Spare eggs? Then how about making a souffle


Spinach Souffle

1 oz Butter
1 oz Flour
some Milk
4 oz Cheese
1 tsp grain Mustard (or, for a change, some nutmeg)
Pepper
cooked Spinach, chopped
Breadcrumbs

1. Grease deep dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Turn on oven to 200C (Gas 6 now I have a gas oven).
2. Melt butter, add flour and cook.
3. Add enough milk to make a very thick sauce.
4. Remove from heat and cool a little.
5. Add egg yolks.
6. Beat egg white until soft peak stage.
7. Fold into sauce mixture with a metal spoon.
8. Add chopped spinach and seasoning.
9. Layer half of mixture into a deep dish, then a layer of cheese, then rest of souffle mixture.
10. Cook about 40 minutes and serve immediately, while it still looks impressive.

And, for a change, here's a mushroom souffle:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4979/

Today is going to be Meat Free Wednesday.  It doesn't quite have the ring of 'Meat Free Monday' so perhaps I'll change it in future.
So yesterday I bought a carton of mushrooms and some low fat fromage frais and have been looking for recipes.  The BBC Good Food is always great for ideas and has come up with this recipe. 


Mushroom Stroganof (serves 2)


Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion , finely chopped
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed
• 300g mixed mushrooms , chopped
• 150ml beef or vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce , or similar
• 3 tbsp half-fat soured cream
• small bunch parsley , roughly chopped
• Cooked rice

1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and soften the onion for about 5 mins. Add the garlic and paprika, then cook for 1 min more. Add mushrooms and cook on a high heat, stirring often, for about 5 mins.
2. Pour in the stock and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to the boil, bubble for 5 mins until the sauce thickens, then turn off the heat and stir through the soured cream and most of the parsley. Make sure the pan is not on the heat or the sauce may split.
3. Heat rice, then stir through the remaining parsley and serve with the stroganoff.

PER SERVING

329 kcalories, protein 11g, carbohydrate 50g, fat 9 g, saturated fat 1g, fibre 4g, sugar 8g, salt 0.7 g

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1898646/mushroom-stroganoff?beta=1&utm_expid=13353178-7&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbcgoodfood.com%2Fcontent%2Frecipes%2Fingredients%2Fmushroom%2F

It's time to think outside the plot

Moving house is one of the biggest decisions most of us ever make. And for many people the size and position of the garden will play a determining role in choosing your new home.

This is especially true when downsizing.  You'll probably have concerns about fitting everything in: will there be enough space for a terrace and outside dining?  Is there an area for the children to play in?  Can you make it look like you really want?

While designing a small garden certainly brings its challenges, the good news is that small doesn't have to be dull.  There is tremendous scope for imagination.  The more limited the space the more creative you can be and, indeed, need to be.

The key to success is to plan rigorously and think big.  Downsizing doesn't mean that the items you put in your garden have to be smaller: it just means that where you place them has to be carefully considered.

First, define how you will use the garden.  Think about your lifestyle.  As many of us work longer hours, the time we spend in our gardens has shifted to later in the evening (on the few days a year when the British climate allows) and weekends.

So, ask yourself, will you actually dine outside in the evenings?  Are you more likely to sit outside, reading the paper, on a Sunday morning?  If you have children (grandchildren) you will probably want to incorporate a play space within the scheme or an area for cooking and entertaining.  Or perhaps you are a keen vegetable grower and want to include raised beds for cultivating salads or vegetables.  You may prefer a low-maintenance garden that looks good all year round but it not used very much - possibly incorporating some storage and well-chosen evergreen planting.

These decisions may seem banal, but defining the use of such a small plot is extremely helpful - as too much clutter will result in the loss of overall spaciousness.

Whatever your requirements, once you have a wish-list you can start to look at transferring it into the garden.  (Usually at this point you will have eliminated the more unrealistic wants: ponds, swimming pools, pergolas and gazebos.)  It's all about balance, although it's quite amazing how much can be shoehorned into relatively little space, there does have to be room to move around comfortably.

There are a few clever design tricks that can be used to make the most of any small garden.   Large-format hard landscaping is very effective; unified boundaries and simple, clean lines are a must, while grouping planters and pots together creates an appealing and less claustrophobic overall impact.

