Frugal Foodie ~ Pesto & Blackberries

I picked up a few bargins when I stopped off  at the co-operative on my way home from work yesterday 🙂  I really should try and pop in there more often, after all I have to drive past it nearly every night 🙂

3 Pots of Basil  £1.10 each normally I got them reduced to 30p a pot saving me £2.40

2 Pots of Parsley £1.10 each normally I got them reduced to 30p a pot saving me £1.60

2 packets of Blackberries £2.00 each normally I paid 60p each saving me £2.80

= a total saving of £6.80!!

So tonight I made 2 batches of Pesto…. one for tomorrow night’s tea and one for the freezer,  the blackberries were frozen, they will be a welcome addition to an apple crumble this winter 🙂

Pesto Recipe is a case of throw it in the food mixture until I get the consistency I like

• Basil
• Parsley
• 5 cloves of Garlic
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Put everything in a blender and whizz together adding the olive oil through the funnel

Couscous and Sausage Salad

The kids had been up at their grans for their tea tonight, so I didnt need to cook this evening for them, and I fancied something light to eat.

I had been flicking through a mag that I had picked up at my local supermarket and this recipe caught my eye, a quick check to make sure I had all the ingredients, yep, had everthing… and off I went 🙂

  

(For a veggie meal, you can use Feta instead of sausage)

• Serves 4
• Ready in 25 minutes
• Price Per Serving £1.60

Ingredients :

• 400g Sausages
• 200g Couscous
• Juice and zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tomatoes, roughly chopped (I used about 12 cherry tomatoes)
• 4 Spring Onions, sliced
• 3 tbsp chopped parsley
• 3 tbsp chopped mint leaves (I didnt put them in)

Method:

• Grill or fry the sausages until cooked, then thickly slice
• Pour 250ml boiling water into the couscous in a bowl, cover and leave for 10 minutes
• Whisk the lemon juice and zest with the olive oil and season, then stir into the couscous (after its 10 mins cooking time)
• Stir in the tomatoes, spring onions, parsley and mint
• Add the sausages and serve.

 

 

 

Trip to the Farm Shop…

This afternoon my daughter and I took a trip along to our local farm shop to buy our veggies for the coming week, the cows were outside today so we took a picture of them.

Inside the farm shop there was loads and loads of seasonal produce, we bought:-

Potatoes

Cabbage

Cauliflower

Carrots (normal ones)

Carrots (purple, yellow and light orange variety)

Green and Red Peppers

Ordinary Onions

Red Onions

Shallots

Flat Leafed Parsley

MacIntosh Red Apples

Purple Sprouting Brocolli

and my daughter wanted a pineapple so we bought one of those too :o)

We have friends coming round this evening so i’m heading into the kitchen to make a nice chicken curry, some pilaf rice and some naan bread.

I’m going to make some fresh tomato salsa too, its very yummy, recipe and pics to follow.

 Anyway… if anyone reading my blog is local (fife) here is the details of my local farm shop… its well worth a visit.   Nancy is really friendly, when I was chatting to her today she was telling me she cant believe how busy she is, the more people that buy local and boycott supermarkets the better… !!

Nancy Wishart

Bankhead Farm

Crombie

Fife.