We set our buddy Stevie a challenge. Eighty dollars to spend in store to see how far she could make it stretch - the eighty dollar holla was born. This challenge has come at a time when we are all going with less, using up what’s in the cupboards, making more meals from scratch, and spending more time in our kitchens due to lockdown.
Read on to see Stevie’s amazing results. She has shown you can eat wholesome, nourishing food on a budget. She created 15 recipes, and fed over 50 mouths - her lucky flatmates on repeat!
DAL BHAT
While travelling in Nepal I fell in love with the simplicity that is Dal Bhat. Literally translating to lentils and rice, it's as nutritionally adequate as it is delicious. Upon returning back to New Zealand I found it falling into my heavy rotation of weeknight recipes.
Serves 6
GF, RSF, V
INGREDIENTS
Neutral oil like coconut, canola or sunflower
2 small or one medium onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 thumb of ginger
1 tsp coriander (seeds or ground)
1 tsp cumin (seeds or ground)
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp of chilli
2 medium potatoes (washed with the skin on)
1 C red lentils
1 tin of Chantal Organics chopped tomatoes
1 bunch of caveloro nevro
3 cups water or veggie broth (homemade or from the bulk bins)
Salt and pepper to taste
2C rice, 3C water
METHOD
Dice onions, cube potatoes and finely chop garlic and ginger
Place a heavy bottomed pan on a med-high heat and add a good glug of oil
To a medium sized saucepan on a high heat add rice, water and a good pinch of salt
Keep the lid on the pot of rice till boiling, give it a good stir then turn the heat off, leaving the pot on the element while keeping the lid on
This is the ‘absorption method’ and makes for super fluffy rice
Add the onions to the now-hot pan and saute for a minute or two
Add the garlic and ginger and continue to saute for a further few minutes
Add the coriander, cumin and chilli and saute while stirring, after another minute add the turmeric
Add in the potatoes and lentils and fry in the spices for a further few minutes
Add in the tin of Chantal Organics chopped tomatoes and veggie broth or water
Allow the curry to simmer for 15-20 minutes or so to cook the potatoes and lentils and reduce to desired consistency
A few minutes before serving stir in a bunch of chopped cavolo nero (or any green of choice), so that it gets nice and wilty without losing its colour, flavour and nutrients.
Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Black bean and pumpkin chilli
with cashew sour cream
Serves 4
GF/RSF/V
INGREDIENTS
Oil to cook in
1 medium onion
1 medium carrot
1 capsicum
2 cloves of garlic
2 tsp Paprika
½ tsp Chilli
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ of a pumpkin (about 1 cup, roughly chopped, could also be subbed for kumara)
1 tin of Chantel Organic Black Beans
1 tin of Chantel Organic Tomatoes
750ml veg stock (homemade or from the bulk bins)
Bunch of kale (or green of choice)
Small bunch of fresh coriander
For Rice and Quinoa
¾ C white rice
¾ C quinoa
2 ¼ C water
Pinch of salt
For the Cashew Sour Cream
½ C raw cashew pieces, soaked
½ C raw sunflower seeds, soaked
Juice of ½ a lemon
Salt to taste
¼ - ½ C water, depending on capabilities of blender and desired consistency
METHOD
Soak your sunflower seeds and cashews (10+ mins in boiling water or 2+ hours in cold water)
Dice up your onions, carrots and capsicum to relatively similar sized pieces
Finely chop garlic
Roughly chop pumpkin
Add the rice, quinoa, water and salt to a saucepan with a lid on a high heat. Once boiling remove the lid and give it a stir. Put the lid back on and turn the element off leaving pot on the still-hot element
Add oil to a soup pot on a medium-high heat
Once hot add you onions, carrots and capsicum and fry for a few minutes, stirring frequently till onions are translucent
Add garlic, cumin and coriander powder, paprika, chilli, salt and pepper and fry for a few more minutes, stirring frequently
Add in the pumpkin and fry for another minute or two
Drain and rinse your Chantel Organic black beans and add them to the pot along with a tin of Chantal Organics crushed tomatoes and the vegetable stock
To a blender add rinsed and drained soaked cashews and sunflower seeds, lemon juice, salt and about half of the water
Blend up adding the water as you go, but as little as possible. The less water you have the thicker and more sour-cream-like the consistency will be. Adjust lemon and salt ratios to your palate
As the pumpkin cooks and the liquid begins to thicken up dice up the kale and coriander (reserving some coriander to garnish) and stir through, by adding them last to cook minimally you preserve the nutrients in the vegetable
To serve dish up the rice-quinoa mix into a bowl with the chilli on top and then a blob of sour cream with coriander to garnish
Vegetable stock
When cooking, to get the most flavour out of my veggies I often make a quick stock using the tops, tails and skins of whatever I have just prepped for the recipe, and a bay leaf. I use this in place of water in recipes
Can include but not limited to -
Onion skin and ends
Garlic peel
Ginger peel
Carrot peel and ends
Celery
Tomatoes
Herbs
Pumpkin peel and pulp
Chilli
Capsicum
Literally anything you’re about to put in the compost, as long as it’s clean.
