Cheap and Easy Vegetarian Recipe with Chickpeas

Chickpeas and Roasted Vegetables in Low-Fat Cheese Sauce

bean chart from freedigitalphotos.net

Healthy Chickpea Vegatarian Recipe

Beans and pulses are cheap and healthy. This is a tasty vegetarian recipe using chickpeas and roasted vegetables in a cheese sauce. This recipe uses low fat ingredients to make a low calorie dish. It is really tasty, full of healthy nutrients and really cheap to make. It is ideal for a lunch or supper and you will find non-veggies clamouring for it as a side dish.
Not only do chickpeas add a delicious nutty flavour and texture to this dish, they are full of protein, dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals which make them the ideal for vegetarian health. They are thought to help lower cholesterol and they are a slow-release food which makes them ideal for weight management.

Why eating beans is good for you

Anyone on a vegetarian diet is generally healthy but one thing they need to consider is how to get protein into their diet - carnivores get their protein in meat and fish. Protein is needed every day to help build and renew every cell in the body. Chickpeas are part of the beans and pulses family, and they are rich in protein as is the cheese in this recipe. Beans are low in saturated fats, those bad fats that cause high blood pressure, strokes and heart disease. They are also high in fiber to maintain a healthy digestive system. Beans are also considered to be antioxidants which fight free radicals, those things that cause premature aging and some cancers. Beans are also very rich in minerals and vitamin including Vit B complex, Vit C and K, iron and copper.
Beans are a slow release food, they release their energy over a period of time which keeps blood sugar at steady levels - this helps to reduce those cravings that make you break your weight loss diet. Beans make you feel fuller for longer. Include 2-3 cups of beans or pulses in your diet every week for optimum health.

legumes from pixabay.com

How to prepare dried beans for cooking

Dried beans and chickpeas are very cheap to buy and are much healthier than tinned ones. The only tinned beans I use are red kidney beans because they need extra preparations to ensure the removal of toxins. Red lentils don't need preparation for cooking but everything else does. You need to soak beans and hard lentils, usually overnight, then cook for 30 minutes before they can be added to your recipes. They do freeze well though so prepare a whole bag at once and freeze in small portions so they can just be taken out and added to any dish.

Instructions

• Empty a whole bag of dried beans into a large bowl or saucepan.
• Cover completely with cold water.
• Leave to soak overnight.
• Drain the beans and rinse under clean running water.
• Put them in a large pot with loads of water.
• Bring to the boil, and boil fast for 10 minutes. You may have to skim a little scum from the top of the water.
• Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
• Drain the beans in a collander.
• When they are cold, divide into 2-4 ounce portion bags and freeze. They don't need to be defrosted before use.

Courgette or Zucchini

my home grown courgettes

Cook Time

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 1 hour

Ready in: 1 hour 15 min

Yields: Serves 1

chickpeas and veggies in cheese sauce

How to Make Chickpeas and Roasted Vegetables in Cheese Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 courgette, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• handful sweetcorn kernals
• handful cooked chickpeas
• 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
• FOR THE SAUCE FOR THE SAUCE
• 1 oz low fat butter
• 1 oz flour
• 1 pint skimmed milk
• 1oz mature cheese, grated

Instructions for roasted vegetables

1. pre heat oven to 220 degrees
2. prepare vegetables and cut into cubes or circles
3. place on a baking tray, sprinkle with herbs and spray with olive oil
4. roast in oven for about 40 minutes turning at least once

To complete the dish

Remove vegetables from oven and place in oven-proof dish or divide between three individual dishes.
Add chickpeas to the dish
Pour the sauce over veggie, chick pea mix
Top with grated cheese
Cook in moderately hot oven 200 degrees until the top is golden brown
Serve with baby-leaf green salad
Add garlic bread if you are not on a diet.

cheese board from pixabay.com

To make the sauce

Melt butter in a small saucepan

Add flour, mix without lumps
Cook for one minute
Remove from heat
Slowly, stirring all the time, add milk ensuring a smooth mix without lumps
Return to the heat and bring to the boil
Boil for 1 minute
Remove from heat
Add 1 ounces of grated cheese to your own taste - if you use a mature cheese you need to use less in volumn
Season with salt and pepper

Nutrition Values and Costs

ingredients	calories	fat	protein	cost
Courgette x1	80	1.6g	8.2g	50p
100g chickpeas	105	1.5g	5.5g	20p
handful sweetcorn kernals	66	0.5g	2.1g	25p
carrot	25	0	0.5g	8p
wholemeal flour x 1oz	100	0.54g	4g	5p
low fat butter x 1oz	180	20g	0.2g	21p
skimmed milk x 1pt	200	0	8g	70p
mature cheese x 1oz	100	4.5g	8.6g	6p
DISH FOR 3 SERVING	856			£2.05
DISH FOR SINGLE SERVING	285			68P

If you want to lower the calorie count, do not add the cheese to the sauce, the plain white sauce goes well with roasted vegetables and chickpeas.

