Economical , Healthy and Tasy Food

Introduction :

 

When considering the question of cheap , economical and healthy food , I believe it's a good idea to look at the cuisine of nations who 'do poverty well ' . In my opinion good examples of these are  India , Jamaica , China  ( at least in previous times ) and other far eastern nations such as Vietnam .

In Europe , and by inheritance America and Australia , the everyday eating habits of most people are generally comparitively indulgent , having developed in a culture of plenty,  using luxury as a point of reference . As a consequence these 'developed nations' consume alot more meat and 'solid food ' , in contrast to the water based stews and soups that are the daily fare of Eastern countries .

Our everyday cooking , or 'meat and two veg' as it has come to be known , seems to me to often be a throwback to the Edwardian era  ; a time of high teas , large cuts of meat , unctuous vegetables and lavish pies . This type of cooking is arguably a reflection of the eating habits of the 'ruling classes' of earlier times . These days virtually everybody in 'modern societies' expects to eat this kind of food , but the fact is that food of this kind is an expensive way of eating , and essential nutrition can be found in other more affordable guises .

The first recipes ( or set of recipes ) that I'm presenting here are based on an even older tradition than that of the Edwardian era ; in  earlier years , when wealth was not so commonplace , European cookery was not so far removed from Eastern cuisine . One of the practices of Taverns in the middle ages was apparently to keep a pot of stew constantly simmering over a fireplace , which would be replenished as helpings for guests were taken from it . This 'dish' was known as 'Perpetual Stew' .

I am presenting here a version of 'Perpetual Stew' which uses a slow cooker ( intermittently, not constantly, bubbling ) to produce a number of meals over a period of a few days . For many people , if they follow these instructions , this will probably be among the most economical group of meals that they have ever eaten . Largely due to the spices involved it is also very tasty and healthy .

Admittedly some of the photographs of this food are not very appealing (the prioritising of  'photogenic food' is possibly a product of a 'wealthy society' )  but in real life the smells and flavours of the food make up for the lack of 'glamour' , particularly if you enjoy spicy , quite salty food .

I hope anyone who manages to give this method a try will find it as satisfying as I have .

Good luck !