to report that the cheap pasta (pictured above) tasted pretty good.

For a vegan version use olive oil instead of the butter.

85g (3oz) pasta 10c
100g (3 1/2oz) frozen peas 19c
20g (3/4 oz) butter 10c

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to the boil and add pasta. Set timer according to the packet directions.

When there are 3 minutes remaining add peas and cook until pasta is just tender. Drain and return to the saucepan with the butter. Stir to crush the peas a little. Taste and season.

Cost per serve 39c.

[5 ingredients | 10 minutes]
spiced chickpeas with cauliflower
serves 1

Feel free to use fresh or frozen cauliflower for this recipe. The day I was buying my cauli the fresh stuff was on sale for $1.98 for a whole head, but normally I think frozen would be far cheaper.

You could play around with the spices here. Some may find a whole teaspoon chilli flakes a little on the hot side. I kept it simple with some ground cumin and chilli but a spice blend like garam marsala or baharat or even a good curry powder would be lovely. Again if I weren’t making this on a budget, I’d used some fresh herbs for greenery. Corriander, parsley or mint would all be good.

1 tablespoon olive oil 10c
100g (3 1/2oz) cauliflower florettes 50c
1/2 can chickpeas (200g / 7oz), drained 50c
1 teaspoon ground cumin 5c
1 teaspoon chilli flakes 5c

Heat oil in a small frying pan and cook cauliflower over a medium high heat until starting to brown.

Add remaining ingredients and continue to cook, stirring for a couple of minutes or until chickpeas are hot and everything smells fragrant.

Taste and season. Lovely hot but also good a room temperature so great for a packed lunch.

cost per serve $1.20
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Hot avocado isn’t something that I’m usually into. Guacamole, I love. Avocado on toast is a favourite breakfast treat. And who could forget the beauty of a classic BLT, turned into something really special with a little avocado and an unfortunate acronym (BLAT).

But when it comes to actually cooking avocado, I tend to steer clear. It could possibly have something to do with the disaster that was an avocado soup I made for a dinner party in the 90s when I was young and naive. Or it could just be that you don’t see recipes for warm avocado very often.

Either way, when I was reading Jamie’s America I couldn’t help but be intrigued by his ‘Mad Dog Salad’ that contained tortilla chips, melted cheese and roast avocado. Putting aside my hot avocado prejudice, I gave it a go. And while the avocado was surprisingly delicious. Still rich, but more interesting with its crispy edges. The texture meaty and substantial, not the greasy softness I was imagining.

But eating salad leaves with your fingers is a bit funny. And eating tortilla chips covered in melted cheese with a fork feels a touch barbaric. And my Irishman thought it was a bit token trying to make nachos seem healthy. Not entirely a winner, but the avocado we loved.

So I had a bit of a think about it and came up with this roast avocado and couscous salad. A great little dish with the onion-spiked couscous balancing out the rich, toasty avocado. And one that makes sense to eat with a fork.

[5 ingredients]
roast avocado & couscous salad
serves 2

Feel free to use a different grain for this salad. Burglur wheat or freekah would make a more interesting substitute as would cooked quinoa.

I’ve been having an issue with lumpy couscous of late but have overcome the problem. Instead of using a fork to fluff before serving, I’ve found that a wire whisk does a much better job.

1 large avocado
1/2 cup couscous
1/4 small red onion, peeled & finely diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 handfuls mixed leaves

Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Cut avocado into quarters, lengthwise, discarding stone and peel. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season generously with salt & pepper. Bake for about 15minutes or until hot and sizzling and starting to go a little golden at the edges.

Meanwhile, place couscous and onion in a heatproof bowl and pour over 1/2 cup boiling water. Season and stir through a tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Cover and stand until needed.

Whisk together 1 tablespoon lemon juice with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Season.

To serve, fluff couscous with a wire whisk or a fork. Toss leaves and couscous through dressing and arrange on a platter or 2 plates. Top with hot avocado.

