WEEK 9: BABE ON A BUDGET

& this one was filmed mid heatwave!

9 whole Babe on a Budgets… how can that be divas! I gotta say though, the summer season is a great place to be - lots of fresh salads, poke bowls, taco plates. My mind, body & soul feel nourished. Well, at least they did before I promptly finished eating this week’s meals and flew to Ibiza and ate nothing but cheese, bread and tequila for a week.

Oh and as a heads up, pickled red onions are featured heavily again. I’m sorry. I hold my hands up. The fixation will pass soon. Maybe…

ANYHOO, let’s get into it!

WEEK 9 OF BABE ON A BUDGET:

• FIVE VEGGIE MEALS

• ENOUGH LEFTOVERS TO COVER YOU FOR LUNCH

• A BREAKFAST OPTION

• LITTLE TO NO WASTE!

• ADVICE ON BULKING DOWN, BULKING UP & STORING AND REHEATING

The meal plan is written for one but could easily serve two with some minor & inexpensive tweaks. I am a big portion girlie but its always hard to judge what is “normal” for others so, if you’re cooking for yourself & have a few social plans, I think you could safely stick to 3/4 recipes & stick to those to cover you.

This week’s MUST MAKE: the Teriyaki Tofu Poke Bowls. Smash.

YOUR SHOPPING LIST:

• Black Beans (400g Can)

• 1 x Lime

• Soft Taco Wraps

• Grated Cheddar & Mozzarella Mix

• 325g Baby Plum Tomatoes

• Sweetcorn (325g Can)

• 300ml Sour Cream

• 2 x Avocados

• 2 x Red Onions

• 1kg Baby Potatoes

• Southern Fried Veggie Chicken Burgers (using Plant Pioneers)

• Little Gem Lettuce

• Crinkle Gherkins in Vinegar

• 2 x Lemons

• 500g Rigatoni

• 2-3 Aubergines

• 1 x White Onion

• 500g Passata

• Fresh Basil

• 2 x Sticky Rice Pots

• Extra Firm Tofu

• Teriyaki Sauce

• 1 x Mango

• Whole Cucumber

• 225g Halloumi

• Pomegranate Seeds

• Sweet Potatoes (I bought 1.25kg)

• Roasted Vegetable Couscous

• 500g Greek Style Natural Yoghurt

• 500g Self Raising Flour

• 6 x Eggs

• Raspberries (fresh or frozen!)

• Milk (of choice!)

= £36.31 🤠

(I shopped online via Sainsbury’s, using offers at the time of purchase so this will vary!)

STORE CUPBOARD INGREDIENTS:

• Oil (olive & vegetable)

• Salt & Pepper

• Smoked Paprika

• Cumin

• Cayenne Pepper

• Dried Parsley

• Mayonnaise

• Garlic Powder / Minced Garlic

• Onion Powder

• Dried Dill

• Balsamic Vinegar

• Corn Flour

• Chilli Flakes

• Soy Sauce

• Rice Wine Vinegar

• Sesame Seeds

PICKLED RED ONIONS: White Wine Vinegar, Sugar & Salt

OPTIONAL: Crispy Onions, Honey, White Chocolate

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YOUR BREAKFAST OPTION: PANCAKES WITH YOGHURT & RASPBERRY COMPOTE!

Serves 10-12 Mini Pancakes | 20 Minutes

Ever since discovering these 3 ingredient pancakes, I have been obsessed. They honestly couldn't be easier, can be topped with anything you like and ALSO can be prepped in advance and then made whenever you’re ready.

The compote is also super easy, looks like you’ve made a LOAD of effort and just tastes 10/10 you know. Fun fact: this plate revived me QUICK TIME mid hangover.

Ingredients:

For the pancakes:

• 1 Cup of Self Raising Flour

• 1 Egg

• 1 Cup of Milk

For the compote:

• 1 Cup of Raspberries (fresh or frozen)

• 2tbsp Water

• Lemon Juice (big old squeeze)

• 1tbsp Sugar

Toppings:

• Honey

• Greek Yoghurt

• White Chocolate (optional)

To make…

🥞 To prep your compote, simmer raspberries, water, lemon juice & sugar for 5-10 minutes. As the compote cools, it will become jammier.

