Extreme Frugality - A week of struggle meals
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- Опубликовано: 8 июл 2024
- This week I show you 6 meals that can be cooked on an extreme budget.
This Weeks Meals
0:00 introduction
1:00 Galette Complet
4:30 Coronation Chicken
9:00 Rainbow Risotto
14:35 Croque Monsieur
19:50 Lentil Lasagne
24:15 Fish Cakes
28:20 My question for you
Frugal Queen in France
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We are a British couple living in Brittany on a budget.
Frugal recipes, days out, home renovations and day to day making do in France.
We’ll give you hints, tips, advice and an insight into our life in France.
Kitchen Tiles
As many of you have asked I can tell you that the kitchen tiles are from a French DIY shop called Leroy Merlin. They are pretty!
Website www.frugalqueeninfrance.com/
FaceBook / frugalqueeni. .
Instagram / frugalqueen. .
Twitter / batt_jane
Equipment used
Camera : iPhone SE (2016)
Mic : iRig MicCast2
Editing : iMovie on an M1 Mac mini
Music:
Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Artist: audionautix.com/
Some Sound from Zapsplat.com
RUclips Audio Library
Apple iMovie
I’m so happy to see that you scrape out your cans and containers. I often see in other video when they don’t and I’m always thinking “You still have a lot left to use. You’re leaving behind like a 1/4 cup”. It drives me crazy!
Thanks for that, I don’t waste anything.
I think the same thing!!!
I usually add a little water to the tin and shack then add to the pan
Ha ha. I scrape out every last drop of everything! If you added it all up over the course of a year, I bet it would be quite a lot of wastage!
Im not sure but is it bad for you to scrape out tins ?
Our favorite scratch/cheap meal is toasted bread with butter, baked beans on top, over easy egg on top of the beans. Love it. Hearty and filling.
Breakfast of champions
that's very British
That sounds good! I’m jotting that down
What kind of beans? Baked bean? I can't imagine bean and toast...but dang I'll give it a go!
@@kelliehays3482 baked beans. Oh it's good!
Our struggle meal is refried bean and cheese tostadas (made on corn tortillas.) They can be very basic or dressed up with extras you might have on hand like a fried egg or cabbage, peppers, salsa, etc. They are super fast to make as well.
I never waste either. I'm in the USA and when I need to use up what I have, I whip up a dinner of what I have. It's always good, probably better than a planned out meal. Also one thing I do, when I chop up veggies like carrots, celery, etc I do the following to not waste the nutrients. I take the chopped off ends, boil in water, then mix it with my dogs food. They love it. Then I take the cooled veggie water and water my plants. I hate to waste. Really like your channel. Thanks.
Thanks very much.
Struggle meals (or meals when I don’t fancy spending ages cooking) are baked potatoes with cheese and coleslaw, bean chilli with rice/pita bread/corn chips, home made beans on toast, homemade oven chips/wedges with egg and vege sausage. We also love a toasted sandwich!
Who doesn't love a toasted sandwich.
The last week of every month, I do a week of what I call "shelf cooking". I use up all the odd bits and pieces of whatever is left in the fridge and freezer.
I never buy anything in the last week of the month, we just use up what we have.
My mum used to do that.
@@elizabethhayward570 same here 😺🇦🇺💙
I don’t shop every week so I always use up what’s in the fridge before I go. I have a rule of I don’t shop until there is at least 6 items on the shopping list.
Great idea xx
My son lives "fish cakes" in the USA we call them fish patties 😁. I've never seen them made with mashed potatoes. That looks so good
Definitely will be trying this. I have many struggle meals.One of my favorite can also just be called meatless meal.
Can if black beans drained( or cooked from scratch).
1-red or yellow peeper
1- green pepper
1-jalaepeno(optional)
1-lrg Onion
1-small zucinni
Cut all the veg. And place in a pan . Cool until tender .
Add beans and
1pack of taco seasoning.
Place on tortillas
Add as many or few toppings as you like.
Being a vegetarian I was particularly attracted to your lentil lasagne, Jane. It looked wonderful.
I learned some struggle meals from my mother - tomato soup (from a tin) with cheesy roast potatoes on the side, or tinned baked beans, potato chips and a fried egg were my favourites. I have made these regularly throughout my adult life although, now, I make my soups from scratch rather than using tinned.
I love egg, chips and beans too.
Very clever.
I also love egg beans and chips, it feels like a really naughty meal . I make this if I am feeling down it’s a cheat meal that cheers me up.