METHOD
Boil this in enough water to cover it for as long as you can before you need to use it in the recipe. The longer it’s boiled for the more flavour the stock will have. It also makes for good prep habits in making sure all your veg is ready to go before you start cooking.
spicy wedges
and green pesto.
Serves 1
GF, RSF, V
WOULD NOT recommend serving these together, but for the purpose of a pretty photo, and I was using up the last of my ingredients from this challenge they have appeared together. Both delicious in their own right though.
PESTO.
INGREDIENTS
One handful of spinach leaves - about 150g (you could also use kale, silverbeet, basil ect, or a mixture)
¼ C roasted sunflower seeds
¼ C roasted cashew pieces
Juice of ½ a lemon
2 cloves of garlic
¼ C oil
Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
Put all ingredients into a blender cup (except for oil and half the cashews)
Blend on a low speed, scraping down the sides frequently
Add oil as you go, only when the mixture needs a little more liquid to keep moving
You want the end result to be quite fine, add the remaining cashews closer to the end to have a bit of texture variation.
Serve as a dip for crackers or stir through pasta for an easy sauce.
WEDGES (quantities for 1)
INGREDIENTS
2 medium potatoes per person
½ tsp coriander seeds or ground
½ tsp cumin seeds or ground
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp chilli flakes
Salt and pepper
Oil to cover
METHOD
Preheat oven to 200C.
Wash potatoes and cut into wedge-like shapes.
Put the potato wedges on an oven tray, and cover with oil and all the seasonings.
Toss them with your hands to make sure everything is covered and spread out evenly on the tray in a single layer.
Bake for 25-35 mins depending on how crispy you like em.
CHICKPEA and cashew makhani
with rice.
Serves 4
GF, RSF, V
INGREDIENTS
Oil to cook in
2 small or 1 medium onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 thumb ginger
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp chilli
1 C cashew pieces, soaked
1 tin Chantal Organics chopped tomatoes
1 ½ C stock or water
1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed or 1 ½ C chickpeas prepared from dry
Small handful of fresh coriander to garnish
1 C rice
1 ½ C water
Pinch of salt
METHOD
Add the rice, water and salt to a medium sized saucepan with a lid and put on a med-high heat
Once boiling, turn the heat off, remove the lid and give the rice a stir making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom.
Soak your cashew pieces in enough water to cover them (10+ mins in boiling water or 2+ hours in cold water)
Chop onions and finely chop garlic and ginger.
Replace the lid and leave on the turned off but still hot element to absorb and cook through.
Put a pan on a medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of oil.
Fry onions for a minute before adding garlic and ginger.
After another minute of frequent stirring add in garam masala, coriander, cumin and chilli, and 30 seconds later, the turmeric.
Fry for one more minute then add the onion and spice mix to a blender cup along with the tin of Chantal Organics chopped tomatoes and stock/water.
Drain and rinse the soaked cashews and add them to the blender cup as well.
Blend until a silky smooth consistency is reached and pour mixture back into the pan and return it to a med-low heat.
Add the chickpeas to the cashew gravy mix and let it simmer for a few minutes to heat through and reduce the sauce to a thicker consistency.
