Cheap and cheerful!

December was such a hectic and expensive month with Eid, Christmas, and New Year celebrations coming so close together. So it's no wonder that budgets have been busted and waistlines have spread.

Most of us had to buy umpteen gifts, host parties, and pay for New Year outings. Apart from all this, there were other expenses like catering for visitors – and while it's always terrific having the grandparents over for a few days - the bills now have to be paid and the chequebook balanced.

With the festive season over, here are some easy dish ideas that are delicious and nutritious, but also very gentle on your wallet…(PS: I'm betting you have most of these ingredients left over in the fridge anyway!)

Tortilla roll-ups

• 1 small bunch watercress
• 2 3oz pkts of cream cheese
• 1 tbsp milk
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tbsp pitted black olives
• 3 tbsp pimento stuffed olives
• 1 small cucumber
• 1 firm red tomato (medium sized)
• 1 small head lettuce
• 4 tortillas
• 400 gms cooked turkey breast, thinly sliced
  
  Remove the tough stems from the watercress and mince the leaves. In a small bowl, soften the cream cheese with milk, add the pepper, and stir in the watercress. Chop the olives reserving a few for decoration. Cut the unpeeled cucumber into paper-thin slices. Cut the tomato in half, scoop out the seeds and then dice.
  
  Separate four large leaves from the lettuce; remove the ribs as they will tear the tortilla. Spread cream cheese on the tortillas, top with a lettuce leaf, top with cucumber slices, tomato and olives.
  
  Carefully, roll up the tortillas as tightly as possible, leave for a while in a cool place. At serving time, using a sharp knife, cut into sections. Line a platter with the remaining lettuce leaves and arrange the tortilla sections, top with reserved olives.

Tuna burgers

• 1 13 oz can tuna in water
• 1 cup wholewheat cracker crumbs
• Dash of freshly ground pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly whisked
• 1 tbsp salad oil
• Bottled tartar sauce
• 4 large sandwich buns
• 2 small tomatoes
• Lettuce
  
  Drain the tuna and turn the meat into a bowl. Using a fork, mix the tuna, cracker crumbs, egg, pepper and 1/3 cup tartar sauce. Mix well and shape into four large patties.
  
  Heat the oil in a frying pan and lightly brown the patties on both sides drain and keep warm.
  Cut the buns in half horizontally; arrange a lettuce leaf on the lower half, top with a cooked patty. Spread a little tartar sauce on each patty, top with tomato slice and then bun top. Serve at once.
  
  You can serve this with hot soup and a tossed salad to make it a complete but economical
  meal.

Crunchy fish fillets

• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp chilli powder (mild)
• 4 tbsp butter or margarine
• 1 cup coarsely crushed cheese crackers
• 4 fish fillets
• Preheat the oven to 450F.Lightly grease a baking dish.
  
  In a pie dish mix the lemon juice with chilli powder and half the margarine. On a wax paper or flat dish, spread the biscuit crumbs. Dip the fish fillets in the lemon juice mixture then, coat with crackers. Place in the prepared baking dish, drizzle the remaining margarine and bake for about 12-15 minutes till the fish flakes easily and the topping is golden brown.
  Serve at once with a platter of french fries and a cup of hot soup to make an easy but filling meal.

Lamb stew with dumplings

• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 950 gms boneless lamb shoulder, cut in 1 inch cubes
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 tsp each thyme and marjoram leaves, crushed
• 1 pkt Lima beans
• 6 carrots cut into inch pieces
• 8 small onions
  
  Combine the flour, salt, paprika and pepper. Coat the meat in this seasoned flour and brown evenly in hot oil. Add the water, tomato sauce, garlic, thyme and marjoram, cover and simmer till almost done. Stir in the vegetables, cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes till the vegetables are done. Top with 10 or 12 small dumplings.

Dumplings

To 1 cup of packaged biscuit mix add 1/3 cup milk; mix with a fork and spoon onto hot bubbling stew. Cook uncovered over low heat for 5 minutes, cover and cook for a further 10 minutes. Serve hot.