HOT PINEAPPLE PUDDING, low-sugar, frugal

A Low-Sugar, Frugal, Juicy Tropical Sweet

Peeled, cored, sliced pineapple - details below.

Pineapples have been served in the UK since the 1700's, when they were associated with great wealth and supreme gardening skills.  

Today, with pineapples available in supermarkets for £1, there's no excuse for not indulging in this tangy, refreshing fruit. They are great on their own, in cakes, in cocktails and combined with many meats.  

OK, it is a drag wrestling with the scaly skin and the tough inner core and, indeed, in working out whether the fruit is actually ripe.  But once you have learned how to approach pineapples without trepidation, going back to tinned will be less appealing. Photos below show how to proceed.    

Before you start, the best way of testing the ripeness of a pineapple is is to pull out one of spiky leaves from the centre of the tree-like fronds on top.  It should come out easily.  Another test is does it smell ripe?    

With the less expensive pineapples, it won't be until you get home and open up the fruit that you will learn how hard or soft the inner flesh is.  Sometimes you will be surprised at how tender and ready-to-eat it is; other times, you'll know cooking is necessary.

Hot Pineapple Pudding is simply superb, hot, heady with tropical scent, naturally sweet, exotic without costing the earth.  It is baked with the tiniest amount of muscovado sugar (also known as molasses sugar - the darkest on the market) and fresh grated ginger.  Ginger root is the key ingredient here -- try to get fresh  -- and gives an undisputed but welcome kick.  People who normally don't like ginger will love this.  Served with yoghurt cream or, if there are no cholesterol issues, single or whipping cream, the Hot Pineapple Pudding is a winner.         


Cost: £1.20
Serves: 3-4

Ingred:
   3/4 of a peeled, quartered and cored pineapple, sliced
   1-2 tsp of dark muscovado sugar
   1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger or 1 tsp dried
   Water or orange juice 

Method: (See preparing pineapples below)

1. Slice pineapples 1/2"/1 cm thick
2. Put one layer in a ceramic baking tray (5 1/2" by 10/14cm x 26 cm or a 8"/20cm square or round)
3. Scatter with a scant 1/3 tsp of sugar and 1/3 of the ginger
4. Repeat layers until pineapple is used up
5. Add enough water or orange juice to just cover the fruit. Cover dish with a tight fitting lid or with foil.
6. Bake at 350F/180c/gas 4 for 45 mins to an hour or until cooked through 
7. OR
8. Marinade pineapple in the ingredients above for a couple of hours or overnight and grill OR
9. Cook in a large frying pan with ingredients above until soft and cooked through

Cut off Top and Bottom
Use Sharp Knife to Slice away
 Peel in Manageable Sections 

Remove Eyes via
V-shaped incision

Halve and then quarter pineapple.
Cut away & discard tough inner core

More fruity desserts on NavBar: Recipes 1

Please leave a Comment in the box below

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

GETTING THE BEST FROM YOUR FREEZER

(This How To... is repeated for new visitors to 67goingon50.  Also published as Freezer Matters 17/3/15)

updated 2019

Food waste is a scourge of modern society...

...not just because of the tired but true aphorism about starving children in foreign countries but also because we're so conscious of food costs now. 

Freezers are thus a god-send, saving time, effort, fuel and money. (Reducing Food Bills)  But care must be taken.   

If you are lucky enough to have a freezer -- and it would be wonderful if all low- income families had one, along with cooking lessons -- then be aware of the safety rules.

The following  information is based on the Government's Food Safety/Freezer Safety site and the blog's experience in professional kitchens.

1.  Freezer temperature: should be  -18C
      Freezers are most effective when full and there are recommendations  that empty spaces be filled with crumpled newspaper.  

2.  Safe freezer times:  

Processed meat  1-2 months

Raw Ground meat 3-4 months 

Raw Chops 4-6 months 

Raw Steaks 6-12 months

Raw Roasts 9 months to a year

Cooked meat 2-6 months

 Leftovers: 2 months

(67 aims to use up anything in the freezer, apart from stock bones, within a month.)

3.  Pre-freezing tips

• Preparation:  The product should cool for at least an hour before being refrigerated overnight then frozen.  

• Cooked rice needs careful handling.  Spread cooked rice in a thin layer on a large tray to allow the rice to cool thoroughly.  Squash any lumps of rice to prevent pockets which breed bacterial.  Leave for an hour before refrigerating overnight.  Freeze flat in single or double portions.

