Nothing will make you feel more smugly frugal than creating your own home-made stock. Chicken is the best all-rounder, and it's worth saving up chicken carcasses and bones in the freezer until you have enough to make a decent batch. In fact, it's a crime not to, especially if you are eating decent free-range or organic birds. If you like the idea of stock-making but know that never in a million years will you actually get around it, the quality of commercially available stocks continues to improve. Marigold Bouillon is recommended by many chefs, and Kallo Organic is another good brand. The nearest thing to homemade, though, is the Knorr Stockpots range – little pots of intense jellied flavour. Here is a recipe for basic chicken stock, plus a couple of suggestions for good things to do with it when you've made it.

Each recipe: serves 4 costs: between €1.25 and €1.30 a portion, preparation time: less than 30 minutes

Basic chicken stock Costs: 70c

1 chicken carcass, plus bones, skin removed

2 carrots

1 onion

2 sticks celery

2 bay leaves

6 peppercorns

Place the ingredients in a heavy saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring slowly to a gentle simmer, skimming the surface for scum every 10 minutes or so. Do not boil, as this will result in a cloudy, greasy stock. Simmer for 1½ to two hours. Allow to cool and strain through a fine sieve. In the fridge, the fat will rise to the surface and can be easily removed before use.

Chicken and tarragon risotto Costs: €5.20 (excluding the chicken)

This first came about when we had the remnants of chicken in tarragon sauce in the fridge. But it's so good it's worth making anytime you find yourself with roast-chicken leftovers.

2 tbsp olive oil

A knob of butter

3-4 shallots, finely chopped

Leftover cooked chicken, a couple of handfuls, chopped

350g arborio rice

1 litre chicken stock

200ml dry white wine

Bunch of tarragon, leaves chopped

4 tbsp crème fraiche

Heat the olive oil and butter and cook the shallots over a gentle heat until soft but not coloured. Bring the stock and wine to a gentle boil. Add the rice to the shallots and stir until the grains of rice are coated in the butter and oil mixture. Add the stock a ladleful at a time, stirring the risotto until the liquid is absorbed before adding another ladleful. When the rice is nearly al dente (this will take about 20-25 minutes), add the cooked chicken and then, a few minutes later, the chopped tarragon. When the chicken is heated through and the rice is cooked but still has a bite to it, remove the pan from the heat, stir in the crème fraiche and serve.

White bean, lemon and spinach soup Costs: €4.90

(from Soup! By Pippa Cuthbert and Lindsay Cameron Wilson)

Knob of butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 fennel bulbs, finely chopped

3 bay leaves

Salt

Black pepper

Grated rind of 1 lemon

1 litre chicken (or vegetable) stock

300g tin cannellini or butter beans, drained and rinsed

150g spinach

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, fennel and bay leaves and cook over medium heat for five minutes or so, until the onion is starting to caramelise. Add a pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper, and then the lemon rind and stock. Bring to the boil and add the beans. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir the spinach into the simmering soup allowing it to wilt, but make sure it still retains its green colour. Serve with warm crusty bread.