Easy food ideas to stop expensive meals out

[Diane1969]

Morning,
I cook all our food from fresh ingredients at home during the week which is time consuming and we normally end up eating out or takeaways at the weekends, as I can't be bothered to cook, ( lazy I know ) anyway the thing is having spent all our money on our van we need to keep the cost down whilst being away and not eat out all the time which is what we normally do whilst away, which ends up really expensive! we want to enjoy the van and not worry about the added cost.
So I'm wondering if any of you lovely people have some easy, tasty meal ideas?
We have an oven, hob and microwave So even if it's a really good quality ready meal I would be grateful .
I have searched the forum for this type of thread but didn't find one so sorry if this has already been covered before

 

[ruthiebabe]

You'll get plenty of suggestions.

I'd advise buying a nonstick sauté pan, basically a deep frying pan with lid. Tefal or similar. I've had them from Argos or French hyper markets and think mine is about 22 cm but depends on your hob. It doubles as a frying pan and as a wok too.

Search bbc good food (app or online) for one pot meals. Many have only 4 or 5 ingredients and are really tasty. Typically the rice or potatoes are in the pot too so less washing up and quick to throw in together, less time to make. I now have a whole selection that I know the ingredients for off by heart, they are regular 'van' meals.

I have also found recipes from the many tv chefs ' quick' books but bbc good food seems to have a knack of creating simple and quick versions of old favourites.

 

[Diane1969]

You'll get plenty of suggestions.

I'd advise buying a nonstick sauté pan, basically a deep frying pan with lid. Tefal or similar. I've had them from Argos or French hyper markets and think mine is about 22 cm but depends on your hob. It doubles as a frying pan and as a wok too.

Search bbc good food (app or online) for one pot meals. Many have only 4 or 5 ingredients and are really tasty. Typically the rice or potatoes are in the pot too so less washing up and quick to throw in together, less time to make. I now have a whole selection that I know the ingredients for off by heart, they are regular 'van' meals.

I have also found recipes from the many tv chefs ' quick' books but bbc good food seems to have a knack of creating simple and quick versions of old favourites.

Thanks , I have bought a frying pan with lid for the van as I use them a lot at home. I will search one pot ideas

 

[scousebird]

Omelettes with salad or nice bread.
Tesco finest £10 meal deal is normally good (other brands are available e.g. M&S)
Pre-make meals to take with you like chilli & bolognese
Those small joints that some in foil trays & frozen roasties
Ready cooked chicken with salad or savoury rice

 

[Chris]

My wife when cooking a curry or chilli in the week makes double the amount and then pops the surplus in freezer bags and puts them in the freezer.

Then if we are away a few nights we take the bags out and put them in the van freezer. Then it's just a case of defrosting and making some rice

Same with cottage pie and stuff like that , just make the potato topping in the van.

If it's dry outside get the BBQ going - whatever time of year

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[jumartoo]

I have a quick cook pasta meal I use as a standby.

Cook bacon or ham bits and sliced mushrooms for a couple of minutes in a frying pan. Add quick cook pasta and water to cover, with a stock cube. Simmer until the pasta starts to soften, adding a little more liquid if needed. I stir in a little tomato ketchup for a tomatoey sauce and add a table spoon or so of parmesan and a little cream.

When cooking this in the van I then add a small can of sweet corn and a small can of sliced red peppers.

(If at home with more time I use fresh peppers and onions for the base and frozen peas and I usually use Cayenne to make it spicy).

When almost all the liquid has disappeared and the pasta has softened turn off the heat and leave to stand for a few minutes to absorb the rest of the sauce.

Easy.

You can also just cook the pasta in the stock and then add the sweet corn and pepper and a can of tuna near the end of cooking.

 

[Diane1969]

My wife when cooking a curry or chilli in the week makes double the amount and then pops the surplus in freezer bags and puts them in the freezer.

Then if we are away a few nights we take the bags out and put them in the van freezer. Then it's just a case of defrosting and making some rice

Same with cottage pie and stuff like that , just make the potato topping in the van.

