SKINNIER CARROT AND PINEAPPLE CAKE, A high-fibre Indulgence

CAKES FOR BUSY GRANNIES: CARROT CAKE WITH A TANTALIZING TANGY TWIST

Worthy AND Wicked: yummy and healthy

Cakes fall into two categories: worthy and wicked.  A worthy cake is made of 'health-giving' ingredients, usually involving things like beetroot, tofu and avocado.  These cakes taste surprisingly cake-like though oddly...worthy.   Wicked cakes are full of sugar and fat and things designed to satisfy that sweet craving.  They taste both wonderful and bad - completely bad for you.  

Carrot cake started out healthy.  The original carrot cake, from a Food Aid recipe back in the '60's, featured wholemeal flour, muscovado (black) sugar and (rather a lot of) oil.  For most bakers, it was the first time they'd replaced butter with oil and encountered wholemeal flour.  The Food Aid cake was tasty.  It was unusual, especially with cream cheese instead of icing.  It was dense.  It took two hours to cook!  

Gradually carrot cake morphed into the white flour, white sugar product, with carrots and a few heart-friendly nuts thrown in as a nod to healthy eating, that we see today.  Basically fabulous-tasting but not-very-good-for-you cakes.  

Skinnier Carrot Cake was developed by 67 to put the 'healthy' back into carrot cake without losing its splendid wickedness. The recipe replaces some of the plain flour with wholemeal flour (for heart-friendly fibre).  The sugar is dark brown (not black) and there's less of it; a little unsweetened coconut (which turns sweet when baked) has been added. The amount of oil has been reduced, replaced by buttermilk (or yoghurt) to aid digestion. And, to pique interest and up the 'healthy' quotient, wedges of tangy fresh pineapple accompany the carrot.  The icing has less cream cheese, less icing sugar and less butter; it's much lower calorie.

Yes, there is still a lot of sugar but if portions are kept small, the cake won't ruin your health.  While not exactly health-giving it is far better for you than conventional cake.  And it tastes wicked.
   
Once you've measured out the ingredients, it's a simple matter of mixing dry into wet and adding a few bits and pieces.

The cake keeps well; still tasting excellent the day after baking. Leftovers are brilliant in the World's Speediest Trifle.      

Skinnier Carrot and Pineapple cake was served as a 'treat' to volunteers who give up their weekends to campaign.  It went down a storm - they loved it.  

Cost: £3.50'ish (2016 prices)
Serves: recommended 24 (3 vertical x 8 horizontal slices)

Ingred: 
   215gm/7.5oz light brown sugar
   30gm/1 oz dried unsweetened coconut
   240 ml light vegetable oil
   80 ml buttermilk/OR 75% yoghurt, 25% water
   3 large eggs
   2 tsp vanilla

   270gm/9.5oz plain white flour
   125gm/4.5oz wholemeal flour
   2 tsp cinnamon
   1 tsp nutmeg
   1 1/2 tsp baking soda
   1 tsp salt
   

   16 oz/500gm carrots, coarsely grated
   1 mug fresh pineapple wedges (or drained, tinned)

 Icing:
    115gm/4oz room-temperature reduced-fat cream cheese 
    57g/2oz room temperature butter 
    56gm/2oz icing sugar
    1/3cup finely chopped drained pineapple fresh or tinned 

Method:
   Special equipment: 2 cooling racks

1. Preheat oven to 180c/160 fan/350f/gas 5
2. Line a 11x7 in/28x17cm pan or equiv with greaseproof paper
3. In a large bowl, using electric beaters or a stand alone mixer, beat oil, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, sugar and coconut until light yellow; it will take a few minutes
4. Add vanilla; mix
5. Using a whisk, mix flours and spices in a bowl; on low speed, mix the dry ingredients into the wet, stopping to scrape at at bottom and sides to ensure all is mixed.
6. Add carrots on low speed; stop as soon as they are incorporated
7. Pour batter into pan; use a spatula to spread it into the corners and level it out 
8. Drain pineapple; add a tablespoon flour; toss; scatter across the batter & push just below the surface 
9. Bake in the centre of the oven 55-60 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean
10. Cool in tin on cooling rack 30 mins
11. Place second cooling rack on top of tin and turn over; remove tin and peel off greaseproof paper
12. Use 2nd cooling rack to turn cake right side up; leave to cool completely
13. Icing:  whip cream cheese, butter & lemon juice until well blended; add sifted icing sugar and stir; the mix will be thinnish and a bit sloppy but spreadable.
14. When cake is completely cool, spread on icing

Comments: 
'The cake was very moist and good; the pineapple gave a wonderful fresh burst.' 

