Savoury Muffins and Peach Upside Down Cake..

What a glorious weekend we have been having in Melbourne! Beautiful weather, and with a busy week behind us, Little Lady, Hubby and I have been enjoying a quiet couple of days pottering around the house, playing at the park and eating some yummy home made goodies and delicious meals. It really is my favourite way to spend a weekend.

I wanted to share with you, a couple of frugal recipes that I have discovered over the past week. If you are looking for new, budget friendly recipes, I recommend purchasing a copy of either “Super Food Ideas” or “Recipes Plus”. Both magazines are less than $3, and are available at either Coles or Woolworths. Both of these recipes are courtesy of “Super Food Ideas”.

When choosing new recipes to try, I always look for two things;

1.       That the recipe is fairly quick and simple. Not that I have a problem with producing delicate, fiddly food, in fact I quite enjoy it! But, for everyday meals and snacks I always go back to the quick, easy options.

2.       Cheap ingredients that do not necessitate an extra trip to the shops. Again, I’m more likely to use the recipe regularly if the ingredients mostly consist of things that are always in my pantry.

Ham and Corn Muffins:

Hubby was given a 5kg ham as a Christmas gift from one of the company’s clients. I love ham, but I can’t eat that much of it! So we are left with a lot of ham in the freezer. This is the perfect recipe for using up that particular Christmas leftover, and is also a great option for the school lunchbox. Can be frozen.

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups SR flour

1 tbsp caster sugar

¾ cup milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

½ cup vegetable oil

2 tbsp chopped chives (can be omitted)

100g shaved leg ham

2/3 cup grated tasty cheese

125g can creamed corn

1.       Preheat oven to 190/ 170 FF and grease muffin tray.

2.       Combine flour and sugar in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add milk, egg and oil and mix until just combined.

3.       Add chives, ham, cheese and corn and mix.

4.       Spoon mixture evenly between muffin holes.

5.       Bake for 18-20 mins or until golden brown and just firm to touch.

6.       Serve hot or cold.

Peach Melba Upside Down Cake:

I love canned peaches. I’m not a huge fan of fresh peaches, although I love apricots and nectarines, but canned peaches I could eat every day. This cake is lovely warm, and you could try substituting peaches for another fruit if you so desired. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Ingredients:

825g can peaches in juice, drained well, thinly sliced

185g butter, softened, chopped

¾ cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 ¾ cup SR flour

½ cup milk

1.       Preheat oven to 180/ 160 FF and grease and line a 6cm deep, 22 cm base round cake pan.

2.       Arrange peach slices in two circles, overlapping slightly, over the base of the pan.

3.       Using an electric mixer, beat butter, caster sugar and vanilla for 5-6 minutes or until light and creamy.

4.       Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.

5.       Sift flour over butter mixture and add milk. Fold until just combined.

6.       Spoon mixture over peaches in pan, gently smooth surface.

7.       Bake for 45-50 mins or until a skewer, inserted in the centre, comes out clean. Stand in pan for 5 mins, and then turn onto wire rack to cool.