To recap… Babe on a Budget: Express is essentially Babe on a Budget’s little sister. I give you 3 main meals, each serving 4 portions with a budget of around £25. However, I hope that lots of this you might already have in the cupboard and/or leftover from previous meal plans which I hope may make things even cheaper.

This isn’t quite as structured as my OG BOAB but I hope is a good compromise for the queenies who just don’t want to cook every SINGLE NIGHT. I get it. Plus, sometimes you just wanna get chips at the pub. You know?

THE MENU:

• MADRAS PANEER & BUTTERBEAN TRAYBAKE

• BOURSIN LINGUINE

• CHIPOTLE SWEET POTATO & BLACK BEAN TACOS

THE SHOPPING LIST:

• 3 x Red Onion

• 200g Paneer

• 570g Butterbeans (I’m using Bold Bean!)

• 70g Madras Paste (I’m using Pataks)

• 400ml Coconut Milk

• 400g Chopped Tomatoes

• Broccoli

• 1 x Microwaveable Rice

• 500g Yoghurt

• 150g Boursin

• 500g Cherry Tomatoes

• Crispy Veggie Chicken Fillet (I’m using Quorn)

• 500g Pasta

• 1kg Sweet Potatoes

• 1 x Red Pepper

• Chipotle Paste

• 400g Black Beans

• Taco Wraps

• Pickled Red Onions

= £25.31

(I shop online via Sainsbruy’s at this menu uses offers on at the time of purchase so prices may vary!)

STORE CUPBOARD: Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper, Minced Ginger & Garlic, Mango Chutney, Chilli Flakes, Dried Parsley, Italian Seasoning, Honey, Minced Garlic, Tomato Paste, Smoked Paprika, Chilli Powder

MEAL 1: MADRAS PANEER & BUTTERBEAN TRAYBAKE

I have made a version of this before but the butter beans… the spice… UGH I COULD EAT THE WHOLE TRAY.

I will have no microwaveable rice slander but of course, you can make your own if you want to instead of using it!

Plus, I budgeted in the Bold Bean Queen Butter Beans… just be warned. If you go there, it’s real hard to go back.

🍴4 Portions | ⏰ 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 Red Onion

• 200g Paneer

• 570g Butter Beans

• 200g Chopped Tomatoes

• 70g Madras Paste

• 1tsp Minced Ginger & Garlic

• 200ml Coconut Milk

• 100g Tenderstem Broccoli

• 1 x Microwaveable Rice

• 3tbsp Yoghurt

• 2tbsp Mango Chutney

• 1tsp Black Pepper

• 1tsp Chilli Flakes

Method:

🥘 Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (celcius)

🥘 Cut red onion into chunks & paneer into cubes.

🥘 Add to a baking dish along with the butter beans. I’m using @boldbean & drained around 1/2 of the stock but kept the rest in!

🥘 Chop broccoli into small chunks & add this too.

🥘 Add madras paste, minced ginger & garlic, chopped tomatoes & coconut milk and give everything a good mix Add a little more coconut milk if needs be to ensure everything is covered.

🥘 Cover with foil & pop it into the oven for 15 minutes.

🥘 Remove from the oven, remove the foil, give everything a good mix and pop back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes, ensuring your broccoli is cooked.

🥘 Once ready, stir through cooked microwavable rice. I went with basmati.

🥘 Serve with yoghurt, mango chutney, chilli flakes & black pepper. Enjoy !! XX

LEFTOVERS?

🫙 Allow leftovers to cool completely & store in an airtight container in the fridge - keep the mango chutney & yoghurt separately and add once thoroughly reheated.

🧊 If freezing, keep the rice separately & only freeze the butterbean & paneer mix. Allow it to cool completely before freezing.

To reheat, either defrost in the fridge overnight & then reheat in the microwave / on the hob or microwave directly from frozen in short burst.

Add a splash of coconut milk or water if needed to loosen it up a little!

MEAL 2: BOURSIN LINGUINE

An oldie but boy oh boy divas is she a GOODIE. I have recently started adding in a little bit of honey & it’s a game changer.

I topped mine with some quorn crispy fillets for a little protein kick.

We actually ended up eating this cold at a picnic & I can confirm that it still slapped so this could be a great lunch option too!

🍴4 Portions | ⏰ 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 150g Boursin

• 500g Cherry Tomatoes

• 1 x Red Onion

• 200g Chopped Tomatoes

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• Salt & Pepper

• 2tsp Italian Seasoning / Mixed Herbs

• 1tsp Chilli Flakes

• 1tbsp Honey

• 2 x Crispy Veggie Fillets (I’m using Quorn)

• 300g Pasta

• Dried Parsley

Method:

🥫Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (celsius).

🥫 Add boursin into a dish along with cherry tomatoes, finely sliced red onion & chopped tomatoes.

🥫 Drizzle with olive oil before seasoning with salt & pepper, italian seasoning / mixed herbs & chilli flakes. Drizzle honey on top of the boursin.

🥫 Pop into the oven for 30 minutes.

🥫 Whilst that bakes, cook your pasta as per packet instructions. Once done, reserve a cup of pasta water before draining and setting aside.

🥫 You can also pop the veggie chicken fillets into bake.

🥫 Remove the boursin dish from the oven and give everything a good mix, crushing tomatoes etc. Add the cooked pasta along with a little pasta water until everything is at your desired consistency.

🥫 Serve up with black pepper and slices of the veggie chicken. Enjoy !! XX

(Use fresh basil here too if you have some in for an extra flavourrrrr kick!)

LEFTOVERS?

🫙 Allow leftovers to cool completely & store in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat until piping hot, adding a splash of water or milk to loosen the sauce if needs be.

🧊 If freezing, allow it to cool completely before portioning it out.

To reheat, either defrost in the fridge overnight & then reheat in the microwave / on the hob or microwave directly from frozen in short bursts

Again add a little milk or water to loosen if needs be. Also plssss note that the texture of the sauce may change slightly but she will still slap with some extra fresh herbs and black pepper when you serve her up!

(If cooking TO freeze, keep the pasta a little bit aldente as it will continue to cook as you reheat herrrr)

MEAL 3: CHIPOTLE SWEET POTATO & BLACK BEAN TACOS

I love making a base like this & then serving it up in different ways throughout the week - we have gone with tacos today but you could use this filling with rice bowls, burritos or scooped up with tortilla chips. Chefs KISS.

🍴4 Portions | ⏰ 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

• LOTS of Sweet Potato

• 1 x Red Pepper

• 1 x Red Onion

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 2-3tbsp Chipotle Paste

• 1tbsp Tomato Paste

• 1tsp Minced Garlic

• 2tbsp Smoked Paprika

• 1tsp Chilli Powder

• 1tsp Dried Parsley

• 400g Black Beans

• Taco Wraps

• 3-4tbsp Yoghurt

• 3tbsp Pickled Red Onions

• Fresh Lime

Method:

🌮 Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (celsius).

🌮 Dice up sweet potato, red pepper & red onion.

🌮 Add into a baking dish along with a drizzle of olive oil, chipotle paste, tomato paste, minced garlic, smoked paprika, chilli powder, dried parsley & salt and pepper.

🌮 Pop into the oven for 20 minutes.

🌮 Remove from the oven & add drained black beans. Add half a cup of water and season with a little more salt before popping back into the oven for 10 minutes.

🌮 Remove from the oven and serve on warmed up taco wraps with yoghurt, pickled red onions and squeeze of fresh lime.

LEFTOVERS?

🫙 Allow leftovers to cool completely & store in an airtight container in the fridge. Store the sweet potato & black bean filling separately to any wraps, yoghurt or pickled onion.

Reheat the filling & make up the tacos with fresh yoghurt etc.

🧊 If freezing, allow the sweet potato & black bean filling to cool completely before portioning it out.

To reheat, either defrost in the fridge overnight & then reheat in the microwave / on the hob or microwave directly from frozen in short bursts

Once the filling has been reheated, serve with fresh wraps, yoghurt etc.

& there we have it my loves! Thank you thank you thank you SO MUCH for following along & pls pls pls send me your foodie pics. I absolutely love to see them hehe.

As if August is coming to an end guysssss… I absolutely HATE to see the end of summer, I am a summer lover to my CORE but I do low-key love cosy dinners so, focusing on the positives !!

Until then, eat good divas. 💘💘💘💘💘

SO, onto a very good week of food… if I do say so myself. 🤭

WEEK 11 OF BABE ON A BUDGET:

• FIVE VEGGIE MEALS

• ENOUGH LEFTOVERS TO COVER YOU FOR LUNCH (& weekends!)

• A BREAKFAST OPTION

• LITTLE TO NO WASTE!

• ADVICE ON BULKING DOWN, BULKING UP & STORING AND REHEATING

Technically the meal plan serves one but you can easily & inexpensively bulk it up to serve two of you.

As always on portion sizes… I’m a hungry girl. I fear they are on the big size. Pop your leftovers in the freezer if needs be. You can’t have TOO much, right?

This week’s MUST make: Madras Paneer & Potato Loaded Subs (holy SMOKES)

THE SHOPPING LIST:

• 500g Linguine

• 400g Mushrooms

• Fresh Thyme

• 150ml Double Cream

• 1 x Lemon

• Cheddar Cheese

• 1kg Baby Potatoes

• Puff Pastry

• Chorizo Style Veggie Sausages (using Sainsburys’s shroomdogs)

• Harissa Paste

• 1 x Red Onion

• 200g Soft / Cream Cheese

• 200g Tenderstem Broccoli

• 6 x Eggs

• 300g Extra Firm Tofu

• Smooth Peanut Butter

• Soy Sauce

• 1 x Lime

• 400ml Coconut Milk

• Microwaveable Rice (I used wholemeal)

• 300g Hummus

• Cucumber

• 1 x Salad Tomato

• 226g Halloumi

• 200g Tzatziki

• Pickled Red Onions

• 200g Paneer

• Madras Paste (using Pataks)

• 400g Chopped Tomatoes

• 4 x Sub Rolls

• 1L Milk

= £35.42

(I shopped online via Sainsbury’s, using offers at the time of purchase so this will vary!)

STORE CUPBOARD ESSENTIALS:

• Oil (olive, vegetable, sesame)

• Salt & Pepper

• Minced Garlic

• Chilli Flakes

• Dried Parsley

• Corn Flour

• Maple Syrup OR Honey OR Brown Sugar

• Sesame Seeds

• Curry Powder

• Minced Ginger & Garlic

• Self Raising Flour

• Icing Sugar

• Garlic & Herb Sauce

OPTIONAL:

Frozen Peas, Butter, Big Red Chilli Peppers (jarred), Birthday Sprinkles / Candle (lol)

YOUR BREAKFAST OPTION: BIRTHDAY PANCAKES

The easiest pancake recipe is back but this time…it's birthday-fied. However, birthday or not, these have gotta go on your breakfast menu. They come out perfectly EVERY TIME!

This makes around 10-12 pancakes - you can either save half of the mixture for the next day OR wrap up your extras, pop them in the fridge and reheat them when you’re ready to eat.

🍴Serves 2 | ⏰ 10 Minutes

Ingredients:

FOR THE PANCAKES:

• 1 Egg

• 1 Cup of Self Raising Flour

• 1 Cup of Milk (using semi-skimmed today)

FOR THE ICING:

• 2tbsp Icing Sugar

• Splash of Water

• Rainbow Sprinkles

Method:

🎈 Whisk together egg, self-raising flour & milk until smooth.

🎈 Melt butter in a frying pan & add pancake mixture. Let cook for around a minute before flipping.

🎈 Whisk together icing sugar & a little water at a time until it’s at your desired consistency.

🎈 Top the pancakes with icing & rainbow sprinkles. If it’s your birthday… don’t forget the candle.

MEAL 1: CREAMY MUSHROOM LINGUINE

There is no denying that I am a tomato based pasta girlie at heart BUT when the sun is shining, I am very happy to switch over to a buttery, creamy situation. Especially when it only requires 15 minutes of cooking.

Side note… this with some crunchy roasted chickpeas on top… DREAMY!

🍴Serves 2-3 Portions | ⏰ 15 Minutes

Ingredients

• 200-250g Linguine

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 400g Mushrooms

• 1tbsp Butter (optional - you may just need a little additional olive oil)

• 2tsp Minced Garlic

• 5 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme

• Salt & Pepper

• 1tsp Dried Parsley

• 1/2 Cup of Frozen Peas (if using)

• 50ml Double Cream

• Juice of 1/2 Lemon

• Handful Cheddar Cheese

• 0.5tsp Chilli Flakes

Method:

To make...

🍄 Pop linguine onto boil as per packet instructions - once ready, reserve a cup of pasta water, drain and set aside.

🍄 Slice up mushrooms and fry them off in olive oil with garlic, butter & thyme.

🍄 Once cooked, remove the thyme and season with salt & pepper and dried parsley. Add the peas before reducing the heat and add double cream.

🍄 Give everything a good mix and bring to a really gentle simmer. Squeeze in the juice of 1/2 lemon before adding your linguine.

🍄 Add a little pasta water if you need to loosen up the sauce.

🍄 Finish with finely grated cheddar, a little olive oil, black pepper and some chilli flakes. Enjoy !! XX

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 2/3 portions but to bulk up to 4, grab some extra mushrooms OR top with some roasted chickpeas for an extra fibre hit!

🫙 Store in an air-tight container in the fridge & reheat until piping hot in the microwave or on the hob - stir in a splash of milk, cream, or water while reheating to loosen the sauce if needs be.

MEAL 2: HARISSA & SPICY SAUSAGE PUFF PASTRY TART

Can we picture this as a little centrepiece on a summer table served with salad & crispy potatoes? I CAN.

Plus, Sainos… take a bow. These veggie chorizo sausages pop OFF.

🍴Serves 3 Portions | ⏰ 40 Minutes

Ingredients

FOR THE ROASTIES:

• 300g Baby Potatoes

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 1tsp Chilli Flakes

• 1tsp Garlic

• 1tsp Dried Parsley

• Salt & Pepper

FOR THE TART:

• Roll of Puff Pastry

• 6 Spicy Veggie Sausages (using Plant Pioneers Chorizo from Sainos)

• 1 Red Onion

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 150g Cream Cheese

• 2tsp Harissa Paste

• Salt & Pepper

• 0.5tsp Dried Parsley

• 0.5tsp Garlic Granules

• Handful Cheddar Cheese

• Handful Tenderstem Broccoli

• 1 Egg

Method:

☄️ Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

☄️ Prep the baby potatoes by dicing them into chunks & drizzling with olive oil. Season with chilli flakes, garlic, dried parsley and salt & pepper and pop them into the oven for 35-40 minutes.

☄️ De-skin the veggie sausages & fry them off in olive olive, crushing them with the back of a spoon into crumbs.

☄️ After 5 minutes or so, add thinly sliced red onion and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes.

☄️ In the meantime, combine cream cheese with harissa paste, salt & pepper, dried parsley and garlic.

☄️ Roll out a sheet of puff pastry and score a border around the edge. Spread cream cheese across the middle and then add the veggie sausage & onion mix.

☄️ Top with grated cheddar & finely sliced tenderstem broccoli.

☄️ Egg wash the border before popping into the oven for 25-30 minutes.

☄️ Slice up & serve with your baby potatoes & enjoy !! XX

ADJUSTEMENTS:

This makes 3 solid portions but to bulk up to 4, grab some more veggies & potatoes for the sides!

