All posts tagged: white wine

Cannelini Beurre Blanc, 38p [Tin Can Cook]

Published by Jack

I have very little time for the notion that some foods are ‘not for poorer people’ – it is a criticism I have come up against time and again, whether it is kale pesto irritating the commentariat at the Daily Mail, or a slosh of £2.50 table wine in a risotto, there is a frankly hideous misconception that good food is for the ‘deserving’, with the parameters of who deserves exactly what seemingly set by those who have never had a tenner in their pocket to last a week. Sometimes, when testing new recipes, I have a moment of hesitation, wondering how to frame it to reduce the petty background chatter around what I consider to be ‘food for everyone’. And then I carry on. This was one such recipe. An unctuous and subtly powerful sauce reduced to a thick, provocative shroud for slow-cooked cannellini beans and a scant handful of pasta. It would sit proudly on any hifalutin restaurant menu, but its main ingredient is a tin of beans and a slug of vinegar. …

Sausage & Beer Casserole, 74p

Published by Admin

I love how the cheapest can of beer can be enriched by half a dozen sausages and a few other ingredients for a homely, comforting, classic dinner – delicious with a pile of mash and some green veg. This recipe first appeared in A Girl Called Jack, and an adapted version was published in my Guardian recipe column in 2014. For vegetarian and vegan readers, I have found Linda McCartney Red Onion & Rosemary Sausages are the  best here, but you may have another preference!   Serves 2 generously from 74p each. (I may earn a small fee if you click the links or purchase any recommended products below) 6 sausages, 27p (91p for 20, Smartprice frozen sausages, Asda) a splash of oil, 2p (£2.94/3l, vegetable oil at Asda) 1 onion, 9p (90p/1kg, Farm Stores at Asda) 2 cloves of garlic, 4p (20p per bulb, Asda) 250g mushrooms, 54p (54p/250g, Farm Stores at Asda) 1 x 330ml can of beer, 23p (90p for 4x440ml Bitter, Asda) 1 x 400g carton or tin of chopped tomatoes, …

Garlic Jam, 76p

Published by Jack

This started out as a curious thought in the back of my head – I know garlic softens and sweetens the longer you cook it, so could I make garlic jam? I scribbled some notes based on what little I know about jam making, dug out an old onion marmalade recipe to use as a rough guide, and promptly forgot all about it. Then one weekend, I acquired some beautiful purple garlic bulbs, and the garlic jam pondering resurfaced… I spent a pleasant evening peeling and slicing 40 cloves of garlic, and ended up with 2 jars of this sweet, punchy, unapologetic condiment. You can serve it on toast with freshly sliced ripe tomatoes, or with buttery sautéed mushrooms, or dolloped on the side of a curry, roast dinner, or wherever takes your fancy. (This post is not sponsored; I provide links to the ingredients that I use so you can see how I calculate my recipe costs, and I may earn a small commission if you click the links and make a purchase.) Makes …

Cannellini, Cider & Garlic Risotto, 29p [Tin Can Cook]

Published by Jack

I did not mean to make this. I did not imagine it, did not plan it, did not conceive of it in advance. I wandered into my kitchen one midday in May with friends to feed, and myself, and pottered absently at the stove throwing whatever came to hand into my, wide, shallow pan. I very rarely cook with onions these days, as any great quantity of them upsets my stomach – such are the perks of growing older with a compromised immune system and a body that seems to find a new failing on a near-weekly basis – but I inexplicably find myself still with half a fridge drawer of them, red and white and peeling at the edges, and so I shrug and accept the consequences. A tin of cannellini beans at eye level, a bag of basic rice so old by now that when I bought it that it has cost 45p, 65p and now 45p again before I have reached the bottom. I want comfort, soft and creamy, but subtle and …

Preserving Garlic, Three Ways

Published by Jack

Garlic is often cheaper to buy in bulk packs than as individual bulbs – so every now and again I buy a bag or two containing 10 bulbs and spend an hour preserving them. There are three main methods I like to use: freezing, making garlic paste and preserving in vinegar. You can also dry the cloves in a warm oven and grind them into a powder, but I only do this if baking something else at the same time. Freezing: Break open the garlic bulb to remove the cloves, and for each clove chop off the ends and peel away the papery skin. You can freeze the garlic cloves whole if you want to use them whole, but I finely chop mine and freeze the chopped garlic spread out thinly (for ease of breaking off a chunk when it’s frozen). You can just pop the frozen chopped garlic straight into the dish when cooking. Garlic paste must be stored frozen, as home-made garlic paste can cause botulism (due to the low acidity of the …

