These little beauties started off as meatballs when I had friends over for dinner and only had some sausage meat and sad little prunes with which to make a miracle meal. I liked them so much, I made them again as burgers. (Makes 6) 87p each 6 dried prunes, sliced, 30p 1 onion, diced, 9p 400g free-range pork mince, £4.50 […]
There is nothing as comforting as rhubarb and custard to see you through the last of the winter’s chill. Traditional rice pudding is baked in the oven, but I never heat the whole oven up for something I can do just as well on the hob. (Serves 4) 54p a portion 200g rhubarb, £1.50 50g sugar, 4p 150g long grain […]
Jack Monroe is a Tory cabinet’s nightmare – a coherent single mother who lived in abject poverty with her small son, and found an enthusiastic following for her blog about the indignities of rent hikes, food banks and pawning her possessions to feed her child. She then won a book contract for a collection of recipes compiled while on a […]
Yesterday, we had a large black bunch of mint in the fridge, some sticky soggy parsley and a clump of basil that had seen better days. Add to that a hard rind of cheese and you can see why everyone wants to come to lunch here… I decided to whack it all in the blender and see if I could […]
Scratchy throat, simultaneous blocked and runny nose, muggy head, general air of malaise? Yeah, that was me this morning… So in a bid to banish the heavy cold feeling, I knocked up a large jug of this stuff – and by golly, it worked a treat. If you have an office job, take it to work in a Thermos flask […]
Here’s some of the photos from my book launch party on the 3rd March – there are literally hundreds of photos so here are a few of my favourites! Top to bottom: 1. Signing a book for Mora Mclagan at Oxfam. 2. Genevieve Willis, me and Mora Mclagan. 3. Lindsey Evans, my editor at Penguin, and me, saying a few […]
On a recent trip to Tanzania, I came across dagaa in almost every household I visited. We’d often eat tiny fish with stewed greens, home-ground peanut butter and ugali (soft maize), served in small bowls, with our fingers. Here is my British take on it… (Serves 2) 48p a portion 150g rice, 6p 2 tbsp oil, 6p 200g sprats, 40p […]
Is Jack Monroe a saint or a martyr? A bit of both probably, but there is no denying the impact she has made in a relatively short time. It is just two years since she began writing her blog, agirlcalledjack.com, which started out as local political commentary about her home town of Southend and, thankfully, blossomed into something much more […]
What do you do when you have an abundance of oranges in the house and a Saturday morning to kill? Christened ‘Love Marmalade’ – it certainly was a labour, but of the sticky, delicious, giggly variety. Here’s the recipe we loosely worked from, loosely meaning we talked about it for a week, then eventually halved and gutted and sliced the […]
This is my take on Greek dolmades. I first had stuffed vine leaves at my grandad’s guesthouse in Southend, and deeply regret not pilfering his recipe before he passed away. I wrap mine in cabbage leaves, which will no doubt have him swearing at me from beyond the grave, but these go down well in my house. (Makes 20) at […]
In January, Jack Monroe, a young British woman in her twenties with a shagged, boyish haircut, uploaded her fourth video to YouTube. It showed Monroe in a gray T-shirt and cardigan, pushing sweated onions and greens around a saucepan with a wooden spoon on an electric stove. “Hi,” she says, meekly, and waves. Tonight she’s making turkey meatballs and spinach pasta. “I’m really tired and I don’t really fancy haute cuisine tonight, so here we go,” she explains with wry weariness. Monroe then squeezes the last of a tube of tomato paste into the pan. A fluorescent light casts a yellow glow as Monroe cooks, and the sizzling vegetables overpower her voice. A cat perches on a wooden IKEA stool in the background. Monroe is a resourceful and skilled cook, with a recipe book out this month, but she is the opposite of most celebrity chefs. Since May, 2012, she has posted hundreds of budget recipes on her cheerful blog, called “A Girl Called Jack,” ranging from peach-and-chickpea curry (“a good place to hide extra vegetables”) to at least a dozen kinds of bread. She had no computer, so she typed out each recipe—and even her book—on a pay-as-you-go Nokia phone. Each recipe includes the price of each ingredient and the total price of the meal per serving, which typically adds up to less than one pound. Back in July, 2012, though, while she was posting recipes for friends and […]
This morning I conquered my fear of cooking on television with a brief stint on Channel Four’s Sunday Brunch – awesome, loved it, and had lots of lovely messages on Twitter afterwards too from people who had seen it – including a picture of a bowl of dough proving, from one reader who was cooking it along with me! I […]