🫙 Store in an air-tight container in the fridge - I kept each slice separated with a piece of greaseproof paper inside a tupperware! Reheat in the air-fryer, oven or microwave.

🧊 If freezing, each slice separated with a piece of greaseproof paper inside a tupperware and let defrost before reheating until piping hot in the air-fryer, oven or microwave.

MEAL 3: SATAY TOFU RICE BOWLS

If you STILL aren’t sold on tofu… my divas. You have GOT to try this. Also, making your own satay sauce is SO easy & I bet you already have a lot of this in your cupboards! Winner, winner… satay tofu dinner.

🍴Serves 2 Portions | ⏰ 20 Minutes

Ingredients

• 300g Extra Firm Tofu

• 2tbsp Corn Flour

• Salt & Pepper

• 1tbsp Sesame Oil OR Vegetable Oil

• 3tbsp Peanut Butter

• 1tbsp Soy Sauce

• 1.5tbsp Maple Syrup

• Juice of 1/2 Lime

• 150-200ml Coconut Milk

• Microwaveable Rice

• Tenderstem Broccoli

• 1tsp Sesame Seeds

• 1tsp Chilli Flakes

Method:

🍚 Squeeze any moisture out of of the tofu & break into rough pieces. Pop into a container, add corn flour & salt and pepper and give it a good shake.

🍚 Air-fry for 10 minutes at 200 degrees - you could also oven bake (it will just take slightly longer) or pan fry.

🍚 Whilst that cooks, in a pan heat sesame oil, peanut butter, soy sauce & maple syrup together on a low heat.

🍚 As it begins to come together, add coconut milk. Bring to a very gentle simmer and let it thicken - add more coconut milk for a looser consistency if preferred.

🍚 Add your crispy tofu & coat with the satay sauce.

🍚 Serve with rice & tenderstem broccoli and top with sesame seeds & chilli flakes. Enjoy !! XX

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 2 portions but the sauce could be easily stretched out if you wanted to grab an additional block of tofu!

🫙 Store in an air-tight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave until piping hot. I also had a lot of sauce leftover which I saved in a separate container.

🧊 If freezing, I’d stick to freezing just the tofu in satay sauce. Store in an airtight container and reheat when ready, re-assembling with fresh rice & broccoli.

MEAL 4: HALLOUMI GRYOS STYLE HUMMUS PLATE

All of my favourite things, loaded onto a bed of hummus. SAY NO MORE.

🍴Serves 2 Portions | ⏰ 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

FOR THE POTATOES:

• 400g Baby Potatoes

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• Salt & Pepper

• 1tsp Garlic

• 1tsp Dried Parsley

• 1tsp Chilli Flakes

FOR THE PLATES:

• 300g Hummus

• Cucumber

• Tomato

• 1 Block of Halloumi

• 3tbsp Tzatziki

• Squeeze of Lemon

• 2tbsp Pickled Red Onions

• Big Red Chilli Peppers

• Black Pepper

• Olive Oil

Method:

🌯 Dice up baby potatoes and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt & pepper, garlic, chilli flakes & dried parsley. Pop them into the air-fryer for 30 minutes, shaking half way. If cooking in the oven, they’ll need 35-40 minutes at 190!

🌯 As they cook, prep the veggies by slicing up cucumber and tomatoes.

🌯 Cut halloumi into strips & pan fry until golden on each side.

🌯 Spread 150g hummus onto a plate and layer on your potatoes, cucumber, tomato, halloumi, pickled red onion, tzatziki & a big red chilli pepper if using.

🌯 Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, black pepper and dried parsley. Enjoy !! XX

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 2 good portions! You could bulk it out further with some more veggies - perhaps some chickpeas or beans.

🫙 Store each element separately and reheat the halloumi & potatoes before assembling any of your leftovers. This is best when fresh!

MEAL 5: MADRAS PANEER & POTATO LOADED SUBS

I fear, this may go down in emsbalance history. Not to toot my own horn but HOLD ONTO YOUR HATS HERE HUNNYS.

🍴Serves 2-3 Portions | ⏰ 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

FOR THE POTATOES:

• 300g Baby Potatoes

• 1tbsp Vegetable Oil

• Salt & Pepper

• 1tsp Chilli Flakes

• 1tsp Curry Powder

• 1tsp Garlic

FOR THE SUBS:

• 1tbsp Vegetable Oil

• 225g Paneer

• 2tbsp Madras Curry Paste (using Pataks)

• 1tsp Minced Ginger & Garlic

• 100-150g Chopped Tomatoes

• 2-3tbsp Double Cream

• 4 x Sub Rolls

• Handful Grated Cheddar

• 1tbsp Garlic & Herb Sauce

• 1tsp Chilli Flakes

• 1tsp Dried Parsley

FOR THE GARLIC BUTTER

• 1tbsp Butter or Olive Oil

• 1tsp Minced Garlic

• 0.5tsp Dried Parsley

Method:

🥘 Dice up baby potatoes, drizzle with vegetable oil & season with salt and pepper, chilli flakes, curry powder & garlic. Pop them into the air-fryer for 30 minutes.

🥘 Dice paneer into cubes and pan fry until golden on each side - remove from the pan.

🥘 In the same pan, add madras curry paste and minced ginger and garlic. Fry off for a minute or so before adding 50ml of water.

🥘 Once thickened, add chopped tomato and bring to a simmer.

🥘 Re-add the paneer and continue to cook for 10-15 mins.

🥘 Once ready, add the potatoes & then stir through double cream.

🥘 Slice your sub rolls & pop them onto a baking tray. Fill each sub roll with the paneer & potato mix before topping with cheese.

🥘 Mix up your garlic butter and brush over the subs. Pop under the grill for 5 minutes or until the cheese has began to melt.

🥘 Remove and top with garlic & herb sauce if using, chilli flakes & dried parsley. Enjoy !! XX

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 2-3 solid portions - I had leftover paneer & potato mix here too which would be great with rice.

🫙 Store any leftover paneer & potato mix in an airtight container, reheat & assemble into a new sub when you’re ready to eat!

🧊 If freezing, I’d stick to freezing just the paneer & potato mix. Store in an airtight container and reheat when ready, re-assembling on a fresh sub roll.

MY QUEEEEEEENS, another week. I hope you feel well fed hehe. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for being here, for following along, I love u all hunnyz. My babes on a budget 4 eva. 💘💘💘💘💘

Now… let’s enjoy LEO SZN !!!! XXXXX

& onto the FOOD. This week is a goodie, I must say. I was VERY well fed. From my favourite pasta to THREE (YES THREE) tray bakes. Let’s get into it hehe.

WEEK 10 OF BABE ON A BUDGET:

• FIVE VEGGIE MEALS

• ENOUGH LEFTOVERS TO COVER YOU FOR LUNCH (& weekends!)

• A BREAKFAST OPTION

• LITTLE TO NO WASTE!

• ADVICE ON BULKING DOWN, BULKING UP & STORING AND REHEATING

The meal plan technically serves one but with some inexpensive tweaks, you can really stretch this out. I love to eat & my portions are (potentially) above average so fear not, you will not go hungry with this plan.

This week’s MUST make: SPICED POTATO, CHICKPEA & HALLOUMI BAKE

THE SHOPPING LIST:

• 1kg Baby Potatoes

• 226g Halloumi

• 1 x Can of Chickpeas

• Mango Chutney

• 2 x Red Onion

• Tenderstem Broccoli

• 1kg Greek Style Yoghurt

• 1 x Can of Chopped Tomatoes

• 8 x Veggie Sausages (using Richmond No Meat)

• 150ml Double Cream

• Rigatoni (or pasta of choice)

• Fresh Basil

• Cheddar Cheese

• Veggie Fingers (using Sainsbury’s frozen range)

• Mini Taco Wraps

• Chipotle Paste

• 1kg of Sweet Potatoes

• 1 x Can of Black Beans

• 1 x Avocado

• 150g Sweetcorn

• Baby Plum Tomatoes

• 200g Extra Firm Tofu (using Cauldron)

• 226g Paneer

• 1 x Lime

• Mixed Bell Peppers (600g)

• 2 x Flatbreads

• Simply Granola

• Fresh Raspberries

• Lemon Curd

= £35.60 🤠

(I shopped online via Sainsbury’s, using offers at the time of purchase so this will vary!)

STORE CUPBOARD ESSENTIALS:

• Oil (olive & vegetable)

• Salt & Pepper

• Minced Garlic

• Chilli Flakes

• Medium Curry Powder

• Garam Masala

• Minced Ginger

• Dried Mint

• Mayonnaise

• Dried Parsley

• Tomato Paste

• Veggie Stock Cube

• Corn Flour

• Soy Sauce

• Honey

• Tandoori Seasoning

YOUR BREAKFAST OPTION: RASPBERRY & LEMON GRANOLA STACKS

It really does not get more basic than this girlies BUT this is what I reach for time & time again when the UK decides to bless us with anything over 16 degrees.

You can eat it fresh to keep the crunch of the granola or leave it for a few hours for more of an overnight oats situation.

Ingredients:

• Greek Style Yoghurt

• 1tsp Lemon Curd

• Handful of Granola

• Handful of Raspberries

Method:

🍯 Add a few tablespoons of yoghurt into a bowl.

🍯 Stir through lemon curd & raspberries - crushing slightly with the back of the spoon.

🍯 Spoon a little of the yoghurt into a jar or lidded container. Top with a little of the granola & then repeat a couple of times to create your stack.

🍯 Top with raspberries cut into fine pieces & either eat fresh or pop into the fridge overnight.

MEAL 1: SPICED POTATO, CHICKPEA & HALLOUMI BAKE

This is a take on the OG halloumi & potato bake & dare I say… it may be even better. The mango chutney glazed halloumi is just the icing on a VERY tasty cake divas. Plus, it’s a proper clear out the fridge situation which is ALWAYS a winner in my eyes.

🍴 3-4 portions | ⏰ 40 minutes

Ingredients:

FOR THE TRAYBAKE:

• 750g Baby Potatoes

• 2tbsp Olive Oil

• 1tsp Minced Garlic

• 1tsp Chilli Flakes

• 2tsp Medium Curry Powder

• 1tsp Garam Masala

• 1 Red Onion

• 1 Bell Pepper

• 1/2 Can of Chickpeas (drained)

• Handful of Tenderstem Broccoli

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 1tsp Minced Ginger & Garlic

• 300g Chopped Tomatoes

• 1tsp Medium Curry Powder

• Salt & Pepper

• 1/2tsp Mango Chutney

TO TOP:

• 1 Block of Halloumi

• 2tbsp Mango Chutney

• 2tbsp Yoghurt

• 1tsp Dried Mint

Method:

To make...

🫚 Preheat the oven to 190 degrees (celsius).

🫚 Dice up baby potatoes & place them onto a baking tray. Drizzle generously with olive oil & season with minced garlic, salt & pepper, curry powder, chilli flakes & garam masala.

🫚 Pop into the oven for 20 minutes.

🫚 Whilst they cook, dice up red onion, bell pepper and tenderstem broccoli.

🫚 Once the 20 minutes is up, remove the potatoes from the oven and add the veggies & drained chickpeas. Drizzle with a little additional oil & cook for a further 15-20 minutes (or until the potatoes are cooked through).

🫚 Whilst they cook, fry off minced garlic and ginger in oil before adding chopped tomatoes. Season with curry powder, salt & pepper and simmer until the tomatoes thicken. Stir through a little mango chutney.

🫚 Remove the potatoes & veggies from the oven and switch the setting to grill.

🫚 Top with the tomato sauce & THIN (!) slices of halloumi.

🫚 Brush the halloumi with mango chutney and then pop under the grill for 5 minutes. Keep an eye on it & it will begin to cook QUICKLY. Remove once done.

🫚 Stir dried mint through yoghurt and then top the traybake with a few spoonfuls along with some cracked black pepper. Enjoy !! XX

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 3 portions but to bulk up to 4, use the full 1kg bag of potatoes.

***if planning to reheat, leave greek yogurt off any leftovers & add once freshly reheated.

🫙 Store in an air-tight container in the fridge & reheat until piping hot in the microwave or oven. (Leave greek yoghurt off until freshly re-heated).

🧊 If freezing, cool completely & then portion into airtight containers. Reheat until piping hot in the microwave or oven.

MEAL 2: SPICY SAUSAGE RIGATONI

This is my OG girl dinner - I make this when I’m alone, when I’m happy, when I’m sad or anything in between. It is just SUCH a good bowl of pasta - you truly just cannot go wrong here. Recommended serving is with a big old chunk of garlic break and a Netflix documentary. xxx

🍴 3-4 portions* | ⏰ 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 300g Rigatoni (or pasta of choice)

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 8 x Veggie Sausages (using Richmond no meat)

• 1.5tsp Minced Garlic

• 1tsp Chilli Flakes

• 1.5tbsp Tomato Paste

• Stock Cube

• 400g Chopped Tomatoes

• 120ml Double Cream

• Handful Fresh Basil

• Handful Cheddar Cheese

To make...

🍝 Pop the pasta onto boil as per packet instructions - drain once done, reserving a cup of pasta water.

🍝 Take the sausages out of their skin & fry off in olive oil, breaking them into pieces as you go.

🍝 Once browned, remove from the pan and set aide.

🍝 Add a little more olive oil into the pan, along with the minced garlic, chilli flakes & tomato paste. Fry off for a minute before adding chopped tomatoes, veggie stock & a splash of boiling water.

🍝 Bring to a boil and simmer until the tomatoes begin to thicken.

🍝 Turn down the heat & add double cream, black pepper, the cooked sausage & fresh basil (torn into pieces). Give everything a good mix before adding the cooked pasta.

🍝 Slowly add the pasta water until the sauce is at the desired consistency.

🍝 Top with grated cheddar cheese & enjoy !! Xx

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 3 solid portions but easily bulk up to 4 with additional pasta.

🫙 Store in an air-tight container in the fridge & reheat until piping hot in the microwave.

🧊 If freezing, leave off cheese. Let it cool completely & portion into airtight containers. Allow to thaw or re-heat directly from frozen. If the sauce splits slightly, stir through a little cream or stock.

MEAL 3: CHIPOTLE TRAY BAKE TACOS

This is midweek meal CENTRAL divas. 20 minutes, minimal effort, minimal washing up and… the resurgence of the veggie finger. I was a SLAVE to these at university & with 16 of them being £1.39, you can hardly blame me.

However, I used to eat them a packet at a time, dipped into ketchup. NOTHING wrong with that but… this is definitely a more flavoursome option.

🍴 2 Portions* | ⏰ 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2/3 Bell Peppers

• 1 Red Onion

• 1/2 Can of Chickpeas (drained)

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 2tbsp Chipotle Paste

• Salt & Pepper

• 8 Veggie Fingers

• 6 Mini Wraps

• 2tbsp Mayonnaise

• 1tbsp Yoghurt

Method:

🌮 Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (celsius).

🌮 Slice up bell pepper & red onions.

🌮 Add to a baking dray along with the chickpeas & drizzle with olive oil before spooning over chipotle paste. Give everything a good mix, adding additional chilli flakes if you’d like some extra spice!

🌮 Place the veggie fingers within the veg & then pop into the oven for 20 minutes.

🌮 Whilst they cook, mix mayonnaise with a little chipotle paste and set aside.