🥞 For the pancakes, whisk together flour, egg & milk until a batter is formed.

🥞 Heat butter or oil in a pan and pour on the batter. Flip once golden brown and repeat!

🥞 Layer up pancakes with greek yoghurt, raspberry compote, honey & a little grated white chocolate if you’re feeling fancy !!

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MEAL 1: FULLY LOADED CHEESY BLACK BEAN TACOS

2/3 PORTIONS | 25 MINUTES*

*If onions are already pickled!

This can only be described as a plate full of my favourite things divas omg. Tacos stuffed with cheesy black beans and a whole load of toppings to make your heart & your tummy sing. Plus, loads of fibre and all that hehehe.

Ingredients:

FOR THE TACOS:

• 1 Can of Black Beans (drained)

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 2tsp Smoked Paprika

• Salt & Pepper

• 1tsp Cumin

• 0.5tsp Cayenne

• Juice of 1/2 Lime

• 1tsp Dried Parsley

• 6-8 Mini Taco Wraps

• Handful of Grated Cheddar & Mozzarella

FOR THE SALSA:

• Handful Baby Plum Tomatoes

• 3tbsp Sweetcorn

• Squeeze of Lime Juice

• Splash of Olive Oil

• Salt & Pepper

TO SERVE:

• 3tbsp Sour Cream

• 1 Avocado

FOR THE PICKLED RED ONION:

• 1 Red Onion

• 1 Cup of Boiling Water

• 1/2 Cup of White Wine Vinegar

• 1tbsp Sugar

• 1.5tsp Salt

To make…

🌮 If you’re pickling your own onions, get this done first! Combine boiling water, white wine vinegar, sugar & salt before adding finely sliced red onion. After around an hour, they’ll begin to pickle and will last in the fridge for a week or so. This is quick pickling FYI so does not last forever!

🌮 Prep the salsa by dicing up baby plum tomatoes and mixing with sweetcorn, olive oil, salt & pepper and lime juice. Set aside and let her marinade.

🌮 Drain the black beans and mash with a fork, season with smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper, lime juice and dried parsley. Give it all a good mix.

🌮 Layer the black bean mix onto half of the mini taco wrap and top with cheese.

🌮 Fold over and pan fry in a little olive oil until the outside is brown and crispy & the cheese has melted.

🌮 Pop onto a plate and layer up with salsa, sour cream, avocado, pickled red onions & a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

🌮 Serve up & enjoy !! X

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 2 portions but I recommend making some crispy baby potatoes with the remaining potatoes not used in the potato salad.

TO MAKE THOSE: Dice up & season baby potatoes with smoked paprika, salt & pepper and pop into the airfryer for 35 minutes.

🫙 Store the tacos separately to the toppings in an airtight container - you could reheat in the microwave, air fryer or even gently by pan frying them. Once warmed through, top with the sour cream, salsa and avocado.

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MEAL 2: RANCH & CRISPY CHICKEN POTATO SALAD

2 PORTIONS | 30 MINUTES*

*If onions are already pickled!

How can something be so carby & yet still feel so fresh? Minimal prep required here divas & trust me on the Plant Pioneer burgers, £1.40 and SO good.

Ingredients

• 500g Baby Potatoes

• 2 x Southern Fried Chicken Burgers (I’m using Plant Pioneers from Sainsbury’s)

• 1 x Baby Gem Lettuce

• Handful of Pickled Gherkins

• 200g Sweetcorn

FOR THE RANCH:

• 1/2 Cup Sour Cream

• 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise

• 1tsp Garlic Powder

• 1tsp Onion Powder

• 1tsp Dried Dill

• 1tsp Dried Parsley

• Salt & Pepper

• Splash of Lemon Juice

FOR THE PICKLED RED ONION:

• 1 Red Onion

• 1 Cup of Boiling Water

• 1/2 Cup of White Wine Vinegar

• 1tbsp Sugar

• 1.5tsp Salt

To make...

🌿 If you’re pickling your own onions, get this done first! Combine boiling water, white wine vinegar, sugar & salt before adding finely sliced red onion. After around an hour, they’ll begin to pickle and will last in the fridge for a week or so. This is quick pickling FYI so does not last forever!

