lRevised Bacon & Egg Pie: frugal, low-cholesterol, easy, fodmap options

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Every household has its 'restrict further food spending - budget's getting low' days.  Here's a brilliant solution.

1st posted 2018; updated 10/24

For days when the food budget is drawing down to zero!!

This dish proves that small - very small - amounts of protein mixed with vegetables and carbs can make a frugal dish a singular delight.  

Called 'Bacon & Egg Pie' in some North American Chinese restaurants, the dish makes good use of a few slices of bacon, or pastram/spiced beef, and a solitary egg.  

The meat - 2 medium thick slices minimum, 3 if you're living dangerously - with fat removed adds a glorious saltiness.  The egg adds its own sauce. 

It's very quick and easy; no waiting around for ages before one can eat!  The meat and veg steam on top of the rice; you can manage with just one pot and an optional frying pan. 

Perfect singleton/couples' food!

Though 67 is normally a purist where rice is concerned, here the rice is a quick cook long grain, ready in 15-20 minutes. (67 tested M&S: £1 for a kilo which was unexpectedly good.  Waitrose Waitrose probably has a similar product. If you've deep pockets, Tilda do a quick cook Basmati rice for a fiver.)

Note: fodmap friendly veg for this recipe includes finely sliced green, Savoy or Chinese cabbage OR kale, spinach and small standard broccoli florets   

     

Cost: £2.50'ish
Feeds:1 

Ingred:
   145gms/3/4 cup quick cook white rice

   360 ml/1.5 cups water

   2-3 slices back or turkey bacon or 55gm/2oz pastrami or spiced beef, fat removed, in 1/2 in/1 cm strips
   80 gm/3 oz tenderstem broccoli or shredded sprouts OR green beans or a mix 
   1 tsp dairy/plant butter (opt)
   1 egg per person (opt) - 2 if you're very hungry

   Garnish: oyster or hoisin sauce

Method:

Equipment: small or medium sized pan with tight fitting lid

1. Place a fine sieve over a bowl, add rice, rinse with tap water until the water in the bowl is no longer cloudy
2. Drain; add rice to a pan; add water; bring to a boil, uncovered; reduce heat to med low, fit a lid firmly over the pan and cook 5 mins; remove lid -- much of the water will have been absorbed and the rice grains will have begun to swell 
3. Scatter meat evenly across the surface, avoiding clumping; arrange veg in one layer around the edges of the pan.  If there's not enough room, scatter sprouts lightly over the bacon
4. Return lid; continue cooking a further 5 minutes
5. Test veg; it not done to your liking, cook a further 5 mins.  
6. In the meantime, fry or poach eggs until whites are firm but yolk still runny 
7. Transfer cooked veg to the outer edges of a serving dish, stir bacon into the rice in the pot; pile it into the dish, letting the green veg peek through
8. If liked, add a little plant/dairy butter on the rice and place egg on top 

Tips:

• In the UK, cup measures are 250ml but a good sized coffee mug will do so long as you use the same mug for measuring everything
• Don't like the idea of bacon?  Replace with generous slivers of pastrami or spicy beef sausage
• If you liked this you will also like Piquant Rice, a sassy wallet-friendly vegan base with options for cooked meat or fish

Stir-fries: the ultimate fast food

Quick, easy, fabulously tasty and economical.  What more could one ask?  Try these:

    The Art of Stir-Fry: a guide to stir-fry technique 

    7 minute Pork/Chicken & Pineapple Noodles 

    Slimmers' Beef with Veg

    Vegan: Low-carb Harvest Veg

    Lamb leg with Sherry, Soy Sauce & Orange

   

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This recipe has  been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.

HALLOWE'EN POTLUCK FAVOURITES FROM 67GOINGON50: 2 x soup & sweets

 

These are four of the Bloggers favourite foods to share at Hallowe'en or Guy Fawkes parties or share-the-cost by bringing for what's known as potluck dinners.  

Want to party but on a tight budget?  Try Pot Luck!

 updated How to do Potluck (2015)

Spread the cost.  

Every guest brings a dish or drink - usually a favourite, in quantities large enough for several people.  Plan it right and y our table will be filled with a varied, ample selection of food. Becasue no dish needs to provide a full serving for everyone, guests can sample lots of different foods. 