The main health benefit to eating chickpeas

chickpeas from pixabay.com

Chickpeas are really high in fibre which is great for your digestive system plus it is slow-release which helps you to feel fuller longer. That is especially handy if you are health conscious. We all know by now that it is best to maintain a steady blood sugar level throughout the day without huge surges or sudden drops. A slow-release food like this keeps your blood sugar level up there till your next meal.
Of course for vegetarians it is an important source of protein. You need protein for cell building, for renewing cells and that applies to brain cells. People who have high levels of protein in their diet tend to be much more resilient, they can concentrate for longer and their energy levels keep constant.
It is thought foods like these help the body fight free radicals, those elements that are believed to cause cancers. They are full of anti-oxidants. They are also high in iron and manganese and a whole raft of vitamins.
There are lots of places you can learn more and I've included some links below that you might find interesting.

Some useful links

• Benefits of Chickpeas | LIVESTRONG.COM
  Whether you call it a chickpea or a garbanzo bean, there's no question that chickpeas are a healthy addition to any diet. Chickpeas are naturally low in fat, high in dietary fiber and rich in vitamins and minerals.
• 3 health benefits of chickpeas - Canadian Living
  From cutting cholesterol to warding off hunger cravings, chickpeas are a must-have on your next grocery list. Here are three health benefits of chickpeas.

Easy Vegetarian Recipe: Mini Sweet Pepper Boats

Mini Sweet Pepper Boats

The vegetarian on the 5:2 diet

recipe card mini pepper boats

I hope you enjoy my easy vegetarian recipe for mine sweet pepper boats with feta cheese. 

The one thing I have found difficult as a vegetarian is finding suitable recipes for my intermittent fasting days.

I am having great success with the 5:2 diet, I have already dropped 3 dress sizes in 3 months and feel much better for it. I've talked about it before but in case you don't know -  you eat a normal healthy diet 5 days every week and on 2 non-consecutive days eat 500 calories or less. This is definitely the best way to use your body metabolism to aid in weight management. 

This is one of the recipes I have developed for my 'fasting days'. It is only 150 calories and cost me only 97p.  I initially picked them out at the supermarket because they were so cute! Lucky for me they turn out to be as tasty as they look.

Easy Vegetarian Recipe for One: Sweet Potato Noodles and Feta Bake

Sweet Potato Noodles and Feta Bake

This is a tasty vegetarian recipe for one that is ideal for using with an intermittent fasting diet - the 5:1 diet. It is only 216 calories and cost under £1 to make. Win Win.

I recently heard about using vegetables as noodles as a healthier alternative to pasta and, confess, I am hooked. Vegetable noodles are delicious raw or cooked and this recipe uses sweet potato which is probably my favourite.

The sweet potato contrasts nicely with the tang of the feta. Because the feta is salty I haven't added any more in the cooking and it was fine. Ideal for anyone trying to cut down on their salt count. The mix of the vegetable stock and feta gives this dish a delightful milky gravy.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Spiced Buns - Low Fat - Low Sugar Recipe

How to make spiced buns 

Spiced buns

that are low in fat, low in sugar, low in calories, high in taste!

Sometimes you just want something sweet. These tasty spiced buns that look after your waistline! Many of us need to watch our weight but it is easy to adapt well-loved recipes to create lower fat, lower sugar editions so you can still enjoy a treat. These spiced buns makes that even easier. Replacing some of the normal sugar amounts with dried fruit and shifting to a reduced-fat butter greatly reduces the calorie values without compromising taste.

This is also a time when most of us are watching the pennies and baking at home is becoming more popular again. You can create many buns, cakes and cookies from scratch for a fraction of the cost of shop-made produces. In addition, you also know exactly what goes into it and that puts you in control not the food manufacturers.

These spiced buns take only a few minutes to prepare then bake and can be served straight from the oven. Ideal for afternoon tea!

This recipe is based on UK ingredients - for example self-raising flour available here is flour that contains a raising agent so doesn't need baking powder - for US and Canada add the relevant amount of baking powder to the flour.

Cheap and Healthy Veggie Recipe: Vegetarian Egg Fried Rice

My Cheap and Easy Egg Fried Rice 

I'm not a fabulous cook, in fact I like to make things as easy as possible and this vegetarian egg fried rice couldn't be easier. This is an excellent way to use up left-over vegetables although using fresh vegetables gives them an extra bite that you might prefer.