• Storage bags should either zip or press shut or be tied tightly with string, rubber band or a length of rolled up cling film.  The most expensive and larger bags can be re-used.  Budget storage bags include common, all-garden sealable sandwich bags.  The lunch club pronounced Morrison's sealable sandwich bags the 'best of the supermarkets' -- packets of 50 are regularly on sale . If the bag has not contained raw meat or fish, or anything with  sauce, it can be washed, dried and re-used.  Clean plastic carrier bags are suitable for large items.

• Storage containers.  Take-away plastic containers from Chinese restaurants and good delis make great containers for stocks and broth.  Plastic storage containers with lockable lids are widely available at reasonable prices in most supermarkets but opt for the ones that don't threaten to break off your fingers when opening them! 67goingon50 recommends the nest of plastic storage boxes sold by Marks & Spencer. Also try Nisbets on the net for storage containers. 

• Labels: 67 can usually remember what's in the freezer but has been caught out. If you freeze a lot at different times, you'll need special labels and pens, found surprisingly cheaply in newsagents.

• Singleton and small icebox freezing. Store in one-portion bags; freeze flatt for easier storage. Store bread in single or double slices; they'll defrost faster when you're starving and haven't planned a meal. 

4.   What else can be frozen?  

• leftover stews takes on a new life as chunky soups
• end of week raw and/or salads vegetables, trimmed of any manky bits, can be frozen in a bag and made into, or enhance, vegetable stock  
• leftover cooked veg, pureed, adds flavour & body to soups & casseroles
• defrosted leftover meat, raw or cooked,  adds a cheap hit of protein to pasta, rice & soups 
• fresh banana chunks, coated in chocolate and frozen, provide a cheap healthy alternative to ice cream 

• see Baking  & Sandwiches below

5.  Defrosting

• Ideally, take the item out of the freezer ­­the night before and place  on the bottom shelf of the fridge on a plate or in a bowl. The food should be defrosted by dinnertime the following day.  Some people use the defrost function in a microwave but 67 has never been able to do so without tummy problems afterwards.

• If you are in a rush to defrost...meat, fish or cooked food.  What restaurants do is fill a thoroughly cleaned sink or container with cold water, drop in the sealed bag and let the cold tap run over it in a slow and steady stream until the item is defrosted. The time will depend on what you are defrosting but could be up to an hour.  For frozen raw fish, some professional kitchens dump the block of frozen fillets into a cleaned sink and turn on the cold water.  The fish usually defrosts in a couple of hours.  This method does not apply to baked goods.

• Bread.  One slice of bread should defrost in 20 minutes.  

6.  Reheating after defrosting :

• Reheat liquids or soupy casseroles at high temperature for at least five minutes to kill bacteria.  Add a little water or stock to maintain volume. Bring to a full rolling boil, then bubble  on medium high heat for 5 minutes.    Before serving, check seasoning as freezing can blunt flavour. 
• With lasagna or other items that may dry out on re-heating, steaming at a high heat for at least 5 minutes or the the boil-in-the-bag technique (again at least five minutes) is effective, as long as the bag will withstand the heat.  
• With cooked meat, reheat at least 5 mins on med high.  Either brown in a small amount of oil till crisp and add to rice for a total 5 mins OR add seasoning, brown in a small amount of oil over high heat for a few mins & turn down heat to med high for 2-3 mins.  

7.  Freeze Once only

     Fresh meat can be frozen once and defrosted; once cooked and  cooled, it can be frozen a second time.  

     Casseroles, stews, soups - can be frozen once but once defrosted will be fine in the fridge up to 2 days

     Baking: whether cooked or in dough form, freeze only once

8. Baking

Cakes

• some freeze well after baking and cooling; wrap three times in cling film; defrost overnight.  Try Beatty's Glorious Chocolate Cake
• icing is better frozen separately from the cake.  Freeze in sealable bags.  Defrost overnight in the fridge.  Check the net for specialist icings like cream cheese, which may need to be whipped again, or Royal icing.
• cake batter should not be frozen (but can be left up to two days in the fridge before baking. Place a layer of clingfilm directly onto the batter to prevent a skin forming)

Cookies

• Baked cookies, once cooled, can be frozen but become a bit softer in the process; usually they'll defrost in an hour.  Place a small square of greaseproof paper in between individual cookies; it will help speed up the defrosting process
• Far better is to form the cookie dough into balls that are frozen on a baking tray then bagged up.  67 favourites include Chocolate Chip Thins, Pfeffernusse
• Similarly, American-style Ice-Box Cookies are a godsend.  The dough is formed into logs - round or square -  frozen and, when needed, sliced (frozen) and baked, with the remainder brought out again when needed.   Try  Chocolate Cinnamon Orange Ice-box Cookies,  Swirly Freezer Biscuits with Sprinkles 

9.  Sandwiches (for getting ahead of schedule!)
     See How to...Prep & Freeze Sandwiches

For those without a freezer..