🌮 Pan fry your wraps in a little olive oil until browned on both sides.

🌮 Spread chipotle mayo over each wrap & then top with the chipotle veggies & veggie fingers.

🌮 Top with a little yoghurt, black pepper & some chilli flakes. Enjoy !! Xx

ADJUSTMENTS:

***if planning to reheat, leave greek yogurt & chipotle mayo off any leftovers & add once freshly reheated.

This makes 2 solid portions but you’ll have lots of veggie fingers leftover if you’d like to bulk it out further..

🫙 Store the chipotle veggies in the fridge in an airtight container and reheat when ready to serve on fresh wraps!

MEAL 4: SWEET POTATO NACHOS WITH A STICKY TOFU PIECES

Yes, thats right queens, our third & final tray bake of the week. If tray bakes have no fans… I am DEAD & this one is ***chefs kiss*** if I do say so myself HAHA.

All of my favourite things loaded on top of sweet potato rounds with sticky, spicy, tofu pieces. Yum.

🍴 3 portions* | ⏰ 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2-4 Sweet Potatoes (depending on size)

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• Salt & Pepper

• 1tsp Minced Garlic

• 2tsp Smoked Paprika

• 1tsp Chilli Flakes

• 1tsp Dried Parsley

• 200g Extra Firm Tofu

• 1tbsp Corn Flour

• 1-2tsp Chipotle Paste

• 1tbsp Soy Sauce

• 2tsp Honey

• 1 x Can of Black Beans (drained)

• Handful of Cheddar Cheese

• 1/2 Red Onion

• 100g Sweetcorn

• Handful Baby Plum Tomatoes

• 1 x Lime

• 2tbsp Yoghurt

• 1 x Avocado

To make...

🍠 Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

🍠 Scrub your sweet potatoes & then cut them into rounds. Place them onto a baking tray - being careful not to layer them up too much as it will slow down the cooking time.

🍠 Drizzle with olive oil & season generously with salt & pepper before adding garlic, smoked paprika, chilli flakes & dried parsley. Pop into the oven for 10 minutes before flipping and cooking for a further 10.

🍠 Whilst that cooks, pat tofu dry and then grate it. I’m using cauldron today which grates REALLY well.

🍠 Toss the grated tofu in corn flour, salt & pepper before frying off in a little oil (vegetable is best!).

🍠 Once is begins to crisp up, add chipotle paste and soy sauce. Cook until it’s really sticky and crisp before finishing with a squeeze of honey.

🍠 You can also make your salsa at this point by combing drained sweetcorn, diced red onion and diced baby plum tomatoes with olive oil, salt & pepper and a big squeeze of lime juice. Set aside.

🍠 Remove the potatoes from the oven & top with drained black beans. Season with a little salt to bring out the flavour. Cook for a further 7 minutes.

🍠 Remove from the oven, top with cheese and pop back in for a couple of minutes, or once the cheese has melted.

🍠 Remove from the oven and assemble the nachos with salsa, sticky tofu, yoghurt, avocado & chilli flakes. Enjoy !! Xx

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 3 solid portions - I would grab additional tofu if you’d like to scale it up again!

🫙 Store in an air-tight container in the fridge & reheat until piping hot in the microwave.

🧊 If freezing, freeze the potato, black beans & tofu before topping. Re-add the toppings fresh once thawed and reheated.

MEAL 5: TANDOORI PANEER SKEWERS WITH A MANGO CHUTNEY GLAZE

Divas, if you have a BBQ… you know what to do! Otherwise, the grill is all you need. You could even just tray bake this but I thought I’d be taking the p*** with 4 in one week.

Anyhoo, wrap these up in a flatbread and you are laughing. SO tasty.

🍴 2 portions* | ⏰ 30 minutes

Ingredients:

FOR THE SKEWERS:

• 200g Paneer

• 1 Red Onion

• 2 Bell Peppers

• 2tbsp Yoghurt

• 2tsp Tandoori Seasoning

• 0.5tsp Minced Ginger & Garlic

• Juice of 1/2 Lime

• Salt & Pepper

• 1-2tbsp Mango Chutney

TO SERVE:

• 2 x Large Flatbreads

• 2tbsp Yoghurt

• 1tsp Dried Mint

• Lime Juice (teeny squeeze)

• Tenderstem Broccoli

• Splash of Olive Oil

• Chilli Flakes

Method:

🍋‍🟩 Soak your skewers !!!

🍋‍🟩 Dice up paneer into cube and then chop the bell pepper and red onion into sizes suitable for a skewer.

🍋‍🟩 Combine yoghurt with tandoori seasoning, minced ginger & garlic and lime juice. Season to taste.

🍋‍🟩Coat the paneer with the yoghurt - leave this to marinate if you have time but I did not & it still slapped!

🍋‍🟩 Add the paneer & veggies onto skewers and lay them onto a baking tray. I did give them a spritz of oil here too!

🍋‍🟩 Pop under the grill for 5 minutes, turn them and give them 5 on the other side. Be careful as they can catch quite quickly.

🍋‍🟩 Combine mango chutney with a splash of boiling water to loosen it up a little.

🍋‍🟩Once the skewers are cooked, brush over the mango chutney glaze and garnish with dried parsley & chilli flakes.

🍋‍🟩 I stirred dried mint and splash of lime juice through the yoghurt and then topped my flatbread with this before adding my skewers.

🍋‍🟩 Serve up with tenderstem broccoli which I boiled & then tossed with olive oil, chilli flakes & dried mint. Enjoy !! Xx

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 2 solid portions. You could bulk it out further by using the additional sweet potatoes to make wedges.

🫙 Store in an air-tight container in the fridge & reheat until piping hot in the microwave.

Keep any leftovers off the flatbreads & re-make them with fresh yoghurt & freshly reheated paneer!

& that just about wraps up WEEK 10! Eeeek, you guys truly fill my heart, body & soul every time I post a BOAB. Thank you so much for being here & I HOPEEEEE your tummy is as full & as happy as mine is after this week of food hehe. ✨✨✨✨

I LOVE YA DIVAS XXXXXX BOAB 4 EVA XXXXXXXXX

The mini-series is essentially the OG Babe on a Budget’s little sister, focusing on 3 main meals, each serving 4 portions with lots of freezer friendly options, perfect for anyone wanting to meal prep!

I know that 5 meals is too much for some so, I hope this can be a happy medium for any of the girlies who may need it.

Whilst this isn’t QUITE as structured as the OG Babe on a Budget (the budget will always be around £25), the aim is to use up whatever we have kicking around in the cupboard so get digging queens & hopefully it will cost you even less!

THE MENU:

• PAPPARDELLE MUSHROOM LASAGNE

• MEDITERRANEAN HALLOUMI & POTATO BAKE

• TOFU & CHICKPEA GOCHUJANG LOADED NAANS

THE SHOPPING LIST:

• 500g Veggie Mince (using Plant Pioneers)

• 300g Mushrooms

• 2 x Red Onions

• 2 x Chopped Tomatoes

• Fresh Basil

• Pappardelle Pasta

• 1 x Mozzarella Ball

• Lasagne White Sauce

• 1kg Baby Potatoes

• 226g Halloumi

• Tenderstem Broccoli

• Sun-dried Tomato Paste

• Greek Yoghurt

• 570g Chickpeas (treating us to boldbean!!)

• Gochujang Paste

• 300-400g Extra Firm Tofu

• 1 x Cucumber

• Spring Onions

• Little Gem Lettuce

• Garlic & Coriander Naan Bread

= £24.31

(I shop online via Sainsbruy’s at this menu uses offers on at the time of purchase so prices may vary!)

STORE CUPBOARD INGREDIENTS:

Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper, Italian Seasoning, Minced Garlic, Ketchup, Veggie Stock, Balsamic Vinegar, Chilli Flakes, Smoked Paprika, Mixed Herbs, Dried Parsley, Tomato Paste, Soy Sauce, Honey / Maple Syrup.

MEAL 1: PAPPARDELLE MUSHROOM LASAGNE

Is this actually a lasagne? No but… it’s almost close enough, right? Italians, look away! Using mushrooms for half of the bolognese gives this dish SO much flavour and yes, you can make your own white sauce! Or, you can buy it for 80p like I did. Hehe.

🍴4 Portions | ⏰ 40 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 300g Veggie Mince

• 300g Mushrooms (using flat here but any work!)

• 1 Red Onion

• 1.5tsp Minced Garlic

• 2tsp Italian Seasoning

• 400g Chopped Tomatos

• 1-2tbsp Sun-dried Tomato Paste

• 1 Veggie Stock Cube

• 1tbsp Ketchup or BBQ Sauce

• 1tbsp Soy Sauce

• Salt & Pepper

• 250-300g Pappardelle Pasta (dry weight)

• Fresh Basil

• 3-4tbsp White Sauce

• 1 Mozzarella Ball

Method:

🥫Finely dice red onion and fry off until soft in olive oil.

🥫Dice up mushrooms before adding them into the onion mix - cook until they soften & reduce down.

🥫 Season with garlic & cook for a minute or two.

🥫 Add veggie mince & season generously with salt & pepper.

🥫 Add chopped tomatoes along with sun-dried tomato paste, soy sauce, a veggie stock cube, 250ml of water & Ketchup/BBQ Sauce. Truly, anything that you have that will deepen the flavour should go in!

🥫 Mix well & bring to a simmer - the longer you let it cook, the better it will be.

🥫Whilst that simmers, pop your pappardelle onto boil as per packet instructions.

🥫 Once cooked, add the cooked pasta into the bolognese and combine well.

🥫 Stir through a handful of fresh basil & top with white sauce.

🥫 Shred a mozzarella ball & add that to the top too before popping under the grill for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted & turned golden.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS:

🫙 Store in an air-tight container in the fridge & reheat until piping hot in the microwave or oven.

🧊 Cool completely & then portion into airtight containers. Reheat until piping hot in the microwave or oven - add a teeny tiny bit of water or veggie stock if it needs loosening up.

TOP TIP: If you KNOW you’ll be freezing this one, I recommend freezing the bolognese & white sauce before you stir the pasta through. You can then cook fresh pasta on the day of eating.

(Disclaimer: I chuck mine all into the freezer together and yeah, the pasta may become a little softer but for the ease of it all, I’m ok with that. Lol.)

MEAL 2: MEDITERRANEAN HALLOUMI & POTATO BAKE

One of my MOST viral recipes & honestly, I get it divas. Tray bake queens, UNITE. I truly felt she had earned her spot on a BOAB.

🍴4 Portions | ⏰ 40 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 750g-1kg Baby Potatoes

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 2tsp Minced Garlic

• 2tsp Smoked Paprika

• 2tsp Mixed Herbs

• 1tsp Chilli Flakes

• 1tsp Dried Parsley

• Salt & Pepper

• 1 Red Onion

• 200g Tenderstem Broccoli

• 1 Block of Halloumi

• 1.5tbsp Sun-Dried Tomato Paste

• 400g Chopped Tomatoes

• Handful of Fresh Basil

• 3-4tbsp Greek Yoghurt

Method:

🌿 Preheat the oven to 190 degrees.

🌿 Dice up baby potatoes, drizzle with olive oil & season with garlic, smoked paprika, mixed herbs, chilli flakes, dried parsley and salt & pepper.

🌿 Pop into the oven for 20 minutes.

🌿 Dice up red onion and chop the broccoli into quarters.

🌿 Remove the potatoes from the oven and add the red onion & broccoli. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil and give it all a good mix.

🌿 Pop back into the oven for 15-20 minutes (or until the potatoes are soft!).

🌿 Whilst that cooks, fry off sun-dried tomato paste & garlic in a little olive oil before adding chopped tomatoes. Season with salt & pepper and let it simmer down until thick. Stir through torn up fresh basil.

🌿 Spoon this over the potatoes & add thin slices of halloumi.

🌿 Combine olive oil with a little smoked paprika & brush over the halloumi.

🌿 Pop under the grill until the halloumi is golden brown (usually 5 mins!).

🌿 Top with greek yogurt, mixed herbs & cracked black pepper. Enjoy !! XX

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS:

***if planning to reheat, leave greek yogurt off any leftovers & add once freshly reheated.

🫙 Store in an air-tight container in the fridge & reheat until piping hot in the microwave or oven. (Leave greek yoghurt off until freshly re-heated).

🧊 Cool completely & then portion into airtight containers. Reheat until piping hot in the microwave or oven.

MEAL 3: TOFU & CHICKPEA GOCHUJANG LOADED NAANS

Divas, bury me with loaded naans. You could also throw this into a wrap, a ciabatta - the world is truly your oyster. Plus, the filling freezes REALLY well so you could have this one prepped and ready to go !!

🍴4 Portions | ⏰ 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 300-400g Extra Firm Tofu

• 2tbsp Corn Flour

• Salt & Pepper

• 1tsp Smoked Paprika

• 2-3tbsp Gochujang Paste

• 1tbsp Tomato Paste

• 2tsp Honey or Maple Syrup

• 500g Queen Chickpeas (using Bold Bean)

• 2 Garlic & Coriander Naans (using Riyas)

• 3 Spring Onions

• Cucumber

• 3tbsp Greek Yoghurt

• Little Gem Lettuce

Method:

🌯 Press the moisture out of your tofu & then grate/crumble.

🌯 Mix through corn flour and season with salt, pepper & smoked paprika.

🌯 Air-fry for 10-15 minutes (or until it begins to crisp up). You can also do this in the oven or by pan frying!

🌯 Make your glaze by mixing gochujang paste, tomato paste & honey or maple syrup with a splash of boiling water.

🌯 Once the tofu is crisp, add the chickpeas and the glaze and pop back into the air-fryer for 7-10 minutes.

🌯 Prep your veggies & heat your naan before layering everything up with a little greek yoghurt. Enjoy !! XX

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS:

***if planning to reheat, keep the elements separate & assemble when ready.

🫙 Store the tofu & chickpea mix in an air-tight container in the fridge & reheat until piping hot in the air-fryer for best results !! Microwave will work too though.

🧊 Cool the tofu & chickpea mix completely & then portion into airtight containers. Reheat until piping hot & then assemble with fresh naan & veggies.

…& there we have it! Thank you all so much for following along, for being here, for sending me food pics, for trying my meal plans. I appreciate you SO much. Like, so so much.

Now, go & stock up that fridge diva!

EM XXX

Oh, so you wanna invite your girlies round in the upcoming heatwave but have no idea where to start? I got u diva, I got u xxx

On today’s BOAB: HOSTS we have an evening of summer spaghetti because truly nothing screams heatwave to me like a tomato pasta with a crisp rosé.

Plus, this all comes in at £25 & that INCLUDES a bottle of vino. So, without further ado…

THE MENU:

MAIN: Roasted Tomato & Garlic Spaghetti

SIDES: Sun-dried Tomato & Garlic Cheesy Garlic Ciabatta, Rocket & Balsamic Salad

DESSERT: Biscuit & Lemon Pots

VINO: A Crisp Rosé

THE SHOPPING LIST:

• 1kg Baby Plum Tomatoes

• 1 x Large Garlic Bulb

• Fresh Basil

• Spaghetti (I went with Bucatini to be fancy fancy)

• Ricotta Cheese

• 4 x Ciabatta Rolls

• 1 x Mozzarella Ball

• 1 x Sun-dried Tomato Paste

• Wild Rocket

• Hard Cheese (a veggie hard cheese!)

