Thrifty family feasting

GREGG Wallace and Chris Bavin are back with a fourth instalment of Eat Well For Less?, the BBC One series in which the duo - both foodies and long-time greengrocers - meet with families struggling to manage their food bills.

The plan is simple: To improve people's nutritional knowledge and discover how shopping habits affect what we eat and how much it costs.

"Originally it was supposed to be looking at the difference in price between food stuffs. So we started with fish and chips, and why they should be £10 in a chippy and £30 in a restaurant. That fascinated me," says Wallace, 52. "The biggest thing I've learnt is what a huge cookery skill shortage there is across the UK, and how many people rely on convenience foods. I find it troubling."

The series' accompanying book, Eat Well For Less - Family Feasts On A Budget, written by Jo Scarratt-Jones, sets out to combat that reliance. Packed with practical meal planning ideas and tips, it features cut-out-and-keep shopping lists and menu plans, as well as conversion charts and details on how long to store stuff in the fridge and freezer for before it goes mushy or mouldy.

Then there are the recipes, all designed to be wallet-friendly staples that, when it comes to the final scraps and leftovers, families will (lovingly) fight over.

For MasterChef judge Wallace growing up, his favourite family meal was "always Sunday roast at my grandmother's", while Bavin's top childhood meals have continued into adulthood. "When I was growing up, we had several meals on rotation and my favourite meals were sausage and mash and spaghetti Bolognese - still both firm favourites," he says.

Their main aim though is to extinguish the belief, understandably held by lots of people who have too little time and too many mouths to feed, that cooking is just another chore - "like ironing or hoovering," notes Wallace, "and not in any way fun or something that could bring the whole family together."

Bavin adds: ""I would love families to try and spend more time cooking and eating together. With a bit of planning, you can save hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds."

BROCCOLI AND PARMESAN PASTA

(Serves 3)

For the pasta

300g plain wholemeal flour, plus extra for dusting

3 eggs

1tbsp olive oil

½tsp sea salt

For the sauce

180g broccoli, cut into florets and the stem into thick slices

4 tinned anchovies, drained and roughly chopped

3tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

20g Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

First make the pasta. Put the flour into a large bowl, then make a well in the centre. Add the eggs, olive oil and salt to the well and whisk together, then gradually stir in the flour, pulling a little flour in each time you stir the mixture to make a smooth, firm dough.

Flatten the dough into a disc about 1cm thick, then wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Unwrap the chilled dough and lay it on a lightly floured work surface, then cut it in half. Roll out each portion of dough to a rectangle about 5mm thick, turning it as you go to ensure you have an even thickness, then roll each portion again to about 2mm thick - the thinner the better. When the pasta is as thin as you can get it, cut it into strips about 3mm wide for tagliatelle, or thinner for linguine.

Hang the pasta strips over a clean broom handle or rolling pin to allow them to dry slightly while you cook the broccoli for the sauce.

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, then add the broccoli and cook for four to five minutes until just tender. Drain well, set aside and keep warm.

Bring a separate large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta, return to the boil and cook for three to four minutes until the pasta rises to the surface. Drain in a colander, reserving some of the cooking water, then return the pasta to the pan.

Add the broccoli, anchovies and olive oil to the pasta and toss well to combine. Add about two tablespoons of the reserved pasta water and cook for one minute, stirring as you go. The pasta should be evenly coated in the sauce.

Season to taste, then pile the pasta into serving bowls, sprinkle over the Parmesan and serve immediately.

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA WITH RICE

(Serves 4)

100g natural yoghurt

1tsp dried chilli flakes

1tsp garam masala

1tsp smoked paprika

1tbsp medium curry powder

¼tsp sea salt

5cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated

500g boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small chunks

2tbsp rapeseed oil

1 onion, diced

1tbsp tomato puree

400g tin chopped tomatoes

300g basmati rice

2tbsp chopped coriander

Tip the yoghurt into a bowl, then add the spices, salt, ginger and garlic and mix really well. Add the chicken and stir until completely coated. If you have the time, cover and place in the fridge overnight, but if not, cover and chill while you saute the veg.

Heat a saute pan until medium hot, then add the rapeseed oil and onion and stir well. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 10 minutes until softened and just coloured, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomato puree and cook for one minute, then add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add the marinated chicken and all the marinade, stir through, then bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickened slightly, stirring occasionally. You don't want the sauce to boil otherwise the yoghurt will split - just a gentle simmer.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the basmati rice and cook according to the packet instructions until tender, then drain. Stir the coriander into the sauce and serve the chicken tikka masala with the hot rice.

Eat Well For Less - Family Feasts On A Budget by Jo Scarratt-Jones, photography by Howard Shooter (BBC Books, £14.99)

Eat Well For Less? begins on BBC One on Wednesday, June 7