Tips: 

• if you've forgotten to leave out the cream cheese & butter overnight, zap it in the microwave for 20 seconds
• another cake that manages to bridge the worthy-wicked divide is Nigella Lawson's Vegetarian Chocolate Cake   

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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. 

BEATTY'S CHOCOLATE CAKE, vegetarian batter

CAKES FOR BUSY GRANNIES: BEATTY'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Gorgeous Chocolate Cake: Treats for the (political) Troops
'This is just like the cake my grandmother used to make!' 50+ taster

This cake is taken direct from Food Network UK, Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa programme and is too good not to share. The recipe was from the mother of her long-standing florist and friend, Michael.  

It's another easy-peasy cake involving mixing dry ingredients into wet.  But it produces a wonderfully moist darkly chocolate concoction that had the adults in my office sighing in awe and admiration: 'Just like the cake my grandmother used to make!' 

The icing - one of the best 67 has had the pleasure of sampling -  is beautifully silky and pleasureable but strangely not sweet.  And, compared to other icings, it's lower-sugar.  

Beatty's chocolate cake doesn't have butter, except in the icing.  The recipe has been adapted to make it a touch healthier but it is only a touch.  And, as in the recipe for Healthier Carrot Cake, it's wise to keep portions small.  67 often provides treats for political volunteers and uses a rectangular pan (11x7 inches/28x17 cm)  

Unlike most cakes, this one is just as good the 2nd and 3rd day.  

Cost: £5.00'ish, depending on topping (4/24)
Portions: recommended 24

Ingred:
    150gm/5.3oz plain flour
      60gm/2.1oz wholemeal flour
    350gm/12.3oz white sugar (or a mix of white & soft brown)
      90gm/3.5oz cocoa powder(not drinking chocolate)
    2 tsp baking soda
    1 tsp baking powder
    1 tsp salt

    240 ml buttermilk, shaken
    120 ml light vegetable oil. 

    2 eggs at room temperature
    1 tsp good vanilla essence
    

    240 ml freshly brewed hot coffee (enhances chocolate flavour)

Icing:
   60gm/2.1oz 70% chocolate (for the frugal, Bournville will do) 
   125gm/4.5oz unsalted butter, at room temp
   1 egg yolk, at room temp
   1 tsp good vanilla essence
   75 gm/2.5oz sifted icing sugar
   1 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 2 tbsp hot water from tap
   
Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180c/160 fan/350f/gas 5
2. Line a 11x7 in/28x17cm pan with greaseproof paper (or grease and flour two 20cm/8inch round pans)
3. Sift dry ingred into large bowl; mix with electric beaters on low or with a paddle attachment on a free-standing mixer
4. In a large jug, lightly whisk buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla
5. On low speed, slowly add wet ingred to dry
6. Add coffee and mix, again on low speed, until just combined; use a spatula to scrape bottom and sides of bowl to ensure all is mixed in
7. Pour batter into the pan; bake 35-45 mins or until toothpick comes out clean
8. Cool in pan 30 mins; then turn out onto cooling rack, remove paper and cool completely

Icing:  

1. Break up chocolate and melt in heat-proof bowl above (not touching) simmering water; cool to room temperature 
2.  Beat butter on med-high speed until light yellow & fluffy - about 3 mins
3. Add egg yolk & vanilla; beat another 3 mins
4. Turn beaters/mixer to low; gradually beat in icing sugar;' then turn up speed to med, scrapping down bowl occasionally until mix is smooth & creamy
5. On low speed, add chocolate & coffee and mix until just blended
6. Turn cake right side up; spread immediately on cake 

Comments from constituency office
   'Fabulous'
   'Just like the cake my grandmother used to make!'
   'Very chocolatey.'
   'Lovely and moist; stays fresh for a long time.'

Tips: 

• the recipe also makes a fine layer cake but reduce cooking time slightly
• if you like this, you will probably also like Dark Chocolate Cake & Once-a-Year Icing

                                                                                          The Food Network is on Channel 43 Freeview

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CLASSIC SCOTCH PANCAKES, No/low sugar, Fat-free, Make-ahead, Easy-peasy

CLASSIC SCOTCH PANCAKES: WONDERFULLY FLUFFY, STURDY & VERSATILE

first posted 2016; updated 7/24

Scotch Pancakes:
Plain or with fruit for breakfast, savoury for transporting and sweet for tea

17/8/15

Classic Scotch Pancakes are a boon in busy households; the batter can be made the night before.  They are the most wonderful of pancakes, due one suspects, to Cream of Tartar which replaces baking powder.  It gives a unique texture and taste which will help children at breakfast settle down happily.   

