This is the first of my under $20 meals to feed you or your family! This is a really simple tomato risotto - it's delicious and super easy to make, and minimal ingredients.  Serves: 4 Cook time: 25 minutes Ingredients: 500g Mince1 brown onion, finely diced 3 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tbsp Tomato paste1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes1 cup of arborio rice4 cups of vegetable stock½ cup Parmesan cheese Sprinkle of Salt and pepperSprinkle of Dried oregano Sprinkle of Chili flakes   Total: $13.29 (please see note at the bottom) Directions:  In a large pan, add a splash of olive oil to the bottom of the pan and heat over medium heat. Add mince and break up into small pieces. Cook for 5-6 minutes. Once mince is ¾ way cooked, add the onion, garlic and tomato paste. Cook for a further 3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and oregano. Add aborio rice, tomato puree and ½ cup of the vegetable stock. Continue stirring and adding stock as needed. Once you’ve finished the stock, add the parmesan cheese and stir through. Serve, topped with a little more parmesan cheese.  This meal comes under $15, but could well be stretched with more rice and a pack of frozen veggies. Note: The costings were done off the Woolworths website with a rough estimation done on usage. The brands chosen we're mostly homebrand or Woolworths branded (no problem with that!), just to note for when shopping. These costs can change depending on what you are comfortable with in your own household budget, so use this as a base to build off.  Love, Leah x  

This Easy Chicken and Mushroom Pie is my new favourite! So quick, simple and healthy but super delicious.  It's a cheap dinner idea and great way to use up leftover roast chicken (and so good that you can take out that extra whole step of cooking chicken) This is a great recipe for the kids and the whole family you enjoy, and maybe even a good one if you have a roast chicken left overs!  Serves: 4Prep Time: 8 minutesCooking Time: 25 minutes  Ingredients:500g rotisserie chicken, shredded 2 cups Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced 1 medium brown onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 bunch asparagus (8ish spears), sliced into 2cm pieces 4 tbsp chives, chopped1tsp thyme leaves, chopped 1 cup of chicken stock (may need more, just enough to cover chicken)1/3 cup sour cream (can add more for more creaminess!)1 egg, whisked 1 sheet puff pastry 2 tsp sesame seeds Salt and pepper to taste  Thicker: 2 tbsp corn flour 2 tbsp water   Directions:  Preheat the oven to 180C. In a deep pot, add a splash of olive oil and then then onion, garlic and thyme into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Season with salt and pepper.  Add mushrooms, asparagus and chives into the pan and cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have become soft.  Stir the sour cream, chicken stock, shredded chicken and cook for 10 minutes on a low heat. Season again with salt and pepper to your liking.  Cut pastry 1cm larger than your pie dish. To thicken the pie mixture, add corn flour and cold water into a small bowl and mix. Add this into the put and stir through, allow to thicken for 5 minutes.  Once the pie mixture is thickened to your liking, Fill the pie dish with chicken mixture. Brush the rim with egg and top with pastry. Press the edges down to seal. Brush the pastry with more egg, sprinkle with sea salt and sesame seeds. Place in the oven for 25 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden. 

BBQ COMING UP? These are my number one, super quick Mediterranean beef skewers I absolutely love to make! They're super quick to make, and perfect for a family! I use beef at least twice a week in my cooking because its a great source of protein, and also super versatile! The marinade for the beef skewers is packed with flavour, making it a delicious healthy alternative that is perfect served with a fresh salad or some flat bread & Tzatziki! Yum!Makes: 4-6 Shaslicks  Ingredients:600g Australian beef steaks, diced (I used eye fillet)1 Red capsicum, cut into cubes1 yellow capsicum, cut into cubes 1 Red onion, quartered3 garlic cloves, crushed¼ teaspoon pepper½ teaspoon salt1 teaspoon dried oregano½ teaspoon ground paprika 2 tbsp. olive oil4-6 bamboo or metal skewersOptional: Lime juice squeeze (when they come off grill)Sesame seeds as garnish  Directions: Dice the steak in small cubes and place in a small mixing bowl. Add all dry spices and fresh garlic to the mixing bowl and mix through thoroughly. Leave to marinate for 1-2 hours if possible. (overnight is great!) Slice capsicum and onion into small cubes. Thread the cubes of meat onto a skewer and alternate between meat, capsicum, onion, until all ingredients are used up. Cook skewers on a BBQ or a grill plate for 5-10 minutes or until cooked through to your liking. Serve with flat bread & some Tzatziki!