One-pot saviour

It is nothing short of domestic euphoria when you can you can kill multiple birds with a proverbial stone. When you translate this into saving money and time in the kitchen at the same time- jackpot!

Enter the one-pot dish. Efficient, quick- and also budget friendly (think less waste).

Here are some of my family’s faves:

Chili Mac

It’s exactly like it sounds.  Think hearty chili with macaroni thrown in for good measure.  Brown one pound of beef and drain fat. Add in chopped pepper, garlic and onion. Rinse a can of beans (I like black beans, but kidney beans are good too. Add a can of tomatoes, undrained, and a tbsp each of chili powder and cumin.

Add a cup of macaroni and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes until pasta is cooked through. Add about a cup of grated cheese right before serving.

Chicken Fajitas

Slice one chicken breast per person as well as an onion and a couple of green peppers. Add a dash of store-bought fajitas seasoning. Sauté until cooked through. Warm a few tortillas and top with whatever you like.

Dinner is done!

Roasted Broccoli and Shrimp

Now shrimp is not really a budget-food, but if you can stock up when they are on sale, it makes a difference.

Toss a couple of heads of chopped broc in a bowl with salt, pepper, a couple of tsp of oil, a shot of chili powder and about a tsp of coriander.

Meanwhile, toss shrimp with oil, salt, pepper and about a tsp of lemon zest and about a tsp of garlic powder.

Spread broccoli on a baking sheet and roast for about 10 minutes. Add the shrimp to the pan and roast for about ten minutes more, until shrimp is cooked through. Squeeze lemon juices overtop. Seve with crusty bread for a complete meal.