It’s been a totally crazy week this week, and nothing beats when one of your musical and political heroes offers to take you out busking for an afternoon. I lost my voice on Sunday – still don’t have it back – but there was no way I was going to let that stop me. Slight mortification about having to bellow/holler […]
This wholesome, earthy soup is packed with flavour from the sweet roasted onions and unmistakable taste of fennel. (Serves 2) 49p a portion 400g cauliflower florets, fresh or frozen, 60p 1 potato, diced, 9p 1 onion, quartered, 9p 4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled 6p Scant teaspoon of fennel seeds, 5p 2 tbsp oil, 6p 500ml vegetable stock, 2p Preheat the […]
Photography by Susan Bell. I knocked up this soup last winter. It combines onions and garlic for detoxifying goodness with chillies to fire you up, tomatoes and carrots for essential vitamin C, beans for protein and chocolate because it’s a solution to almost everything. (Serves 2) 100g dried black beans 1 onion 1 clove of garlic small red chilli […]
I didn’t manage to say very much on Channel 5’s The Big Benefits Row, beyond an opening remark about people not being able to just rock up to a food bank with a carrier bag and help themselves. I started to talk about the Trussell Trust when Edwina Currie, also on my panel, cut over me to talk about my […]
When I arrive at her flat in Southend-on-Sea Jack Monroe is where fans of her compulsive blog A Girl Called Jack perhaps imagine her always to be, in front of her cooker, making an omelette. The flat, which she moved into three weeks ago, overlooks the wild grey Thames estuary, just up from the longest pleasure pier in the world. […]
Last month I spent 10 days in Tanzania with Oxfam, meeting women and farmers who had been involved in Oxfam projects including Raising Her Voice and Female Food Heroes. Click here to watch the video. My trip to Tanzania is something that I think about every day. I miss Anna and Sister Martha terribly, and I hope to return very soon. With thanks to Oxfam Tanzania, Oxfam Ireland, Oxfam GB, Fred Nyatori (director), Mora McLagan (photography), and Caterina Monsanzi and Michael Tait at the Guardian. Jack Monroe. Twitter: @MsJackMonroe
Just because, this is one of my favourite pieces of writing. For love, for food, for words. From ‘Rapture’ by Carol Ann Duffy. Not a red rose or a satin heart. I give you an onion. It is a moon wrapped in brown paper. It promises light like the careful undressing of love. Here. It will blind you with tears like a lover. It will make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief. I am trying to be truthful. Not a cute card or a kissogram. I give you an onion. Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips, possessive and faithful as we are, for as long as we are. Take it. Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring, if you like. Lethal. Its scent will cling to your fingers, cling to your knife. – Carol Ann Duffy.
These simple but hearty scones are ideal for any time of day. I serve mine for breakfast with a runny egg on top, or for dinner with buttery cabbage and succulent chicken thighs. (Serves 4) 38p per person 500g potatoes, diced, 14p 25g butter, 12p 1 onion, finely chopped, 10p 1 egg, beaten, 22p 50g blue cheese, crumbled, 35p 2 […]
Last Saturday night was the second of mine and my friend Juliet’s ‘Charity Curry Nights’. The format is simple; people book in advance, I cook up a load of curry, people turn up on the night, pay, eat said curry, and we donate the proceeds to charity. I’m loving it, although cooking curry for 25 people might sound like some […]
Bramley apple soda bread (makes four generous portions): 200g flour (any will do – plain, self raising, rye, whole meal…) 1 rounded tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 tsp lemon juice 200ml milk 1 large Bramley apple (or other variety, but they do work incredibly well here!) First, measure out the milk and add the lemon juice, and leave to stand […]
For this dish I’ve combined honey and peach with a generous squeeze of lime to cut through the sweetness. (Serves four) 200g flour 100g sugar 100g oats 150g butter 400g tinned peaches in syrup 1 tbsp honey 1 whole fresh lime Preheat your oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Melt the butter in a […]
I’ve had a hankering for Curried eggs for the past couple of days, I’m not sure why… So tonight, I knocked this one together. Rich and simple, cheap and easy, this is set to become a Major favourite in my household… Ingredients: (Serves 2) 4 free range eggs 1 onion 1 tbsp oil 1 fresh red chilli or pinch of […]
