Kooking with a Koori is the debut cookbook from one of Tik Tok’s biggest Aussie stars, Nathan Lyons. Today, Nathan is on the blog to tell us how to cook low-budget weeknight meals for the whole family. Read on!
Nathan Lyons (Photo by Lawrence Furzey).
Hi, I’m Nathan Lyons, better known as the guy from Kooking with a Koori on social media. I’m 35 years old and have six kids in the 3-14 age range. With six fussy eaters and as a shift worker, I’ve had to budget my meals and create dishes that are quick, easy and delicious.
Thanks to the pandemic, people are doing it tough. I grew up in social housing raised by a single mother with four kids, so money was tight. Mum taught me back then how to budget with food and how to create meals that will feed the family cheaply.
Some dinners, I can feed our family of eight for $8 just by using basic ingredients and ideas, and keeping it simple. Here are my top 5 tips for keeping costs down, but not the flavour.
1. Plan ahead
Planning is important. Look for recipe ideas and plan the week around them. Another way to think ahead is to plan how to stretch a kilo of mince over a couple of meals using a few simple ingredients.
2. Stock your pantry with basic flavours
By stockpiling some basic spices and herbs, you can change a standard meal into something beautiful. Curry, chilli, garlic, pepper, Italian herbs and oregano are some of the basics for me.
3. Keep a supply of staples on hand
Having a supply of the basic staples is a great way to change a meal – just switch the staple used. You can mix up the side dish, such as rice, pasta, noodles, etc. You can also create variations by adding in a basic sauce or altering the method used – mashed vs boiled potatoes, for example. That all breaks up the repetitiveness of having the same meal over and over, while still keeping those fussy eaters happy.
4. Choose versatile ingredients
Selecting a few simple ingredients that can be prepared in many different ways is key. That will create a new experience each mealtime. Chicken and potatoes are two examples of foods that can be used in a variety of ways, creating new textures. Paired with basic flavours and staples, versatile ingredients allow you to have many different recipes at the ready.
5. Keep it simple
Many people find cooking daunting. Just keep it simple; don’t over complicate things. Learning is important, too. If you burn something, that’s OK – you’ve just learnt a way that doesn’t work. There are many videos online that will show you ways to cook simple and delicious meals.
Kooking with a Koori in action! Check out one of Nathan’s Tik Toks below.
—Kooking with a Koori by Nathan Lyons (Simon & Schuster Australia) is out on 7 July. Pre-order a signed copy today (available only while stocks last!).
Kooking with a Koori
Limited Signed Copies Available!
He’s the viral sensation on TikTok who’s showing families that you don’t need to spend a motser to feed your hungry household.
Western Sydney dad Nathan Lyons regularly feeds his family of eight for just $8, and his #madfeedz videos have attracted more than 127,000 followers and more than 1.4 million likes. Kooking with a Koori is a collection of Nathan's best recipes and more Indigenous Australian soul foods that won’t break the bank...
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