Cooking just got cheaper: These five smart recipes cut your energy use by up to 80%
Come April, energy bills are going up – again. Ofgem’s latest hike means a “typical” household will be forking out an extra £111 a year for gas and electricity, just as water rates and council tax follow suit. It’s the third rise in a row, and while wages are finally inching up, the cost of a hot dinner is inching higher too.
So what if you could still eat well – really well – and shave up to 80 per cent off your cooking energy costs while you’re at it?
That’s the idea behind a new Energy-Saving Recipe Book from Belling, who’ve been making cookers since before rationing was a thing. It’s full of smart tweaks to classic meals that cut energy use dramatically, usually by shortening cooking times, slashing oven dependency or stretching ingredients that take longer to cook. None of it feels stingy – quite the opposite. The recipes are warming, clever and family-friendly, built around simple swaps and common-sense techniques.
There’s a Sunday roast traybake that does away with the faff of a whole chicken and delivers crisp skin and golden veg in under 40 minutes – using 62 per cent less energy than the traditional spread. A Moroccan sausage and chickpea tagine bulked out with pulses instead of pricier meatballs uses 80 per cent less, while a spiced shepherdess pie, finished under the grill rather than baked forever in the oven, clocks in with a 71 per cent saving.
Even the midweek classics get a glow-up: a rescued vegetable and turkey ragu – perfect for batch cooking or clearing out the fridge drawer – halves your energy use and your food waste. And for fakeaway night, a chicken tikka kebab dish grills in under 10 minutes, cutting 64 per cent of the usual energy cost, with none of the grease or guilt.
Each recipe saves time, money and stress – and if every household cooked just a few of them regularly, the national savings could be in the millions.
Here are five to get started with.
Sunday roast traybake
Chicken thighs are succulent, economical and cook in less time than a whole chicken. This traybake recipe is packed with flavours by rubbing thyme, garlic and lemon-infused oil over the chicken skin. Cooked up in one tray, this Sunday roast traybake saves on time, energy, and washing up.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
For the lemon, thyme and garlic roast chicken:
8 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
Salt and black pepper
1 small lemon
1 tsp dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the roast vegetables:
700g small new potatoes, scrubbed and halved lengthways
300g carrots, peeled and cut into batons
300g parsnips, peeled and cut into batons
1 medium red onion, halved, peeled and cut into wedges with the root intact
1½ tbsp vegetable oil
125g frozen garden peas, defrosted
For the stuffing:
170g pkt sage and onion stuffing
20g butter, optional
To serve:
Homemade chicken gravy
Method:
- Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas mark 7. Meanwhile, place the chicken thighs on a plate, pat dry with kitchen paper and season with salt and black pepper. Zest the lemon, then add the lemon zest to a bowl with the thyme, garlic and oil, and mix well until combined.
- Put the prepared chicken, skin side up, into a large roasting tin then rub the lemon thyme oil evenly over the skin of each chicken thigh, using your hands.
- Wash your hands, then toss the potatoes, carrots, parsnips and red onion in a large bowl with 1 tbsp vegetable oil and season with salt and black pepper. Place the vegetables into the gaps around the chicken thighs, then roast on the middle shelf for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, to make the stuffing balls, empty the sachet of sage and onion stuffing into a bowl, add boiling water as directed on the packet instructions, and butter if desired, then mix well. Leave to stand for 5 minutes, then roll into 12 evenly sized stuffing balls. Wet your hands to prevent the stuffing from sticking.
- When the chicken and vegetables have been cooking for 15 minutes, pop the stuffing balls into the tray and continue to cook for a further 25 minutes, until the chicken skin is crisp and golden and the vegetables tender and roasted. When the traybake has about 3 minutes left to cook, add the peas to the roasting tray. Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes until the peas are hot.
- Serve the traybake on warm plates, with a drizzle of your favourite homemade chicken gravy.
Tip: Try wrapping the chicken thighs in bacon, as an alternative to the lemon and thyme.