• 300ml Double Cream

• 1 x Tin of Sweetened Condensed Milk

• 2 x Lemons

• Digestive Biscuits

• 1 x BOTTLE OF CRISP ROSÉ - Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose Rose Wine 75cl (Chicken Wine would slay toooo 👀)

= £25.32

(Bought via Sainsbury’s using offers at the time of purchase to price may vary!)

Store Cupboard Ingredients: Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Salt & Pepper, Chilli Flakes, Mixed Herbs, Dried Parsley.

BISCUIT & LEMON POTS

I started with these & then just popped them into the fridge until I was ready to serve! They are the perfect, creamy little pudding - so refreshing & so easy to make. I could have eaten the whole lot quite frankly !!

Ingredients | Serves 4:

• 200ml Double Cream

• 200g Sweetened Condensed Milk

• 1-2 Lemons

• 10 Digestive Biscuits

Method:

🍋 Whisk double cream until at soft peaks.

🍋 In a separate bowl, mix sweetened condensed milk with the juice & zest of one lemon. Taste and add the 2nd if needed.

🍋 Fold the lemon mix into the double cream.

🍋 Crush digestive biscuits into a glass and top with the lemon cream. Top with a little lemon zest.

🍋 Pop into the fridge until ready to serve!

ROASTED TOMATO & GARLIC SPAGHETTI

This is summer in an actual BOWL for me divas. I splashed out on some bucatini & I have to say, the thicker spaghetti is a game changer. I very much recommend!

Ingredients | Serves 4:

• 1kg Baby Plum Tomatoes

• 6-8 Cloves of Garlic

• 2tbsp Olive Oil

• 2tsp Mixed Herbs

• Salt & Pepper

• 1tsp Chilli Flakes

• 300g Bucatini

• 2tbsp Ricotta

• Handful of Fresh Basil

Method:

🍝 Preheat the oven to 210 degrees (fan).

🍝 Place tomatoes onto tray along with 6-8 cloves of garlic & drizzle generously with olive oil & season with mixed herbs, chilli flakes (I like mine hot), dried parsley, salt & pepper.

🍝 Roast for 30-40 minutes.

🍝 Pop the spaghetti onto boil & once done, drain, reserving a little pasta water just in case.

🍝 Once the tomatoes are cooked, squeeze the garlic out of the skin and then mash everything up.

🍝 Add the smashed tomato mix into the drained spaghetti and stir through fresh basil. Top with a little ricotta, a final drizzle of olive oil & lots of black pepper.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO & GARLIC CHEESY CIABATTA

It is the LAW that you simply must have garlic bread with a pasta dish but we are levelling her up today divas! The sun-dried tomato paste adds flavour, let me tell you.

Get these prepped whilst your tomatoes are roasting!

Ingredients | Serves 4:

• 4 Ciabatta Rolls

• 2-3tbsp Sun-dried Tomato Paste

• 2 Cloves of Garlic (crushed)

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 1-2 Mozzarella Balls

• 1tsp Dried Parsley

Method:

🥨 Mix sun-dried tomato paste with crushed garlic & olive oil.

🥨 Halve 4 ciabatta rolls & brush the sun-dried tomato & garlic mix.

🥨 Top with chunks of mozzarella & set aside.

🥨 Pop into the oven for 5 minutes whilst the spaghetti is coming together!

ROCKET & BALASMIC SALAD

We must have greens for optics. Luckily, this actually is super yum too. I dislike spiky leaves to massaging the olive oil into them makes things chefs kiss.

Double check whether the hard cheese you buy is veggie!

Ingredients:

• 1 Bag of Rocket

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• Salt & Pepper

• Hard Cheese

• 1tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

🌿 Drizzle rocket with olive oil & season with salt & pepper. Massage the oil into the leaves until they’re soft.

🌿 Top with balsamic, shavings of hard cheese & more black pepper!

THE WINE!

I went with a pale, crisp rosé as today’s wine pairing!

APPARENTLY, the acidity balances well with the tomatoes & the notes echo that of the herbs. Who knew!

In all honesty though, I could be eating anything at all & a crisp rosé would STILL be in the choice in 30 degree weather. Shoot me!

I went with a…

Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose Rose Wine 75cl

But let me tell you, a chicken wine would slap here & all !!

SO, there we have it, and evening of summer spaghetti! This is my favourite BOAB: HOSTs menu to date & I would love love love to hear if you decide to host your girlies this summer!

HAPPY HEATWAVE DIVAS! XXXX

Oh and as a heads up, pickled red onions are featured heavily again. I’m sorry. I hold my hands up. The fixation will pass soon. Maybe…

ANYHOO, let’s get into it!

WEEK 9 OF BABE ON A BUDGET:

• FIVE VEGGIE MEALS

• ENOUGH LEFTOVERS TO COVER YOU FOR LUNCH

• A BREAKFAST OPTION

• LITTLE TO NO WASTE!

• ADVICE ON BULKING DOWN, BULKING UP & STORING AND REHEATING

The meal plan is written for one but could easily serve two with some minor & inexpensive tweaks. I am a big portion girlie but its always hard to judge what is “normal” for others so, if you’re cooking for yourself & have a few social plans, I think you could safely stick to 3/4 recipes & stick to those to cover you.

This week’s MUST MAKE: the Teriyaki Tofu Poke Bowls. Smash.

YOUR SHOPPING LIST:

• Black Beans (400g Can)

• 1 x Lime

• Soft Taco Wraps

• Grated Cheddar & Mozzarella Mix

• 325g Baby Plum Tomatoes

• Sweetcorn (325g Can)

• 300ml Sour Cream

• 2 x Avocados

• 2 x Red Onions

• 1kg Baby Potatoes

• Southern Fried Veggie Chicken Burgers (using Plant Pioneers)

• Little Gem Lettuce

• Crinkle Gherkins in Vinegar

• 2 x Lemons

• 500g Rigatoni

• 2-3 Aubergines

• 1 x White Onion

• 500g Passata

• Fresh Basil

• 2 x Sticky Rice Pots

• Extra Firm Tofu

• Teriyaki Sauce

• 1 x Mango

• Whole Cucumber

• 225g Halloumi

• Pomegranate Seeds

• Sweet Potatoes (I bought 1.25kg)

• Roasted Vegetable Couscous

• 500g Greek Style Natural Yoghurt

• 500g Self Raising Flour

• 6 x Eggs

• Raspberries (fresh or frozen!)

• Milk (of choice!)

= £36.31 🤠

(I shopped online via Sainsbury’s, using offers at the time of purchase so this will vary!)

STORE CUPBOARD INGREDIENTS:

• Oil (olive & vegetable)

• Salt & Pepper

• Smoked Paprika

• Cumin

• Cayenne Pepper

• Dried Parsley

• Mayonnaise

• Garlic Powder / Minced Garlic

• Onion Powder

• Dried Dill

• Balsamic Vinegar

• Corn Flour

• Chilli Flakes

• Soy Sauce

• Rice Wine Vinegar

• Sesame Seeds

PICKLED RED ONIONS: White Wine Vinegar, Sugar & Salt

OPTIONAL: Crispy Onions, Honey, White Chocolate

YOUR BREAKFAST OPTION: PANCAKES WITH YOGHURT & RASPBERRY COMPOTE!

Serves 10-12 Mini Pancakes | 20 Minutes

Ever since discovering these 3 ingredient pancakes, I have been obsessed. They honestly couldn't be easier, can be topped with anything you like and ALSO can be prepped in advance and then made whenever you’re ready.

The compote is also super easy, looks like you’ve made a LOAD of effort and just tastes 10/10 you know. Fun fact: this plate revived me QUICK TIME mid hangover.

Ingredients:

For the pancakes:

• 1 Cup of Self Raising Flour

• 1 Egg

• 1 Cup of Milk

For the compote:

• 1 Cup of Raspberries (fresh or frozen)

• 2tbsp Water

• Lemon Juice (big old squeeze)

• 1tbsp Sugar

Toppings:

• Honey

• Greek Yoghurt

• White Chocolate (optional)

To make…

🥞 To prep your compote, simmer raspberries, water, lemon juice & sugar for 5-10 minutes. As the compote cools, it will become jammier.

🥞 For the pancakes, whisk together flour, egg & milk until a batter is formed.

🥞 Heat butter or oil in a pan and pour on the batter. Flip once golden brown and repeat!

🥞 Layer up pancakes with greek yoghurt, raspberry compote, honey & a little grated white chocolate if you’re feeling fancy !!

MEAL 1: FULLY LOADED CHEESY BLACK BEAN TACOS

2/3 PORTIONS | 25 MINUTES*

*If onions are already pickled!

This can only be described as a plate full of my favourite things divas omg. Tacos stuffed with cheesy black beans and a whole load of toppings to make your heart & your tummy sing. Plus, loads of fibre and all that hehehe.

Ingredients:

FOR THE TACOS:

• 1 Can of Black Beans (drained)

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 2tsp Smoked Paprika

• Salt & Pepper

• 1tsp Cumin

• 0.5tsp Cayenne

• Juice of 1/2 Lime

• 1tsp Dried Parsley

• 6-8 Mini Taco Wraps

• Handful of Grated Cheddar & Mozzarella

FOR THE SALSA:

• Handful Baby Plum Tomatoes

• 3tbsp Sweetcorn

• Squeeze of Lime Juice

• Splash of Olive Oil

• Salt & Pepper

TO SERVE:

• 3tbsp Sour Cream

• 1 Avocado

FOR THE PICKLED RED ONION:

• 1 Red Onion

• 1 Cup of Boiling Water

• 1/2 Cup of White Wine Vinegar

• 1tbsp Sugar

• 1.5tsp Salt

To make…

🌮 If you’re pickling your own onions, get this done first! Combine boiling water, white wine vinegar, sugar & salt before adding finely sliced red onion. After around an hour, they’ll begin to pickle and will last in the fridge for a week or so. This is quick pickling FYI so does not last forever!

🌮 Prep the salsa by dicing up baby plum tomatoes and mixing with sweetcorn, olive oil, salt & pepper and lime juice. Set aside and let her marinade.

🌮 Drain the black beans and mash with a fork, season with smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper, lime juice and dried parsley. Give it all a good mix.

🌮 Layer the black bean mix onto half of the mini taco wrap and top with cheese.

🌮 Fold over and pan fry in a little olive oil until the outside is brown and crispy & the cheese has melted.

🌮 Pop onto a plate and layer up with salsa, sour cream, avocado, pickled red onions & a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

🌮 Serve up & enjoy !! X

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 2 portions but I recommend making some crispy baby potatoes with the remaining potatoes not used in the potato salad.

TO MAKE THOSE: Dice up & season baby potatoes with smoked paprika, salt & pepper and pop into the airfryer for 35 minutes.

🫙 Store the tacos separately to the toppings in an airtight container - you could reheat in the microwave, air fryer or even gently by pan frying them. Once warmed through, top with the sour cream, salsa and avocado.

MEAL 2: RANCH & CRISPY CHICKEN POTATO SALAD

2 PORTIONS | 30 MINUTES*

*If onions are already pickled!

How can something be so carby & yet still feel so fresh? Minimal prep required here divas & trust me on the Plant Pioneer burgers, £1.40 and SO good.

Ingredients

• 500g Baby Potatoes

• 2 x Southern Fried Chicken Burgers (I’m using Plant Pioneers from Sainsbury’s)

• 1 x Baby Gem Lettuce

• Handful of Pickled Gherkins

• 200g Sweetcorn

FOR THE RANCH:

• 1/2 Cup Sour Cream

• 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise

• 1tsp Garlic Powder

• 1tsp Onion Powder

• 1tsp Dried Dill

• 1tsp Dried Parsley

• Salt & Pepper

• Splash of Lemon Juice

FOR THE PICKLED RED ONION:

• 1 Red Onion

• 1 Cup of Boiling Water

• 1/2 Cup of White Wine Vinegar

• 1tbsp Sugar

• 1.5tsp Salt

To make...

🌿 If you’re pickling your own onions, get this done first! Combine boiling water, white wine vinegar, sugar & salt before adding finely sliced red onion. After around an hour, they’ll begin to pickle and will last in the fridge for a week or so. This is quick pickling FYI so does not last forever!

🌿 Dice up the baby potatoes & pop them onto boil until soft (around 15 mins). Drain and set aside.

🌿 Pop the Southern Fried Chicken burgers onto cook as per pack instructions whilst your potatoes boil. You can use any kind of crispy chicken here - halloumi would also work really well, as would fried tofu! Once done, chop into chunks.

🌿 Prepare the veggies for the salad - chop up the lettuce, dice the gherkins and drain the sweetcorn. You can of course add in anything else that you fancy!

🌿 Mix up all the ingredients for the ranch and set aside.

🌿 Add the drained potatoes into a large salad bowl and season with salt & pepper before adding ranch, crispy chicken, lettuce, sweetcorn, gherkins, pickled red onions and a big old squeeze of lemon juice.

🌿 Serve up & enjoy !! XX

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 2 portions but is easily bulked up with a few additional potatoes & extra veggies!

🫙 Store in the fridge in an airtight container. I enjoyed it warm the first time round and cold for lunch the next day & it was JUST as good!

MEAL 3: CHEESY AUBERGINE RIGATONI

3/4 PORTIONS | 40 MINUTES

Sometimes the texture of an aubergine is enough to send me west BUT in another life I used to be obsessed with aubergine cooked like this. So, I thought I’d do some loose recreating and here we are!

I HIGHLY suggest making this as a pasta bake with a shed load of melted cheese on top! The only reason I didn't do this was because I was flying to Ibiza the next day & needed to freeze half of the sauce lol.

Ingredients:

• 350g Rigatoni

• 2-3 Aubergines

• 4-6tbsp Olive Oil

• Salt & Pepper

• 1 White Onion

• 2tsp Garlic

• 500g Passata

• Bunch of Fresh Basil

• 1tsp Balsamic Vinegar

• LOTS of Grated Cheddar / Mozzarella

To make...

🍆 Slice up the aubergines & fry them off until golden in olive oil - seasoned generously with salt & pepper. You may need to do this in batches - you want them to be soft on both sides.

🍆 Once done, remove from the pan and in the same pan, add a little more olive oil and a finely diced white onion.

🍆 Let that soften before adding garlic and cooking for a further couple of minutes before adding in the passata. Bring to a gentle simmer and stir through a big bunch of fresh basil.

🍆 Pop the pasta onto boil as per packet instructions and once done, drain & set aside.

🍆 Finely chop up the aubergines & add them into the simmering tomato mix. Continue to cook, adjust seasoning if needs be & add balsamic vinegar.

🍆 This would bang as a pasta bake too but I decided to layer everything on top of my cooked rigatoni today.

🍆 Top with lots of cheese and pop it under the grill for 5 minutes, remove once melted & enjoy !! XX

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 3/4 portions!

🫙 Store in an airtight container & reheat until piping hot. If freezing, I’d recommend storing the sauce separately and then cooking fresh pasta when you’re ready to eat it!

MEAL 4: TERIYAKI TOFU POKE BOWLS

2 PORTIONS | 20 MINUTES*

*If onions are already pickled!

FAVE OF THE WEEK, FAVE OF THE WEEK, FAVE OF THE WEEK. NEED I SAY MORE?