Cooked food can stay safely in your fridge for up to four days.  For example, if you cook on a Monday, the dish should be consumed on or by Thursday. A good test is the sniff test -- it it smells off before the time is up, bin it!   

TIP: More Useful Information in the Daily Mail's  Who Knew You Could Freeze.....

DISCLAIMER: The author accepts no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any information not sourced to a second party is the copyright of the blogger.

I'M ON HOLIDAY TOO: SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN WINGS & CHICKEN STOCK, Easy-Peasy,

Frugal, Low-Sugar, Child & Seniors Friendly, 'I'm on Holiday Too!'  

Recipe provides super-tender Chicken Wings for kids & seniors 
 as well as intense soup stock for the adults.

This recipe does what it says on the tin:  it provides wonderful stock/broth and a quick child-friendly meal. It is also perfect for older people who don't enjoy chewing very much.  It perfectly illustrates how raw materials which produce wonderful stock can be re-used for additional meals.   

The recipe was inspired by a colleague at an award-winning restaurant at a major rail station.  Tasked with feeding the Wait staff, he rescued a load of wings from the stock pot, prepared a quick sweet and sour tomato sauce and poured it over the wings. The Wait staff and other chefs (like me) fell on the chicken like ravening hordes.

The diced veg and fruit appear like jewels in the rich, thick sauce and the flavours are bold.  Easy-to-eat nutritious meals do not have to be pureed out of existence!

Instructions for making Stock appear in Improve Your Health With Soup Stocks and Chicken Stock.  For this recipe, use at least a dozen chicken wings, tips removed but added to the pan (Sainsbury's has been offering a kilo of wings for the amazing price of £1.50). When the stock is complete, remove the wings intact and allow to cool before removing skin.  

The sweet and sour sauce is simple but delicious...and utterly more-ish.

You don't have to make a proper stock.  Just buy wings and cook in gently boiling seasoned water with an onion & carrot thrown in, until tender (say half an hour). Keep the water the wings were cooked in and use to add flavour to other dishes.     

Cost: Just wings (£3.50) or (stock and wings) £6'ish 
Feeds: 2-3 people with small appetites, with sides

Ingred:
   
   8-12 chicken wings cooked in chicken stock, drained, skin removed 

 
   390g packet of Chopped Tomatoes with Basil 
   1/3c/80ml pureed stock veg (opt. but adds vitamins)  
   1/4 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into med dice (or a small tin of pineapple, drained)
   1 stick celery, peeled, in fine dice
   1/4 green pepper, in fine dice
   small handful green beans, cut small (opt)
   1/2 - 1 tablespoon brown sugar (opt)
   1-2 tbsps malt or balsamic vinegar
   juice of half an orange    

Method:

1. (This step can be done the night before needed). Remove tips from wings but add with the rest of the wings to a large pot.  Cover with water by an inch; add a whole onion and a couple of carrots.  Bring to a boil, skim off any skim that comes to the surface; reduce heat and allow to bubble gently at least half an hour but the longer the better - until wings are very tender.  Cool & remove skins (opt).  Set aside until ready to use. 
2. Heat tomatoes and pureed veg, if using, over med heat
3. Add orange juice, vinegar, sugar and pineapple.  If the sauce is too thick, add up to a third of a cup/80 ml stock or water. Cook over med heat until pineapple is soft.  (It could be a few minutes if the pineapple is not tinned.)
4. Add celery, green pepper and green beans.  Stir. Season, adding pepper and salt to taste.  Add chicken wings and heat through for 3-5 minutes.  
5. Serve piping hot with Chinese egg noodles, toast, or White Rice mixed with frozen peas 5 mins before end of cooking.    

Tips: 

• the chicken stock will be perfect for Egg Flower Pea Soup 
• an adult version of this dish would involve the same sauce but with added fresh chilli or chilli flakes and maybe a bit of tabasco 
• substitute peaches for pineapple .

Please leave a Comment in the box below

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

BEETROOT & ORANGE SALAD, Frugal, Healthy, Vegetarian, Easy-Peasy

updated Mar 2023

Most of us don't eat beetroot regularly but when we do, we're happily reminded how much we like it.  A variation on the combination of ingredients featured appears in many classic cookbooks.

Beetroot and Orange Salad

Not surprisingly.


The beets are so pretty, glistening with orange vinaigrette and scattered with grated orange zest and delicate chives.  

The recipe is perfect when regfular salad ingredients are in short supply or for a dying summer.