Lettuce, Pea & Lemon Risotto by Jack Monroe

Risotto with Peas, Lettuce & Lemon, 16p

Published by Jack

The idea of putting cold lettuce leaves into a warm dish may seem an unusual one, but it is one of my new favourite things. The idea is definitely not a revolutionary one; gently wilted lettuce has topped slick hot burgers for a hundred years or thereabouts, so there must be something in it. I found a bag of lettuce for 10p at my local Tesco Express, and have been folding it into everything ever since, much to the chagrin of my bunnies, who usually get to nibble on the bargains, but what they don’t know shan’t hurt them. If the idea really makes you shudder, then use a hardier leaf for this recipe, like spinach, chard or cabbage, but I promise you, the fresh, still-slightly-crisp surprise of a lettuce leaf in a creamy-soft risotto is a truly delightful one. Serves 4 at 16p each 300g basic rice, 14p (45p/1kg, Smartprice at Asda) 1 tbsp oil or butter, 1p (97p/1l, Asda) 2 tbsp white wine, if you have it, 12p (£2.98/750ml Fre Chardonnay, Asda) 750ml …

White Bean, White Wine & Garlic Risotto, 29p

Published by Jack

I did not mean to make this today. I did not imagine it, did not plan it, did not conceive of it in advance. I wandered into my kitchen around midday with a gardener and a friend to feed, and myself, and pottered absently at the stove throwing whatever came to hand into my, wide, shallow pan. I very rarely cook with onions these days, as any great quantity of them upsets my stomach – such are the perks of growing older with a compromised immune system and a body that seems to find a new failing on a near-weekly basis – but I inexplicably find myself still with half a fridge drawer of them, red and white and peeling at the edges, and so I shrug and accept the consequences. A tin of cannellini beans at eye level, a bag of basic rice so old that it was 45p when I bought it (it has risen to 65p now, and I no longer shop at that particular supermarket). I want comfort, soft and creamy, …

Ham, Pea & Mint Casserole, 30p [A Girl Called Jack]

Published by Jack

This delicious ham casserole is adapted from a favourite old recipe of mine – where I would boil the ham joint whole to make a stock, before shredding it into the casserole. This faster version is no compromise, making a delicious hearty dinner in less than half the time. For an extra special twist, serve with crusty bread topped with melted cheese and green vegetables. Serves 4-6 depending on age and appetites, at 30p each 500g cooking bacon, 85p (or ham joint or streaky bacon) 2 small onions or 1 whopping one (about 250g all in), 15p 1 tablespoon cooking oil, 2p 400ml chicken stock, 3p 100ml apple juice, 7p (or white wine if you prefer) a handful of fresh parsley, 4p a handful of fresh mint, 4p 350g tinned potatoes (drained weight), 20p or other small white potatoes 160g tinned carrots (drained weight), 20p or 2 small fresh ones 150g frozen peas, 18p Dice the ham or bacon and peel and chop the onions. Put into a frying pan with the oil and fry …

Spring Piggy, 33p [A Girl Called Jack]

Published by Jack

Spring Piggy, serves 4 for £1.34, or 34p each. This is an adaptation of a Nigella Lawson recipe for spring chicken, which was adapted in turn from a traditional rabbit recipe. That’s the thing about food, we all fiddle with it and tweak and make it posher or make it cheaper and add our own twists as we see fit. I didn’t have any chicken, but I did still have a generous hunk of that £1.09/670g bacon going begging, and a slightly pathetic half a savoy cabbage, so here’s what I did… (This post is not sponsored; I provide links to the ingredients that I use so you can see how I calculate my recipe costs, and I may earn a small commission if you click the links and make a purchase.) 300g bacon, 48p (£1.09/670g) 1 garlic clove, 3p (46p for 2 bulbs, avg 8 cloves each) 1 onion, 5p (part of a 20pc mixed vegetable pack, £1) 1 carrot, 5p (part of a 20pc mixed vegetable pack, £1) 100ml white wine, 46p (Table …