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For those of you interested in a wonderful new food website it’s worth taking a look at GourmetRabbit. I have 3 annual memberships to GourmetRabbit (worth $AU22.95 each) and a copy of GourmetRabbit Issue #1 (worth $16.95) for 4 winners. To be in the running to win, subscribe to stonesoup by email before 31st August.

On breadshoes: enopizzeria – neutral bay.

It’s a good thing that blogs have comments. I mean it’s a great way for me to learn from you guys as well. But it also keeps me on the straight and narrow – which is a good thing. You see if blogs didn’t have comments, I’d be getting away with outrageous things.

Like writing posts on how to survive on $2 a day by eating potato omelettes. Which might seem innocent enough, but when it comes down to it, you can only achieve the $2 limit if you use the cheapest eggs available – eggs from poor battery hens.

When I was writing the post, I used my normal free range, happy chicken eggs to make the omelettes and used the battery hen price for my calculations. I didn’t even think of the implications of what I was doing until I had a few comments from responsible readers accusing me of condoning the use of battery eggs. At first I was in denial, but thinking about it for a few minutes I realised the error of my ways. What a goose.

So today I wanted to apologise for inadvertently inciting you to buy cage eggs and offer an alternative $2 menu. If you missed it, you can read all about the live below the line campaign to raise awareness of extreme poverty. But if you are going to make the omelette, please use eggs that have been produced ethically.

my ethical $2 day menu

breakfast
a slice of homemade bread 11c
10g butter 5c
tea with milk 9c
lunch
potato soup (recipe below) 60c
dinner
hearty red lentil stew 77c
steamed rice 15c
TOTAL – $1.77

[5 3 ingredients]
potato soup
serves 1

Inspired by Julia Child’s potato & leek soup from Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

I used a waxy spud for this soup but I think it would be even better with a lovely floury number. And I think next time I’d soften the onion in butter first, rather than just boiling them. And I’m keen to try it with leeks like Julia when I’m not on such a strict budget.

1 large potato, scrubbed & diced 25c
1 medium brown onion, peeled & diced 30c
small knob butter 5c

Pop potato and onion pieces in a medium saucepan and add 1 1/2cups water. Simmer for about an hour, adding more water if it starts to get too dry. It’s done when everything is meltingly soft.

Mash with a fork or potato masher until the soup is as smooth as you’d like. Stir through butter, taste and season.

cost per serving 60c

[5 ingredients]
hearty red lentil stew
serves 3-4

I was looking to maximise the use of fresh fruit & veg this time and the humble trio of onion, celery and carrot were the best value.

Oh and if you’re wondering why I’ve labelled this 5 ingredients but there are 6 listed, I normally don’t count oil as an ingredient but have listed it today for accounting purposes.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 10c
1 onion, peeled & diced 30c
1 large carrot, diced into chunks 24c
2 ribs celery, diced onto chunks 24c
1 can tomatoes (400g / 14oz) 75c
150g red lentils 66c

Heat oil in a medium saucepan and cook onion covered on a medium low heat until the onion is soft. Add remaining ingredients except for the lentils and 1 1/2cups water. Simmer until the veg are tender – about 45mins.

Add lentils and simmer for a further 10 minutes or until lentils are just cooked through but not mushy. Taste and season and serve with steamed rice.

total cost $2.29
cost per serving (assuming 3) 77c

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After last week agreeing with Michael Pollan that junk food is OK as long as you make it yourself, it seems like the perfect time to share my new favourite technique for cooking burgers.

Normally if I were on a burger-flipping spree, I’d fire up my barbeque to get a nice crusty patty. But recently I’ve been spending a lot of time at my Irishman’s new residence in the Snowy Mountains which is between barbeques at the moment (not that I’m complaining, the kitchen is new and a dream to cook in – electric oven with a gas cooktop, say no more.).

So when I read about a technique for cooking burgers in a frying pan that give juicy burgers with a lovely meaty crust, I was very keen to give it a go. I picked the idea up from Robert Wolke in his great food-nerd, I mean kitchen science, book ‘What Einstein Told His Cook’.