(If children are being introduced to beets, finely grate the zest and reduce the amount of chives. Some orange segments could be added.)


Nowadays, there are plenty of raw beets in the supermarkets  at prices that won't break the bank.  If there's time and energy to cook them yourself, well and good but for busy people, the packaged variety are great.  Just rinse them to remove some of the vinegar.

Cost: £1.50'ish (Mar 2023)
Feeds: 4 as a side

Ingred:
   2 med beetroot, cooked and peeled
   zest of 1 orange, coarsely grated   
   3 tbsp olive oil
   3 tbsp orange juice
   pepper and a little salt
   1-2 tbsp finely chopped chives

Method:

1. Either slice beetroot or cut into medium dice.
2. Put olive oil, orange juice and s& p in a small jar with a tightly fitted lid.  Fix lid securely and shake vigorously until mixture emulsifies.
3. Check seasoning.  Pour dressing over beet root.
4. Garnish with grated orange zest and chives.

Tip: Other recent salad recipes:   MIXED SALADS, PERFECTLY PRETTY , FANTASTIC FRUGAL SALAD, SUNSHINE SALAD


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

PORTABLE PANCAKES: SAVOURY BACON & CORN, low-fat, sugar & yeast-free

BREAKFAST ON THE RUN: Easy-Peasy, No/Low Sugar

One of the many things for which we must thank the Scots is Scotch Pancakes. Wonderfully fluffy but sturdy enough to eat by hand, they're as good cold as warm, and come either savoury or sweet.  And apart from bacon, they're fat free!  

Breakfast on the Go: Bacon and Corn Scotch Pancakes

17/8/15

This variation on the classic recipe was developed to satisfy carb and protein cravings after 6.30 am gym workouts. The bacon adds a bit of fat but ham with fat removed or pastrami can be used instead. On this occasion, a slick of fat coats the pan for easier flipping.

Made and boxed up the previous night, they're a great grab-and-go treat and saves money on take-aways. 

The key to the wonderful texture of the pancakes is Cream of Tartar, sold in the baking powder/soda section.  There are many recipes for Scotch Pancakes using other leavening agents but as far as 67goingon50 is concerned, it's Cream of Tartar that delivers the perfect springiness.  Common Wheat is best for this recipe.  

The pancakes freeze well.  Freeze them flat, then store in a bag and remove as and when needed.  

Cost: £2.00

Makes: 16-18

Ingred:

   8 oz/226 gm self-raising flour (plain flour: add 2 tsp baking powder)

         (for added fibre, replace 1/4 of plain flour with wholemeal)

    275 ml/1 1/4 cup less 2 tbsp whole milk

   2 eggs

   1 tsp cream of tartar

   4-5 slices back bacon, fat removed, or pastrami or other smoked lower-fat meat 

   125gm/4.5oz corn niblets, drained

Method:

1. Sift flour, and baking powder if using, into a bowl.
2. In a jug, whisk milk and eggs.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry.  Stir until mixed.
4. Sprinkle over cream of tartar; blend.  Rest batter 20 mins. (Note: if preparing batter the night before and refrigerating, do not add cream of tarter until batter is back to room temperature)
5. Cut bacon in 1/2 inch/1 cm slices.  Fry, stirring, until nearly done.  Tip onto a paper towel; pat to remove fat.  (If using ham/pastrami, cut into medium dice.)  
6. Start heating up griddle or pan on medium high.
7. After 20 mins, the batter should be thick and spongy.  Add corn and meat, stirring well.  Lightly coat pan with butter.
8. Dollop batter on to pan in heaping tablespoons; use back of the spoon to spread and slightly flatten the batter to encourage even cooking. 
9. The first side will take 3 mins.  Check it is golden brown by lifting up one side of the pancake with a spatula/fish slice.  
10. Flip when ready, squashing the pancake slightly.  The second side will take 2-3 minutes.  Try not to rush; there is nothing worse than biting into a pancake still gooey in the centre!  
11. Cool on a wire rack.  Pack what's needed for the next day in a plastic container and refrigerate.  The rest can be refrigerated; they will keep 2 days.  Otherwise freeze flat and bag up.  

Tip: 

• like heat?  try this variation: replace bacon with ham and add two finely chopped white spring onions and a small red chilli, de-seeded with with membranes removed, finely diced 
• for a sweet version for afternoon tea, replace bacon/corn with 4 oz/115 gms raisons or currants soaked overnight in orange juice or tea, drained.  Add 2-4 tbsp sugar to the batter
• the recipe halves nicely OR one recipe can do double-duty making both savoury and sweet pancakes  
• another good Breakfast on the Run recipe: Sugar and Butter-Free Flapjacks

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

BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE: Fruiti, Healthy, No Added Sugar

A PORTABLE BREAKFAST, full of good things...