Bean burgers! 35p for can of mixed beans, one onion (10p?), one carrot (5p?). Wizz carrot and onion up in food processor add beans + salt, pepper and a dolop of smokey bbq sauce + one tablespoon of flour. Give another short wizz. Makes 4 'quater pounders '. Buy the buns on yellow sticker add a bit of salad and mayo and for well under 50p a portion you have a meal for 4.
We love beanie burgers too. Thanks for sharing.
I like the sound of that, thank you
I love this. My favorite frugal meals are fried rice (rice is cheap and you add an eggs and whatever you have in the fridge as far as veggies or proteins) and what my mom used to call a farmer’s lunch. She’d just put out whatever she had on a cutting board like a charcuterie plate but much cheaper. We’d have olives, raw carrots, crackers, cheese, deli meat, whatever. I loved it and still do it occasionally ❤
I'm going to cook fish cakes tomorrow and try baking them instead of frying them. Another great tip from you. Thank you Jane.
I baked them, I brushed oil on them so they’d be crispy. Thanks for watching
What delicious meals. I would not call these struggle meals when they look so delicious. Thank you for teaching just how enjoyable simple, nutritious meals are.
They are some of our cheapest recipes.
Exactly! These are not struggle meals, they are normal meals. I would call it struggle meals for example if for buckwheat pancakes you had only that - just the pancakes with maybe some potato mashed inside or something along those lines, super cheap. I would consider struggle when its hard to meet your nutritional needs. But anyway, great recipes! I loved the video 💚
“If you have lumps don’t worry you have teeth.” Loved it! And loved the video. Great ideas. Haven’t cooked with lentil. Will have to give it a go.
Thanks so much! 😊
Hahahaaa ! I loved when Jane sid that ! Hilarious !
Ate a lot of cheese and potato pie growing up, often with beans. As a grown up, it seems like a treat, proper comfort food. Though I avoid beans with it as there's salt enough in the cheese. Salad with tomatoes, much nicer.
Those are good meals Donna. Thanks for sharing.
I love good old baked potatoes with whatever is to hand - a salad, baked beans, a tin of sardines etc.
You can’t beat a classic, thanks for sharing
I use to cook spaghetti Bolognese in a Hugh pot and added cheap frozen mix veggies cooked it till the veggies disappeared everyone loved it the other was cabbage mince with yes more frozen veggies
Hi, Jane from Washington, DC. Thanks for that coronation chicken recipe. I had a chicken salad sandwich at a deli that must have used that recipe. it was delicious! Now I can make it at home. My go-to cheapies depend on the season: in summer it's tuna salad stretched with a little elbow macaroni served on salad made from whatever fixins are in the fridge. I might fry potatoes to go on the side. In winter, it's chile made from hamburger or ground turkey with lots of spices served over rice. Any season, tacos made from ground turkey, plenty of spice with shredded cheese and salad. I'm going to make the fish cakes, too. My mother used to make them from dried fish flakes or shreds that had to be soaked.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting
Because I'm an American, I often dress my coleslaw with ranch dressing. I tend to make my own, which tastes so much fresher and better than what they sell in the stores. There's a great recipe for ranch dressing mix in the Make-A-Mix Cookbook, and I add a little dill to it because I like the freshness dill adds to food. Mayonnaise, buttermilk, and homemade dressing mix, whisked together until it thickens a bit, keeps in the fridge for about a week -- but in our household it never lasts that long.
Thanks for sharing!
What a treat to be presented with gluten free recipes as I am Coeliac, thank you. I am going to try your Lentil Lasagne ( using corn pasta sheets or if I am short of that, slices of aubergine) and the Risotto.
My struggle meal is a Lentil and Vegetable Bake topped with either sliced potatoes or mashed potatoes depending on the mood and sprinkle some grated cheese over the top. generally use a smallish amount of cheddar and some grated parmesan mixed together for a stronger flavour it is .... 1. more economical 2. I'm addicted to cheese and this helps stop me pigging out on it 🙄
Thanks for sharing
Sounds really good will definitely give it a try.
Thanks Jane! We whizz the crusty ends of bread for breadcrumbs and store them in the freezer- use them for stuffing, coating, adding bulk etc to our struggle meals. I'm going to try some of these for sure!
Those are great saving Dee, thanks for sharing.
