Family Food Fight contestants deliver tasty meals on a budget

HOMEMADE meals don’t have to blow the weekly budget. Nine’s Family Food Fight stars offer their advice on key ingredients you need.

HOUSEHOLDS trying to deliver tasty meals without blowing the budget need to have a selection of key ingredients on hand at any hour of the day.

There’s no doubting Australians are obsessed with being gourmet master chefs in their own kitchen and are often inspired by reality TV shows in whipping up designer dishes.

Delivering delicious meals can be done without blowing the budget.

But experts say spending a fortune is not required, instead the focus should be on maintaining a selection of key foods that will allow delicious meals to be served up easily and relatively cheaply.

HEALTH: The new Uber of healthcare helping drive down costs

Kate Butler, 27, is part of the four-person “Butler” family team on Channel 9’s newest foodie series, Family Food Fight, and knows all too well of how to make mouth-watering meals on a budget.

Family Food Fight contestants Kate Butler, 27, and her sister EJ Butler, 30, know the importance of cooking food on a budget.

“Bulking out your meals with things that are in your pantry like legumes, lentils and rice can really make a meal quite cost-effective,’’ she said.

“When you have vegetables in the fridge and they are looking a bit sad try and use them up in a quiche or a stir-fry or a frittata.”

MORTGAGES: One of the biggest home loan mistakes you can make

Ms Butler also said cost-conscious households should ensure the “freezer is their best friend” and freezing vegies, bones and meat allows the food to be used at a much later date.

Tasked with finding “Australia’s number one food family” on the series, chef Hayden Quinn offers some sound advice on delivering tasty meals without splashing too much cash.

Celebrity chef Hayden Quinn said having key foods at hand can save you money when cooking.

“It’s important to have foods like mince, lamb chops, sausages, steaks, chicken breasts and what I do it at home is also have great spices,’’ he said.

“People might say spices are expensive but if you buy them and you have got them in your cupboard they are arsenal of flavour that you can use across a broad spectrum of dishes and different cuisines.”

His “go-to” spices include cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, chilli and salt and pepper.

Mr Quinn also suggests growing herbs in your backyard or if you are strapped for space, on your windowsill.

“You just snip and go as you need them,’’ he said.

@sophieelsworth