A trolley full of fresh fruit and vegetables costs a lot more than it would have a few months back. Due to floods, cold weather and difficult cropping conditions, produce prices have nearly quadrupled.
WATCH: Lemon and garlic chicken with salad cups and pub chips
With a $ 12.90 / kg price tag on cucumbers followed closely by broccoli at $ 11.90 / kg, and don’t forget the tomatoes going for $ 13.90 / kg, you might as well start growing your own.
But thankfully, not everything has inflated to the double digits. Melbourne-based fruiterer Thanh Truong recommends looking out for carrots, cabbages, pumpkins, mushrooms, oranges and other citrus fruit, Australian kiwi fruit, celery, chokos and chestnuts.
Also, smashed avo fans can rejoice, as Hass avocadoes are back in good supply.
Now that we’ve got a shopping list of what to buy, here are BHG’s top 12 best value recipes.
Pumpkin
1. Pumpkin filo pie
A tasty tray bake that’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. This vegetarian recipe is the perfect meat-free meal for the family.
2. Country-style beef and lentil braise
Fill your home with the tantalizing scent of something delicious simmering on the stove. This hearty dish begs for crusty bread for dipping!
3. Roast pumpkin gnocchi with lemon-herb butter
Take your gnocchi up a notch with some affordable pumpkin. Savor the light sweetness of roasted pumpkin as the base of this wonderful Italian classic with a super-simple citrus butter.
4. Roasted pumpkin, spinach and feta slice
There’s a good reason why this recipe is one of our most popular. Delicious the night you make it, even better as leftovers for lunch the next day. It’s the slice that keeps giving!
Cabbage
These simple, rustic Chinese dumplings are known as ‘potstickers’. They have a crispy base and a gently steamed filling. Get the kids to assemble them – it’s a fun way to bring the family together.
6. Honey, soy and lemon chicken with crunchy noodle salad
By adding lemon juice to this fantastic honey marinade, Fast Ed reduces the chances of it burning while cooking the chicken. Clever huh?
7. Italian chicken and borlotti bean soup
Cabbage, carrots and celery make up the base of this soup. Check out those colors! Garnished with Bocconcini balls, basil and a drizzle of olive oil, this Italian recipe tastes as good as it looks.
Carrot
8. Garlic and sumac lamb rissoles with carrot and chickpea salad
Rob Palmer
Fast Ed’s Moroccan-inspired rissoles can be made using pork, chicken or beef coin and they’re divine served with a flavoursome carrot, chickpea and mint salad.
9. Hearty spiced carrot and lentil soup
Red lentils provide the thick base for this pot of absolute vegie bliss. Whether you want to keep it chunky or puree it smooth – it’s up to you.
Mushroom
10. Crispy cheesy arancini with radicchio salad
Hailing from Sicily and named ‘little oranges’ for their shape and color, you’ll love making these deep-fried, bocconcini-stuffed rice balls. Crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside, they’re mouthwateringly good!
11. Beef Diane with mushrooms and peppercorns
Do you love a mean Steak Diane? You’re going to fall in love with this dish. Based on the pan-fried classic, this dish is roasted for more than three hours to boost wonderful wintry flavors.
12. Chilli salted beef with mushrooms and flat noodles
Exhausted midweek? Instead of opting for your fallback Thai takeaway, try this – a quick and easy Asian-inspired dish guaranteed to be healthy and fresh!
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