If it's dry outside get the BBQ going - whatever time of year

Thanks don't know why I didn't think of that as I'm always freezing food!!
You'd get on with steve he would have barbecue every day, trouble is he wants a weeks worth of meat each time, i actually think it's cheaper eating out, This was a Sunday afternoon barbecue just for the two of us

 

[The Wino]

Fry onions with some thickly sliced spicy chorizo (aldi) on a low heat add a sliced red pepper tin of chick peas carton of passata and some red wine simmer for about an hour eat with rice or bread with rest of red wine

 

[irnbru]

I now have a whole selection that I know the ingredients for off by heart, they are regular 'van' meals.

So what are they then? I think this is the type of thing the OP is interested in.

 

[mitzimad]

we use the oven a lot, casseroles and small roasts, half a chicken is good. Corned beef hash with a tin of sweet corn, pasta with anything in the fridge is another quick and easy one

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[Cal54]

For me this is were the slow cooker and microwave come into their own. Yesterday morning chucked braising steak, onion, red pepper and tin tomatoes into the slow cooker with a sachet of Swartz slow cooker casserole mix. Last night we had a beautiful casserole with jacket potatoes done in the microwave. Would have been too tired to cook anything decent as we had been out all day.
Can highly recommend the McCains frozen jacket potatoes for a quick fix.
I usually bring a quick frozen meal for our first night away, this week it was bolognase with a bag of fresh pasta - all ready in just 5 minutes. Agree that making extra and freezing at home then bringing with you is the way to go. Have even done this with mash potato in the past.

 

[MattR]

We take meals cooked during the week and frozen into take away containers - they defrost slowly in the fridge (and help cool the fridge down) and last us a weekend or more.

 

[Bacchus]

If you're abroad, especially France, the simple things in tins can be a refreshing change from whatever we get here, and don't take much cooking; I would never dream of eating "beans and baby sausauges", but somehow a tin of cassoulet (preferably the lentil cassoulet) with its chunks of ham served with a hunk of fresh bread is great, but you can even buy things like le langue in a madeira sauce for a couple of Euros which is delicious.

Microwave rice is ready in two minutes and is a great standby; and you can bang up a curry in seconds if you use tinned meat/veggies - obviously not as good as fresh, but pretty good and a LOT less hassle, and all the "skins" can go straight into the can-bank (c;

Also as @Chris says, make extra and freeze! We always always clean and save the cartons from any take-aways so we can re-use them. Easy to store in the freezer and in ready sized portions! Lady Bacchus is working up in 'that London' at the moment and much prefers a re-heated tocitura with polenta or a green thai curry and rice to some five pound sandwich!

 

[Abacist]

Thanks don't know why I didn't think of that as I'm always freezing food!!
You'd get on with steve he would have barbecue every day, trouble is he wants a weeks worth of meat each time, i actually think it's cheaper eating out, This was a Sunday afternoon barbecue just for the two of us

I like my meat but that is an unbelievable amount of meat for two!

I BBQ the meat and we have salads or baked or salad potatoes when we are away in the summer. Don't want to be slaving over a hot stove in a hot van in the summer.

 

[deanroofing]

Thanks don't know why I didn't think of that as I'm always freezing food!!
You'd get on with steve he would have barbecue every day, trouble is he wants a weeks worth of meat each time, i actually think it's cheaper eating out, This was a Sunday afternoon barbecue just for the two of us

Good job you never had friends round then.

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[Bacchus]

This was a Sunday afternoon barbecue just for the two of us

That's shocking!!!!!!!!!

(who let a girl near the barbecue...)

 

[Enword]

As Chris said, For race weekends Mrs D cooks x 4 evening meals & freezes them, then defrost as an when, just the veg to do then, midday light bites or if I'v been good & scored points I get a bacon sarni !!!

