Mum wins 70,000 fans sharing cheap, simple family recipes online
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A mum has shared her simple methods for cooking healthy family meals for less than the cost of a meal deal.
Gemma Loveden, 36, shares her recipes with more than 70,000 followers on her Facebook page, Foodie Family Meals. Gemma told The Echo : "Feeding my family, it's always a joy when you see them eating healthy, nutritious meals. I find it relaxing as well. I enjoy putting my own unique twist on things. Spag bol week after week can get a bit repetitive, and I just love making a meal a bit different, and sitting around with the family at the end of the day over the table, having a good chin-wag and a nice meal."
Gemma uses her page to share simple money-saving ideas, such as swapping Heinz ketchup for ALDI's own brand, choosing discounted "wonky" fruit and veg, adding lentils or pulses to meals to keep you full for longer, bulk-buying pasta and rice, shopping in-season and adding mustard to cheese sauce to cut down the amount of cheese needed.
She said: "No matter how much money we have, we all want to save a little bit. Getting feedback from people has brought home to light how much it's helping people. The overwhelming response has been really emotional and lovely.
"I always say if I can only help one person, that's brilliant because I'm going my little bit in the world. If we're all kind to each other and help each other along, we're all playing our part."
Here are just a few of Gemma's recipes for a family of four.
Chicken Kiev pasta
Gemma's garlic-loaded chicken kiev pasta
300g spaghetti - 28p, ALDI
500g thinly sliced chicken - 2.89, Lidl
Frozen peas - 55p, Tesco
1 onion - 79p per 1kg, ALDI
6-8 cloves garlic - 95p per 4-pack, ALDI and Lidl
Knob of butter - 1.99 per 250g pack, various
Handful chopped parsley - 60p, ALDI
200ml chicken stock - 52p per 12 cubes, ALDI
100ml double cream - 1.19 per 300ml pot, various
Paprika - 59p per 40g pot, ALDI
Salt - 49p per 750g pot, ALDI
Coat the chicken with salt and paprika, then brown in a pan with butter and onion. While this is cooking, cook the pasta in salted water. Once chicken is almost cooked, add garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes, then add peas and chicken stock and allow the mixture to reduce. Once thickened, add the parsley and stir in cream. Drain the pasta, then add it to the sauce and serve with a garnish of more parsley on top.
TOTAL:
10.05, 2.50 or less per portion
Hunter's sausage, mash and peas
Gemma's twist on hunter's chicken - hunter's sausages and mash
Cumberland sausages - 1.75 per 8-pack, ALDI
Streaky bacon - 1.40 per 14-pack, ALDI, Tesco
Barbecue sauce - 1, Tesco, Asda
Red onions - 65p per 1kg, ALDI, Tesco
Cheese - 2.65, Lidl
Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 12:22 pm