For a REALLY easy option, when you are cooking a meal with rice put in some extra and cook some extra vegetables and you have a cheap and easy, nutritious lunch or supper for the next day.

I have the added benefit of using my own home-grown courgettes in this dish - there is nothing nicer than using food you have grown yourself.

I've based the timing on using left-over rice, cooking it first you will need another 12 minutes. Just make sure it is dry after cooking otherwise it will 'spit' in the wok.

If you don't have a wok, use a large frying pan.

I tend to use the cherry tomatoes as garnish rather than cooked in with the rice though they do cook well if you like them that way.

Serve with a green salad and you have a healthy meal for one.

Cheap and Easy Vegetarian Recipes: Cooking with Lentils

Vegetarian recipes: Cooking with lentils

red lentils photo by annmackiemiller

Lentils are a tasty healthy addition to any diet. Red lentils in particular are easy to use since they don't even have to be soaked beforehand. Included here is my favourite lentil soup recipe and a recipe for curried lentil stew. I like to make my soups and stews the night before I am going to eat them to allow all the flavours to mature.

Lentils are high in protein and low in fat. Protein is used to build and keep every cell in the body healthy and essential for vegetarians to add to their diet. Lentils also contain folate, magnesium, essential amino acids, iron and vitamins B, A and C. These are one of the super foods, a great source of anti-oxidants that fight against cancers, heart disease and strokes. The high fiber content helps keep a healthy bowel and reduces the risk of diseases of the alimentary tract. Lentils are a slow release food to they are ideal for maintaining a level blood sugar level, essential in preventing food cravings when you are on a weight loss diet. This is also great for diabetics or people like myself who have impaired glucose tolerance.

Images: Red Lentils by annmackiemiller - copyright 2014

Eggplant or Aubergine Slow Bake Vegetarian Recipe

Vegetarian dinner recipe: Slow Bake Aubergines

Aubergine or Eggplant from Pixabay

This is a tasty aubergine recipe that vegetarians and non-vegetarians will love. A one-dish casserole dish, it is cooked very slowly over several hours to allow all the flavours to blend. Aubergines are also known as eggplants and are often not cooked properly which puts people off. However, you simply cannot go wrong with this dish and it also freezes very well. When you are cooking for one, cook the whole thing then freeze in meal-sized portions for a quick ready meal that you know is completely healthy. An added bonus! This is very low in fat. 

Images: Aubergine Slow Bake by AnnMackieMiller

Bangers and Mash Vegetarian Style: Vegetarian Sausages with Potatoes and Onion Gravy

Vegetarian Cheap and Easy Recipe: Sausage and Mashed Potatoes 

Don't miss out on Bangers and Mash just 'cos you're a veggie!

Vegetarian Bangers and Mash
Sausages and mash potatoes

If I was to admit to missing one thing over the last 30 years of my vegetarian life, it would be sausages - called 'bangers' here in the UK. Since they are not exactly gourmet food, that isn't a great admission. However, fellow veggies, do not despair, there are a host of very good vegetarian options.

I'm sure this vegetarian version will provoke a few witty comments. On this very cold, very wet and windy day, it was also an ideal dish to make for supper, comfort food at its best. - and it is cheap and easy! Perfectly good excuses to make a vegetarian version of an old family favourite.

All the images used here are by me - please don't copy or reproduce them - but do feel free to try the recipe! :)

Frugal Living Tip for One: the benefits of counter top ovens

Budget Tip When you are Cooking for One

my mini oven

Counter top ovens aren't new, but they are becoming more popular as the credit crunch hits. I have one and honestly don't know what I would do without it. It is much cheaper to heat and use a small oven and I feel I am saving earth resources at the same time.

Budget Tip for One: Grow Your Own Herbs

How to Grow Herbs and Salads in Containers

Grow your own herbs in containers

herb seedlings from pixabay.com

Growing your own food is cheaper and very satisfying both on your budget and on the sheer pleasure it gives to pick and eat something you have nurtured. The absence of a garden space to grow them shouldn't stop you. It is easy to grow a variety of produce on window sills indoors or outside in window-boxes if that is all the space you have. With a little more space, like a small patio, you can grow almost anything in containers. In this short article I concentrate on growning herbs and salad leaves, these being the easiest things to grow. In addition, herbs and salad leaves grow quickly. There is nothing quite like popping fresh salad leaves in your mouth while they are still warm from the sun. Gardening in a pot can be really good fun. All you need is your imagination.