Fresh fruit can be stirred into the batter just before cooking (Blueberry Pancakes), or they can be served with a low-sugar nearly-instant fruit compote.  Cupboard staples maple syrup, jam or honey can also accompany the pancakes.  

The recipe is versatile; it makes plain, sweet or savoury pancakes which can be eaten hot or cold.   

Leftovers will keep 2 days in the fridge.  Otherwise freeze flat, bag up and defrost individually when needed.  

Cost: £1.75'ish

Makes: 16-18

Ingred:

  
   8 oz/226 gm self-raising flour (plain flour: add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder)
    1-2 tsp sugar (opt)
   275 ml/1 1/4 cup less 2 tbsp whole milk

   2 med eggs

   1 tsp cream of tartar

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 at least 20 mins or overnight.
5. When ready to cook, allow batter to come to room temperature 
6. Start heating up griddle or pan to medium high.
7. Lightly brush pan with butter.
8. Dollop batter on to pan in heaping tablespoons; if you like, use back of the spoon to lightly spread and slightly flatten the batter to encourage even cooking. 
9. The first side will take about 3 mins.; you'll see little holes appear in the top of the batter.  Check it is golden brown by lifting up one side of the pancake with a spatula/fish slice.  
10. Flip when ready.  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. Serve or keep warm in the lower half of a low oven, separated with squares of greaseproof paper, covered with a clean tea towel

Tips: 

• if eggs are large, reduce abount of milk - batter should be on the thick side
• the recipe makes great portable pancakes to take to work or on picnics.  Try Portable pancakes: savoury bacon & corn 
• for an afternoon tea version, add 4 oz/115 gms raisons or currants which have been soaked overnight in orange juice or tea and drained.  Add 2-4 tbsp sugar to the batter (opt)
• Cold plain pancakes are delicious buttered and slathered with fruit compote
• Cream of Tartar is sold in the baking powder/soda section (it's also used in making meringues)
• 67 finds wheat best for this recipe 
• the recipe halves nicely OR one recipe can do double-duty making both savoury and sweet pancakes  

                            

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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. 

LUSCIOUS LAMB SHOULDER WITH TOMATOES; make ahead, ill & infirm

FORK-TENDER SLOW-COOKED LAMB SHOULDER WITH AN ITALIAN TWIST

updated 3/22

 Italian-Style Slow-Cooked Lamb (1/2 recipe feeds 3)  High Flavour 
'Nice change from English style lamb; also very delicious.' Taster

Roast lamb is traditional at Easter and there is nothing like the taste of tender, sweet English lamb. Legs of lamb are usually on special deals, some of them remarkable, at several UK supermarkets. 

Lamb has gone up a lot in price in recent years: a 1k joint feeding 4-5 will cost about £12; a half kilo joint will feed 2-3. (3/22)   

67 opted for a slightly more flavourful shoulder joint for this slow-cooked recipe, a success over many, many years.      

The preparation - which can be done the day before - is a bit fiddly, pushing slivers of garlic into the meat and browning the joint on all sides.  Onions, carrot, celery and tomatoes are diced and sauteed to intensify flavour.  But once that's done - and it really doesn't take very long - it's all popped into the slow cooker with a few scrubbed sweet or regular potatoes and left to cook for several hours. 

Result: fork-tender meat in a thick savoury tomato and vegetable sauce, and ready-to-mash carbs.    

For those on healthy lifestyles, it's important to remove the fat. One of the first tv chefs, Robert Carrier (from whom this recipe is adapted) advises laying a paper towel on top of the sauce or gravy to soak up the fat without affecting the juices.  67 used at least 3 paper towels but they were very effective in clearing the fat. 

Another alternative is to remove the joint from the sauce and refrigerate separately, or pop into the freezer for a few minutes.  The fat on the sauce will solidify after a few hours and lift off easily.  Add back the lamb and reheat in the oven or on the hob.