Current fashions in garden furniture have resulted in the appearance of super-sized tables, chairs and outdoor sofas - surprisingly good at creating the illusion of space.  Hammocks or swing seats can also work.  But whatever you settle on, choose an all-weather option - preferably with waterproof cushions that can be left out and mean the garden will look dressed and be usable at a moment's notice.

Further to how you use your small garden is the choice of how it actually looks. The main surface will be the hard landscaping - such as paths, sleepers or rockeries - and this needs to be selected carefully.  You want materials that can tolerate the vagaries of the British weather and will look good with as little ongoing maintenance as possible.

Of course, there's only so much you can do to defy nature.  But if you select low-maintenance materials, your upkeep will be minimal - making the garden easier to look after and your enjoyment of it greater.  Realistically, most stone and wood will gradually collect algae, so maintenance will be required.  Accept the need now for some light maintenance - rather than one at all - and you'll achieve a happy balance.

Luckily, many natural stones come in a range of light hues and, since light colours make a small space look much larger, this is probably the way to go.  Large-format pavers tend to open the area up, because the eye picks up the stone itself and not the jointing pattern.

It is a bold decision to opt for a large paver in a small garden, but it always pays off.  Limestone or sandstone look fantastic, but these need regular cleaning - so the effort involved has to be offset against the visual effect.  Man-made stones are often easier to look after, but don't have the life expectancy of natural stone.  

And, while many people are phobic about decking, a good hardwood can last for years and has the benefit of slim, long length boards that stretch the eye, making a space feel longer or wider - depending on how it's laid.

If the garden is particularly small, another trick is to rotate the design by 45 degrees.  This will make the space feel larger and creates a more interesting area by opening up the eye to the longest boundary along a diagonal line.  The garden will feel more dynamic.  The same goes for different levels; changes of floor height in a small garden can seem quite daunting - as initially it seems like a way of limiting space.  In fact the opposite is true.


A change of level adds interest, defines an area, can make a garden feel bigger and will be more interesting to look at, even when the garden is not in use.  Gentle and regular steps of 6" - 7" high are ideal - not too high to be uncomfortable and not too low to be a trip hazard.  

Walls and raised beds can then be worked up in multiples of these heights, for example, on a raised bed of 18", steps of around 6" look perfectly in proportion and act as an impromptu seat or ledge on which to sit, garden or relax.

You may find this hard to picture but try drawing it out on paper. You'll quickly see that this method serves to create larger planting areas in the corners of the garden, which can be populated with evergreen shrubs or climbers to conceal problem areas such as unattractive walls or fences.

From a practical point of view, this is also beneficial to plants, which have room to grow as they would naturally and take less ongoing maintenance.  A restricted palette is also good in a small space, as there are fewer distractions to draw the eye.  

In houses where much of the rear elevation is glass (doors/windows), this palette should have a high percentage of evergreen plants - there's no point in getting the design right if the branches are bare for half the year.

Downsizing often results in limited access, which can impact on the garden build.  If you don't have a side gate, thought must be given to the materials. Everything will have to be carried through the house and, no matter how carefully handled, planting materials are by their nature rather messy.  Yes, they can be bagged - but this process will extend the build time and its cost.

The large area of usable ground in a garden is usually the lawn.  But in a small plot is it worth the space it takes up?  You will need a shed for a mower, which takes up more room?  More and more people in small gardens are turning to high quality Astroturf, which provides a dry, usable and pretty much maintenance-free area that can be used all year.

Hellebore orientalis 'Harvington Hybrids'

This really defines a small garden; form and function, give and take.  The use of a garden is vitally important and it's important for the space to be practical.  Even small spaces can look dynamic, interesting and ultimately larger than they really are.

Some of this is smoke and mirrors; much is clever compact design, using the tricks described here.  The point is, with a bit of magic and know-how, every small space can become a private oasis.



Dos and don't for small gardens:

Fatsia Japonica

DO spend time planning


DON'T be tempted to buy bargains on a whim.  Stick to the sizes and shapes you need as these will be key to the use and ultimately the enjoyment of the space.

Nandia

DO plant in bold blocks or use plants that have definite form.  Topiary is great and needs trimming only once or twice a year.  Structural, bold and interesting evergreen shrubs such as nandina and fatsia are also good.

DO think big.  Super-size items (pots, ornaments, floor surfaces) will draw the eye and create a real wow factor that will take away from the fact that the garden is bijou.