I do the same thing. I’ve found that when rolls, Hamburg or Hotdog buns, etc. have been stored in the freezer for long they are not especially nice to eat when thawed. So, I whiz them in the food processor and use for breading, stuffing, etc.
Thought about you this morning when watching Kerry Whelpdales Sunday morning video. She does lots of videos about frugal meals. Might be interesting for you to look her up, she is here in the Uk
I shall look her up, thanks for the recommendation.
Thanks Jane, I
I like your emphasis on simple home cooking as opposed to instagram-type presentations. My go-to cheap meal is chickpea and sweet potato curry.Doesn’t necessarily even need rice, and you can substitute any beans for the chickpeas. I use an onion, a tin of tomatoes and a stock cube with the curry powder for the sauce. You could add any extras you have, eg peppers, garlic, any veg etc
love all of these recipes Jane thanks so much
You’re welcome, more to come
Being able to cook is a gift. You can always come up with something.
Thanks very much
Jane, you are a good instructor! Thanks for taking the time to share with us.
Love them all .
Fun music !! 🎶
It all looks wonderful, excellent ideas
These all look so delicious. Thank you Jane, looking forward to trying them!
Hope you enjoy!
Thanks for sharing your recipes, everything looks delicious!
Thanks for watching and we appreciate your support
Thankyou for some great ideas!
You are so welcome!
Cook split dried peas, either green or yellow; chop up some tasty streaky bacon, fry it with chopped onion, carrots and any other suitable veg available. Mix the fried veg and bacon with the cooked peas and cook until the veg are soft. Process or liquidise the soup, including a stock cube, herbs etc as liked.
Lovely soup
Some great ideas, funny enough im making a lasagne today and have split 500g pack of beef mince and put the other 250g in the freezer and bulked out with grated carrot and courgette from the garden. Next time I'll use red lentils.
My struggle meal is a tin of chopped tomatoes onion lots of garlic, herbs and a grated carrot cook it down and add water then break up spaghetti and cook together the pasta absorbs the liquid and then grated cheese on top. So delicious
Tinned tomatoes are my go to for just about everything
Lovely. Thanks for sharing your recipes especially scrumtious fishcakes.
Thanks Una, you’re welcome
Thanks for another great video…
Thanks for watching
Lovely vlog
Thank you 😊
We eat canned soup and grilled cheese sandwiches or scrambled or over eggs and bacon with toast and homemade jelly. Salmon patties are a special treat for us. I can get four per can and I freeze two and we have a second meal out of them. Pancakes and bacon or bacon and tomato sandwiches are two more favorites. Sue
Those all sound delicious.
My kids love grilled cheese and tomato soup for a quick easy dinner
These are great 👍 Thank you 😊
Thanks very much
These all look fantastic Jane . Blessings to all
Thanks very much
This is awesome. I’m gonna try a few of the recipes !
Thanks for watching
Thinking about it… some of the regular cheap-n-easy things I make for my wife and I come from things I learned how to make in “home economics” way back in the day at school when I was about 12yrs old. Cheese sauce (and bechamel sauce) is the one that leaps out. I use it in cheesy pasta/macaroni cheese (sooper dooper cheap meal), as well as in a lasagne and in a roast chicken Sunday dinner for the cauliflower.
Roast chicken dinner… my mum’s old chicken stuffing is absolutely moreish and completely makes the meal, and it only needs leftover “end bit” bread, onion, butter and parsley. It gives me genuine joy every time I make it.
But come to think of it I only really have about eight or so full meals that I make regularly. The most recent addition to my repertoire (“my repertoire” lol) is sweet-n-sour chicken balls. It’s genuinely good. In fact it’s sooo much better and cheaper than takeaway that I don’t order it from takeaway anymore.
My best “struggle meal” tho is probably pan pizza dough because the toppings can be as cheap or expensive as you need it to be and it’ll still be delicious and filling. I also love omelette for the same reasons and I almost always have part cooked meatballs and chips in the freezer because I like to make more than we’ll eat and freeze the rest for another meal on another day.
I don’t consciously scrimp on food because I don’t have to, but I guess I am actually quite food frugal. A lot of the things I make will only use part of a tin or a pack of something so I tend to plan things around using the remainder up.
Great ideas and yes, those home economics classes were really useful
I love your cooking recipes!!
Thanks very much
Love these videos! Thanks Jane and Michael 😊
You’re very welcome, thanks very much
Thank you for another great video Jane! Meals looked delicious 🏴
Thanks so much for watching.