🌿 Dice up the baby potatoes & pop them onto boil until soft (around 15 mins). Drain and set aside.

🌿 Pop the Southern Fried Chicken burgers onto cook as per pack instructions whilst your potatoes boil. You can use any kind of crispy chicken here - halloumi would also work really well, as would fried tofu! Once done, chop into chunks.

🌿 Prepare the veggies for the salad - chop up the lettuce, dice the gherkins and drain the sweetcorn. You can of course add in anything else that you fancy!

🌿 Mix up all the ingredients for the ranch and set aside.

🌿 Add the drained potatoes into a large salad bowl and season with salt & pepper before adding ranch, crispy chicken, lettuce, sweetcorn, gherkins, pickled red onions and a big old squeeze of lemon juice.

🌿 Serve up & enjoy !! XX

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 2 portions but is easily bulked up with a few additional potatoes & extra veggies!

🫙 Store in the fridge in an airtight container. I enjoyed it warm the first time round and cold for lunch the next day & it was JUST as good!

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MEAL 3: CHEESY AUBERGINE RIGATONI

3/4 PORTIONS | 40 MINUTES

Sometimes the texture of an aubergine is enough to send me west BUT in another life I used to be obsessed with aubergine cooked like this. So, I thought I’d do some loose recreating and here we are!

I HIGHLY suggest making this as a pasta bake with a shed load of melted cheese on top! The only reason I didn't do this was because I was flying to Ibiza the next day & needed to freeze half of the sauce lol.

Ingredients:

• 350g Rigatoni

• 2-3 Aubergines

• 4-6tbsp Olive Oil

• Salt & Pepper

• 1 White Onion

• 2tsp Garlic

• 500g Passata

• Bunch of Fresh Basil

• 1tsp Balsamic Vinegar

• LOTS of Grated Cheddar / Mozzarella

To make...

🍆 Slice up the aubergines & fry them off until golden in olive oil - seasoned generously with salt & pepper. You may need to do this in batches - you want them to be soft on both sides.

🍆 Once done, remove from the pan and in the same pan, add a little more olive oil and a finely diced white onion.

🍆 Let that soften before adding garlic and cooking for a further couple of minutes before adding in the passata. Bring to a gentle simmer and stir through a big bunch of fresh basil.

🍆 Pop the pasta onto boil as per packet instructions and once done, drain & set aside.

🍆 Finely chop up the aubergines & add them into the simmering tomato mix. Continue to cook, adjust seasoning if needs be & add balsamic vinegar.

🍆 This would bang as a pasta bake too but I decided to layer everything on top of my cooked rigatoni today.

🍆 Top with lots of cheese and pop it under the grill for 5 minutes, remove once melted & enjoy !! XX

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 3/4 portions!

🫙 Store in an airtight container & reheat until piping hot. If freezing, I’d recommend storing the sauce separately and then cooking fresh pasta when you’re ready to eat it!

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MEAL 4: TERIYAKI TOFU POKE BOWLS

2 PORTIONS | 20 MINUTES*

*If onions are already pickled!

FAVE OF THE WEEK, FAVE OF THE WEEK, FAVE OF THE WEEK. NEED I SAY MORE?

Ingredients

• 2 x Sticky Rice Pots (I’m using Veetee)

• 1 x Avocado

• Crispy Onions 👀

FOR THE TERIYAKI:

• 1 Block of Tofu

• 2tbsp Corn Flour

• Salt & Pepper

• 2tbsp Teriyaki Sauce

FOR THE CHILLI & LIME MANGO

• Mango (cubed)

• Squeeze of Lime Juice

• 1tsp Chilli Flakes

FOR THE CUCUMBER:

• 1/3 Cucumber

• 1tbsp Soy Sauce

• 0.5tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

• 1tsp Sugar

• 0.5tsp Chilli Flakes

• 0.5tsp Sesame Seeds

FOR THE PICKLED RED ONION:

• 1 Red Onion

• 1 Cup of Boiling Water

• 1/2 Cup of White Wine Vinegar

• 1tbsp Sugar

• 1.5tsp Salt

To make...