Cost: whole shoulder: £19 for 1.6k feeds 6; half shoulder: £9 for 1K (feeds 3-4)

Ingred:
   a shoulder of lamb (about 1.5 kilos/3-4 lbs)
   2 fat cloves of peeled garlic
   pepper and salt
   olive oil
   2 large onions, finely diced/coarsely processed
   1 large carrot finely chopped
   2 large sticks celery, peeled & finely diced/coarsely processed
   2 tbsp red or white wine/brandy/grape juice (opt)
   3 large tomatoes, peeled*, seeded and finely diced
   2 tbsp tomato paste, low-salt if poss
   1/2 tsp dried thyme
   
    3-4 carrots in large chunks

    vegetables to accompany: cauliflower, green beans, broccoli

Method:

1. Cut garlic cloves in slivers; with the point of a sharp knife make slits all over the lamb and push in garlic as deeply as possible.  Season generously with pepper and a little salt.
2. Pour a thin film of olive oil over a large heavy frying pan; on med-high heat, brown the meat on all sides (this will take 2-3 minutes each side or until the meat is nicely coloured)
3. Remove meat and set aside; add onions, carrots and celery to pan; saute until golden - about 5 mins; stir frequently
4. Add chopped tomatoes & tomato paste and wine if using
5. Pour veg into the bottom of slow cooker; add a bit of liquid to the frying pan to remove any crusty bits
6. Lay lamb shoulder on top of vegetables;sprinkle thyme over meat; add carrot chunks, cover; cook on low for 5-6 hours 
7. 2 hours before the end of cooking, add scrubbed but unpeeled sweet potatoes or potatoes
8. Half an hour before the end of cooking time, wrap other fresh vegetables in a package made of greaseproof paper, and place on top of the joint
9. When cooking time is up, remove meat; wrap in foil and keep warm in a low oven
10. Remove potatoes, peel; mash & keep warm
11. Remove carrots & the package of other vegetables; keep warm; 
12. Pour tomato & veg sauce into a wide mouthed saucepan; use paper towels to remove excess fat
13. Heat sauce
14. Serve lamb  on a large platter, spoon sauce and vegetables around lamb

Comments:
'I wasn't sure about Italian style lamb but it was very good eating, tasty and tender. 8 out of 10! Nice change.' Retired writer     

TIPS:

1. another non-traditional lamb recipe is Slow Roasted Lamb Ribs
2. shoulder of lamb often comes in halves; one with a large bone, the other slightly meatier; each half will probably feed 3 
3. the sauce is lovely as it is but can be blitzed to a puree
4. fresh tomatoes can be replaced by chopped tin tomatoes
5. to peel fresh tomatoes, cut a cross in the bottom, place in a deep bowl and pour boiling water over; leave 60 secs and pour off water; peel.  To dice tomato flesh, halve & remove seeds & membranes; cut into strips and then cubes

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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. 

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE BROWNIES, Pure Indulgence, Not Healthy at All!

If you've given up chocolate for lent, these brownies will make up for it, big time!

Easter Brownies with White Chocolate Icing & Crushed Lindt Truffles
'Magnificent!  So chocolatey!' Taster

These brownies, which 67 has been making for decades, are about as unhealthy as brownies can get.  But, boy, are they popular.

The Blogger used to supply the brownies to a large gym in central London; they'd be put on sale in the morning and be gone by tea-time.

The original recipe came from a magazine 20 years ago but the title has been lost in the mists of time.  67 tried to make them less unhealthy. The huge amount of sugar has been reduced slightly and half the flour is wholemeal.  The optional icing is drizzled, not spread, and the chocolate truffles are obviously an Easter treat and optional. 

But the changes aren't enough to make a big difference and smaller portions will be better for everyone.  Try small bars instead of big squares; chocoholics can always take two.  

An 11x7 in/28x17 cm tin will produce 24 portions (3 horizontal strips; 8 vertical).

Cost: £2 + £1 for truffles(opt) + 50p for white chocolate (opt)
Feeds: 24 (16 for the greedy!) Recipe halves or doubles nicely.

Ingred:
   100gm/4 oz 70% dark chocolate (Bournville for the frugal) 
   100gm/4oz unsalted butter
   2 med eggs
   210 gm/7.5oz sugar
   75 gm/3 oz self-raising flour (half white, half wholemeal opt)
   1/2 tsp vanilla