1st posted 2015; updated  May 2022

Breakfast Fruit Smoothie

This gorgeous fruit smoothie was inspired by Jamie Oliver and is super-quick to prepare.  67goingon50 always has frozen berries in the freezer, fresh oranges, at least one ripe banana, granola or nuts and usually yoghurt to hand.  No expensive equipment is required. 

It's a great refreshing drinkable energy-booster if you're preparing breakfast for, and organising, others.  

The thick version of the smoothie is like a milkshake but add more juice if you like it thinner.  The frozen berries help keep it cool if it is being transported. 

Serves: 1 but easily multiplied
Cost: around 75pence, depending on what's in the freezer/fruit bowl

Ingred:
   Juice of 1.5-2 oranges (or apple juice)
   1/3 ripe banana
   scant 1/4 cup/50-60 ml frozen blueberries
   scant 1/4 cup/50-60 ml frozen strawberries
   1 heaping tablespoon Uber Granola, oatmeal or nuts
   1 tbsp yoghurt (opt)

Method:

1. Place ingredients in blender bowl in order of listing 
2. Whizz till thoroughly blended.
3. Add ice if required.

Tip:

• Blueberries are a must for the base but strawberries can be replaced with soft fruit such as peaches or nectarines. 
• Cherries add another beautiful level of  flavour.
• Seeded berries such  as raspberries and blackberries require blending and straining before being added to the mix.

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

BUYING KNIVES FOR THE HOME COOK

IF YOU CAN ONLY AFFORD ONE GOOD KNIFE...

 -- the Victrinox serrated tomato knife (above) costs £5-6.  It's very sharp and effective and will handle most tasks.  It will, however, struggle with large root veg and normal loaves of bread. When the knife dulls, as it will after several months, buy another. (Stockists below)

Ideally, a kitchen would have a minimum of three effective knives: 

•  a small one for paring veg or slicing tomatoes & fruit
•  a larger, heavier 'cook's' knife that efficiently chops root veg and meat 
• a solid serrated knife for slicing bread and cake

BUYING KNIVES 

(NOTE: THIS IS NOT A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF PRODUCTS OR STOCKISTS)


The key thing to look for is the weight of the knife in your hand. Does it feel comfortable?  Is the balance right?  A person with small hands may prefer a large vegetable chopper instead of a Cook's Knife.  Test it and see. 

Supermarket brands like Waitrose offer low-cost knives suitable for home cooks, as do Robert Dyas and high street kitchenware shops.  Kitchen Devils or similar are perfectly acceptable if you like the feel of them -- and I did when I was much younger. 

Victrinox (who make Swiss Army Knives) make good quality, lower-cost 'professional' knives, popular with catering students. Thai-style knives, sharp but very light, are increasingly popular amongst chefs.

Some very fine brands chosen by senior chefs include Wustulf and Global.  To the uninitiated, they are shockingly expensive -- even Wustulf's lower-cost range!  Mine were stolen a few years ago -- just four of them would cost £300 to replace today. 

Professional knives cost money but it shows in how they perform and how they feel in the hand.  Treated well, they can last a lifetime and will handle everything thrown at it.  

Buy the best you can afford.  A good Chef's knife is an excellent investment and, starting at around £25, makes a wonderful gift for the home chef. For the budget conscious, Victrinox is a good start but if you take cooking seriously, aim for a brand like Wustulf.    
      
It's not necessary to buy all your knives at once; many top chefs don't get their top-of-the-line 'dream' knives till they're well established (and even then keep a set of work-a-day knives for the kitchens they work in!)

Stockists

67 took the Luncheon club to Dennys on Dean Street in London, the go-to place for catering students.  The Lunch Club members were thrilled with the Victrinox tomato knife, which for most, is their only "serious" knife.  Nisbetts, another large firm, is also in Soho. Both do mail order.

Specialist Food Shop Borough Kitchen offer free classes in knife matters.  Many major department stores have excellent knife sections with knowledgeable personnel.     




DISCLAIMER: The author accepts no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.  Any information not sourced to a second party is the copyright of the blogger.

MIXED SALADS, PERFECTLY PRETTY Healthy, Vegetarian

MORE PRETTILY PRESENTED RABBIT STUFF...  