The theory goes, that if you cook your burgers on a thin layer of salt, the salt initially draws out juices from the meat. It then quickly congeals the juices to form a crust that prevents further moisture loss. It also prevents the burgers from sticking to the pan and encourages all the delicious brown crunchy bits to stay attached to the burger rather than the pan.

The result?

On my first attempt I was working from memory on quantities and actually used more than twice the amount of salt I should have. While these maiden burgers delivered in terms of their crust and juiciness, they were unbearably salty. Which didn’t stop us from devouring them but did result in copious water guzzling afterward.

Consulting the recipe for the correct quantity a few weeks later, the burger experiment was repeated with brilliant results. Even in my most un-nonstick pan, they cooked without so much as hinting they were going to attach themselves to the pan. And the flavour was everything a good burger should be: beefy with crispy caramelised bits and perfectly seasoned. Too easy really.

[5 ingredients | 10 minutes]
salt crusted burgers
serves 2

Inspired by Robert L Wolke from What Einstein Told His Cook.

I normally consider onions a burger essential, but to keep this under 10 minutes, I’ve added chopped chives to the burger meat to give a little oniony flavour burst without the time required to cook down onions.

250g (1/2lb) minced (ground) beef
1/2 bunch chives, finely chopped
mayonnaise, preferably homemade
mixed salad leaves
2 english muffins, pannini, or good quality hamburger buns

Place 1 scant teaspoon fine sea salt in a skillet or heavy based frying pan and shake to cover the base. Heat over a medium high heat for 3 minutes or until very hot.

Meanwhile, combine beef and chives and season well with black pepper only. Form into 2 burger patties.

Cook burgers for approx 3 minutes. Lift the burgers out of the pan, shake the pan to redistribute the salt to where the burgers were. Return burgers uncooked side down and sear for another 3 minutes or until cooked to your liking.

Spread mayo on the insides of your muffins or bun. Place beef on the bottom half. Top with leaves and finally the top of the muffin / bun.

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Michael Pollan is one of those food writers that I’ve been meaning to read for years. But there’s something that’s always held me back. I think it’s the whole food-intelligentsia vibe with his titles. Does anyone else feel a bit intimidated by the thought of ‘In Defense of Food’ or ‘The Omnivore’s dilemma’?

Recently, however, I stumbled upon a copy of his latest publication, a cute little book called ‘Food Rules – An Eater’s Manual’. At last. Something approachable.

I did feel a little disturbingly smug as I read through Pollan’s 64 food eating guidelines. I like to think that my diet is relatively healthy. But I would never have been able to capture it so succinctly. You have to admire his overarching answer to the eternal question of what to eat. Simple really:

Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.

I couldn’t agree more. So I thought I’d share with you some of my favourite ‘rules’ from the book. I’m not a qualified nutritionist, they’re just my personal views (although I did take a couple of nutrition subjects at uni).

But before we get into it, reading food rules got me thinking about my guilty processed-food indulgence. Yep. The pictures above have probably given me away. I have a bit of a mayonnaise addiction.

For years I tried to make my own, but it always tasted a little funny and never as good as the stuff out of a jar of S&W or Hellmans. I had pretty much resigned myself to a life of factory mayonnaise, consoling myself that at least the S&W claim to use ‘cage free’ eggs. But reading this book and reflecting on my food choices inspired me to at least have another crack at making mayonnaise that tastes like S&W.

Studying the ingredient list gave me my a good start: Whole eggs, neutral oil, vinegar, lemon, a touch of sugar. (If you’re wondering, the rosemary extract is an antioxidant, not used for flavour). And I’m happy to say that the results are pretty good. I can’t promise I won’t ever buy another bottle from the supermarket, but at least it will be happening on a less regular basis. Oh, and if you’re looking for the secrets to homemade mayo – skip to the recipe preamble below.

the stonesoup ‘Food Rules’ – adapted from Michael Pollan

Avoid food products containing more than five ingredients.
Great minds? Just as with my [5 ingredients] series, it’s not so much the number 5 that’s important. It’s about food that is as simple as possible.

