Creating cheap healthy meals.

[Bletchleyite]

I'd disagree with that. That's exactly what my steak pies are.

To me a pie is wholly encased in pastry. I'd call a stew with a lid on a hot-pot. But that could be regional.

 

[Ediswan]

To me a pie is wholly encased in pastry.

Shepherds pie. Pecan pie.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Shepherds pie. Pecan pie.

Every rule..

 

[Ediswan]

Every rule..

Consider also the classic school/cafeteria style steak or chicken pie, cooked on site in a large rectangular tray. They are only ever pastry on top, but can be very good. I would draw the limit at separately cooked pastry lids.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Consider also the classic school/cafeteria style steak or chicken pie, cooked on site in a large rectangular tray. They are only ever pastry on top, but can be very good. I would draw the limit at separately cooked pastry lids.

I'm not saying they wouldn't be nice, I'm just saying they aren't, in Lancashire vernacular at least, pies.

In foodservice type pubs it's usually a microwaved filling with a separate grilled lid, or the lid plonked on then it oven reheated.

 

[D6130]

Carrot is usual in a ragu sauce in Italy.
I always use it, along with onion and celery.

Correct....but don't forget the garlic!

 

[AM9]

For those who enjoy meat and recognise that some meats are very healthy I would recommend heart. Lambs heart is preferable but ox heart is also very good. Both are absolutely loaded with nutrients and are in effect complete proteins with vitamins B2, B6 & B12. They also have folate, iron, zinc & selenium.* They are also loaded with co-enzyme Q10, a healthy level of which is required for efficient heart operation.
Two can be had for £2.10 in Waitrose so they must be available elsewhere cheaper than that. They have no bones and apart from the artery pipes which can be removed with a pair of kitchen scissors, the whole heart is edible. Cooking can also be low cost and convenient because they are best slow cooked over 3 or more hours (ideal for a slow cooker). I prefer them stuffed.
* Other offal is also full of essential nutrients including liver and kidneys but those do have a stronger taste so less likely to appeal to some.

 

[Ediswan]

For those who enjoy meat and recognise that some meats are very healthy I would recommend heart. Lambs heart is preferable but ox heart is also very good.

My father had a decent heart risotto recipe (chopped small cooks quicker). Mother refused to eat any offal. Personally, I draw the line at tripe.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

To me a pie is wholly encased in pastry. I'd call a stew with a lid on a hot-pot. But that could be regional.

You could call it a hotpot if you wanted to.

 

[D6968]

To me a pie is wholly encased in pastry. I'd call a stew with a lid on a hot-pot. But that could be regional.

Topped with sliced potatoes can be a hot pot.
Lately I’ve been experimenting with the Hairy Bikers Sausage and Bean Pie Recipe.
As basic as I can make it,
2x Onion peeled and cut
1x pack of decent sausages (although we have chipolates)
1x bag of spuds
2x tins of beans
Fry the onion and sausage (Although I
add pepper’s to mine)
Boil the spuds, and after transferring the sos and onion mix to an oven proof dish after draining add them to the the pan you’ve trained the sausage and fried onion mix to.
Let them soak up the juices from the meat for a few minutes then add to the top the sausage and bean mix.
Bang in the oven for half an hour or so, et Voila!
As I say I’ve experimented with this in so many different ways, like mashing the spuds or swedes, substituting sausages with corned beef, adding extra veg…
There’s a lot you can do with a very basic recipe, like this.
I’d also recommend the slimming world ‘take 5 cook book’ As the name suggest you just use 5 ingredients, well worth a look.

 

[trebor79]

Point of order, a pie is not a stew with a lid on.

Correct

I'd disagree with that. That's exactly what my steak pies are.

Nope, that's not a pie, it's a stew with a piece of pastry.

 

[SJL2020]

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie
That's amore

 

[SteveM70]

I made a big batch of bolognese in the slow cooker yesterday. A £4 pack of mince, a couple of chopped up rashers of bacon, passata, some carrot and celery, garlic, assorted dried herbs, a stock cube and about a quarter of a bottle of cheap red wine. Total cost probably about £6-£7 and it’ll do five or six portions, depending on how much pasta I do and whether or not I have a bit of garlic bread.

And it’s really nice too

 

[Bletchleyite]

This thread reminded me I had some chorizo and peppers about to go off. In the slow cooker with tomato puree, beef stock, garlic and chilli overnight. Stank the house out but absolutely gorgeous when I tried a bit this morning.

 

[Strat-tastic]

Correct....but don't forget the garlic!

Oops!

 

[Ediswan]

As a test, I measured the energy used to cook a chicken stew in my 3.5 litre slow cooker (5-6 portions). I included pre-cooking the onions and boiling the kettle. Just under 1 kWh. I probably blew the energy budget by adding boiled potatoes.