Shoestring shopping

Sixteen-year-old student Claire Gourley might have co-authored an ebook cookbook but that doesn't mean she's a know-it-all in the kitchen.

"If you're like me, cooking isn't second nature; unless someone shows me or tells me I don't really know what to do," she says.

But one thing she does know, however, is her own mind. Claire, daughter of nutrition educator and food writer Glenda Gourley, determined at age 14 that she wanted to compile a list of her favourite family recipes before leaving the nest.

And so the cookbook idea was born.

"I'm not a foodie, but I love food. I'm such a pig compared to my friends," she says. "I have had some bad food habits. I've been really obsessed with chocolate and caramel things, but I'm getting over that now.

"That's part of why I wrote this, I wanted to figure out ways of how to get through things like that."

The Tauranga mother and daughter duo weighed up the idea of a print book but soon went cold on the concept. It was Claire's discovery of ebooks that put their plan back on the agenda, and in August the pair got to work.

It's My Turn To Cook! is the first in a series aimed at helping teenagers learn to cook, a valuable life skill which many don't pick up on their way to adulthood.

"The last thing any parent wants is for their kids to live on takeaways and toast in their first year of flatting," Glenda says.

Ebooks have their pros and cons. On the downside, those who like to turn glossy new pages won't get their fix. On the upside, this ebook has direct links to YouTube, where Claire gives demos on how to do such things as mash potatoes, cook an egg in the microwave and caramelise onions.

Glenda says she has always tried to educate her children about good nutrition but found it wasn't always easy to get the message through.

Claire didn't really care that eating too much fat might give her a heart attack at 50 but, like most teenagers, she did care that her complexion would be affected, along with her waistline.

Claire, who is the face of It's My Turn To Cook, also writes a blog and it's clear from its tone that she's really speaking to her peers.

"It's been a collaboration," Glenda says. "She's turned it all around to be more like how young students would relate to."

And certainly the ebook has that vibe. The Gourleys are marketing it internationally via social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook and have picked potatoes as their first theme as it's a vegetable most young people eat, can get and can afford.

"The vast majority of teenagers love potatoes so they're likely to be more receptive to having a go and making a meal," Glenda says.

www.itsmyturntocook.com

Honey-roasted veges and beef salad

Serves 4.

2 onions, peeled and cut into wedges

4 baking or roasting potatoes, unpeeled and cut into small chunks

12 button mushrooms

2 peppers, deseeded and cut into wedges

3 courgettes or 1 eggplant, chopped into thick slices

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup brown sugar or honey

1/4 cup lemon juice or white vinegar

300-400g lean beef steak

To serve: a handful of green leaves - rocket, watercress, or spinach

Heat oven to 200deg C.

Place the vegetables in a baking dish. In a bowl, blend the oil, honey and lemon juice or vinegar. Pour over the vegetables and mix well. Bake uncovered, turning occasionally, until the potato chunks are golden and tender, about 40 minutes. Cook steak as desired, turning just once, and slice into thin strips. Arrange leaves on a serving platter and top with vegetables and steak.

Best-ever bacon-and-egg pie

4 unpeeled potatoes

1-2 sheets ready-rolled flaky pastry

6 eggs

3 tomatoes

1 cup frozen peas

4 slices of lean bacon

Heat oven to 180deg C. Pierce the potatoes and cook in a microwave on high power for 10 minutes or until softened. They don't need to be cooked right through. Alternatively cut them into even-sized pieces and boil for 15-20 minutes until tender. Line a dish with pastry, trimming the edges at about 1cm below the top. Keep leftover pastry for later. Slice the tomatoes, take the fat off the bacon and slice it into strips. Cut potatoes into chunks and place them in the dish with the tomatoes, peas and bacon. Break in the eggs, spacing them evenly. Pierce each yolk with a knife. Cut the pastry trimmings into 1cm strips and make a lattice pattern on top. Bake 40-50 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the pie set.

TIPS

There's plenty that can be done to keep the flat's shopping bill down without going hungry or risking the onset of scurvy. Here's a few tips on how to keep the financial damage to a minimum.

Be selective - don't be tempted to buy pre- packed fruit and vegetables when you can buy them loose. Selecting your own means you avoid hidden rotten items, buy only what you need and pay less for the privilege.

Think big - buy in bulk where possible with commonly used items such as rice and flour (providing you have storage).

Often the bigger the packet the lower the price per 100g.

Time it right - shop regularly and after eating. A hungry stomach is a persuasive stomach.

Take note - make a list of things you need as you run out and avoid impulsive trips to the supermarket for non-essentials.

Improvise or do without until shopping day. Shop around - a one-stop shop is not always the cheapest. Get to know your butchery department - knowing when meat gets a price reduction is useful.

Greengrocers, such as Raeward Fresh, Funky Pumpkin and the roadside stalls scattered around at the city's boundaries, are a great source of cheap produce.

HAVE YOUR SAY: Share your cost-cutting tips.

- © Fairfax NZ News