Under pressure: Low on groceries? These 3-ingredient recipes are your heroes

Poached egg. Picture: Pexels/Elena Golovchenko

Poached egg. Picture: Pexels/Elena Golovchenko

Published Feb 9, 2023

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On a super-tight budget and need to eat cheaply?

Here are some simple recipes to make when you are low on groceries.

Crème brûlée

Crème brûlée. Picture: Supplied

Ingredients

½ cup vanilla ice cream

1 egg yolk

1 tbs sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 160˚C.

Melt the ice cream in a microwave until liquid then add the yolk and combine – make sure the ice cream isn’t hot or the egg will scramble. Pour the mixture into a ramekin.

Pour hot water into a baking pan to create a water bath and sit the ramekin in the pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

Cool to room temperature then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Before serving, caramelise the sugar in a non-stick pan over low-medium heat and immediately pour it on top of the custard.

Mac and cheese. Picture: Supplied

Mac and cheese

Ingredients

200g macaroni

700ml full-fat milk

150g cheese (processed or cheddar)

Method

Cook the macaroni in the milk instead of water, until al dente.

Note: If you want to add salt to your recipe you may, it’s optional.

Once al dente, add the cheese. Six processed cheese cubes or eight slices will be about 150g. The sauce will come together once the cheese melts, giving that classic creamy texture. Season with ground black pepper.

Garnish as per your preferences and serve.

Poached egg. Picture: Pexels/Elena Golovchenko

Poached eggs

Ingredients

1 egg

⅓ cup cold water

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Take a microwave-safe mug. Add ⅓ cup of cold water to it.

Carefully crack open the egg. Use a sharp knife tip, toothpick, or fork to prick the yolk to prevent it from exploding.

Place a saucer or microwave-safe plate over the mug.

Microwave it for 30 seconds, then check if the egg white is cooked properly or not. If it is still runny, cook it in 10-second increments until it is done properly.

Wait for 30 seconds to prevent burning your hands, then remove the egg from the water using a slotted spoon on a serving plate.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy.

Oatmeal cookies. Picture: Supplied

Oatmeal cookies

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas (mashed)

1 cup quick-cooking oats (uncooked)

¼ cup raisins, coconut, chopped nuts or chocolate chips

Method

Heat oven to 180ºC.

In a bowl combine mashed bananas, oats and your add-in ingredient.

Spoon tablespoons of mixture onto a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are brown.

Oreo icebox cake. Picture: Supplied

Oreo icebox cake

Ingredients

750ml double cream

50g icing sugar

Roughly 60 Oreos (the exact number will depend on your tin size)

Note: Remember to save some Oreos to crush for the decoration on top.

Method

Whisk cream and sugar together until stiff peaks form.

Apply a thin layer to the base of the pan followed by a layer of Oreos and a thicker layer of cream.

Repeat the above step two more times, finishing off with a layer of cream, and spread out evenly.

Pop this in the fridge for a minimum of four hours, then decorate the top with a sprinkle of Oreo crumbs.