Savoury bread and butter pudding

For an inexpensive and easy meal a savoury B&B pudding is a good option.  As it is one of my daughter's favourites you might guess that it contains cheese!!  For one or two people I would suggest halving the amounts shown - except for the eggs - just use two.

• 300mls whole or semi-skimmed milk 
• approx 75g butter (you can use spread but butter really is preferable if you can afford it)
• 8 slices of slightly stale white bread, cut into triangles.  If it isn't already stale leave it out for a few hours.
• 3 eggs
• 1 onion
• cream cheese
• grated strong cheese 

1. Put the milk into a pan and heat to just below boiling point then allow to cool
2. Peel and chop the onion very small
3. Butter the bread and the dish
4. Spread the bread with the cream cheese
5. Arrange half of the slices of bread in overlapping rows in the dish and sprinkle half the onion over the top
6. Beat the eggs until well mixed, then beat the milk (and cream) into the mixture
7. Pour half the mixture over the bread and leave to soak in for around 20 minutes
8. Preheat the oven to 180ºC  gas mark 5
9. Arrange the other half of the bread and onion over the top and drizzle over the remainder of the egg custard mixture. 
10. Place the dish in a roasting tin and half fill the tin with water to create a bain marie then place in the oven for 35 to 45 minutes until golden brown.
11. When ready remove from oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Marmite and Pasta

This isn't my recipe, I saw it on a television program but it is so simple that it could be anyone's.  It is very easy and very inexpensive.  If you are a marmite lover you will already have all the ingredients in your store cupboard which means that it is a good standby if you have run out of everything else.  I cannot vouch for the taste of this dish as I am not a marmite lover - I just can't get past the smell!


You simply need 
Pasta
Butter
Marmite.

• Put a fistful of dried pasta per person into a pan of water with a tiny touch of salt (remember that the marmite will be salty), bring to the boil and cook until the pasta is soft with just a hint of bite.  If using spaghetti use approx 120g per person.
• In another pan melt some butter and marmite with a spoonful of the water the pasta is cooking in.  The quantities are up to you depending on the number of people and your individual taste.
• When the pasta is cooked drain it well and toss with the marmite and butter mix.

Basics: A word about butter

When it comes to any recipe which calls for the use of butter or a butter substitute I shall probably always refer to it as butter, but you can use whatever butter substitute you prefer. If I think you really need to use butter for the flavour I will say so but feel free to ignore that advice.

One other thing about butter - don't use butter on its own for frying (i.e browning chicken breasts) as it burns very quickly and will really impair the flavour of what you are cooking. Either use your butter substitute, having checked first that it is suitable for the purpose - many of them are not - or use a little butter as it give the nice brown colour, and add a little oil with it.

On student budgets, butter is not going to be a staple item in your fridge, but keep your eyes open for special offers and reduced items for an occasional treat.