Great video. Looking forward to more easy frugal french dishes. Thank you for making it enjoyable.
More to come.
I really appreciate all the work that has gone into this video. Thank you for all your ideas and clear instructions, lots to try.
You’re very welcome
This video is a keeper, thanks! I really like how you just power through each recipe and stay on point. Great!
Glad you like them!
Hi Jane! I've seen a number of your videos and have subscribed. I very much appreciate your sound fiscal and kitchen wisdom. Thank you so much for this channel!
Thanks Karen, thanks also for the feedback
All the meals looked lovely, I've made notes of a couple and will definitely be trying them, thanks for sharing Jane 😊👍
Thanks Bex, happy to help.
Oh I so love your cookery videos, so inspirational. Fishcakes and croque monsieur defo on my menu next week. Thanks so much for sharing Jane. xx
Thanks very much for watching and commenting
Hi Jane your Rainbow Risotto looks so delicious I have never cooked Risotto before I think I will give it a try I always thought it was a hard dish to cook xx
Thank you for the bread crumb alternatives.
Thanks
Everything looks delicious.
Thanks Janet.
I love your channel!
Thanks for watching
I love these cooking shows you do. I live in the US and it’s great for new meal ideas!
Thank you
I enjoyed this
Thanks for watching
I find your videos super helpful ☺️ Very realistic and frugal, may I say, expat recipes and advices. 🙏🏻
Thanks for watching and commenting
The coronation chicken caught my attention, it looks so good Jane. Thanks for sharing your wonderful homey recipes. We like hot dog with warmed chili and shredded cheese on top. Steamed corn and chips on the side.
I use ground oats for the coating on my fish cakes. My go frugal quick meal make a thick batter with or without egg add minced cooked meat about 150g frozen mixed veg or left over veg . Cook as a thick pancake serve with sauce oe salad. Kids love it.
Those are great tips. Thanks for sharing.
Yum. Real food.
Thanks for watching and your kind compliments
Great♥️
Looks delicious.I will be trying Coronation Chicken.The Risotto looks perfect.🌹it all looks wonderful Thank you for sharing
You are so welcome and thanks so much for watching
Very creative meals. Can’t wait to try the fish cakes.
I love fishcakes thanks for watching
The lentil lasagna and the fish cakes look like something I would like to try.
Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Thanks for watching
All those recipes look delicious. ❤🌵
Thanks for watching
Just found your channel and I am really enjoying all the content! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching
Lovely looking meals. I think I’ll make them all at some point. The sausage plait of yours I made was delicious. I suppose if you made the croque monsieur you could make enough sauce to use for the lasagne the following day.
Thank you for some great ideas x
Hi Penny, I made the croque monsieur and the lasagne the same time. Both can go in the fridge for a while.
I really want to try making those galettes, they look so nice! Your food always looks so nourishing and yummy.
Thanks Jane.
Thank you for some new recipes. I have made fish cakes, but your other recipes are new to me. My struggle meals include: baked potatoes with toppings, lentil stew with homemade bread, stir fry over rice and lentil tacos.
You are so welcome!
ALL of those recipes looked delicious! And super nice to know how to cook a croque monsieur. I've been butchering them for years. Can't wait to make my menu for this week. Hubby will be happy
Enjoy your dinners
Another great vlog……. Love Wendy ♥️💋
Thanks Wendy
Hi Jane, thanks for the inspiring video. I love your company, you are so funny. I just love your sense of humor. Lots of love. ⚘
Thanks Debbie, most of all, for watching.
@@FrugalQueeninFrance 💖⚘
Everything looked so delicious. I’m going to make those fish cakes and lentil lasagna. Thank you Jane for sharing the recipes.
Thanks for watching Tina.
Loved the video, like the funny adlibs!
Thanks Donna, it’s just me.
If you have the rinds / leftover brie etc then adding this to risotto makes it really creamy...and cheaper than parmesan
Great tip, thanks for sharing
thanks again for a brilliant video loads of great ideas love a lentil lasagna a great cheap meal we have here is poached wgg and beans on toast healthy too
I love eggy bread too. I used to make one beaten egg and milk and a few slices of bread feed all of us for breakfast
It doesn't seem like a struggle. Definitely frugal but looks so delicious 😋. I'm going to need to try the lentil lasagna and fish cakes! Thank you for your videos.