Savings: 1 hour 4 minutes; 61p
Savings
Chicken tikka kebabs
Swap your takeaway for this delicious and amazingly simple chicken tikka kebab recipe, served on skewers with naan breads and a speedy mint raita. After marinating the chicken in store cupboard spices, you can dive into this delicious fakeaway which is on the table in less than 15 minutes.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes plus 2 hours to marinade | Cook time: 9 minutes
Ingredients:
600g chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
1 medium lemon
For the tikka marinade:
5 tbsp natural yoghurt
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 tbsp medium curry powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
½ tbsp ground turmeric
½ tsp medium chilli powder
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and black pepper
For the mint raita:
150g natural yoghurt
A small handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
For the onion salad:
1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 salad tomatoes, cut into wedges
Small bunch of coriander, chopped
To serve:
1 lemon, cut into wedges
4 naan breads
Method:
- Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and put into a mixing bowl with the juice of half a lemon (the other half of the lemon will be used for the salad). Next, place all of the marinade ingredients into the bowl with the chicken, season with salt and pepper and mix until the chicken is combined in the marinade. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight if possible.
- When ready to cook, preheat the grill to high. Meanwhile, thread the chicken evenly onto 8 x 20cm metal skewers and place on a large baking tray lined with foil. Grill the chicken for 8-9 minutes, keeping an eye on them whilst they cook. At the same time put the naan breads on the shelf below and they will warm from the residual heat in the oven cavity.
- If you want to, you can carefully turn the kebabs halfway through, if you prefer them charred on both sides. Check that the chicken is piping hot before removing the kebabs from the grill.
- While the chicken cooks, prepare the sides; place the raita ingredients into a bowl and season to taste. Then for the salad, squeeze the remaining lemon juice into a mixing bowl, season with salt and pepper and toss the onion, tomato and coriander into the bowl.
- Serve the tikka kebabs with warm naan breads, tomato and onion salad and a generous drizzle of mint raita.
Tip: If you do not have any fresh mint, use a spoonful of mint sauce from a jar.
Savings: 16 minutes; 15p
Rescued vegetable and turkey ragu
This recipe includes lean turkey mince bulked out with lentils, along with vegetables rescued from the fridge. Try half of the sauce served with pasta, then freeze the rest and use later as the base of a lasagne, in wraps, or on a jacket potato; saving yourself both time and energy costs!
Serves: 4 x 2 meals
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 stick celery, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 medium green pepper, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
500g lean turkey mince
2 tsps dried oregano
4 tbsp tomato purée
400g can chopped tomatoes
½ tsp sugar
300ml hot chicken stock, made with 1 stock cube
1½ tbsps Worcestershire sauce, optional
Salt and black pepper
400g can green or brown lentils, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tbsps cold water
To serve:
300g linguine or tagliatelle
40g Parmesan shavings
Method:
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, celery, carrot and pepper and fry gently for 4 minutes until the onion has softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Next, add the turkey mince and fry for 5-6 minutes, stirring until the meat has browned. Break up the mince with a wooden spoon to avoid any clumps.
- Sprinkle over the dried oregano then stir in the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, sugar, chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce, if using. Season with salt and black pepper, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Next, stir in the lentils and the cornflour mixture, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- When the ragu has about 12 minutes remaining, boil a kettle, pour the boiled water into a saucepan, then add the pasta and cook for 9-10 minutes until tender. Drain in a colander and return to the pan with a drizzle of oil to prevent the pasta from sticking.
- Check that the turkey is tender and that the ragu has thickened sufficiently, then taste and add more seasoning if required.
- To serve, add the pasta to warm serving bowls then top with a portion of turkey ragu and sprinkle over the parmesan shaving.
- Put the remaining ragu into a suitable container and store in the fridge or freezer to use later.
Tip: This recipe will also work well with lean minced beef and just switch the stock cube from chicken to beef.
