Hello Dear Reader,
It's October, everywhere and somewhere this is a month about going without. The give up smoking campaign is called Stoptober, go sober for October is all about raising money for charity by giving up drinking for the month and donating the money instead. My stoptober is all about stopping any unnecessary spending for an entire month. We will buy food to cook at home, put fuel in the car, pay for the wood burner to be installed and buy wood for the winter but that will be that. Every year, I invite you all to join in and spend nothing but the basics for an entire month. This is a big ask for some people, you might join in for a week, a fortnight or even the whole month. For me, this means no craft items, no jumble sales, no charity shops. I would encourage everyone to have a go at saving as much as possible. Smokers and drinkers? Well, why not try giving that up too as every one will be giving something up and it will save you money.
I will also be sharing some interesting budget fish recipe with you this month. Many people think that fish is too expensive but there are alternatives such as tinned or frozen. I thought I would start with a thrifty but luxurious fish pie. This was a favourite for my children when growing up "Eye, eye, fishy pie" as it was known in our house.
It's dismal how little fish some Brits eat and yet it's so vital to our health. Our bodies do not make their own omega oils, which are essential to growth, hormone health, mental health and mental capacity. They are present in oily fish, which in the scheme of things also works out to be really thrift conscious food. I'm going to be cooking with smoked herrings, salmon, pilchards, sardines and trout. I'm going to share ways of using these fish simply and cheaply.
Here's my recipe for "Eye, eye, fishy pie".- serves 6.
A saucepan full of mashed potato - I always add some chopped parsley to this.
Any fish! I used, two smoked herring fillets 99p Morrisons
200g of frozen salmon - £1.40 - Aldi
100g frozen prawns - 92p Aldi
100g of frozen spinach - 13p Morrisons
Place the prawns and spinach into a casserole dish still frozen.
Microwave the salmon and kippers/smoked herrings for 3 minutes until cooked enough to pull apart. I removed the skin from the herrings, I like fish skin left on, DB likes it taken off, as usual, he wins.
Stir in a cheese sauce - how to make the cheese sauce can be found HERE
Top with the mashed potato and bake for 30 minutes or until the potato is crispy on top. As you can see, the cheese sauce leaked. It's not perfect, it's homemade and tasted lovely.
Six portions, #1 son is working locally and home for a week or two so feeding him too. We'll eat 'ding cuisine' tomorrow night too to save me standing in the kitchen, time and the cost of having the oven on.
We ate ours with some steamed green beans (thanks to the lovely couple who gave them to me, I know you read......they were the best beans I've ever eaten) as it had spinach in the pie, we didn't need anything else. So delicious, easy and really affordable. I hope no one thinks that fish is out of their price range, or difficult to cook or smelly. It's none of those things.
For lots more fish ideas, go to the www.fishisthedish.co.uk/recipes website for lots more ideas.
Right then my lovvies, who's up for some challenges this month? Stoptober? Stopping spending on anything that isn't essential for a month? Who is up to my eat more fish challenge? Your body and your purse will thank you this month.
Until tomorrow,
Love Froogs xxxxx
Looks lovely Froogs! Frozen fish is the only one that I can really afford - well that and the fresh just doesn't look that great near me. (Don't eat canned...) No Stoptober for me. I'm starting to stock up which also includes clothing and shoes. Already had a few things planned for this month. My goal is to downsize my belongings/declutter and focus on primarily needs with a tiny amount of wants. Good luck to everyone this month! ~ Pru
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious every time I make fish pie the milk curdles so this would be perfect for me to try & we love fish pie. I'd love to take part in a frugal type month but I need new shoes for work & a new pair if boots for general so wouldn't be off to the best start! I'm going to hunt around for quality though as otherwise I'll be paying out again in a couple of months. Any suggestions as to where to buy from? Thanks, Nicola.
ReplyDeleteThat meal looks great! I have 2 cans of salmoan and am thinking could I jsut use that? Or does it need the other types of fish for flavor/variety?
ReplyDeleteI'm in for the Stoptober. I have a VERY large, once a year bill that comes due this month as well as my son's B-day. But to make all this happen I am planning to spend just $135 (US$) for the month on food, it's what I have left after paying these bills and all. I have a well stocked pantry and freezer and have no doubt I can do it! : ) Thanks for the inspiration!
oh that looks awesome - I might try it with peas and carrots as Hubby turns up his nose at spinach. your meals always look so delicious, thank you for sharing them. I am always looking for more ways to incorporate fish into our diets. Do you get marinara mix there? It is sometimes quite reasonable here and I love to fry a little onion, then add green curry paste, toss in some marinara mix and add a can of coconut milk. Served over rice. Veggies can be added as well, capsicum and pumpkin slices are a favourite.
