Miss Thrifty

I asked my Frugal Grandma if she would provide holiday cover while I am away on my Thrifty Roadtrip this week. Frugal Grandma can do anything..

Frugal Dinner

This recipe is called Beef Collop; it was first made by my mother when she ran a small London cafe in the late 1940s. Meat was rationed at that time and my ma never liked to waste anything, so she invented this dish. It became so popular that she ended up having to buy meat especially for it.

If you have very little meat left from a roast, say 2 slices of beef (or lamb, pork or chicken), then do the following:

Cut the meat into small pieces.

Cut a fair size onion into small pieces and fry until it is glazed and cooked through.

Put the diced meat into the onion, along with any leftover vegetables.

Add a small handful of sultanas.

Make a really nice, thick meat gravy (add some Marmite, which gives a nice savoury flavour).

Add a tablespoon of chopped mixed herbs.

Add a dollop of tomato puree, if you have it.

Mix the lot together and cook through.

Serve with mashed potatoes and veg.

If you don’t TELL the family that this dish is short on meat they will never know it.

Frugal Grandma