Tag Archives: christian aid

Live Below the Line – Lentil and Tuna Salad

19 Thursday Apr 2012

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Live Below the Line - Lentil and tuna salad

Total cost: £2.55
For 10 people = 25.5p each.

https://www.livebelowtheline.com/uk-christianaid

If you are taking part in Live Below the Line you should really consider making this salad. I organised a Live Below the Line lunch for Christian Aid and it went down a treat, people were amazed how little it cost and how yummy it was.

The costing is for 10 people as this could feed a family over 2 days who are living below the Line.

What you need:

500g green lentils: 95p
1 can of tuna: 49p
3 tomatoes: 42p
4 eggs:  40p
½ red onion: 9p
Salt & pepper: 5p
Olive oil and Vinegar: 15p

Cook the lentils for about 30 minutes or as directed on the packet. Once they are cooked wait for them to cool. Boil your eggs, cut the tomatoes into small pieces and the red onion into small slices.

In a bowl put the lentils and add to them the tuna, chopped tomatoes and sliced red onion and cut eggs. Add 1 tbsp of vinegar and 2 tbsp of olive oil and add salt and pepper (add more depending on taste). Mix everything together.

Enjoy!
Mel

TOWIE cook off for Live Below the Line

06 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by in Live Below the Line

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Mel with Lauren Pope

Mel with Lauren Pope

Last night was a little different to my usual Monday evenings. I attended the TOWIE cook off for Live Below the Line for Christian Aid and it was great!

I’d only seen a few episodes of The Only Way Is Essex but I was pleasantly surprised by the TOWIE cast who turned up. Lauren Goodger and Peri Sinclair along with Frankie Essex and Lauren Pope took part in a Live Below the Line cook off. They were in two teams and with the help of Lloyd Johnson, who started his career with Jamie Oliver’s apprenticeship scheme at Fifteen, they cooked us two really nice meals. Much nicer than what I cooked last year when taking part in the challenge for Christian Aid – http://wp.me/s1sdbX-125.

They appeared with immaculate hair and makeup ready for the 30 or so photographers that were there. The girls really got involved and played the game cooking meals for over 60 people whilst looking great for the paparazzi.

After the 15 minute cook off everyone sat down to a meal of spaghetti meatballs and vegetable stir fry. We were then asked to vote and the meatballs cooked by Lauren Goodger and Peri Sinclair won it for me, though the vegetable stir fry was pretty good.

Meatballs cooked by Lauren Goodger & Peri Sinclair

This morning I came into the office to the exciting news that the Mail Online had run a fantastic piece on the cook off. http://bit.ly/wpii3g

If any of you out there are interested in taking part in the challenge please check out http://bit.ly/wcyMG3 or you can always email me if you want to find out more.

My Live Below the Line shopping

18 Monday Apr 2011

Posted by in Live Below the Line

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So I’ve done my shopping for Live Below the Line! After months of discussing what to buy I finally came up with my list but sadly wasn’t able to get my tuna in oil (I was going to use the oil to cook) and frozen vegetables for 65p but it all came to less than I’d calculated so I’ve still got some money to spend and will hopefully come across my all important veg!

So here it is and all for £3.88!

                               

I won’t Live Below the Line until the 3rd May but I’m on holiday and this was the only time I had to go shopping before then. So with £3.88 spent and hopefully 1kg of frozen vegetables at 65p I’ll have 47p to spend during the week. I’ll be blogging about my meals during the week and the experience of living on such a restricted amount of food and try to come up with soe interested recipes…

To find out more visit https://www.livebelowtheline.com/uk-christianaid

Mel

Cream cheese and clams

29 Tuesday Mar 2011

Posted by in Seafood

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 I wanted to go to Brick Lane this weekend to try and see if I could buy some cheap sugar, spices and other things for when I do Live Below the Line. Unfortunately the market’s only open on a Sunday and I wasn’t able to go. So instead Alexis and I went to Borough market, for those of you who have been you will know that it is nothing like the market at Brick Lane let alone the prices. But I was able to make quite a yummy dish in the end without it costing us too much money. 

We bought a handful of clams, 4 king prawns and some purple mushrooms I usually pick when I’m in France. We had them for lunch on Sunday but I didn’t have any cream or white wine, what I would usually use to cook clams. So I raided the fridge and found some pickled chillies and philadelphia (cream cheese).

I cut up the two chillies, fried them with butter, crushed garlic and the mushrooms. Once the mushrooms were browned I added the king prawns. In a separate pan I put a glass of water and added the clams, a tablespoon of philadephia and some mixed herbs and covered the pan. Once the clams where cooked, this only takes a few minutes, I decided to add the clams (with all the liquid) in with the mushrooms and prawns and in a minute, ta-da it was ready! We boiled some new potatoes but I think some noodles would go better with this dish. This was easy peasy and is a sure pleaser.

www.liveblowtheline.org.uk/our-impact/christian-aid/

Mel

Live Below the Line

24 Thursday Mar 2011

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I will be taking part in a fundraiser called Live Below the Line for Christian Aid between 2-6 May. It’s going to be a challenge as I’ll have to live on £1 a day for five days. I will be blogging my recipe ideas in the run up to the 2 May and my experience during that week. I welcome any tips you might have on cheap  food! For example I’ve found  a kg of mixed frozen veg for 68p, fantastic!

Why not try and challenge yourself to by joining at https://www.livebelowtheline.com/uk-christianaid

Mel