Veganuary Inspiration and Recipes from Great Food Bloggers

Since 2014, Veganuary has encouraged the nation to embrace Veganism and give up their meat and dairy consuming ways for the month of January. There is a world of reasons why people take up the Veganuary pledge at the start of the year. It might be because animals often suffer in the production of the foods we enjoy, it might be to ease the pressure on the environment from meat production, or even to support a New Year's resolution for a healthier lifestyle. Whatever the reason, if you have taken up the Veganuary pledge, and are already struggling for ideas, your Veganuary inspiration starts here.

A Nutritious Protein Shake Recipe with Indigo Herbs

Everyone has heard the assertion that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but, if you are short of time, or money, or both, it can be really tricky to consistently find morning meals that are inspiring and appetising when you first wake up. I've recently started experimenting with protein shake recipes and have found simple ways to make them quickly and cheaply. When Indigo Herbs sent us some of their nutrient-packed protein powder free to try, I thought it would be a great opportunity to share one of my favourite recipes with you, along with some money-saving tips!

An Easy Cupcake Recipe that Saved the Day

Who would have thought an innocent cake could cause so much trouble? It all started when The Husband innocently suggested he would make a cake to take into work, like he has done many times before. Except he forgot that this day was stock take, which involves 25 people, more than twice the usual cake-consumers. One cake was never going to be enough. What he didn't realise was, when you increase the volume of cake, the potential for disaster increases too. Here's what happened next, and how a decent fool-proof cupcake recipe can always put things right. Save this one for when you need your cakes to turn out right the first time!

Free Printable Student Recipes: Easy Special Fried Rice

This is the last in our series of easy student recipes and it's a favourite in our house. It's been a bit difficult to make into a recipe, actually, because I'm so used to just throwing things in, I had to really think about the measurements! It's another recipe which is great for using up leftovers and the ingredients are very flexible. Try adding pineapple, or peas, or you could replace the bacon with ham, or make a vegetarian version by leaving the bacon out and replacing the chicken with quorn. It's a great opportunity to experiment and make this dish your own. I hope you've enjoyed our fun recipes, click the link to try our Easy Stuffed Peppers. 

Free Printable Student Recipes: Easy Stuffed Peppers

Moving day is fast approaching for students all over the country, and I'm still digging through the archives to find the best easy, low cost recipes to help them on their way. Today's recipe is number five in the series and is vegetarian. I didn't think it would be possible to improve on the simplicity of the last recipe, but, believe it or not, this one contains just two ingredients. That's right, two, but it's such a big cheat, it looks like it took lots of effort and is also pretty nutritious. If you are not vegetarian, you can serve these as part of a ham or chicken salad, but they make a pretty yummy lunch as well.

Free Printable Student Recipes: Easy Cheesy Pork Steaks

Day four of our student recipes, and they are getting even easier! If you haven't been keeping up, I have been making some of our easiest recipes into easy to follow recipe cards, that students can take with them as they embark on their new chapters. Hopefully it will lead to a less noodle-filled existence! This recipe only has three ingredients, and requires very little preparation. It takes half an hour to cook and is really delicious. It is a clever twist on what would otherwise be quite a boring meal and can make you look like you really know what you are doing with this cooking lark, even when you don't! Recipe 3 is here. 

Free Printable Student Recipes: Easy Corned Beef Hash

Day three of our student recipes and this is one of the first recipes I learned to cook. It's a real comfort food favourite and there are variations of it around the country, including this Panakalty recipe from Sunderland. Corned beef isn't nearly as cheap as it used to be, but is a handy tin to have in the cupboard, in case you can't get to the shops and is often on offer in some of the budget shops that are all over our high streets these days. This recipe shows how to transform a simple tinned meat into a delicious, home cooked dish, using just four additional ingredients. The uncooked mixture can also be folded in pastry to make the most delicious Corned Beef Pasty too, if there's any left over. Recipe 2 is here.

Free Printable Student Recipes: Easy French Bread Pizza

Day two of our student recipes and this one is particularly popular with young children too. It's very cheap to make because you can use food you have in the house for the toppings, even your fridge leftovers. Vegetables, cooked meats, even fruit, you can let you imagination go wild! It's a great way of finding out what you do and don't like on a pizza and to ensure all your leftovers get used up, saving you, or your student offspring, money. Baguettes and French sticks are often reduced to clear in supermarkets towards the end of the day, so there is more potential to save money, and you could even go for a flavoured bread for an added twist. Recipe 1 is here.

Free Printable Student Recipes: Easy Sausage Casserole

If you have students starting University soon, this may be the series for you. All this week, I will be posting recipe cards, which you can download and print, featuring some of our favourite easy, cheap recipes. You can either give them to your nest-flying offspring to take with them, or use them to teach younger children how to cook. It's never too early to learn about budgeting and cooking your own meals, and these are so easy, it's a great place to start. Children are more likely to eat something they cook themselves, so it can help expand their menu a bit too! This Sausage Casserole contains just four ingredients and takes under half an hour to make. 

Easy Chicken and Bacon Pasta

This recipe is so easy to make, it's barely a blog post at all! I thought it was a good time to post it, as a new batch of students are beginning to think about life at university. If you click the Recipes tab, you'll find lots of other easy-to.make recipes for practising cooking skills, most requiring just a few, low cost ingredients. Our two favourites are Easy Sausage Casserole and our Baked Salmon recipe. Today's recipe is a bit of a cheat, because it involves a tin of soup, but it's cheap and tasty, so I think it's acceptable. Read on, to find out how you can turn a tin of soup, into this...

How to Make the Perfect Crispy, Fluffy Yorkshire Pudding

Recently, I published a photo of one of Phil's culinary creations, the humble Yorkshire pudding. Now, I'll be totally honest, this is not something I'm especially good at. I just don't have the patience to faff about getting it exactly right. It seems I'm not the only one, as the photo recieved a fair bit of admiration from people, with one or two suggestions that it might even be *gasp* 'purchased from the frozen aisle'. What an outrageous suggestion! Phil says it's not actually that difficult and has been promising for ages that he will share the recipe. So, here it is. Phil's foolproof method for a crisp and fluffy Yorkshire pudding.

Carrot Soup with Asda's Wonky Veg Box!

For Day 5 of Wonky Veg Week, I thought we had better make some carrot soup, as it's one of L's favourite foods. It's a great way to squeeze some nutrition into children, as it's quite sweet and a fun colour and is often a favourite for a cold winter's day. Our veg is starting to run out now, but it has lasted well and was definitely worth the £3.50 it cost for the 5kg box. So far it has made; Leek Pastry Slices, Stuffed Peppers, Spanish Omelette and has provided the veg for our Sunday roast. Not bad for the outlay and it's been fun thinking up imaginative recipes, whilst getting away from boring convenience foods.