Avoid food products that make health claims.
If it makes a health claim then it generally need a package which means it’s probably not something you’d find at your local farmers markets.

Avoid foods that are pretending to be something they are not.
Hello margarine. A good rule of thumb for life in general, and people in particular.

Eat mostly plants, especially leaves.

Eat like an omnivore.
This isn’t saying that people shouldn’t be vegetarians. It’s a gentle reminder that variety in our diets is the best way to ensure we are getting everything we need.

Eat well-grown food from healthy soil.
This one is for my Dad, who has spent many long hours lecturing me (and anyone within earshot) on the importance of healthy soils to grow healthy sheep (and all food ultimately).

Eat some foods that have been predigested by bacteria or fungi.
It sounds a bit disgusting to think of things like yoghurt, cheese, vinegar and wine(!) as being predigested. But I love food that has been helped with a little fermentation and I believe in my heart that they are good for us.

Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.
Cold oil potato chips anyone? Or homemade peanut butter?

Be the kind of person who takes supplements—then skip the supplements.
I’ve always felt that supplements aren’t only a waste of money, but they can actually have a negative impact. Our digestive systems are so complicated and all based on reactions that have equilibriums or ‘balance’. It’s always seemed to me that the balance of the nutrients we eat is as important as the absolute amounts so bombarding with mega doeses found in supplements seems a little risky. Better, and more fun to focus on getting your nutrients from healthy food.

Stop eating before you’re full.
This is a new one for me. But I’m planning on giving it a go. It’s about giving your body a chance to register how much you’ve eaten (it takes a while) and how full you are.

Eat slowly.
It’s all about enjoying your food and being mindful and in the moment when you’re eating. For those of you that missed it, I wrote a piece on how to master the art of mindful eating for Zen Habits earlier in the year.

Eat meals.
When I was working in the food industry, every year there would be more and more talk of people moving from 3 meals a day to an increase in mini-meals and all-day grazing. Interesting that this trend is rising along with the incidence of obesity. Coincidence? I think not.

Do all your eating at a table.
This is linked to the whole mindful eating thing. But it’s also about making the time and space in your life to enjoy your food.

Break the rules once in a while.
My favourite rule of all and one that should be applied to life in general, not just food.

[5 ingredients | 10 minutes]
whole egg mayonnaise
makes approx 3 1/2 cup

A few secrets to homemade mayonnaise:
i. Everything needs to be at room temperature.
ii. If making with a food processor you need to have enough egg at the beginning so the oil gets dispersed evenly. I’ve had many tears over split mayonnaise when I thought I was being clever and halving the recipe.
iii. Olive oil is too strongly flavoured for mayo. I’ve tried even just a little and it always overpowers. Stick to neutral oils.
iv. If it does split, it’s time to switch over to hand beating. Mix a tablespoon of the split mixture with a tablespoon of mustard then start adding the mixture back in very slowly. A trick I picked up from the formidable Julia Child.
v. It’s ok to season with a little sugar. I often add sugar to my salad dressings so why not mayo. It defintely makes a difference in reaching the S&W benchmark.
vi. The fresher your eggs, the longer your mayonnaise will last.

One of the things I love about this mayo, apart from that it tastes almost like S&W, is that you won’t have to find a home for leftover egg whites.

2 whole eggs at room temperature
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 cups peanut oil

Whizz eggs, mustard, vinegar & lemon together with a pinch salt.

With the motor still running, add the oil a few drops at a time, then build up to a thin stream and then a slightly more daring stream until most of the oil is incorporated.

Taste and season. Feel free to add a pinch of sugar or more vinegar, lemon juice or mustard if you like. Whizz to combine.

If the mayo is a little too runny, add the remaining oil. Too firm, add a little water.

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I’ve recently discovered a new online book retailer – the book depositary that ships anywhere in the world for free and seems to be pretty efficient so far. If you’d like to check them out, you can pick up a copy of Michael Pollan’s Food Rules. It’s an affiliate link so you’ll be helping stonesoup if you do decide to buy something. But if you have a favourite bookshop you’d rather support, even better.