 

[Granjan]

As said before double up ideas are great. You already sound like a great cook, can you just simplify some of the stages in recipes you like. I batch freeze cubes of things like fresh blitzed root ginger and chillies, for stir frys curries etc (buy chopped stir fry veg bags, chopped chicken, add some cashews) take the easy squeeze tubes of garlic etc. Saves washing up.
Ready make thai curry sauce mix with can of coconut milk. Microwave rice. Frozen coriander and parsley which I buy in big bunches from the local farm shop, much cheaper than supermarket just empty the bag. I use microwave steam bags to cook fresh veg and salmon steaks, saves washing up. Cheaper cuts of meat in slow cooker.
Take at least a couple place settings of nice plates and glasses, when you are out for the day set yourselves a challenge of finding something simple and inexpensive to bring back for your evening meal, have some spices /rubs with you. I always take a few onions and lemons / limes. I have recipe photo's on my ipad and a little book with favourite recipes in too.

 

[DBK]

I learned how to cook a paella at a masterclass held by @Coolbeanz in Spain this year. As a result this has become my party piece and I enjoy making it.

Of course it isn't necessarily the best meal for a wet weekend in Wigan but the point is cooking can be enjoyable and be part of the trip. Mussels very easy to cook as well and if you have an oven the part baked loaves you can get from the likes of Lidls make a good crusty accompaniment.

 

[jdk62]

Finely chop 2 or 3 gloves of garlic. Finely chop 2 or 3 tablespoons of fresh parsley. Finely chop a red chilli.

Boil the kettle and fill a large pan bring back to the boil add salt and pop in 180 - 200 grams of good spaghetti? Cook as per instructions.

Meanwhile heat a frying pan with 4- 5 tablespoons of olive oil and gently fry the garlic and chilli for about 5 mins ( not too hot or will make garlic bitter..). When spaghetti is cooked, drain and then add oil,garlic,chilli mixture along with parsley. Toss together, serve with lashing of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Prep and cooking time - 10mins : Spaghetti alio e peperocino..

Oh and crack a bottle of wine..

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[ruthiebabe]

So what are they then? I think this is the type of thing the OP is interested in.

I can't type all the actual recipes up as there are lots and often I just use the recipe as inspiration and follow it loosely. However examples you would probably find on bbc good food are; easy lamb biryani (all in one) moroccan chicken (just serve with couscous) quick moussaka (I add potatoes as well to that one) cod with chorizo and potatoes, paella, paprika pork and many other quick stroganoffs/casseroles etc that are made with the quick-cook cuts.

 

[Shrimp]

I use the Remoska, a good layer of root veg-potatoes, carrots, parsnip, onion, garlic, anything else you fancy even courgette, lay chicken thigh fillets on top, small amount of water-veg will make the juices, cook for about 45-60 mins, add bit of extra water/wine whatever, thicken juice for gravy. The only work is prepping the veg, but I don't peel pots or carrots!
OR
Chicken breast chopped into bite size bits, rice, a jar of Tikka Masala curry sauce (Aldi) or whichever flavour you like, 1/2 jar of water, cook for about 45-60 mins, serve with poppadoms, and wine-of course!
There's not much work in either of them, imagination is a wonderful thing so is the Remoska, Toad in the Hole, Chicken Cacciatore, Rice pudding!

 

[LesleyC]

What works for me at home, and when camping (we only get our van at the end of this month), is to chop/slice/dice whatever ingredients will not deteriorate in a prepared state when I come home with the shopping. It all goes in containers/bags according to what meal its for, and whether they get added to the dish at the same time or separately. Any mixes of herbs/species go into a little spice pot and into the fridge with the bags/containers of ingredients for that meal.
It makes cooking something a lot easier at the end of the day if you all you have to do is put stuff in the pan/oven.

For weekend away, I shall just put things in the van fridge instead of the electric cooler we use for camping, and for longer trips, shop for 3/4 days at a time, and chop/prep the stuff asap after shopping (in the van, possibly before I leave the supermarket car park). The little spice pots for the meals will be prepped at home for the full trip, so I don't have to have loads of herbs/spices in the van)

 

[DanielFord]

We have two 'van special' meals that take very little time. The first is spaghetti & meatballs, using the fresh bag of spaghetti, and a garlic pizza bread with cheese.
The other is a chorizo risotto, which sounds complicated, but is dead simple. Look for the recipe on BBC good food, I think it is listed as Spanish rice with chorizo.

 

[denisejoe]

If we're only away for a weekend I tend to just take meals I've frozen previously and then just have to make the carbs or salad to go with it.