Serve over rice and garnish with chopped fresh coriander.
spicy pumpkin soup
rich in protein.
Serves 6
GF, RSF, V
INGREDIENTS.
¾ of a medium sized pumpkin - aprox 4 cups in small cubes (you could easily use a whole pumpkin and adjust the liquid quantities, I just used ¾ because that’s what I had left from this challenge)
Opt. reserve the pumpkin seeds
2 onions
3 cloves of garlic
1 thumb of ginger
1 C dried red lentils
2 tsp coriander, seeds or ground
½ tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp cumin seeds or powder
1 tin Chantal Organics coconut cream (reserve 2 TBSP for garnish, opt)
700ml-1L veg stock, homemade or from the bulk bins
Fresh coriander to garnish
Oil to cook in
Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD.
Preheat oven to 200C
Remove seeds from pumpkin and wash, set aside.
Remove skin from pumpkin and cut into bite sized chunks.
Put pumpkin on baking tray and cover with a generous glug of oil, half the coriander, cumin and chilli and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Toss with your hands to make sure everything is evenly coated and pop in the oven for 25 mins or so, till it is cooked through and a little brown on the outside, allow for a few minutes to cool once ready.
(opt) Pop seeds in a baking dish and put in the oven underneath the pumpkin, keeping a close eye on them, they will be ready when they’re golden brown and crunchy.
While everything is roasting, dice your onions and finely chop garlic and ginger.
Heat a good glug of oil in a soup pot on a medium heat.
Add onions, and two minutes later the garlic and ginger, stirring frequently.
After another minute add remaining spices.
Fry all together till the spices become aromatic, another 1-2 minutes.
Add in the lentils and continue to stir for another couple of minutes before adding 700ml of veg stock.
Allow lentils to cook in this broth, once they’re mushy and cooked through pour the mixture into a blender cup.
Blend until smooth (if you prefer some variation in texture you could reserve ⅓ of the mixture to leave chunky)
Return to head and stir in one tin of Chantal Organics coconut cream.
Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Garnish with a swirl of coconut cream, the roasted pumpkin seeds and fresh coriander.
blueberry pancakes
with caramel sauce.
These hearty pancakes make for a filling breakfast that will keep you well sustained throughout the day. Stack them up high and serve with caramelised banana, Chantel Organics smooth peanut butter, more blueberries and a healthy drizzle of coconut caramel sauce
RSF, V
INGREDIENTS.
FOR THE PANCAKES
1 ½ C Flour of Choice+ (I used 50/50 *oat and buckwheat flours)
1 C frozen Blueberries
1TBSP coconut sugar
2tsp baking powder
1 chia/flax egg=
¼ C neutral oil (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, coconut ect)
1 ½ C oat mylk
FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE
1C coconut sugar
½ C mylk (I used 50/50 oat and coconut cream)
Pinch of salt
Neutral oil to cook in
Peanut butter and banana to serve
METHOD.
Add caramel ingredients a saucepan and set on a med-low heat, stirring every 1-2 minutes.
Caramel is ready when all the sugar has dissolved and it is your desired thickness ~ it gets pretty thick so remove from heat and set aside straight away once ready.
Mix together egg= and allow to sit for a minute or two to get all gloopy.
To a large mixing bowl add flour, frozen blueberries, baking powder and sugar.
Mix together and make a well in the centre.
In another bowl mix together flax egg, oil and mylk.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until well combined.
Spoon or pour batter into a preheated pan over a medium-high heat, the size of the scoop depending on your desired pancake size.
Flip once small bubbles form on the topside of the pancakes and the underside is golden.
Pancakes are ready when the second side is also golden.
Notes:
+100% of either or regular white or whole wheat flour would work well
*To make oat flour measure out required amount and blend in a blender until fine flour-like consistency
=1TBSP ground chia/flax mixed with 4TBSP of water is equal to 1 egg
APPLE SPICED PORRIDGE
Tricked out porridge was a childhood staple of mine, filling, nutrient dense, and ever changing with the seasons. This recipe is great coming into the cooler months.
Serves 3-4
RSF, V
INGREDIENTS.