Here at stonesoup I love getting feedback from readers. Whether it’s a comment, a tweet, or even a direct email. It’s always nice to know that people are reading – even if it’s not all sweetness and light.

Since the release of my FREE e-cookbook, I’ve been getting more emails than usual which is great. The most common question has been from the sweet treats chapter. In particular, I’ve had a heap of people wanting to know about the different types of cream I use.

At first I was a little surprised, but thinking about it even on my recent trip to Ireland it took me a while to figure out which cream to buy when I was out shopping. So creams ain’t creams, and given the global nature of the stonesoup audience, I wanted to pull together a list of cream terms from around the world.

And as a bonus, I have a recipe for an amazing 3 ingredient cake. One that would be happy served with any type of cream. Yay.

the [english speaking] world guide to cream

Note: The best way to tell your creams apart is to look at the amount of butter fat, or just fat listed on the label. This should also help you navigate the treacherous waters of cream purchasing in non-english speaking countries.

approx 18% butter fat
Australia & NZ: light cream
Nth America: single cream, light cream, table cream
UK & Ireland: single cream, light cream

approx 18% butter fat + strong bacterial cultures
Australia & NZ: sour cream
Nth America: sour cream
UK & Ireland: sour cream

approx 35% butter fat
Australia & NZ: pure cream, pouring cream
Nth America: whipping cream
UK & Ireland: whipping cream

approx 35% butter fat + thickening agents
Thickening agents can be gelatine or vegetable gums
Australia & NZ: thickened cream
Nth America: whipping cream
UK & Ireland: whipping cream

approx 35% butter fat + mild bacterial cultures
Australia & NZ: creme fraiche
Nth America: creme fraiche
UK & Ireland: creme fraiche

approx 48% butter fat
Australia & NZ: double cream
Nth America: not commonly found, may be called extra heavy whipping cream
UK & Ireland: double cream

heat treated with approx 55% butter fat
Australia & NZ: clotted cream, scalded cream
Nth America: clotted cream
UK & Ireland: clotted cream, devon cream

I’ve used a number of sources to pull this guide together but I may not have covered everything so please feel free to share additions / corrections in the comments.

[5 ingredients | simple baking]
3 ingredient cake with quick raspberry sauce & cream
serves 8 – 10

I love this cake for it’s light sponginess. It’s the perfect dessert cake.

Oh and this seems to be one of those cakes that likes to sink in the middle. To minimise this make sure you don’t open the oven until it’s been in there for at least 45 minutes. Of course the sunken middle does make for a great opportunity to fill it with cream and raspberries.

for the cake:
250g (9oz) whole almonds
6 eggs, separated
200g (7oz) sugar + extra for sauce
to serve:
300g (11oz) frozen raspberries
cream, to serve

Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Line the base of a 24cm (9in) spring form tin with baking paper and grease the sides.

Whizz the almonds in a food processor until you have a fine meal. Place almonds in a mixing bowl. Whizz yolks and sugar in the food processor until pale and well mixed.

Whisk egg whites with a whisk or stand mixer until it looks like glossy marshmallow (soft peaks). Gently add yolk mixture and almonds to the whites. Stir gently with a folding motion until everything is only just combined. Transfer to the prepared cake tin and bake until the cake is deep brown and starting to shrink away from the sides of the tin (approx 45 – 50 minutes).

Meanwhile mash together raspberries and 60g (2oz) sugar. Taste and add a little more sugar if you think it needs it.

Serve cake drizzled with sauce with cream as well.

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When an email popped into my inbox the other day with the title ‘What would you cook for $2 a day?’, my curiosity was immediately piqued. I mean $2 can’t even buy you a coffee these days, how could it be enough for food for the whole day. And why $2, anyway?

