One of my favourite all-time things to do when I’m hungover is watch YouTube videos of people cooking insanely mouthwatering dishes of all kinds. I can’t get enough.
I usually get about five minutes in and feel the adrenaline rising, along with my hunger, my motivation — I’m going to cook today, I think to myself triumphantly.
But then they start adding all these ingredients I’ve never heard of and definitely do not have in my kitchen, and before you can say Binging with Babish, my Maccas Uber Eats order is at my door.
I love learning new recipes, but I hate spending money, and double hate buying stuff I’ll never use again. So, I hit up Jessica from Tasmania for some help. See, Jessica is a bit of a whiz in the kitchen, while also being quite the Flybuys expert. In fact, she’s part of the Flybuys 50 (think Fortune 500, but for Flybuys members). She’s figured out how to make solid meals on a tight budget, with none of the fancy stuff you’ll never use again.
Jessica made the list thanks to her tenacious use of The Flybuys Rewards Store, where she redeemed Flybuys points for a schmick Weber she uses to grill up feasts for the ages. And best of all, she’s been kind enough to share a couple of her faves with us. Onya Jess.
Porcupine meatballs (serves 4)
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 500g tomato soup (condensed)
- 2 cups water
- 500g mincemeat (your choice)
- 1 brown onion
- ¾ cup of white rice
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- ¼ cup parsley
- Mashed potato for serving
What to do:
- Pre-heat your oven to 180°C.
- Pour the tomato soup and water into a baking dish and mix together, then set aside until the meatball mix is ready.
- Combine the mince, onion, rice, garlic and parsley in a large bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper if desired.
- Once mixed together, roll into balls of desired size and place into a baking dish filled with the tomato soup mix.
- Place into the oven for approximately one hour, or until meatballs are cooked through. Rotate once half an hour in, so the rice absorbs moisture.
- Remove and serve on a bed of mashed potato.
Pork or Chicken Katsu Don (serves 1)
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken schnitzel ($2.00 at the deli)
- ¼ cup dashi (can be subbed with chicken stock)
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- ½ tbsp raw sugar
- ½ tbsp cooking sake
- ½ tbsp mirin
- 1-2 eggs
- Shallots
- Steamed rice
What to do:
- Cut the schnitzel into strips and set aside.
- Cook rice as per cooking instructions for desired size.
- In a saucepan add dashi, soy sauce, sugar, sake, mirin, and cook until boiling. Then reduce to a low heat.
- Beat the eggs and stir the sauce mixture until swirling. Once it’s swirling, add eggs so they cook as they spin.
- Dish rice bed and place the cut schnitzel on top, now pour sauce mixture over the dish. Then add shallots as garnish.
If you’re keen to learn some more everyday spending hacks, then head on over to the Flybuys website and see who else made the Flybuys 50. Go on, you know you want to.