Mixed Salad, Prettily Presented 

Outer layer: English lettuce; layer 2: halved cucumber slices; layer 3: carrot peelings; layer 4:sliced raw mushrooms (with stems); centre: halved baby yellow and red tomatoes topped with tenderstem broccoli. Surface scattered with chopped green beans (cooked 3 minutes and shocked in ice or cold water) and red onion rings. Remove or add items, such as rings or strips of bell pepper, cress, lamb's lettuce.  Also leftover veg or raw cauliflower florets, corn or diced butternut squash cooked or as for green beans. Serve with Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Simple Tomato Salad 

Spray halved baby tomatoes with olive oil.  Salt lightly.  Add olives and red onion rings.  Alternatives: sprinkle with one or some of torn fresh or dried basil, mozzarella/feta/artichoke hearts/lemon marinated avocado. 

   

Ham 'Rose' Mixed Salad

As with Mixed Salad above.  The ham rose is formed by wrapping strips of ham around a central point.  Other sliced meat can be used or tuna-sweetcorn or flaked smoked mackerel with plenty of grated lemon zest. Serve with yoghurt-mayo.

Tip: See also Fantastic Frugal Salad

Copyright: These salads have been designed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may only be reproduced in home kitchens.  Not for commercial use.

"I'M ON HOLIDAY TOO!' EASY PEASY CHOCOLATE CAKE, Indulgence, No-butter

Easy-Peasy Chocolate Cake (with cherries)

This is a great cake to make on rainy days on holiday, and it's so easy, children can do it.  All that's needed is a bowl, a wooden spoon and something to bake it in.  A casserole dish make a fine substitute for a cake tin. 

There may not be much left over but it's better eaten on on the day anyway. Stale cake is perfect for trifle.

This recipe comes from the late Michael Barry, the head of London's first commercial radio station. 

Cost: £1.50
Feeds: 8-12

Oven: 160 C / 325F
Grease and flour two 7 inch sandwich cake tins, or line a 9 inch square or a 9 inch by 13 in rectangle with greaseproof paper. (Or line a cupcake tin with paper liners.)   

Ingred:  
   6 oz/175 gm self raising flour (plain flour, add 2 tsp baking powder)
   4 heaped tablespoons cocoa powder (NOT drinking chocolate)
   1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
   1 heaped teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
   4 oz/125 gm caster sugar
   5 fl oz/150 ml sunflower oil
   5 fl oz/150 ml milk
   1 tsp vanilla
        or orange or peppermint essence (opt)
   2 large or 3 small eggs

FILLING:    
    Double Cream
    Fresh fruit or low-sugar jam

Method:

1. Put everything except the filling in a big bowl.  Beat with a wooden spoon or whisk until smooth, dark brown and creamy. 
2. Pour into cake tin/s or cupcake tins (2/3 full).
3. Bake 45 mins for cake, 25 mins for cupcakes.  Check 5-10 minutes before the with end of the cooking time.  A skewer or point of sharp knife should come out clean.  Cool.  
4. Single Cake: using a serrated knife, slice carefully into two layers. (If cake is too thin to slice, cut it into two halves.) 
5. Double Layer Cakes: Spread jam over bottom layer (home-made Instant Jam is good).  Whip cream until it holds its shape; spread on top of jam.  Cover with top layer of cake, dusting lightly with icing sugar if you have it.
6. Cupcakes: Frost with No Icing Sugar Icing OR split and stuff as with cakes OR use an apple corer to remove centres and fill with jam and cream.

Variations: 

• spread jam on top and sprinkle with dried unsweetened coconut
• substitute jam with store-bought caramel sauce
• cupcakes: drill a hole in the middle, fill with cream, cream & chopped fruit or jam and top with icing sugar or buttercream frosting

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

"I'M ON HOLIDAY TOO!" SUNSHINE SALAD Easy Peasy, Healthy

A thrown-together salad (with a bit of knifework) for the family cook who also wants a break

It's got it all: moist & salty meat, juicy crunchy fruit, crisp salad, sharp herbs and a hum of heat 

The salad is wonderful on holiday; get yourself a rotisserie chicken, some ham and a few salad ingredients and in minutes you have a spectacular main course.

It's wonderful in summer when perfectly ripe ingredients are abundant.  But at any time of year,  the texture makes this a delight; every forkful is succulent, with layers of flavour and texture.  

And it's so easy...it's basically an assembly job.  

Though the salad's not frugal  none of the ingredients are expensive and it does feed a lot of people. It will go further served with baked white orsweet potatoes (skins scrubbed, sprayed with olive oil and seasoned) or soft store-bought buns and beautifully scented, undressed baby vine tomatoes.  The perfect dessert is the I'm on Holiday Too! Easy-Peasy Chocolate Cake.   