   Icing:
     50gm/2oz white baking/cooking chocolate (not white chocolate bars)
     a tablespoon of milk or cream
     50 gm (4) Lindt chocolate truffles (any flavour)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200c/180fan/400f/gas 6
2. Line a 11x7 in/28x17cm pan or equiv with greaseproof paper
3. Break up dark chocolate and coarsely chop butter.  Place in a heatproof bowl set in a pan over but not touching simmering water 
4. Meanwhile use a free-standing mixer or electric whisk to beat eggs and sugar until pale and frothy; it will take a few minutes 
5. When the chocolate is nearly melted, remove from heat 
6. Cool to the stage where you can stick your finger in the chocolate without yelping; add 1/3 to the egg mix; beat until just blended
7. Add 1/3 flour; beat until just blended
8. Add second third chocolate; beat; then rest of flour & beat
9. Add final third chocolate + vanilla; beat only until blended.  
10. Pour into tin and level with spatula  
11. Bake 25 mins just below centre of the oven; the sides should be drawing away from the pan
12. Remove from oven even if slightly sticky in the centre ; it will continue to cook; place on cooling rack
13. When the brownies are no longer hot, place cooling rack over the brownie tray and turn over; peel off paper
14. Place another cooling rack over the brownies and turn right side up again; cut into portions
15. Melt white chocolate (as in 3); meanwhile chop truffles, if using, coarsely 
16. When white chocolate is cool, add milk and stir; the mix should be of pouring consistency; use a spoon to drizzle over the brownies
17. Sprinkle truffles over 

Tips:

• the basic brownie recipe is brilliant on its own or can be customised when the batter is in the tin, with fresh raspberries or salted caramel sauce drizzled over the top and swirled with a fork OR studded with walnuts
• most supermarkets offer baking chocolate from £1-2 per 150 gm bar
• replacing white sugar with brown gives a more caramel taste

Comments:
'I can feel myself melting into my seat with pleasure; in fact, I need to test them once more...the taste comes in 2 waves, the second more intense.' Political agent 

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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.     

HOW TO...WEAN YOUR KIDS OFF SUGARY FIZZY DRINKS WITHOUT ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS, Healthy

Try animal cunning to switch your kids to no-sugar, additive-free flavoured drinks

Low-Sugar Ginger Tea
Presentation can persuade kids to give up high sugar drinks

Whatever happens to the recent Budget, the Government has recognised that kids and sugary drinks don't go together well.

Many concerned parents have already been trying to wean their kids off sugary drinks but it's not easy.  Some manufacturers of sugary drinks have been replacing sugar with chemical sweeteners like aspartamine, which are linked with side effects and health problems.  Not exactly a healthy substitute. 

The key seems to be to train your kids to drink water flavoured with fruit and vegetables, and to experiment with flavoured teas. 

Last November, Jaime Oliver's recipes for flavoured waters were published in the Times.  The Blogger drinks a lot of filtered water and tried Jaime's drinks.  They were absolutely lovely, with one proviso. Don't make the flavoured water too far in advance; the fruit shouldn't sit in the water for much longer than a day.  

Flavoured waters From Jaime Oliver 

Everyday Super Food (Michael Joseph £18.20) The Dish, the Times, 1/11/15

The following combinations are steeped in a jug of water and ice, and refrigerated for at lest three hours:

Cucumber, Apple & Mint
Add one fine finely sliced apple, strips of cucumber and a few fresh mint leaves

Strawberry
Add half a dozen sliced strawberries

St Clements
Add sliced oranges and lemons

Watermelon & Basil
Add a peeled chopped wedge of watermelon, bashing the fruit to release flavours.  Add a squeeze of lime. 

To encourage kids to drink flavoured waters: 

• use a clear glass jug to show off the fruit
• freeze pieces of fruit in ice-cubes and add them to serving glasses (plastic ice cube trays are budget-friendly)
• collect colourful, interesting and sturdy glasses  
• for special occasions, serve flavoured waters with fruit or veg on a cocktail stick and/or with a cocktail umbrella

67's home-made kids' teas with no or low sugar, are also a good substitute for sugary drinks.  They're not expensive and the ingredients are easy to find in supermarkets.   

• Jasmine tea (available in teabags in supermarkets, or - for the frugal -

  

  This mug is very sturdy! 

  loose in Chinese supermarkets) appeals to kids because it is so pale and delicate.  Make it very weak - a pinch of leaves in the bottom of a cup or a half teaspoon in a teapot. It is usually served hot but is surprisingly refreshing cold with a thin slice of lemon.
  (Try serving the tea in a robust 'embroidered' Chinese mug - about £3 in Chinatowns; fill only half full with hot tea & top up with cold water in case of accidents)  
• Berry teas, brewed in a teapot, cooled & stored in the fridge. Use as you would a cordial - an inch or two in the bottom of a glass, topped up with sparkling water. 
• Ginger tea (How to cook with fresh ginger root) is often used medicinally but also makes a refreshing drink.  Use as you would a cordial - an inch or two in the bottom of a glass, topped up with fizzy water, with a slice of lemon perched on the side.  For children you may need to add a little maple syrup and a plastic straw.  