Hi lovely readers! Do you remember last week I asked you to help me out with recipe ideas for my food shop? Well, over 300 ideas were sent in here, on Facebook and on Twitter, and I spent the week making a few that had caught my eye. To recap: here’s what I had to work with: http://agirlcalledjack.com/2014/01/27/turning-the-tables-heres-my-food-what-should-i-make-this-week/ And here’s what I made: TUESDAY: Breakfast: Apple granola – http://agirlcalledjack.com/2014/01/28/apple-crumble-granola/ Lunch: Spiced split pea and yoghurt soup – http://agirlcalledjack.com/2014/01/28/spiced-split-pea-and-yoghurt-soup/ Dinner: Pasta with turkey and chickpea meatballs, tomato, spinach and Greek cheese – http://agirlcalledjack.com/2014/01/29/turkey-and-chickpea-meatballs-with-pasta-spinach-onion-and-crumbled-not-feta-cheese/ WEDNESDAY: Breakfast: Apple granola – http://agirlcalledjack.com/2014/01/28/apple-crumble-granola/ Lunch: Spiced split pea and yoghurt pasta bake with cheese – http://agirlcalledjack.com/2014/01/30/pasta-bake-with-leftover-spiced-split-pea-and-yoghurt-soup/ Dinner: Turkey meatball and two bean stew – http://agirlcalledjack.com/2014/01/29/turkey-meatball-stew-with-green-and-white-beans/ THURSDAY: Breakfast: Banana pancakes – http://agirlcalledjack.com/2014/01/30/banana-pancakes/ Lunch: Spiced split pea and yoghurt pasta bake with cheese http://agirlcalledjack.com/2014/01/30/pasta-bake-with-leftover-spiced-split-pea-and-yoghurt-soup/ Dinner: Mackerel and spinach chowder – http://agirlcalledjack.com/2014/01/30/mackerel-and-spinach-chowder/ FRIDAY: Breakfast: Sweet mandarin Bircher – http://agirlcalledjack.com/2014/01/31/sweet-mandarin-breakfast-bircher-31p/ Lunch: Roast carrot and Greek cheese soup Dinner: Smoked mackerel kedgeree – http://agirlcalledjack.com/2014/01/31/smoked-mackerel-kedgeree-89p/ SATURDAY: Breakfast: Pitta bread with fried sardines and runny egg – http://agirlcalledjack.com/2014/02/01/toasted-pitta-bread-topped-with-chunks-of-fried-sardine-and-a-runny-egg-44p/ Lunch: Roast carrot and Greek cheese soup Dinner: Carrot, cumin and kidney bean burgers with rainbow rice – http://agirlcalledjack.com/2013/04/06/carrot-cumin-kidney-bean-burger-9p/ SUNDAY: Breakfast: Apple pancakes (these without the sultanas) – http://agirlcalledjack.com/2013/11/20/apple-sultana-pancakes-22p/ Lunch: Avgolemono soup Dinner: Mushroom, spinach and garlic risotto MONDAY: Breakfast: Sweet mandarin Bircher – http://agirlcalledjack.com/2014/01/31/sweet-mandarin-breakfast-bircher-31p/ Lunch: Mushroom, garlic and soft cheese soup Dinner: Carrot, cumin and kidney bean burgers with rice and green beans – […]
Dear Edwina; It’s 9 o clock on Tuesday, the morning after the night before, where we were both on a panel on The Big Benefits Row on Channel 5. I haven’t watched it back, I was there, and know what I look like when I’m angry. I need to get this out – because it’s everything I wanted to say last night but couldn’t, as I kept being rudely shouted over by you. Honestly, my three year old behaves better than that. At least he knows that when Mummy does her ‘will you just be QUIET and LISTEN to me’ then the best thing to do is to stop running your mouth and let Mummy say her piece. But you didn’t. Because you were terrified of what I had to say. I wanted to say, when asked by Matthew Wright, that poverty is almost indescribable to someone as blinkered as you. That turning off the fridge because it’s empty anyway, that sitting across the table from your young son enviously staring down his breakfast, having freezing cold showers and putting your child to bed in god knows how many layers of clothes in the evening – it’s distressing. Depressing. Destabilising. Sure – you could probably live on benefits for a week to ‘prove it could be done’. But imagine living for 11 weeks with no housing benefit, because of ‘delays’. Imagine those 77 days of being chased for rent that […]
This kedgeree was another recipe idea suggested by my readers based in my food shop – and it was an absolute hit – Thankyou everyone who suggested it! The mackerel can be replaced with any smoked or strong fish, and the spices can be swapped out for garam masala or curry powder, whatever you have to hand. The onions lend […]
Ingredients: (makes one portion) 40g rolled oats 100g natural yoghurt 100ml milk (10g milk powder and 100ml water) 100g broken mandarin segments Mix the oats, yoghurt and milk together in a small bowl, and chill in the fridge overnight to soften the oats. In the morning, serve with the mandarins on top, and enjoy! A drizzle of honey, if you […]
Ingredients (serves two generous portions): 1 tbsp oil 1 onion 1 tbsp flour 200ml milk 200ml water 50g frozen spinach 100g mackerel 200g sweetcorn 200g tinned potatoes First, heat the oil in a pan. Dice or slice the onion, add with the flour, stir well and cook on a medium heat for a few minutes to soften. Make up the […]
This was my lunch for today – so simple that it’s barely a recipe but here we go! Basically, I cooked 100g of pasta, mixed it with half a portion of spiced split pea and lentil soup (http://agirlcalledjack.com/2014/01/28/spiced-split-pea-and-yoghurt-soup/) left over from Tuesdays lunch, grated a smudge of cheese over the top and shoved it under the grill for five minutes […]
