cheap family recipes
feed a family of 4 for (just over) £100 a month
Red Lentil Pate

Delicious and versatile – add a handful of any cooked or raw and grated firm veg and whizz them in to ring the changes. So leftover garlicky roasted veg grated raw carrot or swede, fennel or cauliflower, or even finely shredded cabbage

Ingredients
- 160 g red lentils dry weight
- 160 g onion finely chopped
- tspn garlic
- 2 tsps marmite or yeast extract
- 500 ml boiling water
- 120 ml veg oil
- dessertspoon balsamic vinegar
To Serve
- 40 slices homemade bread assumed 2 each, use 4 each if you wish
Instructions
- Rinse lentils under the cold tap until the water runs clear (swoosh them around in the pan in cold water a couple of times, changing the water each time). Drain and place in a medium saucepan with the onion and garlic.
- Add 2 tsp marmite to 500ml boiling water and stir to dissolve.
- Pour over the lentils, cover and simmer until the water has been absorbed and the lentils have softened (the mixture will look quite dry at this point) Remove lid and leave to cool.
- Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon whilst slowly pouring the vinegar and then the oil into the mixture. Allow to cool, and serve with bread as a lunchtime meal with 2-4 slices of homemade bread, depending on your appetite. This makes enough for 5 lunches for 4 people, make it once in the month if following our planner.
Equipment Needed
Notes
Nutrition
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Take care of your family and your budget
Before putting together our meal planners we surveyed over 600 people to ask when faced with a tighter budget, which things they would struggle to give up.