Ingredients

• 2 x Sticky Rice Pots (I’m using Veetee)

• 1 x Avocado

• Crispy Onions 👀

FOR THE TERIYAKI:

• 1 Block of Tofu

• 2tbsp Corn Flour

• Salt & Pepper

• 2tbsp Teriyaki Sauce

FOR THE CHILLI & LIME MANGO

• Mango (cubed)

• Squeeze of Lime Juice

• 1tsp Chilli Flakes

FOR THE CUCUMBER:

• 1/3 Cucumber

• 1tbsp Soy Sauce

• 0.5tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

• 1tsp Sugar

• 0.5tsp Chilli Flakes

• 0.5tsp Sesame Seeds

FOR THE PICKLED RED ONION:

• 1 Red Onion

• 1 Cup of Boiling Water

• 1/2 Cup of White Wine Vinegar

• 1tbsp Sugar

• 1.5tsp Salt

To make...

🥢 If you’re pickling your own onions, get this done first! Combine boiling water, white wine vinegar, sugar & salt before adding finely sliced red onion. After around an hour, they’ll begin to pickle and will last in the fridge for a week or so. This is quick pickling FYI so does not last forever!

🥢 Pat the tofu dry & chop it into cubes. Coat the cubes lightly in corn flour.

🥢 Fry the off in vegetable oil until all sides are crisp.

🥢 As the tofu crisps up, prep the mango by slicing it into chunks and mixing through chilli flakes & lime juice, set aside.

🥢 Prep the cucumber by slicing it and popping it into a lidded container. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, chilli flakes & sesame seeds into the pot. Place the lid on and give it a good shake. Set aside.

🥢 Pop the sticky rice into the microwave as per packet instructions.

🥢 At this point, the tofu should have crisped up. Add the teriyaki sauce into the pan to & coat the tofu in the glaze.

🥢 Layer everything into your bowl - sticky rice, mango, cucumber, teriyaki tofu, sliced avocado & pickled red onions.

🥢 Serve with some sesame seeds and crispy fried onions for some crunch & enjoy! XX

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 2 portions!

🫙 Store the tofu separately to the toppings in an airtight container - you could reheat in the microwave, air fryer or even gently by pan frying it. Once warmed through, add fresh sticky rice & all of your toppings.

MEAL 5: HALLOUMI & SWEET POTATO COUS COUS PLATES W/ A HERBY YOGHURT DRESSING

2/3 PORTIONS | 40 MINUTES*

*If onions are already pickled!

I’ve seen everyone & their nan making these potatoes & yes, they slap but please, mind your muscles and your fingers when cutting them up - good LORD. You have been warned!

Ingredients:

• 226g Halloumi

• Pomegranate Seeds

FOR THE SWEET POTATOES:

• 2 x Medium Sweet Potatoes

• Salt & Pepper

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

FOR THE COUS COUS:

• Roasted Vegetable Cous Cous

• Handful of Baby Plum Tomatoes

• 1/4 Cucumber

• Salt & Pepper

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 1tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

FOR HERBY YOGHURT:

• 2tbsp Greek Yogurt

• Splash of Lemon Juice

• 1tsp Parsley

• 1tsp Dill

• 1tsp Mint

FOR THE PICKLED RED ONION:

• 1 Red Onion

• 1 Cup of Boiling Water

• 1/2 Cup of White Wine Vinegar

• 1tbsp Sugar

• 1.5tsp Salt

To make...

🍠 Preheat the oven to 190 degrees.

🍠 If you’re pickling your own onions, get this done first! Combine boiling water, white wine vinegar, sugar & salt before adding finely sliced red onion. After around an hour, they’ll begin to pickle and will last in the fridge for a week or so. This is quick pickling FYI so does not last forever!

🍠 Wash well & then slice the sweet potatoes in half. Smother with olive oil, salt & pepper. Place face down onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Depending on how thin the sweet potatoes are, start at around 40 minutes in the oven - they should caramelise at the edges and stay soft in the middle.

🍠 Whilst they cook, prep the couscous as per packet instructions. Once ready, stir through a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar & season with salt & pepper.

🍠 Dice up baby plum tomatoes & cucumber and add those to the couscous too.

🍠 Mix everything together for your herby yoghurt & set that aside too!

🍠 Thickly slice the halloumi & pan fry in a little olive oil until golden brown & soft on each side.

🍠 Once the potatoes are ready, layer everything onto a plate and top with the herby yoghurt, pickled red onions, olive oil, cracked black pepper, a squeeze of fresh lemon and lots of pomegranate seeds.

🍠 Serve up & enjoy !! XX

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 2/3 portions but is easily bulked up with a few additional potatoes & extra veggies!

🫙 Store all of the elements separately in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheat the sweet potatoes & halloumi gently before re-assembling with the couscous salad & herby yoghurt.

& just like that… week 9 is over and out. Double digits next divas! Although, not before another BOAB Express is coming your way!

Girlies, you all have my HEART. Thank you for being here, for sending me food pics, for following along, for yapping in my DMS. I love u all. 🫰🏼🫰🏼🫰🏼🫰🏼

This one is for the girlies who don’t fancy cooking every night, have busy social calendars & who want to stock up the fridge & freezer. I made everything below in one morning & was stocked up for the week so, let’s get into it hehe.

This isn’t quite as structured as my OG Babe on a Budget - the budget is £25(ish) but the aim is to use up what is in the cupboards & anything leftover from previous recipes!

Sometimes I need the OG but sometimes I need this so pick & choose queens. I hope there is something for everyone in here!

ON THE MENU THIS WEEK, WE HAVE…

• CREAMY SAUSAGE ORZO

• TIKKA PANEER POT PIES

• HALLOUMI & CHORIZO SPAGHETTI

THE SHOPPING LIST:

• 3 x Red Onion

• 8 x Veggie Sausages (I used Richmond No Meat)

• Frozen Peas

• Tenderstem Broccoli

• Orzo

• 300ml Double Cream

• Cheddar Cheese

• 1 x Lemon

• 400g Paneer

• 1 x Green Bell Pepper

• Tikka Paste

• 1 x Chopped Tomatoes

• Chickpeas

• Puff Pastry

• 226g Halloumi

• 300g Baby Plum Tomatoes

• 100g Veggie Chorizo (I used Squeaky Bean)

• Spaghetti

• Fresh Basil

• = £25.07

(Shopping via Sainsbury’s, using offers on at time of purchase! 🤠)

Store Cupboard: Olive Oil, Minced Garlic, Minced Ginger Salt & Pepper, Dried Parsley, Mixed Herbs, Veggie Stock, Dijon Mustard, Tomato Puree, Chilli Flakes, Smoked Paprika, Egg / Milk (to glaze pastry!)

MEAL 1: CREAMY SAUSAGE ONE POT ORZO

This one pot wonder has me HOOKED! You can truly chuck any old greens in - spinach, asparagus, broccoli… Ready in 35 mins, minimal on the washing up & perfect with a fat slab of garlic bread!

🍴 4 portions | ⏰ 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 x Red Onion

• 8 x Veggie Sausages (I’m using Richmond No Meat)

• 1tbsp Garlic

• 1tsp Dried Parsley

• 1tsp Mixed Herbs

• Salt & Pepper

• 100g Frozen Peas

• 120-150g Tenderstem Broccoli

• 250g Orzo

• 600-700ml Veggie Stock

• 100ml Double Cream

• 1tsp Dijon Mustard

• 50g Grated Cheese

• Juice of 1 Lemon

To Make…

🫛 Finely dice red onion & fry off in some olive oil.

🫛 Once soft, de-skin the veggie sausages & add into the same pan. Break into pieces with the back of a spoon and brown off.

🫛 When the onions are soft and the sausages have browned, add minced garlic and cook for a further minute.

🫛 Add frozen peas & sliced up tenderstem broccoli to the mix before adding dried orzo.

🫛 Cover with veggie stock - leaving around 100ml behind.

🫛 Bring to a simmer and cover for 15-20 minutes, giving everything a good stir every few minutes.

🫛 Once the orzo has cooked, season with mixed herbs, dried parsley and salt & pepper. Add dijon mustard and cream and give everything a good mix.

🫛 Add the lemon juice and stir through half of the grated cheese before topping with the rest.

🫛 Serve with dried parsley & enjoy !! XX

YOUR LEFTOVERS:

🫙Store in the fridge in an airtight container and reheat until piping hot.

🫙If freezing, store as separate portions. Thaw overnight & then gently reheat on the hob or in the microwave. Stir frequently, adding a little veggie stock or cream to loosen up the sauce. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon once piping hot!

MEAL 2: TIKKA PANEER POT PIES

Was there any real need for me to make puff pastry stars? No! Would it be far more efficient to just use the sheet of pastry & cover one big pie? Absolutely! But look girls, we all need a bit of whimsy in our lives and you can’t tell me they don’t look SO CUTE.

🍴 4 portions | ⏰ 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1tbsp Vegetable Oil

• 400g Paneer

• 1 x Red Onion

• 1 x Green Bell Pepper

• 1tsp Minced Ginger & Garlic

• 70g Tikka Paste

• 1tbsp Tomato Puree

• 300g Chopped Tomatoes

• 80ml Double Cream

• 1 Can of Chickpeas (drained)

• 1 Sheet of Puff Pastry

To make…

🥘 Preheat the oven to 190 degrees.

🥘 Roughly chop red onion & green pepper into chunks & cube up the paneer.

🥘 Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan before adding the cubed paneer.

🥘 Cook until browned on each side, flipping regularly before adding the red onion & green pepper.

🥘 Once the veg has softened, add minced ginger & garlic, tikka paste & 70ml of water. Mix to combine before adding chickpeas.

🥘 Cook for a few minutes before going in with tomato puree & chopped tomatoes. Mix well before adding double cream. Once combined and at your desired consistency, take the curry off the heat.

🥘 Add the filling into your pie dish / dishes. Top with puff pastry (however you may wish hehe 🌟) and wash with either egg or milk. Top with sesame seeds and pop into the oven for around 15-20 minutes - or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

🥘 Serve up & enjoy!

YOUR LEFTOVERS:

🫙Store in the fridge in an airtight container and reheat until piping hot. Reheat in either the oven or air-frier for crispy pastry!

🫙If freezing, store as separate portions. Thaw overnight & then reheat gently in the oven or air-fryer to keep the pie crust crisp. You could separate the lid to the filling to make this easier. I also stored some curry separately in the freezer which can be thawed & then reheated in the microwave until piping hot.

MEAL 3: HALLOUMI & CHORIZO SPAGHETTI

Chuck this into the oven, add your spaghetti & a load of cheese and you have a bowl full of good stuff. Don’t TELL me this doesn’t sound delicious. I used veggie chorizo but this would work so well with double halloumi, veggie sausages or veggie chicken too!

🍴 4 portions | ⏰ 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 226g Halloumi

• 1 x Red Onion

• 300g Baby Plum Tomatoes

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 1tsp Minced Garlic

• 1tsp Chilli Flakes

• 2tsp Smoked Paprika

• 1tsp Dried Parsley

• Salt & Pepper

• 1tbsp Tomato Puree

• Salt & Pepper

• 100g Veggie Chorizo (Squeaky Bean)

• 250g Spaghetti

• Handful Fresh Basil

• 70ml Double Cream

• 50g Cheddar Cheese

To make…

🍝 Preheat the oven to 190 degrees.

🍝 Into a baking dish, add baby plum tomatoes, roughly chopped red onion and diced halloumi.

🍝 Drizzle with olive oil & season with minced garlic, salt & pepper, chilli flakes, smoked paprika & dried parsley.

🍝 Add tomato puree and give everything a good mix before popping into the oven for 20 minutes.

🍝 Whilst that cooks, pop your spaghetti onto boil as per packet instructions. Once done, drain and set aside, reserving a cup of pasta water.

🍝 Slice up the veggie chorizo and cook for a couple of minutes in a little olive oil.

🍝 Remove the tomato mix from the oven, give the veggies a squish and a mix and add the sliced chorizo. Add fresh basil here too along with a splash of pasta water and the cream.

🍝 Mix until at the desired consistency and then add the spaghetti & combine.

🍝 Top with cheddar cheese and pop underneath the grill for a few minutes or until the cheese is golden & bubbling. Enjoy !! XX

YOUR LEFTOVERS:

🫙 Store in the fridge in an airtight container and reheat until piping hot.

🫙 If freezing, store as separate portions. Reheat gently in the microwave or over the hob, adding a little veggie stock or cream to loosen up the sauce.

& THERE WE HAVE IT!

I would love love love to hear your opinions on this one! The plan is to post one set of these per month alongside the OG BOAB so however your week is looking, there should be an option for you!

THANK YOU for all of your support as always my divas - I am forever grateful hehe. 🩷🧚🏼‍♀️ xxx

So, let’s get into it 🧚🏼‍♀️

WEEK 8 OF BABE ON A BUDGET:

• FIVE VEGGIE MEALS

• ENOUGH LEFTOVERS TO COVER YOU FOR LUNCH

• A BREAKFAST OPTION

• LITTLE TO NO WASTE!

• ADVICE ON BULKING DOWN, BULKING UP & STORING AND REHEATING.

The meal plan is written for one but could easily serve 2 with some minor & inexpensive tweaks. Fair warning, I hear my portions are on the large side, with one lovely lady exclaiming that the spaghetti bake could serve her family of 3 for one week… could it though Kelly? 👀

ANYHOO, if you are cooking for yourself, have a busy weekend of social plans and no freezer space, choose 3/4 recipes & stick to those!

YOUR SHOPPING LIST:

• Baby Potatoes (1kg)

• Super Firm Tofu (300g)

• 4 x Red Onions

• 1 x Cucumber

• 200g Hummus

• 2 x Lemons

• 325g Baby Plum Tomatoes

• Feta Cheese

• 2 x Sweet Potatoes

• 225g Halloumi

• Black Beans

• Sweetcorn (150g Tin)

• 500g Greek Yogurt

• 1 x Lime

• 1 x Avocado

• Fresh Coriander

• Puff Pastry

• Lemon Curd

• Spaghetti

• Fresh Red Chilli

• Meat Free Meatballs (these are Plant Pioneer)

• 400g Cherry Tomatoes in Tomato Juice

• Fresh Basil

• 125g Mozzarella Ball

• 200g Paneer

• 2 x Bell Peppers

• Tandoori Spice Mix

• Peshwari Naans (using Riya’s Premium)

• 100g Asparagus Tips

• Butter Beans

• 150ml Single Cream

• Small Baguette Baton

• Mango Chutney

= £33.59

I SHOP AT SAINSBURYS & THIS IS USING OFFERS ON AT THE TIME AT PURCHASE SO THE PRICE MAY VARY.

If you shop around, you may even get it a little cheaper.

STORE CUPBOARD INGREDIENTS:

• Oil

• Garlic

• Chilli Flakes

• Smoked Paprika

• Dried Parsley

• Salt & Pepper

• Corn Flour

• Cumin

• Sugar

• Minced Ginger & Garlic

• Dried Mint

• BBQ Seasoning

• Cinnamon

• Mayonnaise

• Veggie Stock

• Soy Sauce

• Icing Sugar (to dust brekkie) & 1 Egg / Milk (to glaze brekkie)

PICKLED RED ONIONS: White Wine Vinegar, Sugar & Salt

OPTIONAL: Red Food Colouring, Tajin, Frozen Peas

YOUR BREAKFAST OPTION: LEMON CURD KNOTS

Nutritious? No. Filling? No. Good for the soul? YES! Super tasty & will leave you wanting to eat another 3? YES!