This salad was served at a pretty hotel overlooking a ferry terminal in Mallaig, Inverneshire and the guests loved it.  It's adapted from Robert Carrier.

Cost: £7.50'ish (7/23)
Feeds: 6-8 with sides

Ingred:
  450g/1 lb cooked chicken (rotisserie supermarket chicken) 
  175g/ 6 oz cooked ham hock, ham or pastrami
  4 stalks celery, peeled & thinly sliced
  1 lge green pepper, seeded, cored and finely diced
  3-4 radishes, in matchsticks 
  2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
  4 tsp finely chopped chives or spring onion tops
  2 large or 4 small oranges
  2 eating apples
  1 c/240 ml yoghurt-mayo & zest & juice of a lemon  
  8 drops tabasco or 1/2-1 tsp chilli flakes
  generous pinch cinnamon (opt)
  s & p
  lettuce leaves, and extra chopped chives & parsley to garnish.

Method:

1. Cut chicken and ham in 1 in/2 cm cubes.
2. Combine in large bowl with celery, pepper, radish and herbs
3. Remove segments from oranges (see below); halve & add to bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, mix lemon yoghurt-mayo with  Tabasco or chilli flakes, cinnamon and s&p.
5. Cut apples in 1/2 inch/1 cm dice and add to yog-mayo mix coating apples so they do not brown.
6. Spoon out apples; add to rest of salad. Add enough of the dressing to moisten but not not overwhelm the other ingredients.  Mix well.  Refrigerate for a couple of hours.






3. Carefully push down, up & out

7. Serve on bed of lettuce, garnished with chives and parsley.

1. Slice off top, bottom & sides.

2. Slide knife between segments

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.   

PRINCIPLES OF HEALTHY LIVING AND GRACEFUL AGING

Note: Much of the information in this editorial was posted in the first few months of 2015 but is repeated for new visitors.   

67goingon50 believes there are four essential aspects to well-being and graceful ageing:  diet, exercise, managing stress and discipline NOT deprivation.


HEALTHY EATING: PRINCIPLES 
What makes a healthy week's eating; Eating plans/ diets; Beware Cheese; Make Meat go Further; Reducing white foods...Click on link 


Exercising Safely and Wisely
If there is one thing to which 67goingon50 can attribute good health, youthful appearance and energy, it is regular exercise.  Our bodies were meant..." Click on link 


Managing Stress Maintains Good Health
"Stress is a part of life...but there are psychological and physical techniques which can minimise damage..." Click on link  


Discipline not Deprivation: Healthy Eating
"Depriving yourself of any food group can be an own goal; eventually you'll crack and probably..." Click on link 




DISCLAIMER: The author accepts no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.  Any information not sourced to a second party is the copyright of the blogger.

FANTASTIC FRUGAL SALAD

It's amazing what you can do with four ingredients!

Presentation transforms ordinary ingredients.  This knock-out salad will have the entire family salivating.  And no one will guess this gorgeous dish costs all of a pound! Serve with a herby yoghurt-mayo on the side.  

The ingredients are simple.

• lettuce leaves
• cucumber 
• sliced tomatoes
• grated carrot

The cucumber was sliced on the slant (see left corner below). One end of the cucumber slice is slightly pointed and that end faces outwards.  The bargain tomatoes were sprayed with olive oil and lightly salted; the smaller slices were not used. The carrots were grated by hand.  The lettuce used was Red Gems but English Lettuce or shredded Iceberg or Romaine would also create the frilly outer ring.  

Method:

1. Place a ring of lettuce leaves, top upwards, near the outer edge of the plate.  If serving many people, the greens can cover the entire plate.
2. Place a ring of cucumber slices just inside the outer lettuce ring. Space them evenly; you may need to cut more slices.  
3. Inside the cucumber ring but overlapping it, lay out a ring of tomato slices.
4. Heap grated carrot in the centre.

Variations: 

•  Add a ring of thinly sliced mushrooms, rounded top upwards, pointed slightly to the side.  
• Scatter completed salad with thinly sliced red onion rings.

And another easy, appetising way of presenting salad:

Chop or slice each ingredient to a thickness of your choice. Serve each ingredient in separate bowls or, nicely arranged, on separate plates. 

  

Tip:
If you liked this you will also like Perfectly Pretty Mixed Salads


Copyright: These salads have been designed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may only be reproduced in home kitchens.  Not for commercial use.


   

UPSIDE DOWN SKINNIER CHEESECAKE, Lower Calorie, Indulgence

A SPECIAL OCCASION SKINNIER INDULGENCE

Home-made cheesecake is so superior to supermarket offerings, it's surprising people don't make it more often. There are a few stages to complete but they are straightforward and relatively quick.  The results are wonderful -- a cloudlike, fluffy, delicately flavoured body and a crisp cookie-like base.  And unlike shop-bought, there's not a bead or leaf of gelatine in sight.