DON'T mix and match.  Too many different items will create a confusing overall effect and make the space seem cluttered.

DO incorporate lighting.  The space may be small but it will extend the available time you can use the garden.

DO paint walls and fences in light colours, to create a brighter and open effect.

DON'T use materials that contrast with the ones in your home.  Use similar flooring, especially if you have glass doors linking the spaces.  Your garden will look like an extension of the house - making it seem larger (and the house).

phormium

DO plant fragrant plants near the house, so you gain the benefit of the scent.

DON'T use dark or clashing colours in quantity  A little drama is good but too much can confuse the eye.

Hosta, having been nibbled by opportunist slug

DON'T choose fussy plants.  Hosta is lovely, but if you have a courtyard with ivy-clad walls, you will attract an army of molluscs. Plant something tougher: yucca or phormium in the sun; ferns or bamboo in shade.


(From an article by Kate Gould in the Telegraph this weekend)


also:
Ten great ideas for small gardens (http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/better-homes-gardens/gardening/photos/p/9728805/10-great-ideas-for-small-gardens/9728806/)

Pinterest is always good for inspiration, here's an example: http://pinterest.com/maureengilmer/small-budget-gardening/

Plants for small gardens: http://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/features/structural/plants-for-small-gardens/1109.html

and, Small garden design ideas: http://uktv.co.uk/home/item/aid/644917
http://uktv.co.uk/home/item/aid/644198
http://uktv.co.uk/home/item/aid/644196

Rewriting the restaurant rule book

We need to think about how, and how often, we eat out, according to Michael Pollan.


Can't be bothered to cook?  We all feel like that sometimes.  The solution (funds permitting) used to be so simple. phone for a reservation and head to a restaurant.  Job done.  

None of the tedious kitchen slavery, none of the guilt about whether we've shopped local or bought organic or Fairtrade.  And while takeaways have a reputation as waiting rooms for bypass surgery, restaurants are real cooking so it's practically as healthy as homemade, right?

Not according to Michael Pollan.  He believes it's time for us to pay attention to how we eat out, as well as how we eat in.  In his new book The Food Rules (http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20090323/7-rules-for-eating) it's time for us to pay attention to how we eat out, as well as how we eat in.  He has made a list of seven (simplistic) guidelines for making good food choices:

Dig doggy bags:  Restaurants serve supersize portions to make you feel you're getting your money's worth.  If there's enough for another serving, ask them to wrap it to go - so you really will be getting your money's worth.
Seasonal menues: Don't eat at restaurants that serve asparagus all year round (or strawberries). The chef's not paying attention to the seasons and it's unlikely the food will be special.
Small suppliers: The smaller the delivery truck out at the back, the better the food inside will be. If a restaurant is getting its ingredients delivered by articulated lorry, the food is apt to be undistinguished.
Name that farm: Look on the menu for names of specific farms, not meaningless generic pastoral terms like 'farm eggs', which means nothing.
Specials are special: If there are daily specials order them. They often mean fresh ingredients and thoughtful preparation.  But if the waiter doesn't tell you the price, ask - sometimes specials can carry special prices as well.
Don't order steak well done: Chefs typically serve the gnarliest pieces of meat to people who order well done, either out of a lack of respect or because overcooking covers a multitude of problems.  They serve the nicest cuts to patrons who order rare.  If you want well done, order it rare and send it back for more cooking.
How meat is raised matters:  Don't eat meat in restaurants unless the menu specifies that the animals were sustainably and humanely raised.  In the case of ruminants, look for terms like grass-finished or pasture-raised.



From: Cooked by Michael Pollan (Allen Lane, £20). Article by Xanthe Clay in Sunday Telegraph, 26 May 2013.

Michael Pollan: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/may/25/michael-pollan-family-meal-civilisation

When did you last go to church on a Sunday?  And when did you last go to a garden centre?*

For increasing numbers of us, the second question yields a much more recent date than the first.  All over Britain, garden centres have supplanted churches as Sunday places of pilgrimage.  The colossal Webbs of Wychbold, near Droitwich in Worcestershire, even has its own big brown sign on the M5, as if it were a great medieval cathedral.  