I’m at the point of making these weekly now divas, they’re TOO GOOD.

Ingredients:

• 1 Roll of Puff Pastry

• Lemon Curd

• 1 Egg / Splash of Milk - to glaze

• Icing Sugar - to dust

To Make..

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

• Roll out the puff pastry & fold in half to create a seam. Unfold.

• Spread lemon curd onto half of the puff pastry and then fold back over.

• Once in half, cut the puff pastry into strips & twist before wrapping around each other to create the knot.

• Lay onto a lined baking tray & wash with beaten egg or a splash of milk.

• Pop into the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

• Dust with icing sugar & enjoy!

MEAL 1: HUMMUS PLATES WITH ROASTED POTATOES & A SPICY TOFU CRUMB

2 PORTIONS | 30 MINUTES

We potentially peaked at the first hurdle here divas - this was TOO GOOD. The tofu crumb was initially going to be a tofu kebab situation but it lost its shape and I’m SO GLAD it did - it was sticky and crispy and just the perfect topping.

It’s a loaded hummus plate summer girlies, I’m calling it here !!

Ingredients:

FOR THE ROASTIES:

• 500g Baby Potatoes

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 0.5tsp Chilli Flakes

• 1tsp Garlic

• 1-2tsp Smoked Paprika

• 1tsp Dried Parsley

• Salt & Pepper

FOR THE PICKLED RED ONIONS:

• 1 Red Onion

• 1 Cup of Boiling Water

• 1/2 Cup of White Wine Vinegar

• 1tbsp Sugar

• 1.5tsp Salt

TO SERVE:

• 200g Hummus

• 1/2 Cucumber

• Handful Baby Plum Tomatoes

• Juice of 1/2 Lemon

• Handful Feta

To make...

🌿 If you’re pickling your own red onions - mix together boiling water, white wine vinegar, salt and sugar and add finely sliced red onion. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS QUICK PICKLING AND ONLY LASTS AROUND A WEEK IN THE FRIDGE!

🌿 Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

🌿 Dice up baby potatoes, drizzle with olive oil and season with garlic, chilli flakes, smoked paprika, dried parsley & salt and pepper. Pop into the oven for 35 minutes, shaking half way.

🌿 Prep the tofu by pressing out the moisture and then slicing thinly. Coat in corn flour before pan frying.

🌿 Whilst the tofu is frying, season with smoked paprika, garlic , dried parsley, cumin and salt & pepper. Once it begins to crisp up, add the soy sauce and continue to cook until crispy, sticky and tasty HEHE.

🌿 Prep the cucumber & baby tomatoes.

🌿 Layer hummus onto the plate and top with the roast potatoes, cucumber, tomatoes, tofu crumb, feta, pickled red onion, black pepper, some olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.

You could also top with some of the yoghurt we bought here too!

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 2 portions but you have everything you need to double the recipe & make 4 within this food shop.

🫙 Store in the fridge in an airtight container. I ate my leftovers cold but you could store the potatoes & tofu crumb separately and re-heat before assembling into another hummus plate!

MEAL 2: ARRABBIATA SPAGHETTI & MEATBALL BAKE

3-4 PORTIONS | 35 MINUTES

Truly, spaghetti in a spicy tomato sauce with lots of mozzarella & a load of veggie meatballs is HEAVEN to me. This is some real carby good stuff. Plus, these meatballs are £1.31! Budget heaven from Sainos!

Ingredients:

• 250g Spaghetti

• 1tbsp Oil

• 1 Red Onion

• 2 Red Chillis (adjust if needs be!)

• 2tsp Garlic

• 380g Veggie Meatballs

• 400g Cherry Tomatoes in Tomato Juice (or chopped tomatoes)

• Salt & Pepper

• 1tsp Sugar

• Handful Fresh Basil

• 125g Mozzarella

To make...

🍝 Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

🍝 Pop the spaghetti onto boil as per packet instructions. Once ready, drain and set aside, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

🍝 Dice and fry off one red onion in oil before adding diced red chilli and garlic. Cook for 2 further minutes.

🍝 Add frozen veggie meatballs and cherry tomatoes with around 100ml of water. Add sugar & then season generously with salt & pepper. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 5-10 minutes.

🍝 Stir through fresh basil before adding the cooked spaghetti and a little pasta water. Mix well before transferring into a baking dish and topping with mozzarella.

🍝 Pop into the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Once out of the oven, top with black pepper and chilli flakes. Enjoy !! XX

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 3/4 portions - to bulk down, I would suggest removing half of the meatball mix before the spaghetti goes in. You can then freeze this and enjoy at a later date.

🫙 Store in the fridge in an airtight container. To reheat, microwave until piping hot!

MEAL 3: TANDOORI PANEER LOADED NAANS

2 PORTIONS | 30 MINUTES

No guys, HOW GOOD are pehswari naans? Now, imagine them stuffed with spiced tandoori paneer, fresh yoghurt & salad and a big old wedge of mango chutney. Yes, it was as delightful as it sounds.

I urge you to splash out on the good naans here divas - sometimes that extra £1 is worth it.

Ingredients:

FOR THE TANDOORI:

• 1 Block of Paneer

• 1 Red Onion

• 1 Bell Pepper

• 2-3tbsp Yoghurt

• 2tsp Tandoori Seasoning

• 1tsp Minced Ginger & Garlic

• Juice of 1/2 Lemon

• Salt & Pepper

Optional: Red Food Colouring

FOR THE YOGHURT:

• 1tbsp Yoghurt

• 1tsp Mint

• Salt & Pepper

• Splash of Lemon Juice!

TO SERVE:

• 2 Peshwari Naans (these big boys slap)

• Cucumber

• Baby Tomatoes

• 2tbsp Mango Chutney

• Fresh Coriander

• Fresh Chilli

To make..

🥘 Dice up paneer, red onion & bell pepper.

🥘 In a bowl, mix yoghurt with tandoori seasoning, minced ginger and garlic, lemon juice and salt & pepper. I mixed through a tiny bit of food colouring to give it that red-look!

🥘 Mix through your diced veggies and paneer, coating them fully in the yoghurt mix.

🥘 Air-fry for 15 minutes, turning half way. Make sure you don’t take your eye off them and let them catch like I did - yikes.

🥘 Whilst they cook, prep the yoghurt by stirring through mint, lemon juice and salt and pepper.

🥘 Dice up your veggies, chilli & fresh coriander (if using).

🥘 Lay the naans onto a baking dish and sprinkle with some water - pop them into a warm oven or under the grill for a few minutes.

🥘 Place the naan on top of some tin foil and layer on yogurt, the tandoori paneer, mango chutney, veggies & coriander.

🥘 Wrap everything up and enjoy !! XX

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 2 portions but the naans are HUGE - easily and cheaply bulk up with extra veggies!

🫙 Store in the fridge and assemble a fresh naan when eating leftovers - you can reheat the tandoori mix in the microwave!

MEAL 4: SMOKY SWEET POTATO, HALLOUMI & BLACK BEAN TRAYBAKE

3 PORTIONS | 35 MINUTES

This is literally everything that I love in a tray bake & it’s all topped off with creamy corn, which is my most recent obsession. Seriously, you gotta try it.

Ingredients:

FOR THE TRAYBAKE:

• 2 Large Sweet Potatoes

• 1tbsp Oil

• 1tsp Smoked Paprika

• 1tsp BBQ Seasoning

• 1tsp Garlic

• 0.5tsp Cumin

• 0.5tsp Cinnamon

• 0.5tsp Dried Parsley

• Salt & Pepper

• 1 Bell Pepper

• 225g Halloumi

• 1 Can of Black Beans (drained)

FOR THE CREAMY CORN:

• 150g Sweetcorn (drained)

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 1tsp Smoked Paprika

• Salt & Pepper

• 1tbsp Mayo

• 1tsp Yoghurt

• Juice of 1/2 Lime

• 1tsp Tajin / Chilli Flakes

TO SERVE:

• 2tbsp Yoghurt

• 1 Avocado

• Handful of Feta

• 2tbsp Pickled Red Onions

• Fresh Coriander

• Juice of 1/2 Lime

To make...

🥑 Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

🥑 Dice up sweet potato & pop onto a baking tray.

🥑 Drizzle with olive oil & season with smoked paprika, BBQ seasoning, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, dried parsley & salt and pepper.

🥑 Pop into the oven for 15 minutes.

🥑 Dice up the bell pepper and the halloumi into chunks.

🥑 Remove from the sweet potato from the oven and add the pepper, black beans and halloumi - give everything a good mix and pop back into the oven for 20 minutes.

🥑 Whilst that cooks, add drained sweetcorn into a frying pan with some oil. Season with smoked paprika, salt and pepper and cook until it begins to char. When at the desired colour, remove from the heat and mix through mayo, yoghurt & lime juice before topping with tajin / chilli flakes.

🥑 Remove the tray bake from the oven, ensuring that the sweet potato is cooked.

🥑 Top with yoghurt, creamy corn, avocado, fresh corridor, pickled red onion, feta & a little more lime juice. Enjoy !! XX

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 3 pretty solid portions - cheaply bulk up with added veggies!

🫙 Store in the fridge in an airtight container. Store the tray bake separately to the toppings, reheat and then re-assemble any leftovers.

MEAL 5: CREAMY ASPARAGUS BUTTERBEANS

2 PORTIONS | 30 MINUTES

Well well well, if you’re after summer on a plate - this is it! Mop it all up with a big old slice of baguette and you are laughing all the way to the picnic.

Ingredients:

FOR THE TOMATOES:

• Handful of Baby Plum Tomatoes

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 1tsp Garlic

• Salt & Pepper

FOR THE BUTTERBEANS

• 1 Red Onion

• 1tsp Garlic

• 1 Can of Butter Beans (drained)

• 150ml Veggie Stock

• 100ml Single Cream (can also use double or creme fraiche)

• Salt & Pepper

• 1tsp Dried Parsley

• 1/2 Cup of Frozen Peas (if using)

• 100g Asparagus

• Juice of 1/2 Lemon

• Handful of Feta

To serve: a few slices of baguette!

To make…

🫛 Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

🫛 Pop tomatoes into a roasting dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Chuck into the oven for 15-20 minutes.

🫛 Dice up red onion and pan fry in some olive oil until beginning to soften. Season with garlic.

🫛 Add drained butterbeans and around 150ml of veggie stock.

🫛 Mix well before adding 100ml of fresh cream and seasoning with salt, pepper and dried parsley.

🫛 Bring to a simmer, mashing a couple of the butterbeans with the back of your fork to thicken the sauce.

🫛 Once at a simmer, add peas (if using) and asparagus. Prep the asparagus by snapping off the end and then cutting into thirds.

🫛 Simmer until the veggies are cooked & then stir through your roasted tomatoes.

🫛 Serve with a squeeze of lemon, some feta and some crusty bread. Enjoy !! XX

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 2 portions - bulk up super cheaply with more veggies & beans!

🫙 Store in the fridge reheat in the microwave until piping hot.

…& there we have it divas!

Honestly, thank you ALL SO MUCH for the support divas. You are just the best best best & all of your lovely comments & DMs and pics make me BEAM.

I’ll be back with Week 9 of Babe on a Budget on May 31st !! XXX

(plus, keep an eye out for some inbetweenies 👀)

Spring is in the air…ish? Sometimes? Universe, I beg, we need some warmth on our skin. We’re ready.

This is a week of what feels like transitional recipes - a little bit of comfort and cosy-ness (because let’s be real, we’re up and down in the UK) but also… the fresh goods are starting to sneak in and with it, my hope for Summer.

So without further ado… let’s get COOKING divas.

WEEK 7 OF BABE ON A BUDGET

This is to include…

• Five main vegetarian meals

• Leftovers to cover you for lunch

• A breakfast option

• Minimal / no waste!

• Advice on bulking up, bulking down, reheating & storing

The meal plan technically serves 1 as this is how I eat but with a few tweaks, it could serve 2 of you & I’ll make notes to cover that on each recipe.

Despite there only being five recipes, the portion sizing will make enough to cover you for the full 7 days. I fear that my portion sizes are much larger than most (based on lots of feedback lol) so if you are a single diva, cooking for one & planning to be out and about this weekend, you could make 3/4 of these recipes and save yourself some dollar. I just LOVE a fully stacked fridge so, if you’re anything like me, stick to the full 5!

YOUR SHOPPING LIST:

• 8 Veggie Sausages (I’m using Richmond No Meat)

• 3 Red Onions

• Fresh Parley

• Tender stem Broccoli

• 1 Avocado

• Large Cucumber

• 1 Red Bell Pepper

• 2 Large Potatoes

• Baby Gem Lettuce

• Frozen Peas

• Crispy Veggie Chicken Fillets (I’m using Quorn)

• Creme Fraiche

• Cheddar Cheese

• 200g Block of Tofu (I’m using Cauldron)

• 225g Block of Halloumi

• Greek Style Yoghurt

• Milk (of choice)

• Dijon Mustard

• Crispy Onions

• Basmati Rice

• Soy Sauce

• Gochujang Paste

• Spicy Mayo/Spicy Ranch

• Pasta

• Peri Peri Sauce

• Peri Peri Seasoning

• Instant Coffee

• Wheat Biscuits

• Potato Gnocchi

= £35.14

I shop online at Sainsbury’s and the above is using offers at the point of purchase so this price may vary. Please do also feel free to shop around and ALWAYS check your cupboards before you do divas. The cardinal rule.

STEAL MY SHOP:

STORE CUPBOARD INGREDIENTS

• Oil

• Chilli Oil

• Minced Garlic / Garlic Granules

• Chilli Flakes

• Dried Parsley

• Smoked Paprika

• Salt & Pepper

• Mixed Herbs

• Veggie Stock

• Honey

• Coco Powder

• Dried Mint

As always, I’ll add anything CRAZY onto the main food shop but this is a pretty solid base of a stock I always keep in the cupboard.

Top tip divas - get down that corner shop. The value on spices in there is truly something to write home about.

OPTIONAL EXTRAS:

• Frozen Sweetcorn

• Chilli Jam

I have used both of these in recent recipes so I hope you might have these kicking about too !!

IF PICKLING YOUR OWN ONIONS:

• White Wine Vinegar

• Sugar

• Salt

(Can’t believe I’m a girl that pickles her own onions now)

YOUR BREAKFAST OPTION: Tiramisu Style Weetabix Cheesecake

This could be a love / hate option but guys, if you love tiramisu, if you love coffee, omg, you’re gonna be really quite obsessed with this.

You can choose how much you’d like to sweeten the yoghurt - I used about 1tbsp and it was perfect. I also use 3 weetabix because I am a very hungry girl in the morning and 2 simply won't cut it.

For a higher protein option, go for something like a SKYR yoghurt. Still super affordable but actually packed with protein - I would just recommend mixing it with a little milk whilst you sweeten it to create a looser consistency.

Ingredients:

• 3 Weetabix (use 2 if you’d prefer!)

• 2tbsp Milk

• 1tsp Instant Coffee (mixed with a little boiling water) or 1 Shot of Espresso

• 3/4tbsp Yoghurt

• 1tbsp Honey

• Dusting of Coco Powder

Method:

• Add your weetabix into a lidded container. Cover with a little milk and your coffee. Leave it to soak for a couple of minutes.

• Press the weetabix down once a little mushy to form a base.

• Mix the yoghurt with honey & then spoon over the base, finishing with a dusting of cocoa powder.

• Pop into the fridge overnight (or at least for a few hours) and enjoy!

WEEK 7, MEAL 1:

Creamy Sausage & Pea Gnocchi

This feels like the perfect transitional meal as we’re teased with some warmer days but are ultimately forced to accept that we live in England and… it's still pretty chilly. So, this is something that feels like a cuddle in a bowl, without the heaviness.

Top tip: Make this one in an oven proof frying pan if you have one so that you only need to wash up the one pot!

2 Portions | 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 1tbsp Oil

• 4 Veggie Sausages

• 1 Small Red Onion

• 1 Cup of Frozen Peas

• 1tsp Minced Garlic

• 1tsp Mixed Herbs

• 1tsp Dried Parsley

• Salt & Pepper

• 250g Gnocchi

• 1/2 Veggie Stock Cube

• 100ml Water

• 1-2tbsp Creme Fraiche

• 0.5tsp Dijon Mustard

• Handful Fresh Parsley

• 50g Grated Cheddar Cheese

• Handful Crispy Onions

Store cupboard essentials: Oil, minced garlic, mixed herbs, dried parsley, salt & pepper, veggie stock.

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

• Remove the skin from the veggie sausages and fry them off in some olive oil, breaking them down into smaller pieces.

• Dice up a small red onion and add to the sausage mix once it begins to brown.

• Once the onion has softened, add a cup full of frozen peas and continue to cook.

• At this point, add minced garlic, mixed herbs, dried parsley and season with salt & pepper. Mix well.

• Add the gnocchi along with half a stock cube and around 100ml of water.

• Combine everything well and simmer for 5 minutes before adding creme fraiche, dijon mustard & fresh parsley.

• Transfer to an oven proof dish, top with grated cheddar cheese and crispy fried onions.

• Pop into the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crispy onions are even crispier. Enjoy!

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 2 portions but you have everything you need to double the recipe & make a portion for 4 within this food shop!

If you’re making 2, stay tuned for how I used up my leftover gnocchi… hint - it’s crispy and it’s air-fried.

🫙 Store in the fridge in an airtight container & reheat in the microwave until piping hot.

WEEK 7, MEAL 2:

Fully Loaded Crispy Baked Rice & Chicken Salad

I think this one takes my favourite spot of the week - I was truly STRUCK by how good it was. Plus, this… in the sunshine? UGH, talk to me DIVA.

The textures, the crunch, the flavour - put this on your meal plan RIGHT NOW!

2/3 Portions | 60 Minutes (less if you use microwave rice!)

Ingredients:

• 120/130g Basmati Rice (dried weight)

• 2tbsp Soy Sauce

• 2tbsp Chilli Oil or Vegetable Oil

• 1-2tbsp Gochujang Paste

• 2x Crispy Veggie Chicken Fillets

• 120g Tenderstem Broccoli

• 1 Cup of Frozen Peas

• 1 Avocado

• Half a Cucumber

• Salt & Pepper

• 2-3tbsp Spicy Mayo

• Handful Crispy Onions

IF PICKLING YOUR RED ONIONS:

• 1 Red Onion

• 1 Cup Hot/Boiling Water

• 1/2 White Wine Vinegar

• 1tbsp Sugar

• 1.5tsp Salt

Store cupboard essentials: chilli oil or vegetable oil, salt & pepper, white wine vinegar, sugar

Method:

• Pop the rice onto cook if not using microwavable rice and preheat your oven to 200 degrees.

• Once cooked, spread onto a baking tray and drizzle with soy sauce, chilli oil & gochujang paste. Mix well and pop into the oven for 30-40 minutes, depending on how crispy you’d like your rice to be! Give it a mix every 10 minutes to stop anything burning.

• Whilst that cooks, pop the veggie chicken fillets into the oven & prep the veggies.

• Boil the broccoli & frozen peas and then drain once cooked.

• Add the veggies into a large salad bowl and add a splash of soy, chilli oil and a little salt & pepper. Give everything a good mix.

• Add the diced up chicken fillets & the crispy rice - mix well and dress with spicy mayo, crispy red onions and pickled red onions.

PICKLED RED ONIONS:

• Finely slice one red onion.

• Combine hot water, vinegar, salt & sugar - transfer into a jar and add the onions in.

• Leave for around an hour until they’re ready & then pop the lid on and chuck them in the fridge.

• As I did this the lazy way, I wouldn’t leave these longer than a week! I ate them in 2 days though so all good HAHA.

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes between 2/3 portions - can be easily bulked up with more rice!

🫙 I ate my leftovers cold and they were so GOOD.

WEEK 7, MEAL 3

Sausage & Gochujang Pasta

Potentially my new favourite 20 minute meal divas - spicy, creamy and cheesy. Plus. the perfect way to eat up those leftover veggie sausages and that creme fraiche!

I went for rigatoni but honestly, this with like a linguine or a spaghetti could really, really float my boat.

2 Portions | 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 150g Pasta (dry weight)

• 1 Small Red Onion

• 4 Veggie Sausages

• 1tsp Minced Garlic

• 1tsp Chilli Flakes

• 1.5tbsp Gochujang Paste

• 1-2tbsp Creme Fraiche

• Handful Cheddar Cheese

• Salt & Pepper

Store cupboard essentials: oil, minced garlic, chilli flakes, salt & pepper

Method:

• Pop the pasta onto boil as per packet instructions. Drain once ready, keeping behind a cup of pasta water.

• Dice up & fry off red onion in olive oil.

• Add de-skinned veggie sausages, breaking them down. Once browned, add minced garlic, chilli flakes and gochujang paste. Mix well.

• Add cooked pasta along with a big splash of pasta water. Turn the heat down and add creme fraiche.

• Mix well, adding pasta water if needs be until at the desired consistency. Season with a little salt and black pepper.

• Top with lots of grated cheddar cheese and enjoy!

ADJUSTMENTS:

This is easily bulked up with some additional pasta and sides of garlic bread & tenderstem broccoli (already in the food shop!)

🫙 Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge & reheat in the microwave until piping hot.

WEEK 7, MEAL 4:

Peri Peri Tofu Rice Bake

Back at you divas with a one pot wonder - this is a really great meal prep option but do be prepared that the rice takes a little while to cook in the oven.

If you’re short on time, bang in a bag of microwave rice after baking your veggies & tofu for around 20 minutes. You could also do this on the hob for a shorter cooking time!

2/3 Portions | 60 Minutes (if cooking rice from dry)

Ingredients:

• 200g Extra Firm Tofu

• 3tbsp Peri Peri Sauce

• 3-4tsp Peri Peri Seasoning (please do note that this is pretty spicy so adjust if needs be)

• 1 Small Red Onion

• 1 Bell Pepper

• 1 Cup of Frozen Peas

• 1 Cup of Frozen Sweetcorn

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 2tsp Garlic Granules

• 2tsp Smoked Paprika

• 1tsp Dried Parsley

• 1 Cup of Basmati Rice

• 500-600ml Water

• Veggie Stock

• 3tbsp Spicy Mayo

• Handful Crispy Onions

• 2tsp Chilli Jam

• Fresh Parsley

• Salt & Pepper

Store cupboard essentials: olive oil, garlic granules, dried parsley, smoked paprika, veggie stock, salt & pepper

Optional: frozen sweetcorn, chilli jam

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

• Break up your tofu, pop it into a lidded container and add 2tbsp of peri peri sauce and 1tsp of per peri seasoning. Give it a shake and set aside.

• Dice up red onion and red pepper.

• Throw the veggies into a baking dish, along with frozen peas (& sweetcorn if using!). Drizzle with oil & season with garlic, smoked paprika, dried parsley and more of that peri peri seasoning.

• Add rice & 500-600ml of veggie stock (ensure everything is covered) and add the tofu.

• Cover in tinfoil and bake for 45 minutes, stirring half way through. You may need to cook for another 15 minutes or so to ensure that the rice is soft & fully cooked!

• Smother in spicy mayo, crispy onions, chilli jam (if using) and fresh parsley.

ADJUSTMENTS:

This serves 2-3 portions (depending on how hungry you are) but you can really cheaply bulk this up with another portion of tofu, some more rice and some more veggies.

I would also serve this up with some tenderstem broccoli (already in the food shop).

🫙 Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge & reheat in the microwave until piping hot.

This is also suitable for freezing!

When reheating - you may need to add a drizzle of oil or a knob of butter if it has dried out a little in the fridge.

WEEK 7, MEAL 5:

Smashed Potato & Halloumi Bowls

There is something about halloumi in its OG format which just sings to my actual soul. It tastes like holiday & I felt like I needed a bit of that this week.

You could make this with chips or little roasties but I really fancied something CRISP this week, so here we are!

2 Portions | 35/40 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 Large Potatoes

• 2tbsp Olive Oil

• Salt & Pepper

• 2tsp Garlic Granules

• 1tsp Dried Parsley

• 2tsp Smoked Paprika

• 225g Halloumi

• Baby Gem Lettuce

• 2tbsp Yoghurt

• 1/2 Cucumber

• 0.5tsp Dried Mint

• 1tbsp Peri Peri Sauce

• Pickled Red Onions

Store cupboard essentials: olive oil, salt & pepper, garlic granules, dried parsley, smoked paprika, dried mint

Method:

• Cut up the potatoes into cubes & boil for 15-20 minutes or until soft.

• Drain and pop onto a tray. Crush with the back of a glass and drizzle with olive oil.

• Season with garlic, salt & pepper, dried parsley & smoked paprika and air-fry for around 20 minutes or until crispy.

• In the meantime, slice up the halloumi and pan fry until golden brown on each side.

• Prep the tzatziki style dressing by mixing together yoghurt, dried mint, grated cucumber and salt & pepper.

• Slice up the lettuce and remaining cucumber and once the potatoes are cooked, layer everything into a bowl.

• I also added some peri peri sauce and my pickled red onions.

ADJUSTMENTS:

This pretty perfectly serves 2 but an easy bulk is some more potatoes and some more salad-y bits!

🫙 Store any leftovers separately in an airtight container in the fridge - heating up the potatoes & halloumi before assembling with any leftover salad.

…and there we have it divas!

I really really really hope you love it & I will see you on May 3rd for the next instalment.

OH and one last thing hehe - THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of your support as always diva boots - I genuinely appreciate every single one of you. Thank you for making this my life. 🩷

Em XXXXXXXX

We have finally reached peaked adulthood & now live in a flat with room for a table and chairs which means… we can finally host! Hallelujah - because there is truly nothing more perfect to me than yapping for hours on end with a glass of wine, your besties & a fat bowl of good food.

In this series I want to cover all occasions and all budgets. So, whether you have a tenner to spend on a date night or are feeling particularly generous with a boozy brunch, I hope I can meet your needs. Please, do feel free to slide into my DMs, I’d love to hear what you would like to see!

Our first port of call is…

FEED 4 FOR £25, TO INCLUDE A BOTTLE OF VINO!

Occasion: girls night, putting the world to rights, white wine, minimal kitchen time.

The Food: a family style Mexican inspired feast.

The Menu:

• Halloumi & Black Bean Enchiladas

• Guac & Chips

• Creamy Charred Corn

The Wine: I hereby promise to do my research and give you an APPROPRIATE wine pairing divas. Today’s choice? Savvy B. I’ll go into more detail later.

So, here we go! The recipes, the shopping list, the store cupboard essentials… Any questions, PLEASE do let me know!

The Shopping List:

• 8 Plain Wraps

• Salted Tortillas

• 400g Tomato Passata

• 400g Black Beans

• 2 x 225g Halloumi

• Mature Cheddar

• 2 x Limes

• 2 x Avocados

• 1 Red Bell Pepper

• Fresh Coriander

• Baby Plum Tomatoes

• 2 x Red Onions

• 300ml Soured Cream

• Frozen Sweetcorn

• Salad Cheese

• Sauvignon Blanc (I bought Villa Maria - Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough on offer!)

= £25.96

I bought this from Tesco using offers at the time. Feel free to shop around, you may well get it cheaper!

Store Cupboard Essentials:

• Minced Garlic

• Smoked Paprika

• Cayenne Pepper

• Chilli Powder

• Dried Parsley

• Cumin

• BBQ Sauce

• Mayonnaise

• Salt & Pepper

• Chilli Flakes

• Olive Oil

Optional: Tajin (random lmao) & jalapeños!

HALLOUMI & BLACK BEAN ENCHILADAS

I love love love this recipe - so tasty, so cheesy & whilst they bake in the oven, you can crack on with everything else… win win!

Ingredients:

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 2 x Red Onions

• 1 x Red Bell Pepper

• 2tsp Minced Garlic

• Smoked Paprika

• Cayenne Pepper

• Chilli Powder

• Cumin

• Dried Parsley

• 2 x 225g Halloumi Block

• 400g Black Beans

• 400g Passata

• Salt & Pepper

• BBQ Sauce

• 8 Tortilla Wraps

• 150g Cheddar Cheese

To serve: sour cream, guac, salsa, jalapeños, fresh coriander, chilli flakes

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

• Slice up 2 red onions (set aside a few for the guac) & red bell pepper into thin strips.

• Soften in a little olive oil.

• Once soft, add 1 heaped tsp of minced garlic, 2tsp of smoked paprika, 1tsp cayenne pepper (steady if you’re not crazy for spice), 1tsp chilli powder, 1tsp of cumin & 1tsp dried parsley. Fry off for a further minute or two.

• Cube your halloumi & add it into the mix, along with drained black beans.

• Season with salt & pepper.

• Add around 100-150ml of passata & 1tbsp of BBQ sauce. Mix well and bring everything to a simmer.

• In a separate jug, mix together the remaining passata with 1tsp minced garlic, 1tsp smoked paprika, 1tsp chilli powder, 1tbsp BBQ sauce & salt and pepper.

• Split the mixture between the 8 wraps and roll up the enchiladas before placing into a baking dish.

• Layer the passata mix on top & cover with grated cheddar cheese - do not be shy here!

• Pop into the oven for 25 minutes.

• Slice up some baby plum tomatoes & mix them with your remaining red onion, some olive oil, some chilli flakes & some salt and pepper to create a little salsa.

• Once out of the oven, layer up the enchiladas with sour cream, guac (recipe below), jalapeños (if desired), your homemade salsa and some fresh coriander.

CREAMY CHARRED CORN:

Whilst your enchiladas are baking, we are going to crack on with this corn. Which is ironic as this corn is like crack. I could not stop eating it!

Ingredients:

• Frozen Sweetcorn - I used around 2 cups but you could double or triple the recipe depending on how much you need. I bought a a 1KG bag within this budget, so lots to go around!

• Olive Oil

• Smoked Paprika

• Chilli Powder

• Salt & Pepper

• 1tbsp Sour Cream

• 1tbsp Mayo

• Lime Juice

• Fresh Coriander

• Salad Cheese

Method:

• Fry off your corn gently in a little olive oil.

• Season with 1-2tsp of smoked paprika, 1tsp of chilli powder and salt & pepper.

• Remove it from the heat once it begins to char.

• Stir through sour cream and mayonnaise with a big squeeze of lime juice. Mix well & top with fresh coriander and crumbled salad cheese.

• I topped mine with Tajin but you can use chilli flakes!

GUAC AND CHIPS

I’m not being funny but WHAT is the point of this whole evening if we don’t have crisps and dips?

I served these on the side but you could also present them as a little starter to your guests, whatever floats your boat.

Ingredients:

• 2x Avocados

• Red Onion (diced, around 1tbsp)

• Lime Juice

• Minced Garlic

• Chilli Flakes

• Fresh Coriander

• Olive Oil

Method:

• Mash up 2 ripe avocados & add diced red onion, a little minced garlic, a squeeze of fresh lime, chilli flakes, fresh coriander & some olive oil.

• I always eyeball my measurements here - keep tasting as you go!

PSA: the best tortilla chips are always the cheapest ones in my humble opinion - so salty, so good.

THE WINE:

As promised, I recommend a Sauvignon Blanc with this one. Apparently, it works really well with the zingy-ness of the lime and the saltiness of the halloumi - who knew hey?

Feel free to impress your friends with that one.

& there we have it! A feast for 4. Its not fancy & its not fine dining but I think your girls will be leaving your house full, happy and satisfied… and potentially (hopefully) tipsy.

LOVE YOU DIVAS, SEE YOU NEXT TIME !! XXX

I have had SO many requests to write the recipes into a document which, I totally get. It is one of life’s greatest battles to try & follow a recipe video using Instagram alone so I’m here to help - at last!

Anyhoo, Substack seemed like a good place to start but please bare with me whilst I trial this & we’ll see how it goes!

So, here is it, in all of its glory.

WEEK 6 of BABE ON A BUDGET:

This is to include…

• Five main vegetarian meals.

• Leftovers to cover you for lunch.

• A breakfast option.

• Minimal / no waste!

• Advice on bulking up, bulking down, reheating & storage.

The meal plan technically serves one (it literally is how I eat) but can really easily be tweaked to serve 2, which I will chat you through on each recipe.

Despite there only being five recipes, I can assure you that you will be fed for the week, quite easily and probably with leftovers…

As a disclaimer before we really get into it, I fear my portion sizes may run large (very large in fact) based on some of the feedback I have had over the last few months. If you are a single diva, cooking for one & planning to be out living it up large this weekend, you could easily just make 3/4 of these and save yourself some pennies. But, if you’re like me and enjoy the fridge and freezer being stacked at all times, stick to the full 5.

YOUR SHOPPING LIST:

• 2kg White Potatoes

• 2 Red Onions

• 200g Tenderstem Broccoli

• 325g Baby Plum Tomatoes

• 6/8 Veggie Sausages

• 125g Mozzarella Ball

• 190g Red Pesto

• 200g Extra Firm Tofu

• Mild & Smoky BBQ Seasoning

• 500g Cornflakes Cereal

• 500ml Mayonnaise

• Stonebaked Ciabatta Rolls x 4

• Little Gem Lettuce

• Pickled Red Onions

• 1 Red Pepper

• 300 Veggie Mince

• 400g Chopped Tomatoes

• Kidney Beans in Chilli Sauce

• 500g Macaroni Pasta

• 220g Cheddar Cheese

• Sourdough Loaf

• 12x Eggs

• 250g Hot Honey

• 225g Halloumi Cheese

• 157g Sweetcorn

• 10 Taco Wraps

• Avocado

• 1 White Onion

• 1 Carrot

• 300g Mushrooms

• Gravy Granules

= £36.46 (at time of purchase)

(SORRY I MISSED OFF THE TACO WRAPS TO BEGIN WITH)

I shop online at Sainsbury’s & the above is using offers at the time of purchase so this may vary. You could also shop around and you may well find it cheaper elsewhere.

I like Sainos - feels like top quality, I barely get any subs on my online shop AND, that nectar card does bits, let me tell you!

STORE CUPBOARD INGREDIENTS:

• Oil

• Minced Garlic

• Chilli Flakes

• Dried Parsley

• Plain Flour

• Smoked Paprika

• Salt & Pepper

• Hot Chilli Powder

• Mixed Herbs

• Cayenne Pepper

• Veggie Stock

• BBQ Sauce

• Tomato Puree

• Dried Rosemary

This list is pretty standard on what I use week by week. Any crazy seasonings or sauces I’ll always add onto the main shopping list but I think the above feels somewhat standard & can be built up little at a time if you’re starting from scratch.

OPTIONAL EXTRAS:

• Frozen Peas

• Marmite

• Butter

The above is always a little list of bits I have found in the cupboard or have rolled over from previous BOAB but are not essential so, do what you will.

So, let’s get into it!

YOUR BREKKIE OPTION:

Jammy Boiled Eggs & Hot Honey on Sourdough

This has been my most recent breakfast obsession so I felt it deserved a coveted spot on BOAB. I hate hate hate gloopy eggs with all of my being so here is how I do mine to jammy perfection. Plus, don’t sleep on the hot honey / egg combo - to die for!

Ingredients:

• Sourdough Bread (I hop between what is on offer)

• 12 Eggs

• Hot Honey (yes, you can make your own if you can be arsed, I can not)

• Salt & Pepper

Optional: butter - you could also toast & drizzle over some olive oil.

Method:

• Add 2 boiled eggs into already boiling water and boil for 6 minutes & 30 seconds.

• Once done, immediately run under cold water and leave for 30 seconds - 1 minute before peeling.

• Slice up your sourdough & toast.

• Butter or oil your toasted bread and place your eggs on top. Season with salt and pepper before adding a big of drizzle of hot honey. Enjoy!

WEEK 6, MEAL 1:

SAUSAGE, PESTO & MOZZARELLA POTATO BAKE

Anything tray bake sings to me divas. A cooking time of around 40 minutes but you only need to actually DO something for around 5 of them. Lazy girl cooking at its finest!

3 PORTIONS | 40 MINUTES

Ingredients:

• 1/2tbsp Olive Oil

• 3/4 White Potatoes

• 1tsp Minced Garlic

• 1tsp Chilli Flakes

• 1tsp Mixed Herbs

• 1 Red Onion

• Handful Tenderstem Broccoli

• Handful Baby Plum Tomatoes

• 6 Veggie Sausages

• 100g Red Pesto

• 1 Mozzarella Ball

(Store cupboard essentials: oil, minced garlic, chilli flakes, mixed herbs, salt & pepper)

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.

• Dice up the potatoes and place them onto a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with minced garlic, salt & pepper, chilli flakes and minced herbs.

• Pop into the oven for 20 minutes.

• Remove potatoes from the oven and add diced red onion, tenderstem broccoli & baby plum tomatoes.

• Break the veggie sausages up and add those too before spooning over the red pesto. Give everything a good mix and pop back into the oven for 15 minutes.

• When the timer is up, check your potatoes are soft and then layer chunks of mozzarella on top.

• Pop back into the oven for just 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

• Plate up & enjoy!

*ADJUSTMENTS: This serves 3 solid portions - to serve 4, add in the additional 2 leftover sausages, a few extra potatoes & just a little more red pesto. All already included in your shop so shouldn’t require any additional spend to serve 2.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in either the air-fryer, oven or microwave until piping hot!

WEEK 6, MEAL 2:

TOFU CORNFLAKE CRUNCH CIABATTAS

I can’t believe there was ever a time that I wasn’t 100% sure on tofu so if you’re a sceptic like I used to be, give this a go and let me know what you think.

2 PORTIONS | 30 MINUTES

Ingredients:

• 3 White Potatoes

• 2/3tbsp Flour

• 1tsp BBQ Seasoning

• 1tsp Smoked Paprika

• 1tsp Hot Chilli Powder

• Salt & Pepper

• 200g Extra Firm Tofu

• Cornflakes (crushed)

• 2tbsp Mayo

• 2 Ciabattas

• Baby Gem Lettuce

• 2tbsp Pickled Red Onions

(Store cupboard essentials: oil, plain flour, salt & pepper, smoked paprika, hot chilli powder)

Method:

• Slice the potatoes into chips and set aside.

• Prep the batter by adding flour, BBQ seasoning, smoked paprika, salt and pepper & hot chilli powder into a bowl.

• Whisk until combined and then add water until at the desired consistency.

• Slice the tofu into 4 pieces and then coat with the batter before covering with a layer of crushed cornflakes.

• Repeat until all of the tofu is covered with a cornflake crumb.

• Pop the chips into the air-fryer for 5 minutes before adding your tofu onto the same tray and cooking for an additional 15/20 minutes. 20/25 minutes in total should be enough if your chips are skinny!

• Whilst they cook, prep the mayo by adding a little of the BBQ seasoning and mixing well.

• Cut the ciabattas in half and lightly toast them. Layer up with the BBQ mayo, some baby gem lettuce, the cornflake crunch tofu, chips and some pickled red onion.

• I added an extra squeeze of mayo on top too!

• Assemble into a sarnie and enjoy!

ADJUSTMENTS: This will make 2 tofu ciabattas + 2 lots of sides. You’ll need to buy 2 lots of tofu if you’re cooking for more BUT you should have enough ciabattas, potatoes, sauce etc to serve 2.

To enjoy your leftovers at their best, store each component in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in the air-fryer until piping hot before assembling your sarnie.

WEEK 6, MEAL 3:

CHEESY CHILLI MACARONI

I first posted this recipe around 2 years ago and I was recently reminded of it as one of you lovely divas still makes it to this day. Hence, her spot on BOAB!

4 PORTIONS | 30-60 MINUTES (depending on whether you choose to bake it!)

Ingredients:

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 1 Red Onion

• 1 Red Pepper

• 1tsp Minced Garlic

• 2tsp BBQ Seasoning

• 2tsp Smoked Paprika

• 1tsp Hot Chilli Powder

• 0.5tsp Cayenne Pepper

• 170g Veggie Mince

• 400g Chopped Tomatoes

• 400g Kidney Beans in Chilli Sauce

• Salt & Pepper

• 1tbsp BBQ Sauce

• 200g Macaroni (dried weight)

• 150g Cheddar Cheese

(Store cupboard essentials: oil, minced garlic, smoked paprika, hot chilli powder, cayenne pepper, BBQ sauce, salt & pepper)

Method:

• Pop the pasta onto boil as per packet instructions & once done, drain and set aside.

• Dice up the red onion & red pepper and fry off in a little olive oil until soft.

• Add minced garlic, BBQ seasoning, smoked paprika, hot chilli powder & cayenne pepper and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes before adding your veggie mince.

• Add in chopped tomatoes, kidney beans in chilli sauce (include the sauce!!) & around 100ml of water.

• Season generously with salt & pepper and add in a little BBQ sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring regularly.

• Add your pasta and combine. Cover with a layer of cheddar cheese.

• If you have time, bake it in the oven for 20 minutes at 180 but if not, just pop it under the grill for 5 minutes. Either way, you’ll have a perfect cheesy top.

• Plate up & enjoy!

ADJUSTMENTS: This makes 4 portions! I also made some garlic bread with the leftover ciabattas from Meal 2.

You can half the ingredients quite easily here - just less pasta & less mince. I recommend using any leftover kidney beans in my quesadilla recipe!

OR, cook the full portion of chilli & before adding your pasta - remove half for freezing.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in the microwave until piping hot.

WEEK 6, MEAL 4:

HOT HONEY HALLOUMI TACOS WITH CHARRED CORN

Well, if we have hot honey on the food shop anyway… it would have been rude not to!

2 PORTIONS | 30 MINUTES

Ingredients:

• 1 Block Halloumi

• 1tbsp Hot Honey

• 1tbsp Tomato Puree

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 150g Sweetcorn

• 1tsp Smoked Paprika

• Salt & Pepper

• Mini Taco Wraps

• 2tbsp Mayo

• 1tsp BBQ Seasoning

• 1 Avocado

• 2tbsp Pickled Red Onion

• 1tsp Chilli Flakes

(Store cupboard essentials: oil, tomato puree, smoked paprika, salt & pepper, chilli flakes)

Method:

• Heat up the pan with a little olive oil and add your sweetcorn.

• Season with salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Keep an eye on it - it should take around 15/20 minutes.

• Dice up the halloumi into cubes & set aside.

• Create your glaze by mixing together hot honey & tomato paste with a very small splash of hot water. Once at the desired taste & consistency, coat your halloumi with the glaze.

• Add it into the pan with your sweetcorn and pan fry until it begins to brown and become sticky.

• Once done, remove both the sweetcorn & halloumi from the pan.

• Keep the pan on the heat and add the taco wraps, frying for a few seconds on either side.

• Make your BBQ mayo by combining mayo with BBQ seasoning.

• Assemble the tacos by layering up BBQ mayo, avocado, hot honey halloumi, charred corn & pickled red onion.

• Finish with some chilli flakes & enjoy!

ADJUSTMENTS: This makes enough for 4-6 tacos, enough for 2 portions.

To bulk this out further, make some spicy potatoes to have on the side!

Store halloumi & corn in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or on the hob before assembling any leftovers.

WEEK 6, MEAL 5:

MINI CHEESY COTTAGE PIES

I cant believe I EVER used to beef my Mum for making cottage pies - I can’t get enough these days. That’s maturity for you kids.

2 PORTIONS | 45 MINUTES

Ingredients

• 2 Potatoes

• 1 White Onion

• 1 Small Carrot

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 4/5 Mushrooms

• 1tsp Mixed Herbs

• 1tsp Dried Rosemary

• Salt & Pepper

• 80g Veggie Mince

• 1/4 of a Veggie Stock Cube

• 2tbsp Gravy Granules

• 1tbsp Tomato Puree

• Handful Frozen Peas

• 1tbsp Ketchup or BBQ Sauce

• 1tsp Marmite

• 1tbsp Mayo

• 1tbsp Butter

• Splash Milk

• Handful Cheddar Cheese

• Tenderstem Broccoli

(Store cupboard essentials: oil, minced garlic, mixed herbs, dried rosemary, veggie stock, salt & pepper, tomato puree, ketchup or bbq sauce)

(Optional: milk, frozen peas, butter, marmite)

Method:

• Dice up your potatoes and pop them onto boil until soft. Once done, drain and set aside.

• Finely dice your onion and carrot and sweat it down for 5-10 minutes in some olive oil. Dice up your mushrooms and add those into the mix too.

• Once your veggies are soft, add minced garlic, mixed herbs & dried rosemary before adding veggie mince.

• Add the veggie stock here with around 200ml of water.

• Add gravy granules, tomato puree, salt & pepper, ketchup (or BBQ sauce), marmite and frozen peas (if using).

• Mix well and bring to a simmer - add a little more water if needs be.

• Mash up your potatoes - I added butter, mayo & milk but just add whatever you have (just mayo will still work) - season with salt & pepper.

• Add your mince into mini pie dishes and top with your mash. Cover with a layer of grated cheddar & bake in the airfryer or oven for around 20 minutes.

• Serve up with some tenderstem broccoli & enjoy!

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes enough for 2 portions.

Bulk it out with some more veggies & the remainder of your veggie mince if needs be.

Store in an airtight container & reheat in the microwave until piping hot - this one gets better the longer you leave it!

So, there we have it! Keep an eye out on my instagram next week as I make a pretty immense breakfast with the leftover ingredients that I can imagine you’ll want to make too… sneak peak below!

If you like the Substack, let me know & I can follow up with some more of these because to be honest, I do enjoy a yappy type.

I say this every single week but oh my gosh, THANK YOU so much for following along this silly little series of mine. Your support has quite literally changed my life & I just can’t thank you enough.

LOVE YOU DIVAS XXXXXXX