Delving in deeper, I discovered that the international poverty line is $US1.25 a day which today equates to $2 Australian. And that 1.4 billion people currently live on less than this. An organisation called The Global Poverty Project has started an awareness and fund raising initiative in Australia. ‘Live Below the Line’ invites people to live on $2/day in August to raise money for a program to educate Australian school students about the issues of global poverty.

The aim is to inspire students themselves to become leaders in the movement to end extreme poverty. Funds raised will also be allocated to open three schools in the poorest areas of Cambodia.

To help inspire anyone interested in taking the $2 challenge, on Monday I had a go at feeding myself on less than $2 for the day. While it did take quite a bit of thought and planning, I’m happy to say that I did not go to bed hungry, and better yet, enjoyed and was very thankful for my food that day.

The thing that surprised me the most was just how cheap some food can actually be. I couldn’t believe that the cheapest battery farm eggs were just $2.29 for a dozen or that you can get 250g butter for $1.29.

Unfortunately, this exercise did confirm by comparison how expensive fresh veg can be. I normally wouldn’t think about having an omelette for dinner without a salad or some greens. But with even the cheapest lettuce costing $1.95, it was a no-brainer to fill up on eggs and potatoes instead.

For more details on how you can help end extreme poverty, visit the Live Below the Line website.

$2 day menu

breakfast
a slice of homemade bread 11c
25g homemade peanut butter 20c
tea with milk 9c
lunch
broccoli soup (recipe below) 60c
slice of homemade bread 11c
butter 2.5c
dinner
potato omelette 85c
TOTAL – $1.985

[5 ingredients | 10 minutes]
broccoli soup
serves 1

I’d normally serve this with goats cheese, but to be honest it is lovely all on its own. The most surprising thing is just how delicious broccoli can be, without onion, or stock or butter.

The key to this soup is not adding too much water and being generous with the salt and pepper.

1 head broccoli 60c

Bring enough salted water, to just cover the broccoli, to the boil in a medium saucepan.

Cut broccoli into individual little trees and simmer until the broccoli is bright green and tender. You want to be able to cut it easily with a butter knife.

Drain, reserving the cooking water. Pop the hot broccoli in a blender and add a little of the cooking water. Carefully cover the blender with a tea towel and hold the lid on. Whizz until you have a soupy consistency. Add a little more water if it seems too dry. Taste and season generously.

Total cost per serve 60c.

[5 ingredients]
potato omelette
serves 1

The secret to this omelette is to cut the potato into very fine slices and cook the potato through before adding the eggs. I used the easier method of finishing it off under the grill, but you could also use the more dare-devil approach and invert the omelette onto a plate and then slice it back into the pan top side down.

You can serve this hot on its own or if you need to make it stretch further, use the omelette as a sandwich filling.

10g butter 5c
1/2 brown onion, peeled & finely sliced 15c
1 large potato, scrubbed and finely sliced 25c
2 eggs 40c

Melt butter in a small frying pan and add onion. Cook over a medium heat, stirring, until the onion is soft and golden brown. Add potatoes and a few tablespoons of water. Cover and cook stirring occasionally until the potato is soft but not broken up and mushy. If it starts to burn on the bottom add a little water and stir more freequently.

Mix eggs together with a pinch of salt in a small bowl for a few seconds then pour over the potato mixture. Gently stir so the egg gets well distributed under the potato and smooth the top so it looks pretty. Cook for a few minutes until the egg at the sides looks set then pop the whole thing under a hot grill and cook until the top is set all the way through and the omelette looks a little puffy.

Total cost per serve 85c.

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Now I’ve always liked good old peanut butter, but my Irishman is a hard-core aficionado. To say he loves the stuff is a massive understatement. So it’s not really surprising that over the last month or so, our place has seen a lot of experimenting with homemade PNB.

My peanut-perfectionist still has plans for further research, but I suspect it could last a life time. So I thought I’d share with you the findings thus far. So much tastier than commercial peanut butters, and without the additives.

And while we’re talking PNB, I have treat for you as well in the form of super-simple little chocolate tartlets taken to a new level with a thin layer of homemade peanut butter. Sweet yet salty, smooth yet crunchy – serious adult fun.

secret number 1:

use peanuts in their shells
The best way to guarantee the freshest peanuts is to shell them yourself. It takes time but can be quite therapeutic, especially if you share peanut shelling over a glass or two of vino.

secret number 2:

keep the skins on
One of our first experiments was a skins on v’s skins off competition. No question about the results, for flavour it’s skins on all the way. Not only do they add visual interest with the little flecks, they’re also adding fibre. Don’t you love it when the tastier option is also a little healthier?

secret number 3:

use the best quality you can find
We had a comparison of cheap peanuts from China and peanuts from Queensland. I suspected there was going to be a difference in flavour but I can’t tell you how bland the cheaper peanut butter was. As always, you get what you pay for.

[5 ingredients]
homemade peanut butter

Depending on the power of your food processor, you may not need to add any or all of the peanut oil. We’ve found that using a little Bamix, it just wouldn’t cope without some oil to loosen things up. Best to add a little as you go.

If you like your PNB super crunchy, just coarsely chop a handful of shelled peanuts and stir them through your butter at the end.

roasted peanuts in their shells
peanut oil
sea salt

Shell peanuts, keeping the skins on. Whizz until the peanuts form a thick paste, adding a little peanut oil at a time to help the mixing process.

Taste and season well with sea salt.

[5 ingredients | simple baking]
little chocolate pnb tartlets
makes 6

The secret to these tartlets is using milk chocolate, an idea I pinched from the boys at Bourke Street Bakery. Normally I’m a dark-chocolate-or-nothing type of girl, but with the saltiness of the peanut butter, the sweeter caramelly flavour of milk chocolate works a treat. Just don’t skimp on the quality of your chocolate.

If you can’t get your hands on digestives, any plain sweet cookie would work. For the Aussies reading, Butternut Snaps are brilliant and a lot easier to form into shape.

6 digestive biscuits (cookies) + extras
3 teaspoons peanut butter
100g (3 1/2oz) milk chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup pouring cream (35% milk fat)

Preheat oven to 200C (400F).

Bake 3 digestives for 2 minutes. Carefully, using a tea towel to protect your hand, place one digestive face down and use a soup spoon to gently bend into a shallow tartlet shell. Place on a tray to cool and repeat with remaining cookies, until you have 6 little shells.

Carefully line each shell with about 1/2 teaspoon peanut butter.

Place chocolate in a bowl. Bring cream to the boil and pour over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted. Spoon chocolate evenly between the prepared shells and sprinkle over a few sea salt flakes if you like.

Allow to cool for a few hours until chocolate is set. If you’re short on time, chill in the refrigerator but your chocolate will loose some of it’s gloss.

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on breadshoes – sean’s panaroma in bondi.

While I love speedy cooking as much as the next girl, and am in the process of writing a new book focusing on [5 ingredients | 10 minutes] recipes. Sometimes I like to take my time in the kitchen.

I love having an excuse to turn the oven on in the Winter time. I love pottering around in my uggies while delicious smells waft from the kitchen.

I love the thought that with 10 minutes to chop some veg and then a few hours of minimal attention, I can produce a humble sausage supper that will have everyone huddled around the pan, picking at bits of deliciousness and crying for more.

So here you have it. A simple sausage supper in 3 easy steps.

[5 ingredients]
a simple sausage supper
serves 2

Inspired by the oh-so-wonderful Nigel Slater and his dreamy book Tender Volume 1 – a cook and his vegetable patch.

I’ve made the recipe for 2 but would easily double or triple if you have lots of mouths to feed.

2 brown onions, peeled & cut into 6 segments
4 small parsnips, trimmed & cut into batons
1 small head garlic, unpeeled but broken into individual cloves
4 thick pork sausages
1 cup chicken stock

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 200C (400F). Place the veg in a baking tray, drizzle with some olive oil, top with the sausages and pop it in the oven.

Step 2. After about 45minutes, give everything a stir and add the stock.

