Bernadine Lawrence - How to Feed Your Family for £5 a Day

4 Bake in the oven, stirring frequently, for 45–60 minutes until golden and crispy.

5 Remove the trays from the oven and allow the mixture to cool for about 40 minutes. When cool, break into lumps and store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Popcorn for Breakfast

Feeds 4–6. A cheaper and healthier alternative to puffed rice or wheat breakfast cereals, popcorn contains no preservatives, sugar or salt (until you put it in there yourself)

3 tbsp sunflower oil

3 tbsp popping corn

570ml milk

4 tsp soft light brown sugar or 1 tbsp runny honey

Method

1 Heat the oil in a large pan over a high heat for 1–2 minutes until just starting to spit. Add the popping corn and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, then reduce the heat. The corn will start to pop as it cooks.

2 When the popping sounds slow down to about 3–4 seconds apart, the popcorn is ready.

3 Divide into bowls, add milk and sweeten to taste with sugar or honey.

Fruit and Nut Breakfast Trail Mix

Feeds 6–8. Serve with milk or yoghurt if preferred

60g popped popcorn

140g raisins

2 tbsp sunflower seeds

2–3 tbsp runny honey

3 tbsp crunchy peanut butter

1 tbsp tahini

2–3 tbsp sunflower oil

Method

1 Put the popcorn, raisins and sunflower seeds in a large bowl and set aside.

2 Melt the honey, peanut butter, tahini and oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon.

3 Add the mixture to the popcorn, raisins and sunflower seeds. Mix well and serve. Great for snacks, too.

Honey Polenta

Feeds 4. Serve with butter, jam or cottage cheese. Also works well with fruit and spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg

1 litre milk

115g fine polenta

1 tbsp runny honey or brown sugar, to taste

Method

1 In a large saucepan, stir the milk gradually into the polenta with a wooden spoon.

2 Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

3 Sweeten to taste with the honey or brown sugar and serve.

– ALTERNATIVELY –

For a thicker, more pudding-like consistency, use only 850ml of milk.

Breakfast Corncake Stack

Makes 16 corncakes. Serve with cottage cheese and honey or sliced peaches and crème fraîche

2 eggs

300ml milk

115g fine polenta

pinch of salt

1–2 tbsp melted butter or sunflower oil

Method

1 In a large bowl, beat the eggs well with a fork. Gradually add the milk, polenta and salt until you have a batter the consistency of double cream.

2 Heat the butter or oil in a large frying pan and drop the batter by spoonfuls into the hot pan.

3 Fry for 2–3 minutes, turning once, until golden brown.

Grilled Banana Split

Feeds 4. A healthy alternative to the cream-filled classic

4 bananas

dollop of jam or honey

chopped nuts, for sprinkling

2 tbsp yoghurt

Method

1 Make a slit in each banana skin from end to end. Place under the grill at a medium heat for 10 minutes.

2 Split open the skins and serve the bananas in their peel with jam or honey, a sprinkling of chopped nuts and yoghurt.

Golden Banana Fritters

Feeds 4

1–2 tbsp sunflower oil

4 bananas, peeled and chopped into 3 pieces each

400ml of Coating Batter

1–2 tbsp runny honey or maple syrup

Method

1 Heat the oil in a large frying pan until hot, then dip each piece of banana in the coating batter.

2 Fry in the pan for 2–3 minutes, turning with a spatula, until golden brown.

3 Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot, drizzled with honey or maple syrup.

Healthy Honey-Yoghurt Sundae

Feeds 4. Great for using up overripe fruit

300g yoghurt

1 tbsp runny honey

1 tbsp currants, raisins or sultanas

1 tbsp porridge oats

150g ripe strawberries

Method

1 Mix together all the ingredients and serve.

– ALTERNATIVELY –

Try with bananas, peaches or seedless grapes.

Fruity Pancakes

Feeds 4

a stack of 8 Pancakes

an assortment of sliced fruit to fill them with

These are some of my favourites:

Honey, lemon juice and banana

Strawberries and cream

Peaches, honey and yoghurt

Raspberry purée

LIGHT MEALS AND SNACKS

Warming Cheesy Rice Bake

Feeds 4

You will need an ovenproof pie dish approximately 14 × 18cm

350g cooked rice (140g uncooked rice cooked according to packet instructions)

225g strong Cheddar, grated

150ml milk or stock made from boiled water mixed with 1 tbsp Marmite or Vegemite

30–60g butter or margarine

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas 3. Layer the cooked rice and the grated cheese in the pie dish (starting and ending with rice), lightly seasoning with salt and pepper and adding a little milk or stock to each layer as you go. Feel free at this stage to add any cooked beans, vegetables, meat or fish – this is a chance to use up perfectly good leftovers.

2 Dot with knobs of butter and bake for 20–30 minutes until golden brown.

Crispy Potato Fritters

Makes 16–18. Feeds 4

900g potatoes, mashed (for a reminder of how to make mashed potato, see Buttery Mashbut don’t add butter or seasoning)

2 tbsp breadcrumbs

5 eggs

2 tsp tomato purée

3 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped

3–4 tbsp vegetable oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1 Mix together all the ingredients except the oil and season with salt and pepper.

2 Heat the oil in a large frying pan and when hot, drop tablespoons of the mixture into the pan and cook until brown on both sides, turning once.

Sliced Potatoes and Crispy Bacon in Rich White Sauce

Feeds 4

900g potatoes, scrubbed or peeled, as preferred

2 tbsp vegetable oil

55–85g streaky bacon, cubed

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 level tbsp plain white flour

570ml milk

a little freshly grated nutmeg

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1 Cut the potatoes in half and place in a large saucepan. Cover in cold water and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 15 minutes until tender. Cut one of the larger pieces in half to check it is cooked through.

2 While the potatoes are boiling, heat the oil in a large pan. Add the bacon and fry for 3–5 minutes over a medium heat. Add the onion, stir and continue to cook for another 3–5 minutes until the onion is golden.

3 Sprinkle over the flour and gradually add the milk. Stir well, grate in some nutmeg to taste, and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

4 Drain and cut the potatoes into 2–3cm thick slices while they are still hot.

5 Season the potatoes with salt and pepper then add to the sauce. Stir and simmer together for 5–10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Stuffed Potatoes