{"id":143781,"date":"2021-06-04T12:30:57","date_gmt":"2021-06-04T01:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/?p=143781"},"modified":"2021-06-08T12:22:56","modified_gmt":"2021-06-08T01:22:56","slug":"5-tips-for-low-budget-weeknight-cooking-with-nathan-lyons-aka-kooking-with-a-koori","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.booktopia.com.au\/blog\/2021\/06\/04\/5-tips-for-low-budget-weeknight-cooking-with-nathan-lyons-aka-kooking-with-a-koori\/","title":{"rendered":"5 tips for low-budget weeknight cooking with Nathan Lyons (aka Kooking with a Koori)!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Kooking<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Kooking with a Koori<\/a><\/strong> 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!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Nathan<\/a>

Nathan Lyons (Photo by Lawrence Furzey).<\/p><\/div>\n

Hi, I\u2019m Nathan Lyons, better known as the guy from Kooking with a Koori on social media. I\u2019m 35 years old and have six kids in the 3-14 age range. With six fussy eaters and as a shift worker, I\u2019ve had to budget my meals and create dishes that are quick, easy and delicious.<\/p>\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Plan ahead<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Stock your pantry with basic flavours<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Keep a supply of staples on hand<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Having a supply of the basic staples is a great way to change a meal \u2013 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 \u2013 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Choose versatile ingredients<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Keep it simple<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Many people find cooking daunting. Just keep it simple; don\u2019t over complicate things. Learning is important, too. If you burn something, that\u2019s OK \u2013 you\u2019ve just learnt a way that doesn\u2019t work. There are many videos online that will show you ways to cook simple and delicious meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kooking with a Koori in action! Check out one of Nathan’s Tik Toks below.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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@kookingwithakoori<\/a>

Kooking with a koori \ud83d\udda4\ud83d\udc9b\u2764\ufe0f bangers and mash #madfeedz<\/a> #food<\/a> #foodtok<\/a> #aboriginal<\/a> #australia<\/a> #fyp<\/a> #deadly<\/a> #foodie<\/a> #homemade<\/a> #dinner<\/a><\/p> \u266c Coming of Age – Blondes<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote>