Let Them Eat Cheaply

An interesting post on Gail's blog got me thinking it was time I shared with my readers a recipe that has come to be a mainstay in my weekly eating pattern.

It's a regime that has made me a regular visitor to Oxfam - not only to off-load the portly size 38" jeans I used to wear, but also to stock up on the much more becoming 30" ones that have been donated by someone who is perhaps travelling in the opposite direction.

Gail's plea is for cheap, wholesome food. Here's Bill's suggestion:

Tuscan Bean Stew

Take three tins of assorted beans (available from Sainsburys for the ridiculous price of three for a pound): pinto, butter, black-eyed - it doesn't really matter.

Drain them, and throw them into a slow cooker with a couple of tins of cheap tomatoes.

Add a good spoonful of tomato puree, a little olive oil, some pepper and a bloody good sprinkling of mixed herbs.

Now - the technical bit. Switch the slow cooker on. Go out and see the world for a few hours, and return to your sumptuous dish.

If you've made enough, but can't face eating the same dish two days in a run, throw in a tablespoon of chilli powder and heat the whole thing up again for a couple of hours.

Result - a couple of nutritious, delicious meals for around £1.40, with enough left over to freeze up for another meal.

Of course, you'll need some decent bread to mop up the juices. That's why I'm teaming up with the estimable Crofty to launch the Better Bread Blogger marque.


Wherever you see this, you'll know you're reading a blog penned by someone who appreciates the taste, texture and sheer, down-to-earth goodness of a decent loaf of bread.

Anyone who wants to prove they're up to rising to support this campaign can copy the code for the BBB widget and insert it into their blog.