Food prices are no joke right now. This week, our Parkinson’s diet is going back to basics — meals that cost less, stretch further, and still put something satisfying on the table. Budget cooking done well isn’t about going without. It’s about being smart with what you buy and making it work hard.

The theme this week also lends itself nicely to Parkinson’s observations. Budget meals tend to be carb-forward — pasta, potato, rice — which generally means less protein competition with the medication. It will be interesting to see if that plays out across the week.

One of the tricks this week is the chilli con carne pulling double duty — served one night as chilli, then the leftovers become the topping for baked potatoes the next. Same cook, two meals. HAIYAA, that’s how you stretch a dollar. 😄

This Week’s Menu

This Week’s Menu

	Dinner	Source	Notes for Parkinson’s Observation
🥧	Shepherd’s Pie	Family recipe	Mince base, mash topping — moderate protein, good carb buffer from the potato.
🌶️	Chilli Con Carne	Online — omit the beans	Higher protein night. No beans in this house — just extra mince and veg. Watch timing with tablets.
🥔	Baked Potato with leftover chilli	Family recipe	Same mince base as the night before, different carb. Good comparison between potato and rice/pasta.
🍳	Fried Rice	Uncle Roger’s recipe	Egg and rice base — moderate protein. Day-old rice is the key. HAIYAA.
🍲	Chicken and Vegetable Soup	Family recipe	Slow cooker soup — light protein from chicken, lots of veg. Soup nights tend to be kind to the tablets.
🍝	Mince Pasta Bake	Family recipe	Pasta bake sauce, mince, onion, cheese on top. Higher protein — worth watching.
🌮	Tacos	Family recipe	A reliable family favourite. Homemade seasoning, no hidden additives.

A Note on the Chilli Con Carne

Chilli con carne traditionally includes beans, but in our house beans are a no. So we simply find a recipe online that looks good and leave the beans out — adding a little extra mince and vegetables instead to make up the bulk. There are plenty of good recipes to be found with a quick search; it really comes down to personal preference on spice level and which vegetables you like.

The same goes for the fried rice — Uncle Roger’s egg fried rice recipe is the one we use. You can find it at woknrollequipment.com.au/blogs/recipe-ideas/uncle-roger-egg-fried-rice or search “Uncle Roger egg fried rice” and you’ll find it quickly. The key rules: day-old rice, hot wok, MSG. HAIYAA.

Our Own Recipes This Week

🥧 Shepherd’s Pie

A classic that never gets old. The mash topping is the best part.

Ingredients

• 500g beef mince
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup beef stock
• 800g potatoes
• 2 tbsp butter
• ¼ cup milk
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Boil potatoes for 15 minutes then mash with butter and milk. Season well.
2. Cook onion and mince in a pan until browned.
3. Add carrot, peas, tomato paste and stock. Simmer 10 minutes.
4. Place mince mixture in a baking dish and spread mash on top.
5. Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes until the top is golden.

🥔 Baked Potato with Leftover Chilli

A baked potato is one of the most underrated budget meals going. Filling, cheap, and a perfect vehicle for leftover chilli.

Ingredients (per person)

• 1 large potato
• Leftover chilli con carne, reheated
• Cheese, grated
• Sour cream (optional)
• Salt and olive oil for the skin

Method

• Preheat oven to 200°C.
• Scrub potato, prick all over with a fork, rub with olive oil and salt.
• Bake directly on the oven rack for 60–75 minutes until the skin is crispy and the inside is soft.
• Cut open, fluff the inside with a fork.
• Top with reheated chilli, cheese, and sour cream if using.

Tip: Microwaving for 5 minutes first then finishing in the oven cuts the cooking time down considerably.

🍲 Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Homemade soup in the slow cooker is one of the easiest budget meals you can make. Throw everything in, set it, and come back to a house that smells amazing. Use whatever vegetables you have — this is a great fridge-cleaner.

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts or leftover roast chicken, shredded
• 1 litre chicken stock (bought)
• Vegetables of your choice — we usually use carrot, celery, potato, zucchini, and corn
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• Salt and pepper
• Optional: a handful of pasta or rice to bulk it out

Method

1. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker — stock, chicken, vegetables, onion, garlic, salt and pepper.
2. Cook on low for 6–8 hours or high for 3–4 hours.
3. If adding pasta or rice, stir through in the last 30 minutes on high so it doesn’t go mushy.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
5. Serve with crusty bread if you have it.

Tip: This makes a big batch and the flavour improves overnight — leftovers the next day are even better.

🍝 Mince Pasta Bake

A simple, filling bake that the whole family enjoys. Bought pasta works perfectly here — it’s a bake, not a fresh pasta dish.

Ingredients

• 500g beef mince
• 1 onion, diced
• 400g pasta (penne or rigatoni work well)
• 1 jar pasta bake sauce
• Salt and pepper
• Cheese, grated — generous handful for the top

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Cook pasta until just under al dente — it will finish cooking in the oven.
2. Brown mince and onion in a pan. Season well.
3. Combine mince, drained pasta, and pasta bake sauce in a large baking dish. Stir to combine.
4. Top generously with grated cheese.
5. Bake 25–30 minutes until bubbling and the cheese is golden.

Tip: Don’t fully cook the pasta before baking or it will go mushy. Just under al dente is the sweet spot.

🌮 Tacos

A family favourite that doubles as a budget meal — mince goes a long way in tacos.

Ingredients

• 500g beef mince
• 1 onion, diced
• Taco shells or soft tortillas
• Salsa
• Sour cream and cheese to serve

Homemade Taco Seasoning

• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp chilli powder or chilli flakes
• ½ tsp salt

Method

• Brown mince and onion with a little salt.
• Add taco seasoning and 2–3 teaspoons of salsa. Cook through.
• Heat taco shells and serve with toppings of your choice.

Tip: Alternative serving idea: bowl with mince, salsa and cheese, with quartered tortilla pieces as edible cutlery.

Observations — Stretch the Dollar Week

This week was a bit of a drama in the kitchen, but there were still plenty of wins. I forgot to put the bacon into the chilli con carne, so I added it to the fried rice instead. Unfortunately, between the MSG, two soy sauces and the bacon, it was over the top salty. It won’t be a recipe I follow again — it didn’t feel like an Uncle Roger fried rice and there was something in it that knocked hubby around a bit. My guess is the excess salt. Back to the drawing board on a fried rice recipe.

The soup had its own drama — it seems my food was thirsty and drank itself, to the point that the pasta turned to mush. Lesson learned there.

On the plus side, the chilli con carne was the standout of the week and a firm favourite. The rest of the meals did what they were supposed to do.

Beyond the dinners, it was a busy week in the kitchen. I also made a chocolate pie after hubby spotted it on Alaskan Bush People and asked if I could make it. It is basically a chocolate custard in a pie crust — I found recipes for both and whipped one up. I am not normally a fan of cold custard, but this one is worth trying. Here is the recipe.

We also tried a pink dragonfruit sorbet after I found some frozen pink dragonfruit. It was yummy, but passionfruit sorbet with lemon jelly is still the favourite for J and I.

I also remade bread, butter and custard for the week as usual.