Simple recipes for under a fiver

by Mark Lockett

There is nothing better than a piping hot bowl of delicious, homemade stew on a cold winters night.
 
Although easy and cheap to make, be warned, it is just as easy to end up with tasteless water or a thick sludge, rather than a filling, tasty dinner.

Battle of the Dishes

In an attempt to guide you towards the latter I have tested two different recipes. Though very different in style they both fit the initial criteria of inexpensive and easy to make. They should also make a change from the traditional and cater to any taste.

 

• Prawn and harissa stew with couscous

First up is prawn and harissa stew with couscous. For those as uneducated as I was, harissa is a North African chilli paste. Apparently it is common in a variety of dishes from Moroccan to Lebanese food, which suggests it tastes pretty good. Unfortunately it is also quite expensive (£3.39 for a 90g pot in Sainsbury's) so I recommend making some. There are a variety of recipes to be found on the Internet, but the key ingredients seem to be chilli, cumin and tomato.

So as a bonus recipe within a recipe put about a tablespoon of tomato purée in a small bowl. Add a tablespoon of chilli powder – adapt to taste obviously – a teaspoon of cumin, paprika, a little oil and some garlic.
Mash all of this together into a paste and there you have it, home made harissa.

Obviously this is only an interpretation of what harissa is and if you went out and bought some you may end up with a completely different taste. Personally though I think making it yourself gives you more control over the dish you are creating and the end flavour.

How to

Whether you prepared or bought the harissa you will also need: 100g of couscous (a fantastically easy to make and versatile ingredient), 200ml of chicken stock, a small onion, two cloves of garlic- or equivalent in paste or powder- a tea spoon of cumin, a tin of tomatoes, around two tea spoons of harissa and prawns – I recommend the Sainsbury's basic 250g pack.

Make the couscous by firstly putting it into a bowl with the chicken stock and then covering with a plate. It should take around 5 minutes to absorb. In the mean time fry the onion and garlic until the onion is soft then re-fry briefly with cumin.

Pour in the tin of tomatoes and harissa, adjust the heat so it is simmering then leave to reduce. Once it has reduced and is nearly ready to serve put in the prawns and simmer for roughly three minutes – any longer and the prawns may become too soggy.
Serve the by now fluffy couscous into two bowls and pour the contents of the pan on top. Season to taste and enjoy.

 

• Three bean, tomato and spinach stew

The alternative is a more traditional European style dish. Although entirely vegetarian, three bean, tomato and spinach stew is both satisfying and tasty. Ridiculously easy to make and full of those good things people keep telling you, you should eat, this stew really does tick all the boxes for fighting off the cold winter weather.

How To

Made up of one large onion, around two cloves of garlic, a table spoon of ground cumin, a tin of tomatoes, half a tin of kidney and cannellini beans, 100g of chopped green beans and 100g of spinach, the total cost of this meal comes to roughly £3.

Again start by frying the onions and garlic together, until the onions are soft, and then add cumin. After the cumin has been fried enough for you to be able to    smell it strongly, add the tin of tomatoes and half a mug of water. Put the lid on your pot and leave the stew to simmer and reduce, for roughly five minutes.

Having let some of the water boil off, put in all of your beans, followed five minutes later by the spinach. Now simply let it cook until it is as thick as you like.

Although it is robust enough as a stand-alone meal, I recommend serving it with mashed potato.

Both recipes make an excellent dish for those with a low budget but a desire to eat well. The portions I describe can easily feed two people. Out of the two - in the context of making dinner having had a cold walk home, after a long day at college - the three Bean wins the day. It is thick, warming, and has a distinct but subtle taste, going down incredibly well making you almost want to wallow in it.

The harissa is equally as tasty although perhaps not quite as indulgent because of the slightly independent cous cous and prawns.