meal ideas for a small or medium budget

Cheap winter recipe: what to eat at home in winter? What ideas for cheap winter recipes for a delicious and inexpensive dish? We will give you some suggestions to fully enjoy your evenings with family or friends over a tasty and cheap meal.

Cheap winter recipe: ideas for good and cheap dishes

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

Make classic sauce quickly and easily in a simple skillet to season with spaghetti for an easy meal that can be made any time of day and on weekdays. The dish is inexpensive, making it a great meal for the family of 4.

Ingredients :

• 400 g of crushed tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 5 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
• 120 g of pitted black olives
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 300 g of dry spaghetti
• ½ bunch of finely chopped parsley

Cooking :

• Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.
• Add the onion with a generous pinch of salt and saute for 10 minutes or until soft.
• Then add the garlic and red pepper, if using, and cook for another minute.
• Add the tomatoes, anchovies, olives and capers to the onion, bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions, then drain and toss with the sauce and parsley.

Sausages with lentil cream

Upgrade your sausage stuffing! For just 40 minutes in total you will find a great alternative to potatoes thanks to the creamy green lentils.

Ingredients for 4 place settings:

• 8 good quality pork sausages
• 1 onion
• 2 carrots
• 1 stalk of celery
• sunflower oil (2 tablespoons)
• 2 slices bacon sliced, chopped
• a pinch if dry or 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 200 ml of hot vegetable broth (or a stock cube)
• 410 g jar of green lentils
• 4 tablespoons of fresh cream

Cooking :

Preheat the grill. Grill the sausages for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and cooked through.

In this period :

• Cut the onion, carrots and celery into small pieces. If you have a food processor, you’ll get the job done faster.
• Heat the sunflower oil in a medium saucepan.
• Saute the pancetta for 2 minutes, then add the chopped vegetables and thyme. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and starting to brown.
• Pour in the broth and simmer for 8 minutes until the carrots are tender.
• Drain the lentils, then add them to the vegetables.
• Heat for a few minutes, then season and stir in the crème fraîche or cream.

Serve with grilled sausages.

Pottage

Make this versatile vegetable soup in a soup-like container using your favorite veggies. Serve with a dollop of fresh cream and some herbs.

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 200 g of vegetables, such as onions, celery and carrots, chopped
• 300 g potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 700 ml of vegetable broth
• fresh cream and fresh herbs, for serving

Quick preparation and cooking:

Put the vegetables, potatoes and broth in a soup blender and press the “smooth soup” function. Make sure you don’t fill the soup maker past the maximum fill line.

At the end of the cycle, season and pour into bowls with a dollop of fresh cream and some herbs.

Pumpkin and barley salad with balsamic vinaigrette

This salad is original and can be eaten cold or warm.

Ingredients for 8 place settings:

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into long chunks
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 250 g of pearl barley
• 300 g of tender broccoli, cut into medium-sized pieces
• 100 g of tomatoes, sliced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoon small capers, rinsed
• 15 black olives, pitted
• 20 g of chopped basil

For the seasoning:

• 5 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced

Preparation and cooking:

• Heat the oven to 200°C / fan 180°C / gas 6.
• Place squash on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
• Roast for 20 mins.

In this period :

• Boil the barley for about 25 minutes in salted water until tender, but al dente.
• Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, then season with salt and pepper.
• Drain the barley, then pour it into a bowl and pour over the dressing.
• Mix well and leave to cool.
• Boil the broccoli in salted water until tender, then drain and rinse in cold water.
• Drain and dry.
• Add the broccoli and other ingredients to the barley and mix well.

Store for 3 days in the refrigerator and serve warm or cold.