  

Spicy Corn Chowder, 4 ways 

Beautiful, perfectly spiced light Party Piece to satisfy all comers!

Chowders are a substantial American soup, studded with onions, potato, corn and seafood, usually in a creamy or tomato base.  67goingon50 designed this  Chowder for Quadruple Duty: it can be vegan or vegetarian, and seafood can be replaced with mini-meatballs of minced chicken or beef. Easy.  Low fat and preservatives.

 

Hot & Sour Soup 

Soups for Hallowe'en often offer a kick of spices to take off the chill after outdoor events.  This one, for sophisticated diners, has an Asian twist with exotic heat.  It's stunningly delicious with good strong flavours and creamy,  non-dairy textures.  And  it's great for boosting the immune system before winter sets in!

                       Chilli Chocolate Truffles (low added sugar) with fresh chilli garnish

Sophisticated treat for adult chocolate-lovers'; easy, make-in-advance
'Perfect.  Heat & a kick of chilli without harshness in silky smooth chocolate'
 

         

Basic Chocolate truffle mini-bricks 

 Rectangular truffles, with alcohol option; easy, make ahead, utterly delicious  

Basic Truffles with Grand Marnier, coated in Hazelnuts or Cocoa 
'Very rich and luxurious with an expensive, pure dark chocolate taste.' 'Melt in the mouth; just right' 'Like shop bought or Belgian.'  Tasters

DISCLAIMER: The author accepts no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. 

These recipes have been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission

From the Archives: Early Gems from the 67goingon50 Archives: mostly frugal, low-fat/cholesterol & easy

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WELCOME TO THE BLOG (nav bar above)

FOR THE LATEST  FOOD NEWS, incl

NEW & CLOSING RESTAURANTS/FOOD SHOPS 

From the early Archives, some wonderful soups, sides, dishes that are 'more than a snack but not quite a meal' and mains.  They've been edited and the prices updated.  Most are healthy and all are delicous and interesting.   Go on, give them a try! 

SOUPS

Spinach & Bean Soup

Unbelievably good, chunky or smooth; not stodgy or heavy.  

Nutrient-rich from cupboard ingredients, part-prepare in advance 

Celeriac & Apple Soup

Silky, Delicate, Heavenly

How does such an ugly vegetable produce something so sumptuous?

Mushroom, Spinach & Chicken Liver Broth

Nothing calorific here but it's tasty, satisfying and slimming...

UBER SNACKS

Tortilla Espagnol (Potato Omelette): Cheats' version)

An all time favourite from Spain made easy

with chips from the chippie (ideal) or oven chips

Delicious hot; delightful at room temperature

Tortilla Espagnol II: Small Households' Stovetop version

  with peppers, cheese & other veg

Sausage & Crispy Potato Hash

Great at using up leftovers, low fat/cholesterol; easy

Veggie or meat sausages with crisp fried potatoes: Yum!

Family Delight Baked Beans

             Make-your-own beans are easy, saves money, provides 

             high grade plant protein and are delicious  & comforting. 

 Guilt-free comfort food, a winter warmer with lively spices

 

MAINS

One-Pot Un-fried Tuna Rice:

Party-perfect simple tasty budget dish that's low-fat/cholestero

Kid/ults love the perennial combo of tuna, sweetcorn & carb; this one contains 
peas and fat-free rice


Vegan 'Steak' 'n Gravy
Rich, saucy vegan delight that'll fool carnivores

Almost-instant Tuna Salad Italian Style:

Tinned tuna, tinned beans & deli antipasti 

With or without bread, ultra-healthy & satisfying

Spiced Pheasant with Orange

Rich & full bodied but low-fat/cholesterol; dairy-free option

Braised Pheasant is a scrumptious wallet-friendly treat;
this one is gorgeously non-traditional with Middle Eastern flavours 

Stir-fried Turkey Drumstick with Cabbage & Corn

Healthy, wholesome light & lovely; get the timing right

(post Thanksgiving & Christmas) and turkey prices drop 

These recipes have  been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.

FAMILY DELIGHT BEAUTIFUL BAKED BEANS: frugal, high fibre, low-sugar, versatile

Baked beans cooked from scratch are a revelation...they're low in added sugar and are very tasty

first posted Feb 2016 as Beautiful Baked Beans; updated 10/24

 Nearly Sugar-free Baked Beans, from Scratch
'Better than you-know-who's and better for you!' Taster

    

Baked beans from dry instead of from tins saves money, provides high grade plant protein with little effort, use time productively and is abase for a variety of  savoury comforting food. 