Besides, while the Lord might still be our shepherd, He cannot sell us a David Austin rose.  Or a full set of luggage or a multi-fuel stove, if Hereford (Wyevale) Garden Centre, the former nursery which grew like topsy, and from which bloomed the vast Garden Centre Group, is anything to go by.

At Hereford Garden Centre one recent bank holiday afternoon, I whiled away two contented hours with my wife and parents-in-law. It could, in truth, have been four contented hours.  The tropical fish section alone would grace just about any aquarium in the world, and if you think that a Lawnmower Blenny might be an attachment for your Flymo, then think again.  It's a blunt-headed algae-eater, which at Hereford Garden Centre lives in a tank next to the Crowntail Siamese Fighters.  If Harry Williamson is looking down from the celestial greenhouse, it must be with a mixture of pride and astonishment at what his vision has become.

Williamson was a Herefordshire plantsman, who in 1932 established a five-acre site selling bare-rooted stock, which could only be sold in the dormant autumn and winter.  Then, on a trip to the US, he saw plans being sold in containers packed with soil, regardless of the season.  It was a ground breaking moment. 

Williamson returned to Hereford and, using unwanted tins from a nearby jam factory, started selling container-grown plants all year round.  He called his rapidly expanding nursery Wyevale, took out advertisements boasting of a million plants on 100 acres, and with others following his enterprising example, an industry was born.

However, it wasn't until the Sixties, with the mass production of inexpensive polythene plant pots, together with an increase in disposable income and growing interesting in ornamental gardening, that the industry really started to take shape as the monolith it is today, with annual sales estimated at more than £5 billion.

That figure owes a good deal to the remarkable burst of diversification that has occurred over the past decade or so.  The biggest garden centres are now more like department stores; indeed, I went to Hereford for some compost and came home with a new suitcase, which I could, had I so wished, have filled with candles, crockery or event jewellery.

Even if I'd focused only on outdoors ephemera, I could have bought anything from a headstone for a dead pet, to a solar-powered blue tit.  And when we were all browsed out, it was time to eat.  We had an excellent lunch in a cafe which claims true pioneering status.   It opened in 1971, apparently making Wyevale the first garden centre in Britain to offer sit-down meals.

As garden centres have continued their inexorable growth, though, what of the diminishing significance of the word 'garden'?

Plants now account for only a fraction of nationwide sales.  In fact at the last estimate it was 19%, compared with the 21 % of takings that come from cafes and coffee shops, to say nothing of the Michelin starred restaurant at Petersham Nurseries in south west London. 

'To use, that is complete anathema', said Mike Burks, who owns three garden centres in the westcountry.  Burks, a horticulture graduate from Bath University, started Castle Gardens in the grounds of Sherborne Castle in 1987, and with his wife, Louise, has turned it from virtual dereliction into a thriving concern.  But he has ensured that plants remain the core of the business.  'Which makes it quite tough in the weather conditions we've had recently,' he told me, 'although we're not hugely affected by the recession, at least.  We're still a cheap day out.  And as more people foresake a second holiday, they spend more time in their gardens.'

 For all his admirable determination to keep plants to the fore, Burks has had to tilt with the times.  He and his 140 staff pay lavish attention in their Christmas displays, for if visiting garden centres has become a new national religion, then that is never truer than over the festive season.  

The high street used to be the place to buy baubles, and take little John and Jane to see Santa in his grotto, but now it tends to be the garden centre.  Habits change.  After all, it's not little John and Jane any more, but Jasper and Jade.  And for their parents, a decent garden centre serves all Christmas shopping requirements.

'That's where I go every year,' said a friend of mind.  'A fleece for my father-in-law, a potted orchid for my mother-in-law. Job done.'

For Burks, there is an ulterior motive behind the lavish Christmas displays, the surge in takings helping him to keep his highly qualified plantsmen and women on board over the winter.  He might  have a horticulturalist's hands, but he has an economist's eye, telling his staff to look out for anyone with a full basket or trolley, and cheerfully offer to park it for them, giving them an empty one. 

It's a simple ethos; a customer with a full trolley can't buy any more.  'There was a survey of a garden-centre chain in the US,' he told me, 'and it turned out that the most successful employee, the one whose sales record was double that of anyone else, was a Haitian who spoke no English.  All he did was hand people empty baskets.

As for those of us on the other side of the till, it is not just to fill up our flower beds that we seek out a good garden centre.  The best of them engage with the community.  