Some eye-catching supermarket buys:

• Morrisons has a glass latte mug at £2 for 2 (the coffee-shop one pictured is from Nisbetts), colourfully striped tall glasses - ok for children's hands - for £1 each and boxes of flexible straws, 225 for a pound
• Waitrose has beautifully tinted sturdy tumblers which narrow towards the base, £1 each, and striped re-usable straws, 8 for £2

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Like this? Hate it? Comments or questions, pls email b67goingon50@yahoo.co.uk and say if they can be included in the blog                                         

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

THE SPEEDIEST TRIFLES IN THE WORLD: glorious frugal indulgence

Surfing the trend for 3-ingredient easy-peasy desserts...

Instant Trifle from leftover Carrot Cake, fresh pineapple & end-of-date cream 
'That's the sort of thing I want to take home for Christmas!' Tester

The trend for impressive 3-ingredient home-made desserts, which recently erupted on You tube and other cooking blogs, has really caught on.  Even the Daily Telegraph started a column on 3-ingredient desserts. (Mar 2016)

And why not?  They take only minutes to prepare, taste great and there's little washing up afterwards.

Even better if you can use up leftovers and/or nearly-out-of-date items, all the better.  Who doesn't love saving money, especially in the middle of a pandemic?  

67 transformed a carrot cake which hadn't hit the mark, underripe pineapple and cut-price cream into the glamorous exciting speediest trifle in the world. 

Obviously not everyone will have a spare carrot cake etc on hand but the recipe works with quite a few combinations, including cookies instead of cake.  Several  alternatives are offered in Tips (below).  


Cost: depending on what's in your cupboard, from £1.50-3
Serves: from 3-5

Ingred:
    stale carrot cake in 1/2 inch/1 cm slices
    2-3 gms sherry or fruit juice (opt)
    350 gm yoghurt cream or double cream (whip into soft peaks' add 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1-2 tbsp sugar)  
      baked pineapple wedges plus juice (see Hot Pineapple Pudding)
    1-2 tbsp sherry (opt)
    fresh grated ginger or finely diced sugared ginger (opt)

Method:

1. Line a small loaf tin with double layer of cling film
2. Put a layer of cake in the bottom
3. Moisten cake with sherry & fruit juice
4. Add a layer of pineapple wedges & sprinkle over ginger if using
5. Cover lightly with yoghurt cream or double cream
6. Repeat
7. Press down lightly; if there's time, refrigerate; otherwise, turn it out onto a plate
8. Cover the top of the trifle with the rest of the cream; if you have enough you can do the sides as well 
9. Slice and serve or give everyone a spoon and dig in

Comments:

'This is the sort of thing I'd want to take home for Christmas. The carrot cake was an unusual base but it really stimulated the palate.  It was not bland.' Political agent

'It was really good and looked like there'd be little washing up!' Tube train driver  

Tips:

• Biscuits can replace cake, any other fruit can be used, fruit liqueur can replace sherry and, if cholesterol isn't a problem, double cream can replace yoghurt-cream
• try bread cake with raspberry compote  (buy half-priced sell-by-date-today punnets of fruit); crushed ginger biscuits with peach compote; crushed digestives, strawberry compote and whipped marscapone 

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ITALIAN SEAFOOD SALAD WITH GRAPEFRUIT & AVOCADO, Make-Ahead, Portable, Easy

BUDGET CONSCIOUS SEAFOOD, MEDITERRANEAN STYLE

Italian Seafood Salad with Avocado & Grapefruit 

This is a gorgeous seafood salad: garlicky, lemony, wine-scented and with a flash of heat, embellished with avocado and seafood.

It's absolutely wonderful.  Seafood salads have always been the best of Italian deli food (with prices to match) but the creaminess of avocado and tang of grapefruit which 67 added bring a new and blissful dimension.

If there's the budget - and the time- one could start from scratch with fresh seafood.  

This recipe is more wallet-friendly, using Premium Selection Seafood*, 700 grams for just £5. It's a good mix of squid rings, mussels and King Prawns; and the shrinkage is limited.  Add defrosted frozen scallops and/or cubes of cooked white firm-fleshed fish for more variety.  

Don't be put off by celebrity chefs who look down on frozen seafood.  When it comes to texture and flavour, 67 has had better luck with frozen than some farmed fish.  

