MasterChef champion Simon Wood reveals eight quick and easy recipes to help feed families for £30

Ingredients for the week:

  • Chilli powder – £1
  • Spaghetti 1k – £1
  • Soft cheese 800g – 80p
  • Wafer cooked ham – 86p
  • Two tins of mushrooms – £1.80
  • Garlic – 25p
  • Two tins of chickpeas – 80p each
  • Four onions – 10p each
  • Coconut Milk – 69p
  • Five chopped tomatoes – 28p each
  • Sweetcorn – 35p
  • Mixed Baked Beans 60p 
  • One tin of spam – £2.50
  • One tin of peas – 40p
  • Curry powder – £1
  • 500g rice – 1kg is £1.20
  • Sunflower oil – £1.10
  • Free Range Eggs 6 Pack – 89p
  • Four potatoes – £ 1.00
  • 300g dried pasta – 1kg is £1
  • Two tins of tuna – £2.50
  • 100g cheese – £2 (for 400g)
  • Tin stewed steak – £2
  • Kidney beans 55p
  • Three sweet potatoes – £1.16 each 

Total basket cost based on Tesco prices: £28.45

Chickpea & Coconut Curry

To start making the Chickpea & Coconut Curry (pictured), heat the oil in a large pan and add the Onion, fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously, then stir in the curry powder and cook for 1 more minute before adding the Chickpeas

Serves four

Costs: £1.59

Ingredients: 

  • 2 Tins Of Chickpeas
  • 1 Onion
  • 2 Heaped Tbsp Curry Powder
  • 1 Tin Coconut Milk
  • 1 Tin of Boiling Water
  • 1 Tbsp Sunflower Oil
  • Salt & Pepper

Method: 

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion, fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously, then stir in the curry powder and cook for one more minute before adding the chickpeas.

2. Open the coconut milk and add into the chickpeas before refilling the can with boiling water and adding to the pan.

3. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are tender and the mixture has thickened.

4. Season the curry with plenty of salt and pepper to taste and serve piping hot. With rice if you have some.

Potato and Onion Tortilla

To make this Potato and Onion Tortilla (pictured), thinly slice the potatoes, and boil until just softened

To make this Potato and Onion Tortilla (pictured), thinly slice the potatoes, and boil until just softened

Serves four to six

Costs: £2.09

Ingredients:

  • 4 Medium Potatoes, sliced
  • 2 Onions, Thinly Sliced
  • 6 eggs, Beaten
  • 80ml Oil
  • Salt and Pepper

Method: 

1. Thinly slice the potatoes, and boil until just softened. Heat 5 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan and cook the potatoes and onions turning frequently, for 5 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper.

2. Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a large bowl with a little seasoning. Tip the potatoes and onions into the eggs and mix gently. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.

3. Wipe out the pan with kitchen paper and heat the remaining oil in it. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and spread it out evenly.

4.Cover and cook over a very gentle heat for 20 minutes, until the eggs are just set. Serve cut into wedges and enjoy hot or cold.

Spam Biryani

This easy and quick Spam Biryani (pictured) serves up to six people. You can finish the dish by adding raisins or chilli flakes

This easy and quick Spam Biryani (pictured) serves up to six people. You can finish the dish by adding raisins or chilli flakes

Serves Six

Costs: £4.60

Ingredients:

  • 1 tin spam (Cut into 1cm cubes)
  • 1 tin garden peas
  • 1 onion (Optional)
  • 3 heaped tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tin of boiling water
  • 1 Tbsp sunflower oil
  • 500g rice
  • 1.3 litres water
  • You can also add raisins and chilli flakes if you have them but they aren’t essential

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and add the spam. With the onion if you are using one, fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously, then stir in the curry powder and cook for 1 minute.

2. Add in the rice and peas and stir for another minute. Transfer to an ovenproof dish and add the water, cover and bake at 180c for 60 minutes, check after 45 minutes to make sure there is still a little liquid.