At Castle Gardens, there are Pilates classes and even calligraphy.   And at the mammoth Wentworth Garden Centre, near Rotherham, so big that there are marshals in the car park, my parents-in-law attended a Forties evening featuring a male choir and a pie-and-peas supper.  One can only hope the ghost of Harry Williamson was singing along to some familiar tunes.

Topical Tips for good shopping in 

a garden centre

Tips for Customers

1. Be sure to buy hardy plants with a guarantee.
2. There should always be someone on hand with real horticultural expertise.  Ash their advice.  It's free!
3. Stop for a sup of tea and a slice of cake.  The quality of catering at most good garden centres is excellent.
4. If you're buying presents, ask for the gift-wrapping service.  Again, most good garden centres offer it.
5. Don't just go there to buy.  Check out the events.  Use it at you might a village hall.

Tips for Retailers

1. Make sure there's an obvious flow taking customers past all the products.
2. Identify 'hot spots', sites that are particularly good for selling stock.
3. Keep everything looking fresh.  ~Throw away tired stock, and keep the paths swept.
4. Make sure there are plenty of friendly staff available, at all times.
5. Have lots of baskets and trolleys on hand.  And if people fill them, give them an empty one!

* (from an article in the Telegraph by Brian Viner)

Our local garden centre here in Paignton has been closed, to make way for a dual carriageway unfortunately.  So am now looking for another one near here.  The choices seem to be:

http://www.pottingshednursery.co.uk/contact.asp

http://www.stylesgardencentre.co.uk/

http://www.otternurseries.co.uk/maps-torquay.html

http://www.englishriviera.co.uk/things-to-do/plant-world-gardens-p1417233

http://www.yell.com/b/Plant+World-Garden+Centres-Newton+Abbot-TQ124SE-4499720/?view=map

http://www.yell.com/b/Jacks+Patch+Nursery+and+Garden+Centre-Garden+Centres-Teignmouth-TQ149PN-6025638/?view=map

http://www.yell.com/b/Fermoy's+Garden+Centre+and+Farm+Shop+Ltd-Garden+Centres-Newton+Abbot-TQ125TN-76864/?view=map

http://www.trago.co.uk/gardens--pets-9-c.asp

Ideas on how to make more of your garden, from IKEA: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/categories/departments/outdoor/?cid=gb%3Eps%3E%3EOutdoor+Living+Generic+Garden+Ideas+-+Exact%3Ego%3Egardens%20designs%3Emckv%3Eshzg7rOcV%3Epcrid%3E30276255342#

Recipes for SAM


Vegetable Soup

1 onion
1 carrot
1 potato
1 tin tomatoes.
other vegetables: swede, parsnip, cabbage stalks, broccoli stalk, anything which you have or is left over, could be mushrooms, courgettes.

1. Fry onions in oil, perhaps adding some garlic.
2. Add rest of vegetables and some stock and some herbs and cook until ready.
3. This can either be eaten as it is or can be whizzed for a smoother soup.
4. For a more 'hearty' soup, add some lentils and some split peas after frying the onions (or if you don't have that then a handful of porridge oats is grand too).

See also the article 'January means soups' for other ideas, such as Kidney Bean Soup.


Mince for cottage pie

• Fry mince, pour off any fat.
• Add chopped onion and perhaps some garlic.
• Add a little flour, then a tin of tomatoes, some gravy browning or a beef stock cube, some mixed herbs.
• Perhaps add a little red wine.
• If you like, you can add some chopped vegetables such as carrot and celery.
• Cook, adding more stock if necessary.

Tomato Sauce

1. Fry an onion (with some garlic if liked).
2. Add a tin of tomatoes and some tomato puree.
3. Optional: add a splash of wine.
4. Add some mixed herbs or basil or marjoram.
5. Cook.
6. Season to taste, perhaps adding a little sugar, depending on the tomatoes used.
7. Other chopped vegetables may be added to this mixture.
8. This sauce can be served with pasta or spread on a pizza base, then topped with cheese and other delights!

Crumble pudding

• Put some fruit* in dish with a couple of teaspoons of water, cook in microwave for a couple of minutes.
• Top with mixture of 5oz (140g) sugar, 5oz (140g) butter and 8 oz (220g) flour.
• Cook at 180C for about 40 minutes.
• Eat warm with custard, ice cream or evaporated milk.

