THE current credit crunch is making us all think about the cost of our weekly shop and what we are putting in our trolleys each week.

One of the most effective way to cut the food bills is to plan your menus for the week ahead, write a list and shop accordingly.

Using leftovers effectively can also be a good way of saving those pennies. Recycle the weekend joint into tasty stir-fries and curries and leftover vegetables from the Sunday roast can be blitzed with stock and other flavourings to make hearty homemade soup.

Lamb is one meat that our family does not favour eating cold, so this curry with almonds and sultanas is a perfect way to use up the remains the roast for supper on Monday.

Lamb curry with sultanas and almonds

Ingredients

1 dessert apple peeled, cored and chopped

1 onion chopped

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

3 tabsp butter

2 tabsp olive oil

1 tabsp curry powder

2 tabsp flour

2 cups chicken stock

½ cup apple cider

½ cup sultanas

3 cups cooked lamb

½ cup mango chutney

½ cup flaked toasted almonds

Salt and pepper

Method

Melt butter and oil in large frying pan and add apple, onion and garlic and cook until tender.Add flour then chicken stock and cider and whisk as the sauce thickens. Stir in the currants and the lamb and heat through thoroughly. Check seasoning and adjust to your taste. Stir in chutney and almonds and serve over your favourite cooked rice.