When we're away for longer I take some meals ready done in the freezer for 2-3 days and then just shop every few days and cook quick variations of what I'd cook at home or get inspiration when food I see whilst shopping.

As others have said if you're in France things like tinned cassoulet are good standby meals, although this is something I occasionally cook at home in the slow cooker and freeze.

Denise

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[Jenben]

Like others I take some meals I have made at home. In addition our van staples which we carry with us include boil in the bag rice (can be boiled first, taken out and kept warm), I then use the same pan to make a sauce (tinned tomatoes, chorizo, onion for example).

We also like to carry little chilli pots (knorr I think?), stock cubes, garlic paste is also handy to keep in the fridge. Cous cous is also great, add a small amount of chopped apricots, an onion, some feta for a great meal.

Paella rice is also handy for a one pot meal with a stock cube and chorizo and a green pepper.

A baked Camembert is good ( if you have an oven or maybe a remoska). Baked in foil, put a few slits in the top add garlic paste and a splash of wine, cook for about 15 minutes. Use with bread/ carrot sticks or serve with cold meats and salad.

I like to carry spray oil and a ready made salad dressing. It sounds lazy but I haven't got the same space as my kitchen at home and whilst I love cooking I have adapted my cooking style in the van.

 

[The DATeam]

We don't cook while we are away, just reheat meals that we've made at home. With the help of a la.va V300 vacuum packing machine, meals away could not be easier. About a week before we are due to go away we have a 'cook off' preparing all the meals we need for the trip. Each meal is then cooled, put into a vacuum bag and then frozen. Once frozen, the bag is vacuum sealed. The vacuum sealing reduces the packaging and enables us to fill our Motorhome freezer. The vacuum sealer bags are both microwaveable and boil in the bag possible. We don't have a microwave, so we just choose which meal we want for the evening, in the morning, take it out of the freezer to defrost, in to a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes, bingo, dinner is ready. One tip on preparing meals this way is the meal is best cooked in a sauce or gravy. Our favorite meals are things like steak in brandy sauce, chicken in white wine, pork medallions in marsala sauce, liver with oranges and the trusted spaghetti bolognaise. On our trip around the Outer Hebrides we managed to get 16 meal in the freezer by doing it this way. No cooking, no specialist pans to carry around, very little washing up, you know all the ingredients are the best, you've cooked them. Easy.

 

[DBK]

Assuming we are not talking about weekends and short trips then going shopping is all part of the trip for us! Even a visit to Lidls can have its high points when you find if there is something on special offer or just seeing what vegetables are in season.

I can see the benefit of taking two weeks worth of prepared meals if you are going somewhere remote with no shops but otherwise how boring! Every meal just something defrosted and warmed up. Shopping local and preparing something different is half the fun for us, especially in France and Spain.

What we don't take these days, although we did at first, are cookery books. Now we just search on line although we do have a small folder of printed out favourite recipes.

 

[scotjimland]

How to stop expensive meals out..?

live on the state pension..

We rarely eat out.. because I love cooking and do it all in the van as well as at home.. a passion and a hobby

My van menu is much the same as at home.. it varies with the seasons..

Paella, Curries, Chinese stir fries, Pasta, Salads, Beef stews, Spaghetti bolognaise, Mince and tatties, Macaroni & cheese, Pizza, Fish etc etc

we also have lots of BBQs .. love cooking outdoors.

I also bake all our bread at home.. that's the only thing I haven't tried in the van, simply because we don't have an oven..it's also a bit messy..
but in France, this is not a hardship..

 

[Diane1969]

I like my meat but that is an unbelievable amount of meat for two!

I BBQ the meat and we have salads or baked or salad potatoes when we are away in the summer. Don't want to be slaving over a hot stove in a hot van in the summer.

Oh he also wants all the trimmings

I like my meat but that is an unbelievable amount of meat for two!

I BBQ the meat and we have salads or baked or salad potatoes when we are away in the summer. Don't want to be slaving over a hot stove in a hot van in the summer.

oh he has to have all the trimmings !!!! Obviously I don't eat it all