The £3 Lunch Challenge.....
Discussion
At work next week we're having a bit of a come dine with me style competition.
£3 to make your lunch with and then we decide which is best.
It can be prepared and brought into work or can be prepped at work - although we only have a kettle and microwave in the office.
Budget is for the main ingriedients, things like seasoning, and other bits and pieces you have in the kitchen are "free".
I need suggestions folks..... a fancy sandwich could win it, nice and simple with some good flavours....
but i'm open too other suggestions?
£3 to make your lunch with and then we decide which is best.
It can be prepared and brought into work or can be prepped at work - although we only have a kettle and microwave in the office.
Budget is for the main ingriedients, things like seasoning, and other bits and pieces you have in the kitchen are "free".
I need suggestions folks..... a fancy sandwich could win it, nice and simple with some good flavours....
but i'm open too other suggestions?
Haven't tried this with re-heating stage so you might want to try it at home first, but...
This week my own little 'dinner challenge' found enough pork ribs for two for £2.60, and corn on the cob at three for a pound - you could potentially get ribs and corn for one for under £2. From memory, boil some water and take it off the heat, add ribs and leave for 10mins. Remove and pat dry. Marinade the pork ribs (mustard, honey, soy, garlic IIRC), then bake in the oven for about 40mins, basting with the marinade every ten mins. Grill/BBQ the sweetcorn.
You'd need to reheat them carefully, but if it works it should impress.
This week my own little 'dinner challenge' found enough pork ribs for two for £2.60, and corn on the cob at three for a pound - you could potentially get ribs and corn for one for under £2. From memory, boil some water and take it off the heat, add ribs and leave for 10mins. Remove and pat dry. Marinade the pork ribs (mustard, honey, soy, garlic IIRC), then bake in the oven for about 40mins, basting with the marinade every ten mins. Grill/BBQ the sweetcorn.
You'd need to reheat them carefully, but if it works it should impress.
Edited by grumbledoak on Friday 16th October 22:35
Gold said:
pacman1 said:
A properly made bacon sandwich, should be easy for 3 quid. You can't loose!
In a microwave?BLT is my suggestion but throw in some spring onions, mayo and ketchup good tomatos, good bacon and quality bread.
shakotan said:
pacman1 said:
A properly made bacon sandwich, should be easy for 3 quid. You can't loose!
...and you can't spell lose...Before you know it you'll be publicly stripped, bent over and shakotanned by the Pedant Police for all to see.
OK, I'll take my punishment, I'm sorry and I won't do it again.
Be careful out there peeps, it's a cruel world.
Bullett said:
Yeah, it's good in a microwave. 2 minutes and the fat crisps up lovely whilst the meat stays tender. Marco Pierre White said to do it this way on his last program and it does work.
Have microwaves changed recently or something? Whenever I've done bacon in it the fat never crisps up... you sure your microwave doesn't have a built in grill as well?
Inspired by a Marks & Spencers Cous Cous/Smoked Mackerel salad they used to sell, this quite a nice, cheap, relatively healthy & tasty dish I would do
1 packet of cous cous (ashamed as I am to admit, the Ainsley Harriott ones are pretty good, and have sunflower seeds for an extra dimension)
Handful of raw frozen petit pois
Bunch of fresh roughly chopped fresh mint
Few par-boiled broccoli florets (boiled for 2 mins and put in cold water to stop the cooking)
Smoked peppered mackerel
Little tub of hot & sour dressing:
2 teaspoons of tom yam paste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons of rapeseed oil
pinch of salt
Method:
Pour the water over the cous cous and cover or follow packet instructions
Once it's cooled, add the raw frozen petit pois, the cooled broccoli, and mint & mix
Mix all the dressing ingredients together and put in a small jam jar
Put the mackerel with the cous cous & jam jar & take to work (the frozen peas should keep it nice & cool for a little while)
When ready to serve, shake the dressing & pour over the cous cous.
Probably enough to comfortably feed two
1 packet of cous cous (ashamed as I am to admit, the Ainsley Harriott ones are pretty good, and have sunflower seeds for an extra dimension)
Handful of raw frozen petit pois
Bunch of fresh roughly chopped fresh mint
Few par-boiled broccoli florets (boiled for 2 mins and put in cold water to stop the cooking)
Smoked peppered mackerel
Little tub of hot & sour dressing:
2 teaspoons of tom yam paste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons of rapeseed oil
pinch of salt
Method:
Pour the water over the cous cous and cover or follow packet instructions
Once it's cooled, add the raw frozen petit pois, the cooled broccoli, and mint & mix
Mix all the dressing ingredients together and put in a small jam jar
Put the mackerel with the cous cous & jam jar & take to work (the frozen peas should keep it nice & cool for a little while)
When ready to serve, shake the dressing & pour over the cous cous.
Probably enough to comfortably feed two
Fish pie.
No reason why a decent one can't be brought in under £3.
Beyond mash, milk/flour/butter and a handful of froz peas your budget should stretch to a few scrappy bits of inexpensive fish, (one of them smoked). Go heavy on the butter as its what makes the whole thing taste rich and creamy. Boil the potatoes and make the white sauce with a fish stock cube rather than using salt. Interesting depth of flavour.
Microwaves hot just nicely.
Office totty will start doing spontaneous, uncontrollable, standing backflips with lust.
You win cowboy.
No reason why a decent one can't be brought in under £3.
Beyond mash, milk/flour/butter and a handful of froz peas your budget should stretch to a few scrappy bits of inexpensive fish, (one of them smoked). Go heavy on the butter as its what makes the whole thing taste rich and creamy. Boil the potatoes and make the white sauce with a fish stock cube rather than using salt. Interesting depth of flavour.
Microwaves hot just nicely.
Office totty will start doing spontaneous, uncontrollable, standing backflips with lust.
You win cowboy.
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