Step 3. Bake for another hour or so until the veg and bangers are brown and the stock has reduced to almost nothing.

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I’ve recently re-discovered the world of audio books, so now I can run and read at the same time. Yay! Have updated my ‘Now Reading‘ page and upped my target from 26 books for the year to 52. Must read.

Self-saucing puddings. I’d be hard pressed to come up with a more comforting, warming winter dessert.

Ever since I first encountered the magic of a pudding that is crisp and cakey on the top and then moist and saucey on the bottom, I’ve been hooked. At boarding school, one of the few edible things apart from toast, was Sister Gemma’s chocolate self saucing pudding.

I was going to share a chocolate pudding recipe with you, but last week I had the inspiration to try out a ginger version and the results were seriously good. My Irishman even gave them the highest accolade of ‘best dessert, ever’. And for me, they would beat a chocolate pudding any day.

So just in case you need an excuse to get into pudding making mode, I’ve done some research on the benefits of ginger in our diet, and a few interesting ginger facts. Would love to hear in the comments if you have a favourite ginger recipe to share.

9 things you should know about ginger

1. ginger helps digestion
Ginger is meant to aide the digestion of fatty foods as well as helping to break down proteins and has also been linked to reducing gas.

2. ginger has been linked with many health benefits
Ginger has been touted as relieving nausea, especially for motion sickness and has been recommended for morning sickness. It’s also meant to reduce inflammation and improve circulation. It’s also been linked with reducing cholesterol and relaxing blood vessels. Is there anything ginger can’t do (?)

3. fresh is best
Although you can use dried powdered ginger, candied (crystallised) ginger, or even pickled ginger in cooking, I find that the flavour of fresh ginger is the best. Apparently the health benefits are more pronounced with fresh ginger as well. To convert a recipe from dried ginger substitute in 6 parts fresh grated ginger for 1 part of ground.

4. ginger should not be wrinkly or dark
When shopping for ginger, choose fresh-looking, firm, crisp stems and keep away from the dark, shriveled ones.

5. the potency varies
Like chilli, not all gingers are equal. Generally, the younger and fresher the ginger stem, the less intense the flavour. This is probably related to simple dilution and moisture content as anything else.

6. ginger makes an excellent tea
My Irishman got me onto this one. It makes a wonderful after-dinner treat when you feel like something sweet but don’t have space for dessert. Just slice off a few rounds of fresh ginger stem and pop them in the bottom of a mug or glass. Top with boiling water and allow to steep for 5 minutes or so. Serve with honey to taste.

7. store fresh ginger in the refrigerator
Ginger is best stored unpeeled at cooler temperatures. Like most veg, best to wrap in plastic or pop in an airtight container to prevent it drying out.

8. ginger can also be stored in the freezer
If you aren’t using ginger very often, it can also be stored whole in the freezer. This has the added benefit that frozen ginger is easier to grate

9. ginger can be addictive
But with all those health benefits, surely this isn’t a problem(!)

[5 ingredients | simple baking]
self-saucing ginger puddings
serves 4

I’ve included two levels of ginger in the recipe – both are delicious. If you like your ginger subtle then just use the 1 tablespoon. But if you feel like getting a real, burning ginger hit, double up with the 2 tablespoons.

I like them best with vanilla icecream but they’d also be lovely with some thick cream.

100g (3 1/2oz) unsalted butter
1 – 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
200g (7oz) brown sugar
2 eggs
100g (3 1/2 oz) self raising flour

Preheat oven to 180C (350F).

Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and add ginger and HALF the brown sugar (100g / 3 1/2oz). Stir and then add eggs, stirring well after each. Lightly mix in the flour until just combined. Don’t worry if there are a few lumps. Divide cake mixture between 4 x 1 cup capacity ramekins or dishes.

Combine the remaining HALF of the brown sugar with 1 cup boiling water. Pour over the cake mixture. Cover loosly with a large piece of foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes until puddings are puffy and golden.

Serve hot with vanilla icecream.

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