ReplyDeleteI cant believe it is already October, I remember waiting for September to arrive and now it is gone in the blink of an eye! I have been having a no/low spend for a while now and will continue on for this month. I am also going to finish sorting through stuff I have and don't want and donate it to charity :)
ReplyDeleteThat fishy pie looks like a delicious dish to try. I gave your fish cakes a try the other day, and they were loved! I love fish, but I don't have easy access to it. Unbelievable for Australia, but it is nearly impossible to buy our lovely fish in the supermarkets. Our best fish is exported to overseas countries and in return we get to eat their fish...yay! I mainly use the tinned fish variety.
x
That looks delicious! I love fish, but it really is quite expensive here so I rarely have it...but thoroughly enjoy it when I do!
ReplyDeleteI can't join in on the no-spend October, I'm afraid. This time of year is when I tend to spend the most money, as outdoor projects must be undertaken and completed before Winter. Not spending foolishly, though, and still doing as much of the labor myself as is possible, but...needs must! Also, hay and grain must be stockpiled against the likely transport problems soon to be caused by heavy snows and ice. Looking at a barn full of good hay and barrels of oats gives me a feeling of true wealth - some folks probably feel that way when they look at a well-stocked larder ;)
I am in because it is necessary, as always. I have spent $217 at the supermarket and that stings badly. I hope to make that load last a while.
ReplyDeleteWe eat some fish..only frozen and tinned. Growing up I would go to the lake with my family, on holidays and weekends, our dad would fish, and we would grill what he got on the fire, right there by the lake. We ate plenty of fish all summer, and have enough to freeze for winter. Cleaning and gutting them gives very smelly hands, but we could have worn gloves..I dream of re-learning to fish and do that same thing with my boyfriend one summer..
ReplyDeleteI love your recipes are simple & healthy , I am currently working through your blog, typing out the recipes and adding to my collection x
ReplyDeleteHubby likes to fish and I like to eat it so we make a good team, we also get a cheap day out of the house (fish live in pretty places here) and then a cheap meal! The fishing license is $25 in January and we use it from March till October or so. It works out to pennies per fish over the year! (most years - some years we don't catch as many - don't tell hubby I told you)
ReplyDeleteI'm in on the no spend challenge as I have lots of essential house repairs and winter fuel to pay for in October. We've only been spending on essentials for a few months now as we've been saving like crazy for the 4 figure bills we know are coming in. I've learned my lesson and having spent 3 years getting out of debt, I now save up for what needs doing instead of borrowing the money to do it. I'd rather do without for a few months now than do without for a few years trying to pay off loans.
ReplyDeletethis is one of my phobia dishes. I like every part of it, but just can't bring myself to put it in my mouth. I am wondering if replacing the mashed potato with pasta may help and turn it into a pasta bake.
ReplyDeleteMy husband is the same so I don't make fish pie. His mum used to make it when he was young and he just can't bear it. Says there's too much slop. Maybe pasta would work as he likes tuna pasta bake which is tuna and pasta in a cheese sauce topped with breadcrumbs.
DeleteWhat a coincidence as we too had fish for our supper last night. I made a pasta bake very simply by cooking some pasta shells and peas together and then combining with a tin of pink salmon and homemade cheese sauce. I topped this with a crunchy breadcrumb topping which I made by whizzing up a crust of bread in the food processor with some chopped parsley (from the garden) and a very small amount of grated cheese (about half a matchbox size) - this then went into the oven for about half an hour at 180 degrees C. We ate it served with carrots and sweetcorn - I serve veggies on the side as this means I can cut back the amount of pasta we use and you still see a plate full of food and so the brain doesn't feel deprived!
ReplyDeletefish pie is one of my fave meals! Your one looks amazing! x
ReplyDeletehttp://rachelcoco.blogspot.co.uk
Rachel, my daughter is the same. Simply mix the fish and potato together into fish cakes. I then cover my hands in oil and bake in the oven. She likes that
ReplyDeleteI will be joining you in a low spend October. I really need to use up things in my freezer that have been lurking there for the last 12 months. I've promised myself and my husband I'll do this so that I can have a new freezer before Christmas. In my quest to retire in 24 months time I'm going to limit my food spending in November to £120. I've never done this but have looked through your blogs and it given me some good advice on how to be successful. Thanks for your inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI love a good fish pie, but I add some swede into my mash so it is a bit chunkier but also has more vegetable goodness. I'm the only fish pie lover in the house though. Thankfully it freezes pretty well into portions that I either reheat in a microwave at work (slightly odd cheese on top texture) or stick in the oven if I'm at home. Yum.
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