Carb credits in the pantry (+recipes)

Interesting meals needn't be expensive. Some of the most flavoursome meals I've enjoyed have been prepared with the cheapest ingredients. Many have been ethnic-based or vegetarian and flavoured with economic spices and herbs.
Fresh herbs can be easily grown in the home garden and the excess dried for later use. Spices in screw-top containers and stored in a cool, dark place provide months of pizzazz to your cooking - it's best to replace them each year.
Carbohydrate foods such as rice, pasta, grains, potatoes and pumpkin are on the "eat more" list recommended by major nutrition groups. Fortunately, most of these are relatively inexpensive and can form the base of many of the meals.
To keep costs down, try to plan your menus for the week. Choose seasonal fruits and vegetables, take advantage of farmers' markets and special buys at supermarkets. Check out Asian stores that generally stock low-priced interesting condiments. And use frozen vegetables - at this time of the year they're often cheaper than fresh and are flash-frozen to retain their nutritional value. Planning ahead allows you to take advantage of spreading any special ingredients over two or three meals during the week. For example, half a can of coconut milk could be used in a satay one night with the remainder thrown into a pumpkin soup for lunch on the weekend.
Oven-cooking a casserole? Ensure you bake or casserole veges or a dessert at the same time to save power. My favourite oven-baked vegetable is four cups of diced pumpkin combined with a diced onion, a can of Indian-style tomatoes and some seasonings such as crushed garlic and freshly ground black pepper.
Today's recipes are one-pot, low-priced, tasty and easy.
RECIPES
PUMPKIN RISOTTO WITH SPINACH
500g pumpkin
100g spinach
4 tablespoons dried pumpkin seeds
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 each: onions, large cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine or water
75g blue cheese, crumbled (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Peel and seed the pumpkin. Cut into 2cm cubes. Remove any coarse stems from the spinach. Thinly slice the leaves.
Place the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat until they start to colour. Place to one side.
Heat the oil in the frying pan. Saute the onions until softened then stir in the garlic. Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil.
Meanwhile, bring the stock to the boil. Gradually stir into the rice mixture. Boil for 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin and wine or water. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked and the pumpkin soft.
Add the spinach and half the cheese. Stir until the spinach wilts. Serve topped with the remaining cheese and the pumpkin seeds. Great garnished with thyme sprigs.-Serves 4
COCONUT VERMICELLI & MUSSELS
Clams could be used instead of mussels. Any leftover coconut cream can be frozen or used in soups or stews.
150g dried vermicelli
1 teaspoon olive oil
20-24 small greenshell mussels, cleaned
1 medium red onion, finely sliced
2 teaspoons crushed chilli or sambal oeleck
1 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 cup each: fish stock, coconut cream
3 tablespoons lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the vermicelli and boil until just tender. Drain, stir in the olive oil, then tip into a bowl. Cover and place to one side.
Place the mussels, onion, chilli and oil in the saucepan. Cover and gently cook until the shells begin to open. (Discard any that do not open.) Add the stock, coconut cream and lemon juice. Season with black pepper. Add the vermicelli and heat through.
Using a slotted spoon or tongs lift the mussels and vermicelli into two deep serving bowls. Boil the liquid rapidly until it starts to thicken. Pour the sauce over the top.
Great topped with chopped parsley and served with a green salad plus bread to help mop up the juices.-Serves 2
POTATO-TOPPED MEATLOAF
To jazz it up add 1/2 cup pitted sliced olives and/or sundried tomatoes.
1kg lean minced beef
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons mixed dried herbs or Italian seasoning
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup finely diced celery
2 cups mashed potato
25g butter, diced
Preheat the oven to 200C. Line a loaf pan with foil, allowing a 3cm overhang at the sides.
Combine the minced beef, garlic, seasonings, egg, carrot and celery. Mix well. Pack into the foil-lined pan.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Top with the mashed potato and dot with the butter.
Bake for a further 20 minutes, until lightly browned on top and cooked through.
Stand for 5 minutes before removing from the pan and slicing. -Serves 8
CHILLI BEAN & SAUSAGE STEW
2-3 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced
5-6 beef or venison sausages
1 1/2 cups (200g) peeled and diced kumara
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, crushed
400g can Mexican-style tomatoes
1/2 can water
420g can chilli beans
1 cup each: broccoli florets, frozen peas (thawed)
chopped parsley to garnish
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the sausages and cook for 5-6 minutes until browned. Cut each sausage into thirds.
Add the kumara to the sausages in the pan then the cumin, garlic and tomatoes.
Rinse out the can with the water and add to the mixture. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until the sausages are cooked through.
Stir in the chilli beans, broccoli florets and peas.
Cook for a further 5 minutes or until heated through.
Serve topped with parsley. -Serves 4
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