Cheesecake is of course usually high in calories and cholesterol. This Skinnier but still glorious version reduces fat levels without altering taste or texture. Inspired by a recipe from Heston Blumenthal's mother (!), cottage cheese replaces half the cream cheese; strained 0-fat yoghurt, some of the sour cream.  

Despite being skinnier than normal, the cheesecake is not low-fat.  Nor is it frugal.  But, if portions are kept small -- it will serve 16 -- it's more than worth the indulgence.  It is a true crowd-pleaser and the Lunch Club members went into raptures when it was served.  

Instead of baking the filling on the base, 67 serves the base separately or on the side for guests are worried about gluten or carbs.

One warning:  the cheesecake takes nearly the whole day to cool, but the preparation time is not unusually long.  It's worth it!! It's fine made the night before.

Serves 12-16
Cost: £5

Preparation: 

• Line the base of a 23 cm springform cake tin with a circle of greaseproof paper cut to fit the bottom.  Line the sides with strips of greaseproof paper the width of the sides. 
• If using a square or rectangular dish, butter it well and put a strip of greaseproof paper the width of the dish down  the middle.  The strip should be long enough to hang over the edges, acting like handles when removing the cheesecake (after running a knife around the edges).
• Have a tin foil or metal baking tray to cover while baking. 

INGRED:

Biscuit layer:
12 digestive biscuits, crushed fine by hand or food processor 
60g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 tsp salt 
1/4 tsp nutmeg
60g walnuts, pecans or almonds, finely chopped

Filling:
300 g 0-fat cottage cheese
300g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
4 whole eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract or one vanilla pod
170g 0%-yoghurt strained 4 hours, or sour cream
100-130g caster sugar to taste 
grated rind of 3 small lemons or 1/2 tsp cinnamon (opt)

Sour cream topping:
250 ml sour cream or double cream mixed with lemon juice 
1-2 tbsp sugar 
1 tsp vanilla or one vanilla pod

METHOD: 

Biscuit layer
1. Mix biscuits, salt, nutmeg and nuts.  Add melted butter.  
2. Spread out on a baking sheet.  Bake at 180C/160fan/350f/ gas 3 until crispy but not burnt, 10-15 minutes.
3. The mixture should be loose; if not break up with a fork.  Set aside.  When cool, cover.

Turn oven down  to 150c, 130fan/ 300f/gas2

Filling
1. Drain cottage cheese in a fine-mesh sieve lined with a clean j-cloth (30 or so minutes) until liquid is released;  whizz with hand blender or in bowl blender until smooth and lump-free. (Or rub though a sieve).  
2. Add cream cheese; whisk till blended.  
3. Separate eggs, placing yolks in with cheese mix and whites in a separate large clean bowl.
4. Beat yolks into cheese mixture; add vanilla extract/seeds, yoghurt/sour cream and lemon peel/ cinnamon, if using. Blend. 
5. Add sugar to egg whites; whisk to a soft peak (This will take a few minutes; it's ready when the mix rises softly as you lift beaters.) Fold a third of egg white mix into the cheese mix then fold in the rest. (Fold: bring spatula down the centre of the mix and scraping bottom, up again, turning bowl slightly each time.  The whites should be mixed in without losing air.)
6. Pour into tin.  Cover top with foil or a baking sheet.
7. Bake 1 hour 15 mins. There should be a hint of wobble. Remove foil or baking sheet.  Turn off the oven, LEAVING THE CHEESECAKE INSIDE.  After one hour, spread with sour cream topping and return to oven without turning it on again, to cool.    

Sour cream topping
1. Combine sour cream, sugar, vanilla/vanilla seeds.  
2. Cover and refrigerate till needed.  
3. After cheesecake has cooled in the oven for an hour, take it out.  Carefully pour the topping on cheesecake; spread until top is covered.  Return to oven;  leave until the cheesecake is cold, probably all day or at least several hours.
4. Serve with biscuit mix on top of the cake or on the side, and an instant berry compote (opt).    

Tips:

• The upside-down aspect comes from pre-baking the biscuit layer.  It can be served on the side or on top of the baked cheesecake.  
• Folding: a spatula goes down the middle of the batter to the bottom, then up as the bowl is continuously turned.  The folding motion allows the whites to mix into the batter without losing air.  
• Vanilla pods, if you can afford them, take this cheesecake to another level, as do fresh mixed berries or a berry compote. 

    

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