Cheap and Healthy Vegetarian Recipes: Button Mushroom Recipes

3 Easy Button Mushroom Recipes

red pepper, onion and chopped mushrooms
from Pixabay.com

These are 3 cheap vegetarian recipes cooked from one bargain buy of button mushrooms. Living frugally and cooking for one can be a challenge but if you are shopping savvy you can cook ahead and make delicious meals you just have to reheat from your freezer.  Using a box of button mushrooms I found in a local supermarket for 99p, a yellow peppers (capsicums), onions and potatoes I came up with 3 recipes: 'Mushroom and Lentil Soup' - 'Mushroom and Pepper Bake' - I had some extra yellow pepper and potatoes left after assembling the bake so make a 'Mushroom, Chickpeas and Ginger Rice'

Vegetarian Recipe for One: Baked Egg with Cheesy Potato

Cheap and Easy Vegetarian Recipe

Egg, Potatoes and Grated Cheese
3 ingredient Vegetarian Recipe

Baked Egg with Cheesy Potatoes

This cheap and easy vegetarian recipe has only 3 ingredients and is ready to eat in 40 minutes. You can vary it by using different types of cheese and by adding other vegetables, I'll make some suggestions you might enjoy. This is ideal for a supper or lunch and with only 319 calories it is ideal for your intermittent fasting day on the 5:2 diet. Cost 63p.

Cooking the Bargains: Vegetarian Mushroom Recipe for One

Tips on Budget Cooking with Vegetarian Mushroom Recipe

Mushroom stew in taco

Alongside this tasty recipe for mushroom stew with tacos, I include tips on budget cooking. This low fat recipe for one has only 276 calories and costs only 59p! That's right, a tasty, filling meal for well under £1 when cooking the bargains. 

Everyone is feeling the financial punch and when you are cooking for one it can seem an impossible task to find ways to cut your food bill. After all, supermarkets encourage people to buy in large amounts. Often their bargains are 'Buy 3 get 1 Free' or large packs of foodstuffs which are useless for one person. But you can beat them at their own game by using up the bargains when they suit you.

In my article, How to cook for one on a budget, I said that budget cooking starts with frugal shopping. Supermarkets are geared to entice you in with daily bargains, knowing full well that once they have your attention, you are likely to buy more. The trick is to buy the bargains and NOT give in to impulse buying. Make sure you know what you are shopping for and resist the temptation to buy - "just in case".

Portobello Mushrooms

So... go straight for the bargains. For example, to write this article I bought one packet of 4 large portobello mushrooms that were on offer for 69p. From these, using staples from my stock cupboard I made:

• 1 made a mushroom stew I served in tacos
• 1 made mushrooms and garlic with a bread roll
• 1 was added to courgettes for a pasta sauce
• 1 was added to a green salad I had with a baked sweet potato.

Let's start with 

How to Make a Tasty Mushroom Stew

This is a really great recipe that you an adapt to use in loads of ways:

for example 

•  like here serve it as a wrap with tacos
• serve it on a bread roll
• serve it with potatoes and vegetables
• place it is an oven-proof dish, cover with mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potato and bake.
• place in an oven-proof dish, cover with pastry and bake.

I love using these flat-cap mushrooms because they give the stew a lovely dark colour. 

The flour is used as a thickening agent - you can reduce the calorie content of this by using cornflour instead - you need to add this at the end though, not when I tell you in the instructions using plain flour. 

ingredients

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large portobello mushroom
• 1 onion, cleaned and diced finely
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 3 quarters pint vegetable stock
• salt and pepper
• 1 large tacos

cook time

Approximate Preparation and Cooking Time

Prep time: 5 min

Cook time: 30 min

Ready in: 35 min

Yields: serves one

Instructions


• 
  

How to make Mushroom Stew

1. Prepare your vegetables: Clean the mushroom - I like to peel them but it isn't really necessary. Chop them into large chunks. Remove outer skins of onions and chop into small pieces.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a small pan. Test by leaving one or two small pieces on onion in the oil. When they start to sizzle, add the rest of the onion and fry until soft and transparent.
3. Add garlic and herbs and stir well to mix and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the mushrooms. Place a lid on the pan and cook for 2 or 3 minutes.
5. Add the flour to make a paste. Cook for one minute. 
6. Stirring continually, add the stock so the flour is absorbed and there are no lumps in the sauce.
7. Season to taste - I don't usually add extra salt as the stock cube tends to have quite a bit of salt in it.
8. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the mushroom chunks are soft when prodded with a knife.



