Jamie's Money Saving Meals

21 August 2013

Keen to inspire us all to eat better AND spend less on our weekly food bills, Jamie Oliver is back with this optimistic, inventive and super-helpful new food series.

Jamie passionately believes that, especially during frugal times, a few clever tricks in the kitchen can keep the costs down, the spirits up, and the food looking – and tasting – fantastic. He’s here to prove that it’s possible to eat like a king no matter what the budget.

The programmes are packed with delicious recipes and amazing money saving tips.

“You might think it’s impossible to eat really amazing super tasty food on a budget,” says Jamie. “But think again! I want to show you how you can eat delicious meals every day. With some cheeky little money-saving tips, tricks from the restaurant trade and some of the most gorgeous recipes ever which just so happen to be really really cheap.”

In the first episode of the series – in which all recipes cost under £1.80 per portion – Jamie cooks up four show-stopping dishes to whet your appetite without crushing your piggy bank.

First off he makes a glorious ‘mothership’ Roast Brisket of Beef with all the trimmings, including little Yorkies, cooked for four hours so it’s lovely and tender. He then turns the leftover beef into incredible Korean Stir-Fried Rice.

“Everyone deserves a beautiful roast dinner every week with friends and family, but so many of you think you just can’t afford it,” says Jamie. “This is beef, always known for being expensive, but this is brisket of beef, it’s an amazing cut.”

He knocks up a beautiful Sweet Pea Fish Pie, jam-packed with flavour, but made with frozen fish. “Using frozen food is usually loads cheaper – and you only use the quantity you need,” says Jamie. “Plus, because it’s frozen when it’s very fresh, it’s packed full of the good stuff.”

With the average family reportedly throwing out food worth £680 every year, Jamie surprises a pair of food wasters in their home and shows them how to make delicious things from the food they normally chuck away.

Kaz and Ashley bin about half the food they buy, so Jamie focuses on the herbs they waste to give them some top tips.

“If you chuck away herbs, you chuck away flavour as well as money,” explains Jamie. “There are loads of ways to prolong their life so you can use them whenever you want. You could easily dry them by hanging in a warm place – they’ll keep for months and taste much better than what you get in those expensive little jars. One of the great things about herbs is you can freeze them without losing much flavour – and it takes literally seconds to make a flavoured oil.”

And Jamie shows a takeaway lover how to make an American Hot Chicago Pizza Pie for a fraction of the price of his usual Friday night fast food treat - £1.73 compared to £12 from the takeaway!

“I know part of the treat is having a night off from cooking,” says Jamie. “But what if I showed you how to make something easy that tastes amazing and is also really really cheap?”

With sumptuous, affordable dishes at its core, this series is for anyone who wants to save money by learning how to shop smart, cook clever and waste less.

A book to accompany the series, Save with Jamie, is published by Michael Joseph. For selected recipes, money saving ideas, price checks and more hints and tips go to channel4.com/SaveWithJamie

 

Series Director: Mike Matthews

Series Producer: Emily Kennedy

Executive Producer: Zoe Collins

Production Company: Fresh One Productions