The Seafood Salad needs to be started the day before you plan to serve it;  The shellfish must be marinaded overnight.  The avocado and grapefruit is added at the last minute. 

The dish lasts three days; it's a perfect dish for a portable lunch.

Cost: £;
Feeds: 3-4

Ingred:
   475 gm/16 oz cooked mixed shellfish (see * above) including optional cooked firm fleshed fish
   
   1/4 cup good olive oil
   1 tsp oregano
   1/4 tsp chilli flakes
   
   2 cloves garlic, grated
   1 1/2 tomatoes (no seeds or pulp), in small dice
   2 tbsp white wine vinegar   
   1/4 - 1/2 glass white wine
   zest half a lemon
   2 tbsp lemon juice
   2 stalks celery, cleaned, peeled and finely diced
   1/2 packet parsley leaves, rinsed and chopped coarsley

   1 small avocado
    juice half a lemon
   1/2 grapefruit, in segments

Method: 

1. Defrost shellfish in the fridge on the morning of the day of preparation; rinse; drain
2. Heat a large pan of water; when boiling add defrosted shellfish; quickly remove after a minute or so or until the prawns turn pink; rinse, drain; set aside
3. Heat a saucepan over med heat; add olive oil & heat through
4. Add oregano and chilli flakes (the oil will sizzle); cook 1 min
5. Add diced tomato and garlic; cook 2 mins
6. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, white wine vinegar and white wine; cook 1 min. Remove from heat
7. Finely dice celery; coarsely chop parsley; add to oil;  a stir to combine
8. Pour over shellfish; cover tightly with clingfilm; refrigerate
9. Rest preferably overnight or minimum 4 hours
10. Just before serving: peel and stone avocado; dice in sizes similar to the shellfish; sprinkle with lemon juice; add pepper and salt
11. Segment grapefruit (see Orange and Berry Plate); dry grapefruit on a paper towel -- you're looking for the bitter-sweetness of grapefruit without allowing the juice to dilute the marinade; chop into pieces similar to mussels
12. Mix the shellfish, avocado and grapefruit together with some of the marinade.
13. Serve with plenty of crusty bread.

*Iceland, Whole Foods

                  More fish on NavBar:Recipes I

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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.  

'I'M ON HOLIDAY, TOO' BBQ CHICKEN WINGS. Frugal, Lower-fat, Easy-Peasy

For cooks wanting to enjoy the holiday, too...

BBQ Chicken Wings, with store cupboard ingredients, Lower-fat

These gorgeous wings are a godsend on holiday - simple, appealing, tasty and very child-friendly.  Moreover, they don't require anything exotic; all the ingredients should be available at any supermarket or village shop.  

An oven/roaster or BBQ is necessary; potato or sweet potato wedges can be cooked at the same time.  Then all that's needed is a couple of bowls with tomato wedges lightly oiled and salted and cucumber sticks. It's a quick, nutritious happy-making hot meal.

Or for picnics, make the wings in advance and pack them along with containers of tomatoes and cucumber sticks and Carnival Potato Salad.

Cost: £3.50
Serves: 4

Ingred:
   1 kilo chicken wings (the best you can afford)
   1 cup spicy ketchup, pref low-sugar
   2-3 tbsp soft brown sugar
   2 tbsp soy sauce
   2 cloves garlic, grated
   2 inch piece ginger grated or 2/3 tsp dried ginger
   zest of one lemon or orange
   chilli flakes (opt)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to moderate 180c, 350f, gas 5
2. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper; set wings on rack in tray
3. Bake for 25 minutes
4. In the meantime, mix ketchup, sugar, soy, garlic, ginger & zest and chilli flakes if using; set 1/2 of the total aside
5. After 25 minutes, brush the wings liberally with sauce
6. Repeat step 5 every 7 minutes until wings are crisp and beautifully coloured - probably another 20-25 mins.
7. Serve with extra sauce

Tip:

• If you can't find wings, get a whole chicken and spatchcock it: remove the backbone by holding the bird firmly on its rump and cutting down with a sharp knife close to the right of the backbone and to the left;  the bird can then be flattened and the cooking speeded up.  Cutting the chicken into portions will also save cooking time.  Save the backbone for stock
• A cooling dipping sauce is a 2-1 mix of strained yoghurt and mayonnaise with finely sliced spriing onions or chives
• If you like this, you will also like Double-Duty Sweet & Sour Chicken Wings and Chicken Stock

                             Scroll down for more Recipes and How to...