🥢 If you’re pickling your own onions, get this done first! Combine boiling water, white wine vinegar, sugar & salt before adding finely sliced red onion. After around an hour, they’ll begin to pickle and will last in the fridge for a week or so. This is quick pickling FYI so does not last forever!

🥢 Pat the tofu dry & chop it into cubes. Coat the cubes lightly in corn flour.

🥢 Fry the off in vegetable oil until all sides are crisp.

🥢 As the tofu crisps up, prep the mango by slicing it into chunks and mixing through chilli flakes & lime juice, set aside.

🥢 Prep the cucumber by slicing it and popping it into a lidded container. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, chilli flakes & sesame seeds into the pot. Place the lid on and give it a good shake. Set aside.

🥢 Pop the sticky rice into the microwave as per packet instructions.

🥢 At this point, the tofu should have crisped up. Add the teriyaki sauce into the pan to & coat the tofu in the glaze.

🥢 Layer everything into your bowl - sticky rice, mango, cucumber, teriyaki tofu, sliced avocado & pickled red onions.

🥢 Serve with some sesame seeds and crispy fried onions for some crunch & enjoy! XX

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 2 portions!

🫙 Store the tofu separately to the toppings in an airtight container - you could reheat in the microwave, air fryer or even gently by pan frying it. Once warmed through, add fresh sticky rice & all of your toppings.

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MEAL 5: HALLOUMI & SWEET POTATO COUS COUS PLATES W/ A HERBY YOGHURT DRESSING

2/3 PORTIONS | 40 MINUTES*

*If onions are already pickled!

I’ve seen everyone & their nan making these potatoes & yes, they slap but please, mind your muscles and your fingers when cutting them up - good LORD. You have been warned!

Ingredients:

• 226g Halloumi

• Pomegranate Seeds

FOR THE SWEET POTATOES:

• 2 x Medium Sweet Potatoes

• Salt & Pepper

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

FOR THE COUS COUS:

• Roasted Vegetable Cous Cous

• Handful of Baby Plum Tomatoes

• 1/4 Cucumber

• Salt & Pepper

• 1tbsp Olive Oil

• 1tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

FOR HERBY YOGHURT:

• 2tbsp Greek Yogurt

• Splash of Lemon Juice

• 1tsp Parsley

• 1tsp Dill

• 1tsp Mint

FOR THE PICKLED RED ONION:

• 1 Red Onion

• 1 Cup of Boiling Water

• 1/2 Cup of White Wine Vinegar

• 1tbsp Sugar

• 1.5tsp Salt

To make...

🍠 Preheat the oven to 190 degrees.

🍠 If you’re pickling your own onions, get this done first! Combine boiling water, white wine vinegar, sugar & salt before adding finely sliced red onion. After around an hour, they’ll begin to pickle and will last in the fridge for a week or so. This is quick pickling FYI so does not last forever!

🍠 Wash well & then slice the sweet potatoes in half. Smother with olive oil, salt & pepper. Place face down onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Depending on how thin the sweet potatoes are, start at around 40 minutes in the oven - they should caramelise at the edges and stay soft in the middle.

🍠 Whilst they cook, prep the couscous as per packet instructions. Once ready, stir through a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar & season with salt & pepper.

🍠 Dice up baby plum tomatoes & cucumber and add those to the couscous too.

🍠 Mix everything together for your herby yoghurt & set that aside too!

🍠 Thickly slice the halloumi & pan fry in a little olive oil until golden brown & soft on each side.

🍠 Once the potatoes are ready, layer everything onto a plate and top with the herby yoghurt, pickled red onions, olive oil, cracked black pepper, a squeeze of fresh lemon and lots of pomegranate seeds.

🍠 Serve up & enjoy !! XX

ADJUSTMENTS:

This makes 2/3 portions but is easily bulked up with a few additional potatoes & extra veggies!

🫙 Store all of the elements separately in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheat the sweet potatoes & halloumi gently before re-assembling with the couscous salad & herby yoghurt.

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& just like that… week 9 is over and out. Double digits next divas! Although, not before another BOAB Express is coming your way!

Girlies, you all have my HEART. Thank you for being here, for sending me food pics, for following along, for yapping in my DMS. I love u all. 🫰🏼🫰🏼🫰🏼🫰🏼