Dried beans and pulses are relatively cheap but require soaking overnight. They also need boiling and draining.  Twice.  But you can get on with other things during these stages. 

The results - tender beans with just a touch of resistance - are lovely.  The Beans absorb the juices they're cooked in and unlike tinned versions, levels of sugar are almost Nil. What's not to like?

Boston Baked Beans - sweet & salty with an undercurrent of heat - are a classic American dish.  67's version makes it more tomato-y and moderates the heat.  The base recipe is Vegan but there's a variation for carnivores and a less spicy kids' version that is also a little sweeter without adding sugar.   

The beans freeze well.

Cost: £3-4, more for carnivores (cut costs by making your own sun-blush tomato bombs)  
Feeds: 6-8

Ingred:
   450 gm/16 oz dried haricot beans (the best you can afford)
   2 cloves garlic, grated or minced (opt) 
   1 lge onion, thinly sliced (opt)
   1 small red chilli, deseeded and cut into fine strips, or 1/3 tsp chilli flakes 
   1 bay leaf
   2-3 tbsp molasses or black treacle
   2-3 tbsp tomato ketchup
   1 tsp dry mustard OR 1.5 tsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard
   1/2 tsp dried ginger or 2-3 med slices of fresh ginger 
   1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
   1/3 tsp salt
   350 gm sun-blush tomatoes (sun-dried will be too salty) (Make your own sun blush toms) 
    
Carnivore version:
    350 gm/12 oz shredded cooked ham hock (Frugal Food: Ham Hock) or (for those without cholesterol issues) raw unsmoked back bacon
   
Kids' version:
   No chilli or ginger and only half the mustard; unsweetened tomato juice (opt)

Method:

1. Soak beans overnight
2. Drain; put beans in a large pan and cover with 3 pints water; bring to boil; simmer 2 mins; drain & return to pan
3. Add garlic & onion if using, chili & bay leaf to beans.  Add 3 pints/1 1/2 litre water; bring to the boil; reduce heat to medium, cover, cook gently until beans are tender, 45 mins - 1 hour 
4. Drain in a sieve, reserving liquid  
5. Measure 1 pint liquid and stir in molasses, ketchup, mustard, ginger, Worcestershire sauce and salt.
6. Add liquid to beans.  Halve sunblush tomatoes or cut into thirds OR chop coarsely; stir into beans  
7. This is your base; divide according to the number of carnivores and vegetarians and proceed as below. 
8. Preheat oven to 40 f, 200c, 180 fan; gas 6.  The full recipe will bake in a 4-pint/ 2 1/4 litre baking dish. Adjust cooking vessel/s according to proportion of carnivores and vegetarians.  Cover dish/es and bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours or until beans have absorbed sauce and are tender 
9. Slow Cooker: 5-7 hours on low; check level of liquid after 4 hours.  When beans are tender with just a bit of resistance, check seasoning.  
10. Allow to stand for a few minutes before serving

Carnivores: Before baking:

     If using shredded ham hock, bury in the body of the beans along with the bone from the knuckle 

    If using raw bacon, separate pieces and scatter; push below surface of beans

Kids: 
    Half an hour before end of cooking, add sliced cooked sausages or vegetarian frankfurters (Tivali are great); if not sweet enough for the kids' palates, add 1/4-1/2 mug tomato juice

Comment:
'The beans were a great winter warmer and the little bit of spice livened it up.  It felt like guilt-free comfort food.' 20+ fund-raiser
'Better than you-know-who's and better for you!' Retired writer


Tips:
Remember: beans need to be teamed with wheat, rice, cheese, eggs or animal protein  to provide all essential amino acids

Serving Suggestions:

• succulent casserole for an informal party
• with crusty bread & salad for supper
• on wholemeal toast, sprinkled with cheese for a light supper
• as part of an English breakfast
• with poached eggs for brunch
• on wholemeal toast for brekkie
• cold from the fridge, eaten with a spoon after the pub

                                                            

                                                      More triple duty dishes, use 67 search function...

Please make a Comment in the box below 

This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.