Meat Free Mondays with Manu Feildel

Celebrity chef Manu Feildel reveals his top 4 tips for creating one easy, budget friendly meat free dinner each week

Coming up with easy and healthy mid-week dinner solutions on a budget can be tricky. So why not try Meat Free Mondays?

Australian Eggs ambassador and celebrity chef, Manu Feildel shares his top 4 tips on how to create delicious and filling meat free meals that the whole family will love without breaking the bank.

Always write a list, and stick to it – We all do it, but try not to get side tracked with offers of products at reduced prices that you end up never using. Have a list of what you need and stick to it. When looking for high quality produce, always go for the freshest ingredients. Quality fresh produce can be used for so many recipes that are delicious and easy to make, such as a

Green Vegetable Slice:
Simply combine 4 beaten eggs, 1/4 cup of whole meal flour, 1 cup of fresh milk, 3 cups of mixed chopped, steamed green vegetables and 1 cup of grated tasty cheese. Once combined, season and bake in a greased 25cm casserole dish at 160˚C for 30-35 minutes and then serve with a fresh garden salad. Fresh, filling and delicious!

Get creative with what is already in the fridge and pantry – You don't need anything exotic to whip together a delicious, healthy meal, you just have to be inventive. Try looking at what you already have and turn those ingredients into a great dish rather than going out and getting more. For instance, when's the last time you made a scrumptious stack of

French style Fritters:
Mix together 2 beaten eggs, a can of drained red kidney beans, 3 cups of par-boiled coarsely grated sweet potatoes and 1/4 cup of chopped parsley. Once mixed thoroughly, season and pan fry large spoonfuls at a time in a little olive oil until browned and lightly crisped. Serve in stacks and top with a spoonful of sour cream, add a good sprinkle of freshly grated black pepper and you're good to go.

Get inspired with vegetables – When's the last time you did something creative with your veggies? Forget baking, boiling, steaming or frying, try mixing it up a bit. For instance, try using eggs and vegetables in place of meat in breadcrumb coated dishes.

It's easy, just cut 1-2cm thick slices of pumpkin, eggplant or the centre of a cauliflower. Dip the slices in seasoned flour, a bowl of beaten eggs and crunchy homemade breadcrumbs that have chopped fresh herbs added. Once coated in your breadcrumbs, pan fry the slices on medium heat in a little olive oil. Once cooked through, place the slices on the plate, spoon over your favourite tomato-based sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.Serve with cooked fresh French green beans. Delicious!

Experiment with salads – When making salads, always shop according to the season and try to be creative with your salads – you don't always have to use lettuce! 

For a delicious autumnal salad, try lightly steaming pumpkin, sweet potato, potatoes, broccoli or cauliflower and then gently combining them with quartered soft or hard-boiled eggs, canned and drained butter beans and a traditional French dressing. For a bit of extra French indulgence, top with slices of triple cream Brie and sprinkle with freshly picked herbs. Voilà.