* rhubarb, apple with other fruit such as raspberries, strawberries, pineapple.


For when times are tough - or you just feel like it ......

French Toast (or Eggy Bread)

1. Dip slices of bread (halved or quartered) into a mixture of egg beaten with a little milk.
2. Fry the bread pieces gently on both sides in butter/margarine/oil depending on your taste.
3. Eat. Ideas: eat with salad or fruit; spread jam on top; serve with a bowl of soup.

Dustin Hoffman cooked this in the film Kramer v Kramer, which starred him and Meryl Streep.


Vegetarian Sausages


130g fresh breadcrumbs
100g mature cheese, grated
1 small leek (sliced) or onion, (finely chopped)
1 - 2 tsp chopped herbs
s&p, 1 tsp mustard
2 eggs

To dip: flour, egg, breadcrumbs 
To fry: oil

1. In a large mixing bowl stir together breadcrumbs, cheese, onion, herbs, mustard and seasoning.
2. Beat in two eggs and mix well.
3. Using your hands, divide the mixture into eight and make into sausage shapes.
4. Cover and put in fridge for about an hour.
5. Three bowls: flour; one egg lightly beaten; breadcrumbs
6. Dip sausages into each in turn.
7. Heat some oil in a pan, cook the sausages in the oil 'til crisp and brown.
8. Drain on kitchen paper and serve.

... and from The Times (18.5.13)
(Four things you need to know to ...

Cook like a professional:

1. Season more. When Gordon Ramsay cooks broccoli soup he seasons the water, seasons the broccoli, seasons the stock and then seasons the soup.  And it tastes great.  You get the idea.
2. Use more heat.  Home cooks never get their pans hot enough.  Searing temperatures are what give food colour and flavour.  Accept that there will be smoke and open the windows.
3. Taste more.  Always, always taste your food.  Not just at the table, when it's too late, but all through the cooking process.  Then you can adjust as you go along.
4. Accept more help. Chefs have brigades; you have family and friends.  Get them to drain vegetables, etc. as you finish the gravy.  Not even a chef would try ot do sunday lunch completely on is own.

Cook fish:

1. Sprinkle fillets with salt about 30 minutes before cooking to firm them up and make them hold together better in the pan. Rinse and dry before seasoning again and cooking.
2. Fry fish in oil first, adding butter for the last couple of minutes.  Once it foams, tip the pan and use a spoon to baste the butter over the fish as it finishes cooking.
3. Cook fish skin side down for three quarters of the cooking time, pressing it down at first to ensure a crisp skin.  Flip over only for the last minute or so (If roasting, cook skin side up to protect it from oven heat).
4. Always finish fish with a squeeze of lemon juice.  It will brighten the flavour and cut the richness of the butter.

Cook meat:

1. Store meat unwrapped in the fridge or larder.  This will help it dry out, which makes it cook better (see 3, below).  If it's clammy, dry it on kitchen towel before seasoning.
2. Make sure meaty is at room temperature before adding to pan.  Otherwise it'll cook unevenly and there is a danger that the outside will burn before the centre has cooked.
3. The key to flavoursome meat is to caramalise the outside to a dark rich colour.  This will translate into extra flavour.  The meat should sizzle as soon as it hits the pan.  You can turn the heat down once it has reached the right colour.
4. Do not keep fiddling.  Meat needs time to sear and the more you move it, the more likely it is to lose its juices and boil rather than brown.  This applies especially to mince.

Cook vegetables:

1. Use large quantities of salted boiling water so it comes back up to temperature quickly after adding the vegetables.  This will help vegetables to retain their bright colours.
2. When frying vegetables, cut them into equal sizes so that they cook evenly.  This is especially true for onions.
3. Cook potatoes at a gentle simmer,m not a rolling boil, or the outsides will become soft and waterlogged.
4. Vegetables such as peas and carrots can be part-cooked in advance.  Then heat for a minute or two in the microwave with a spoonful of water and a large knob of butter.

See also 'The only recipes you'll ever need' published by quadrille.


And whilst on the subject of being careful with money when buying food, here's a site with suggestions of how to keep food:
http://www.diyncrafts.com/3363/lifehacks/40-diy-tricks-make-groceries-last-long-possible/5