Eat like a peasant

Food prices have gone up, that is a fact, so now is the time to rethink how we cook. Meat does not have to be the hero of a meal other cultures use it as a flavouring.

Expand your thinking into other cuisines. I am not saying to be a vegetarian or to live on pasta but we forget about other sources of protein such as beans and eggs.

There are so many fantastic peasant recipes in different cuisines; Italian risotto, Mexican anything, stir fries and my new favourite Spanish cuisine.

The Spanish love to use chorizo as flavouring instead of the main source of protein. Chorizo is great paired with beans, and tinned tomatoes then you have a hearty meal. Here is a recipe for just such a stew. Serve this with crusty bread and even a hungry man will be satisfied. You can even add some leftover roast chicken to make it even meatier.

The other great Spanish mainstay is tortilla, a kind of omelette with potatoes, serve with a green salad and there is a meal. Here is a recipe. You can also eat tortilla cold in a sandwich which makes a great exotic packed lunch. You can also put different things in your tortilla – peppers, ham perhaps some cheese. I know it will not be authentic but it is an easy way to clean out the refrigerator.

Another great hearty meal is rice and beans. There is a plethora of rice and bean recipes on the internet with millions of variations from South American versions to Caribbean versions to the South of the USA versions. Wikipedia has done a little overview of the history of the dish which is quite interesting.