Savings: 1 hr 12 minutes; 69p
Spiced shepherdess pie
This classic winter warming recipe is transformed into a meat free shepherdess pie with the addition of a lightly spiced tomato sauce, along with vegetables and lentils. It is quick and easy to prepare on the hob, then the delicious sweet potato mash is finished off under the grill.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 23 minutes
Ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 sticks celery, finely diced
200g chestnut mushrooms, washed and quartered
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ tsp chilli powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsps tomato purée
400g can finely chopped tomatoes
300g vegetable stock, made with one stock cube
Salt and black pepper
400g can green lentils, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tbsps cold water
For the topping:
1kg sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 2cm chunks
30g vegan spread
To serve:
4 portions of red cabbage, or any seasonal vegetables
Method:
- Heat the oil in a large ovenproof casserole pan (if you don’t have one, then you can just transfer the shepherdess pie filling to an ovenproof dish later) then add the carrot, onion and celery. Gently fry the vegetables for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and fry for a further 2-3 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.
- Stir in the garlic and spices and mix well to coat everything in the spices. Cook for a further minute.
- Add the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock. Season with salt and black pepper then bring the mixture to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Meanwhile, boil the sweet potatoes for 10-12 minutes until tender, then drain in a colander. Add the vegan spread and mash until smooth, then season to taste.
- Next, add the lentils and cornflour mixture to the vegetables and simmer for 3 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
- When the filling and sweet potato mash are ready, preheat the grill to high. Meanwhile, spread the mashed sweet potato evenly over the lentil mixture and rough up with a fork. Place the dish under the grill for 6-7 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the potatoes are golden.
- Serve the shepherdess pie on warm plates with red cabbage or seasonal vegetables of your choice on the side.
Tip: For a change, top the pie with mashed potatoes and green cabbage.
Savings: 57 minutes; 54p
Moroccan sausage and chickpea tagine with couscous
Stretching out meat with pulses is an economical and nutritious way to cut food costs. This traditional tagine recipe is cooked on the hob and utilises store cupboard spices, including cinnamon and cumin, along with juicy apricots to thicken and sweeten the sauce.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
For the meatballs:
8 reduced fat pork sausages
Salt and black pepper
20g dried breadcrumbs
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the sauce:
Drizzle of oil
1 medium onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
½ tsp hot smoked paprika
400g can finely chopped tomatoes
3 tbsps tomato purée
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half, or ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
100g dried apricots, chopped
400ml hot chicken stock, made with one stock cube
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
To serve:
180g green beans, trimmed
200g couscous
400ml hot vegetable stock, made with one stock cube
1 small bunch of mint, leaves chopped
1 small bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped
Method:
- Make a slit in the sausages with a sharp knife, then remove and discard the skins. Pop the sausage meat into a bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix with the breadcrumbs and spices. Shape into 20 equal sized balls and if you find the mixture a little sticky, then wet your hands with cold water which will help you to shape the meatballs.
- Heat a tbsp of oil in a large non-stick saucepan, add the meatballs and fry on a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until the meatballs are browned on all sides, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon onto a plate.
- Next add a drizzle of more oil to the saucepan and heat over a medium heat, then add the sliced onion and fry for 3 minutes until the onion softens and is golden. Stir in the carrots and fry for a further 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sprinkle over the dried spices, then cook for a minute. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, cinnamon stick, apricots and chicken stock. Return the meatballs to the pan along with the chickpeas, then stir to combine. Bring the sauce gently to the boil, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the carrots are tender.
- If you have a steamer, place it over the saucepan, add the green beans and cover with a lid to cook the green beans over the tagine for the last 10 minutes, until the beans are tender. (If you don’t have a steamer, boil the green beans for 5-6 minutes in a small saucepan).
- Meanwhile, place the couscous in a bowl and pour over the hot stock, cover with cling film and set aside for 5 minutes, then break up the grains with a fork, stir in ¾ of the chopped herbs and season with salt and black pepper.
- When the sauce has thickened, remove the cinnamon stick and check the seasoning. Serve the couscous in warm bowls topped with the meatball tagine and a sprinkling of the remaining chopped herbs.
Tip: The tagine could also be served with flatbreads and some homemade hummus.
Savings: 1 hr 39 minutes; 94p
These recipes are from Belling’s free Energy-Saving Recipe Book. For more tips and to download the full collection, visit www.belling.co.uk/en-gb/energy-saving-recipes