Hi from my corner of France to yours...fab ideas for next week. Thank you. My go to meal when things get tight is a pasta meal, either a mushroom sauce or a tomato and veg one...sometimes I slice sausages or chorizo into the mix, if I have any.
Sausages make anything tasty. Thanks so much for watching and sharing
Lovely video Jane - I make several of these recipes most weeks but have not tried galettes or croque monsieur yet. I am gluten free too and save all the ends of loaves to make breadcrumbs for coating my fishcakes which crisp up nicely in the oven - I top up a spray bottle with oil to use for a light coating of oil.
I save my gluten free ends too
I LOVE your background music!
Thank you
Great meal ideas, thank you. We are going away in our campervan for a couple of days and some these recipes would make great camp food. Off now to get some curry powder for the homemade coronation chicken which I’ve never attempted before as we can take it prepared with us for when we arrive, lovely 🍀🌺
I hope that you enjoy it
Love the Coronation Chicken recipe! Ideal way to get rid of the left overs too :)
Thank you
Jane, thank you so much for what you are doing!
(My lentil lasagne is now cooking in the oven, couldn't resist and made it, hahah.)
Thanks for the feedback
my struggle meal is frig-soup. whatever is leftover for veggi, meat, beans from the refrigerator, along with spices and pantry ingredients make a unique soup everytime. and no food waste!
Great no waste approach
Everything looks delicious, Jane! I love how you made the Croque Monsieur! I’m going to try it for a meal! We will often have soup and grilled cheese to stretch the budget, sometimes salad with leftover chicken! Thanks for the great recipes! Francine in NY
Thanks for watching
Just cooked my struggle meal for my daughter and myself… mum used to cook this..
tin chicken soup shared between us .. with a toasted sandwich..sandwich has tartare sauce, thin slices cheese, thin slices tomato and then under the grill until toasted.. serve with a few extra slices cheese and a spring onion. Filling and delicious.
Sounds good to me
All your dishes looked delicious-- especially that risotto! I've never tried making it -- I'll have to now!
They look delicious! I would like to try tuna a potato cakes soon! Thanks so much!
They’re unbeatable for flavor and price
This was a great video Jane. Thanks for sharing. I'm a plant based eater but can easily swap some ingredients in these recipes to work for me. I really enjoyed all your recipes and I like your presentation as well. I'm planning on retiring in about 2 years so looking for ways to maximize my budget. New subscriber!
Thanks for watching and commenting
Thank you!!!While at Uni I had a flatmate from Brest who used to make those galettes (though she bought the pancakes).
still delcious
Definitely going to make the rainbow risotto tonight.
Just made the galettes, delicious.
Enjoy
I love a Croque monsieur but have never been able to make a decent one, I will try your recipe as yours looked delicious.
You can do it! The easy peasy cheese sauce makes it just like the ones we can buy here from the bakery and cook at home, they have that creamy cheese sauce and nice ham. I hope you enjoy them.
New subscriber. Have really been enjoying getting to know you. Look forward to catching up on your videos
Thanks so much for watching and commenting
Budget meals include red beans and rice, chicken gumbo, and stir-fry with whatever is left in the fridge.
That’s all good nutritional food.
Chip butties with a fried egg on top 😋. Or pasta with a sauce made from whatever I have in or lentil stew / curry 🍛. Your meals look delicious! I am definitely trying the coronation chicken and coleslaw one !!! X
Our struggle meal has always been Mac and cheese, with onion, lardons or sliced smoked sausage and tomatoes sauté added to the cheese sauce, grated cheese sprinkled on top and baked. Serve with a salad or bright vegetable medley. On really impoverished days, we leave out the meatß and add garlic and herbs for flavour.
You can’t beat food like that
Another informative and interesting video, just shows you can keep the hunger at bay for very little when times are hard and we need to tighten our belts.
Thanks Pat, we always have a few struggle meals a week to stretch the budget. Thanks for watching
Hi Jane my struggle meal is a meatless roast lovely with mint sauce we had it today xx
Can I ask What do you put on your meatless roast Paula.
Your entire menu looks delicious! 😋 I will definitely be making some of those meals.
I keep forgetting to pick up the buckwheat flour when I’m at the grocery store. I really want to try those Gallete Complet soon as well as your version of fish cakes. I’ve never tried them with mashed potatoes mixed in and they look delicious.
Thanks for the great budget meals! 😃
Thanks for watching and sharing.
I roared with laughter at what normal people do…..add all the stock at once. Hilarious. Well done you.
Chuck it in!