Feed five for under a fiver!

Check out this original recipe for Beef koftas with a feta, spinach and fresh mint salad - and feed five people for less than a fiver!

Recipe #2: Beef koftas with a feta, spinach and fresh mint salad

As well as this delicious recipe for under a fiver, why not also try last week's recipe for Spicy tuna, bean and coriander lasagne?

The Koftas

500g of British mince beef (£2)
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped (use the leftover cloves from last week's recipe)
2 tsp of dried oregano (a staple)
1 tsp of ground cumin (a staple)

The salad (and dressing)

200g of Feta cheese (£1.18)

1 finely sliced red onion (21p)

260g of spinach (75p)

30g of fresh mint (79p)

White wine vinegar (a staple)

Olive oil (a staple)

The cupboard staples...

We're assuming you have the following cupboard staples already: Salt & pepper, cumin, oregano, white wine vinegar, olive oil and 5 large wooden skewers

Total cost

If you already have the cupboard staples, then according to mysupermarket.co.uk, this trolley was cheapest at Tesco* where it came to just £4.93.

1. First thing is to get the 5 large skewers in some cold water for 20 minutes. Otherwise, the wood will burn when placed on the griddle pan.
2. Put the beef mince, finely chopped garlic, oregano, cumin and a big pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Get your hands in and give it a good mix, then chill in the fridge until the skewers have soaked.
3. When the skewers have soaked for 20 minutes take the mixture out of the fridge and press a portion of mince around each skewer, so you have a long thin sausage type shape. Hint: dip your hands in cold water when moulding the shape so the mixture doesn't stick to your hands. Once you've made five good size koftas, put in the fridge to firm up for 30 minutes.
4. Now for the salad dressing; this is a standard dressing so make up however much you like - as long as use the three parts oil to one part vinegar, it will taste good! For this salad I'd suggest six tablespoons of oil and two tablespoons of white wine vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper and adjust to taste.
5. Now the salad itself; wash and spin the spinach leafs and place in a large salad bowl, then cube the feta into 1cm square pieces and add to the spinach. Finally, very thinly slice the red onion and mint leaves, place in the bowl and give it a light tossing. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
6. It's time for the koftas; get a heavy griddle pan or skillet on the heat for a good five minutes until very hot (get the windows open as well!). Place the koftas in the pan and cook for three minutes on each side until brown all over. Set aside and cover with foil for a few minutes, so the meat can rest (remember to pour the juices back over when serving).
7. Get the salad out of the fridge and add a few tablespoons of the dressing. Mix very lightly and serve with the koftas. Enjoy!

A bit about our Chef, Paul Warburton

Paul Warburton, a lovemoney.com staff member, had a hectic career in the world of hot kitchens and screaming chefs before joining the lovemoney.com products development team.

During these years, under the tutorage of some great chefs, he honed his skills in cooking for numbers within a tight cost and portion-controlled environment.

Now he's planning to regularly offer his help to all budding chefs in the lovemoney.com community, so you can enjoy his original, low-cost recipes with your family and friends for free!

Please share your feedback

If you plan to try out this recipe, please come back and tell us how it went! And if you've got any credit-crunch cooking tips for your fellow lovemoney.com readers, we'd welcome your contribution using the comment boxes below.

Read last week's recipe for Spicy tuna, bean and coriander lasagne

*Prices correct on 9th June 2009.