Tag Archives: cheap

Cheap & Easy, Recipes, Side dishes, Vegan on a Budget

Mashed Microwaved Potatoes

Inspired by a Middle Eastern Recipe. See also the Potato Salad recipe as that is simpler and does not require mashing.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Cost £1.20 or less

Ingredients

  • 500 grams (approximately) potatoes 
  • Sunflower, rapeseed or olive oil to taste
  • Pinch of salt or 1 tablespoon of shoyu/soy sauce

EITHER

  • Unsweetened plant milk – soya, oat, hemp, almond or rice 

OR

  • Juice of half a lemon 
  • 2 cloves of garlic

Method

  1. Peel or thoroughly scrub the potatoes in water.
  2. Cut into chunks about the size of a golf ball.
  3. Crush or finely chop the garlic.
  4. Place the cut potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl & cover with a microwave-safe plate. (No water required).
  5. Cook in the microwave oven on high power for 10 minutes.
  6. Check if a fork can go through the potatoes easily.
  7. If not soft enough, stir, cook for 2 more minutes & then check.
  8. If still not soft enough, repeat until it is.
  9. Mash with a potato masher. Skins can be left on. 
  10. Add salt and oil while mashing to the texture you like. Shoyu/soy sauce can be used instead of salt. 

EITHER

11a. Mix in enough plant milk to make the potatoes smooth & creamy.
OR

11b. Mix in lemon juice & garlic according to taste.

12.   Serve

Cheap & Easy, Main dishes, Recipes, Vegan on a Budget

Lentil & Chickpea Stew

Serves 6

Cost 60p per person (£3.60 for 6)

Ingredients

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 large celery stick, finely diced

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1.5 litres vegan stock

300g red lentils

1 tin chickpeas

1 tin chopped tomatoes

Method

1. Heat oil.

2. Add onions, celery, ginger, garlic and all spices.

3. Gently sauté for 10 minutes, until soft but not browned.

4. Add stock, chickpeas, lentils and tomatoes and bring to the boil. Stir and cover pan. Simmer for at least 30 minutes, until lentils have dissolved.

5. Serve with crusty bread or brown rice and fresh coriander.

Cheap & Easy, Main dishes, Recipes, Side dishes, Starters and soups, Vegan on a Budget

Red Lentil Pancakes

Makes 5/6 pancakes.

Costs about 15p each without fillings.

Ingredients

1 cup red lentils

Uncooked veggies of choice (peppers, onions, mushrooms, carrots etc)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

½ tablespoon of baking powder

Salt and pepper according to taste

Method

Soak 1 cup red lentils overnight then rinse and wash.

Blend with 1cup water & pour into a bowl.

Chop veggies of choice & add to the blended lentils.

Add olive oil, baking powder, salt & pepper and mix well.

Pour the mixture into the frying pan… enough to cover bottom.

Cook (dry-fry if the pan will allow) covered for 2 minutes, flip and repeat.

Cook uncovered for 1 minute each side.

Cheap & Easy, Main dishes, Recipes, Vegan on a Budget

5 Bean Chilli

Serves 4 (Cost £2.50)

Ingredients 

1x 400g tin of tomatoes

2 x 400g tins of mixed beans

1 large onion chopped

1 red pepper (optional)

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped or minced

1 vegetable stock cube

1 tablespoon of tomato puree

200ml of water

1 teaspoon of oil

½ to 1 teaspoon of chilli powder (optional 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of

smoked paprika for extra flavour)

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Chop onion ( and pepper) into roughly 1cm pieces.

2. Finely chop garlic.

3. Soften onions (and pepper) in oil on a medium heat for around 5 mins in a pan stirring occasionally.

4. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes stirring occasionally.

5. Add the spices and stir thoroughly for a further minute or two.

6. Add remaining ingredients. Swill out the empty tin of tomatoes with some of the water into the pan.

7. Bring to the boil then simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.

8. Add salt and pepper to your own taste.

Events, featured

The final Cheap & Easy Climate Emergency Cookery workshop on Saturday 26th April 2025

Photo of a woman pouring an oil into a bowl containing a pale coloured mixture of lentil pancake batter. Also on the table is an induction hob, various ingredients, containers and cutting boards.
A previous Cheap & Easy Cookery Workshop at the Central Methodist Church in Todmorden

All are invited to attend our last of five Cheap & Easy Climate Emergency Cookery Workshops (details below). Once again, we’ll be showing how to make several low-cost, healthy & easy-to-make plant-based dishes that minimise the food’s contribution to climate change… and maximise kindness. Free samples of the food prepared in the workshop will be offered to workshop participants along with recipes for each dish.

Saturday 26th April, Cheap & Easy workshop during Cornholme Community Day …

A poster giving the full programme for the Cornholme Community Day including the Cheap & Easy cookery workshop and free lunch. Timing in text below the image.

Our Cheap & Easy workshop will be held in Cornholme Old Library, I Parkside Road, Cornholme, OL14 8QA between 13:00 and 15:00 as part of the Cornholme Community Day. Between 12:00 and 13:00, we’ll also be providing some free mixed bean chilli lunches.  

As you can see from the poster above, there’s a lot going on during the Community Day and it’s all free. Come and have fun whilst learning new skills.

All Cheap & Easy workshops have been supported by Todmorden Town Council’s Climate Emergency Committee

Help! We need some bodies.

Image showing hands raised an the word "Volunteer"

Yes yours please! We really need helpers for the Cornholme Cheap & Easy workshop on 26th April and/or the lunch we’ll be serving. If you can spare any time to help between 11:00 and 15:00, please email info@3valleyvegns.org.uk. We would really appreciate it…and you’ll get fed too.

Volunteer image by 🆓 Use at your Ease 👌🏼 from Pixabay