Mushroom stew in taco wraps

9. Make into a wrap with tacos and serve with green salad.

If you prefer to use cornflour instead of flour - 

• when the stew is cooked - 
• in a cup, make a paste with 1-2 teaspoons of cornflour in water. 
• Stirring all the time, add the paste to the stew until it begins to thicken.  

Nutritional value and costs

	calories	Fat	Protein	Cost
1 portobello mushroom	15	0.4g	1.4g	17p
1 onion	40	0	3.81g	10p
2 cloves garlic	3	0		5p
1 tablespoon flour	86	0.35g	2.5g	3p
vegetable stock	34	2.5g	2g	10p
taco	98	4	1.5g	12p
	276	7.25g	11.21g	57p

You can reduce the calorie count by using cornflour to thicken - add this at the end.

More recipes coming soon so be sure to join me. 

Cooking for one: Broccoli, Cheese and Egg Bake

This is a delicious, filling, healthy and cheap vegetarian recipe for anyone who is cooking for one. The broccoli, cheese and egg dish is easy to prepare and is delicious hot or cold.

add →

Cheap and Healthy Vegetarian Egg Dish: Low Fat Recipe

If you like cheap and healthy, this tasty broccoli, cheese and egg bake is one for you. It is really easy to make, tastes delicious and is very filling. It is great served hot with crusty bread and a salad or cold with salad. It is a bit like quiche without the flan. You can cook it in advance if necessary - just cover the top with foil so it doesn't burn. This will freeze very well so you can cook several at at time and freeze them to provide tasty and healthy ready meals right from your freezer.

This version is a low-fat one but you can use full fat cheeses if you prefer. I've included some nutrition facts for you too. This might be of most interest to those of us who are watching our weight and watching our health.

When you are cooking for one it only takes a little effort to cook cheap and healthy dishes. You might need to do a little more advance planning but that is actually a good thing - it stops you making impulse buys that are costly and, as often as not, unhealthy. I like to know what is going into my food so cooking for scratch rather than buying expensive ready-made meals wins for me every time.

What you need for a broccoli cheese bake

Broccoli Cheese Bake

Broccoli Cheese Bake

Source: photography by annmackiemiller

Approximate Preparation and Cooking Time

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 40 min

Ready in: 50 min

Yields: serves one

Ingredients

• 125g Broccoli florets
• 2 spring onions, cleaned and diced finely
• 1 egg
• 1-2 tablespoon soft cheese, Philadelphia light is ideal
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 or 3 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 oz grated cheese, use low fat cheese for topping

How to make Broccoli Bake

1. Clean and separate the broccoli spears. Steam lightly for around 10 minutes until the stems start to soften. If you steam the florets stem down will cook first. Drain and set to one side.
2. Pre-heat your oven to 220/gas mark 7
3. Place your broccoli with the spring onions and tomatoes in an oven-proof dish.
4. Whisk eggs together with garlic and soft cheese.
5. Pour over the broccoli.
6. Top with grated cheese.
7. Cook for 30 minutes until the egg is set.

Nutritional Values

	calories	Fat	Protein
broccoli cheese and egg bake	300	15.6g	21g
broccoli	54	0	3.8
1 egg	75	5g	6.3g
Philly light cheese per 30g	46	3.3g	2.2g
spring onions x 3	14	0	1g
cherry tomatoes x 3	15	0	0.5g
1 oz low-fat grated cheese	90	7g	7g

For me the three most important facts are calories, fat and protein. For other values check any good calorie counter.

A word about calorie counting

I've included a table with the three most important factors for me when I am watching my health, calories, fat content and protein. You'll see the highest calorie count is actually in the grated cheese you put on top of this dish. To further reduce the calories use breadcrumbs with a tiny sprinkle of parmesan. Parmesan also has 90 calories per 1 oz but you need much less of it for taste. Personally I don't think 300 calories is excessive for a meal and the fat and protein content are important for maintaining optimum health.

Mini casserole dish

single serving earthenware dish

Source: amazon.co.uk

Cooking with earthenware

I prefer cooking with earthenware or stoneware rather than anything else. I just feel it spreads the heat much more evenly than china or porcelain. For baking an egg dish like this, it is excellent as it ensures the egg bakes evenly and all the way through.

It is easy enough to find single-serving sizes that are great when you are cooking for one and the joy is you can freeze them and then reheat straight from freezer to oven.

Low Cost
The total cost of this dish was £1.88. I always look for the bargains in supermarket and I was lucky enough to get two gorgeous heads of broccoli for 39p in Aldi - that made this dish, a dish of penne with broccoli and mushroom and broccoli soup - not bad eh? You can see some of my ideas for frugal shopping on an article I published elsewhere - How to Cook For One on a Budget.