1 ½ C quick oats
1 large or 2 small apples
10 dried dates
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
3 C boiling water (more or less depending on desired consistency)
Splash or two of oat mylk
For toppings
1-2 TBSP Chantal Organics smooth peanut butter
extra sliced apple
pinch of cinnamon
coconut sugar to taste
METHOD.
Peel your apples and chop them into little bite sized cubes.
Chop dates into little pieces.
Put all ingredients (apart from oat mylk and 1C water) into a medium sized saucepan on a med-low heat.
Stir frequently allowing the steam to escape as the oats cook down.
Add remaining boiling water as you go to change the consistency to your preference.
Right before serving stir in the mylk to add some creaminess and cool the oats down.
Pour into a bowl and add your toppings to serve.
BUCKWHEAT BANANA BREAD
with date caramel.
GF, RSF, V
INGREDIENTS.
Dry Ingredients:
1 ½ C buckwheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ C coconut sugar
1tsp cinnamon
Wet Ingredients:
2 chia/flax eggs (1TBSP ground seeds and 4TBSP water = 1 egg)
¼ C neutral oil (coconut, sunflower or canola work well)
2 super ripe bananas, mashed
½ C oat mylk
For the Caramel:
1 C dried dates, pips removed and soaked in water
½ C water
Pinch of salt
METHOD.
Soak your dates is enough water to cover them (10+ mins in boiling water, 1+ hours in cold water).
Preheat an oven to 180 degrees celsius.
Line or grease a loaf tin.
Drain the dates and place all caramel ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth.
Combine all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl combine all wet ingredients.
Create a well in the dry ingredients and pour wet ingredients in.
Mix to combine, the mixture will be more of a thick dough than a cake batter.
Pour mix into your greased loaf tin.
Pour date caramel on top and with a butter knife, swirl it into the bread mix. You want to mix it reasonably well and let some of the banana bread mix show through on top.
Bake in the oven for 35-40mins, the loaf should pull away from the sides easily when it’s ready.
Allow to cool slightly before cutting.
Don’t eat all at once ! Or do ! I did !
BLUEBERRY, PEANUT BUTTER & BANANA SMOOTHIE
RSF, V
INGREDIENTS.
1 banana
⅓ C frozen blueberries
1 TBSP Chantal Organics smooth peanut butter
4 dates
1 tsp chia seeds
½ - 1 ½ C oat mylk, depending on desired consistency*
METHOD.
Add all ingredients to a blender cup and blend till smooth.
Pour into a tall glass and enjoy in what’s left of the Autumn sun.
*to make a super thick smoothie add only a little mylk to begin with, adding more only as your blender needs it.
OAT MYLK
Plant Based Mylks are great in theory but they have a few downsides.
They only come in 1 litre tetra packs. My household will go through 4+ a week, making them not cost effective and a huge waste as tetra packs can't be recycled (at least not in Hawke's Bay)
They often contain stabilisers, fillers and preservatives which isn't really what you thought you were signing up for when opting for almond milk in your morning coffee.
My solution to this is a DIY oat mylk that I make whenever I can. I opt for oat as it can be made in pretty much any blender, it is super creamy, and very cost effective.
INGREDIENTS.
1C oats
5C filtered water
3 dates
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of salt
METHOD.
Put everything in a blender and blend until it looks all creamy.
Pass through a cheesecloth or a clean tea towel before bottling.
(I made 1.5X this recipe to use throughout this challenge)
BLUEBERRY OVERNIGHT OATS
A super customisable recipe that is a great easy breakfast for busy mornings, simply prepare the night before and serve in the morning.
Serves 3.
RSF, V
INGREDIENTS.
½ C oats
3TBSP chia seeds
2TBSP sunflower seeds
5 dates, in small pieces
½ tsp cinnamon
Handful of frozen blueberries
Leftover blended oats from oat mylk recipe (optional)
Oat mylk to fill jar
Banana to serve
METHOD.
Put all dry ingredients in a jar. You want it to be about half full, feel free to adjust oat and chia quantities to suit the size of your jar.
Fill jar to the top with oat mylk (or milk of choice).
Give it a good stir then leave in the fridge overnight.
Serve it in the morning with a fresh banana.