3. Serve with a small omelette if you have a spare egg.

Simple Tuna Pasta Bake

This Simple Tuna Pasta Bake (pictured) uses 300g dried pasta (any shape) and two tins of chopped tomatoes

This Simple Tuna Pasta Bake (pictured) uses 300g dried pasta (any shape) and two tins of chopped tomatoes

Serves Four

Costs: £3.86

Ingredients:

  • 300g dried pasta (any shape)
  • 2 tins chopped tomatoes
  • 2 x 120g tins tuna, (save the liquid)
  • 100g of grated cheese (optional)
  • You can add dried herbs and chilli flakes if you have them but they aren’t essential

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, then add the pasta and cook for 6 minutes, before draining.

2. Now tip the cooked pasta back into the pan and stir through the tomatoes and the tuna, along with the water from the tuna, and then half fill one of the tomato tins with water and mix that in. (If you are using chillies or mixed herbs add them here.)

3. Place in an oven proof bowl and bake for 30 minutes. Add the grated cheese if you have it and bake for another 5 minutes.

Simple Beef Chilli

In a large saucepan empty all the ingredients and add the chilli paste, simmer gently for 10 minutes until piping hot, to start creating this chilli (pictured)

In a large saucepan empty all the ingredients and add the chilli paste, simmer gently for 10 minutes until piping hot, to start creating this chilli (pictured)

Serves Six with Rice, Pasta or Potato Wedges

Costs: £4.11

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tin Stewed Steak
  • 1 Tin Kidney Beans
  • 2 Tins Chopped Tomatoes
  • 1 Heaped Teaspoon of Chilli Powder or Chilli Flakes

Method:

1. In a large saucepan empty all the ingredients and add the chilli paste, simmer gently for 10 minutes until piping hot. This can be served with rice, pasta, potato or sweet potato wedges.

Tinned Mushroom Risotto

This tinned Mushroom Risotto looks delicious and is just one of the recipes offered by the MasterChef champion

This tinned Mushroom Risotto looks delicious and is just one of the recipes offered by the MasterChef champion

Serves Four

Costs: £3.25

Ingredients:

  • 2 tins of mushrooms in water
  • 300g rice
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed (you can use garlic puree or lazy garlic, or leave out if you don’t have it)
  • 1 tablespoon of oil or butter

Method:

1. Open the mushrooms and drain, save the liquid in a saucepan and start to heat slowly.

2. Crush your garlic (if using) and gently fry for 1 minute in a saucepan using the oil. Add your mushrooms and stir well. Add in your rice continue to stir.

3. Slowly add in a little bit of your warm liquid out of the tin, keep stirring until all the liquid has gone, keep doing this a little at a time until all of the liquid is combined with the rice and it is of a thick consistency.

Quick Carbonara

For this quick Carbonara, place a pan of salted water on to boil, once boiling add your spaghetti and cook for 11 minutes

For this quick Carbonara, place a pan of salted water on to boil, once boiling add your spaghetti and cook for 11 minutes

Serves Four

Costs: £2.66

Ingredients:

  • ½ Pack of Spaghetti (Or any other pasta)
  • 1 tub soft cheese
  • 5 slices wafer thin ham

Method:

1. Place pan of salted water on to boil, once boiling add your spaghetti and cook for 11 minutes. Cut your ham into 1cm squares.

2. In another saucepan on a low heat gently warm your soft cheese, add 4 tablespoons of the pasta water and if you have it some black pepper.

3. Carefully drain the pasta and add it into the soft cheese with the ham before serving.

Mexican Bean Wedges

To make the Mexican Bean Wedges, cut your sweet potatoes into wedges and if you have some, coat in a little oil, season with salt and add into the oven to roast at 180ºC

To make the Mexican Bean Wedges, cut your sweet potatoes into wedges and if you have some, coat in a little oil, season with salt and add into the oven to roast at 180ºC

Serves Four 

Costs: £2.39

Ingredients:

  • 3 sweet potatoes
  • 1 tin mixed beans
  • 1 small tin sweetcorn
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • ¾ teaspoon chilli powder

Method:

1. Cut your sweet potatoes into wedges and if you have some, coat in a little oil, season with salt and add into the oven to roast at 180ºC.

2. In a saucepan, add in the beans, sweetcorn, tomatoes and chilli powder, then cook until the sauce is reduced.

3. Remove the wedges from the oven once softened, this will take around 25-30 minutes. Put them in a dish and spoon the mixed bean chilli over the top.