Like this? Hate it? Comments or questions, pls email b67goingon50@yahoo.co.uk and say if they can be included in the blog                                         

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.  

HOW TO...GET WALLET FRIENDLY FISH .

Updated Octo 2020

FISH HAS BEEN A SOURCE OF HIGH QUALITY PROTEIN, PROBABLY SINCE THE DAWN OF MANKIND...

Brixham Fish Market, Devon
Courtesy of Geograph:  © Copyright Chris Talbot and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

...when it was no doubt caught by hand.  That's not very likely nowadays, unless you live near a river, lake or the sea.   

Fresh fish is expensive and worries about fish stocks abound; worries about sustainable fish stocks mean fish prices, including frozen, have been rising inexorably.  Getting your twice-a-week fish intake isn't easy but stores like M&S offer 3-fer-offers at under £10 and fresh fish market stalls can be budget-friendly. 

The big thing in restaurants as we struggle with the cost of living crisis is serving fish heads and other bits and pieces we might not ordinarily consider (which, by the way, the Asians have been doing for centuries!). 67 does not want to be confronted with a fish head for supper but using it for stock...it would certainly enhance your vitamin profile. 

Notwithstanding the cost, the benefits of eating fish - especially if you are older - make it worth your while to spend a little more on fish, less frequently. 

Fish is:

• heart-friendly
• can improve brain development
• linked to lower cholesterol in some studies 
• either low in fat (white fish) or a good source of essential fatty acids (oily fish)
• full of vitamins and minerals
• environmentally, 'a good thing' because fish (i) have less sophisticated nervous systems and (ii) swim freely (if not factory farmed) 

But in our increasingly complicated inter-dependent world, fish also:

• can contain toxic materials like mercury and plastic
• are diminishing due to over-fishing

That's why Governments recommend restricting intake to two portions a week.  Child-bearing women and young children are recommended to eat fish low in mercury: tinned tuna, salmon, pollock and catfish (coley).  Portion size per serving is 6 oz/170 gm; less for children.

  
In the UK, the fishing industry recommends buying fish in season, when it's abundant and cheaper.  For a guide to which fish is in season and when, go to: http://www.wingofstmawes.co.uk/wholesale/seasonal_fish

                                     ***

Given a choice - and budget - at least one of 67's weekly fish dishes is fresh: salmon, mackerel in season, bream or sea bass. Cod and chips is a very occasional treat, though a portion is nearly enough for two!  

Supermarkets are savvy when it comes to fish. Waitrose - which has twice won the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) for sustainable fish - frequently offers fresh fish at a good discount on some Fridays.

Otherwise, frozen fish is just as nutritious as fresh.  Waitrose offers the frugal ('ish) frozen coley (currently 6  portions £6) and pollock (both white fish)  as well as salmon, haddock and cod. Iceland does a Selection of frozen squid rings, mussels and King prawns  -- perfect in soups and in noodle soup bowls; prices vary according to packet size.  It also does more than acceptable frozen salmon fillets, farmed and wild. 

Smoked mackerel is still a relatively budget-conscious choice in some supermarkets and who can resist smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels?  There's usually a tin (or 2 or 3 of tuna in the cupboard from M&S but also Sainsbury's.    

Some of 67goingon50's recipes using fish :

FISH

Fresh Fish
Steamed Salmon, Bak Choy & Potatoes one-dish meal
Ginger & Soy Fish, ten-minute wonder
Mackerel in paper parcels, healthy in the extreme!
Salmon Nicoise Salad
Sea Bass, Chinese Style, an Indulgence:  delicately gutsy flavours   
Sweet Chilli & Ginger Salmon, Healthy, budget-friendly

Frozen Fish
Unfried Fish & Chips, crunchiness without fat
Fish Burgers, a change of theme for burgers
Phyllo Bites, Sensational: Triple Duty: Vegan, fish, meat
Seafood Corn Chowder 
Oriental Prawn Omelette, also known as Egg Foo Young
Seafood Salad, Portable, Super-healthy, 1/2 the price of delis
Sweet Chilli & Ginger Salmon, Healthy, budget-friendly
Smoked fish 
Portable Mackerel Rice Salad
Peppered Mackerel a la Nicoise)
Smoked Mackerel, Egg & Potato Salad 
Veloute of Smoked Haddock

Tuna
Tuna Fried Rice, particularly frugal
Fabulously Frugal Fishcakes, kids can make these 
Creamy Tuna Casserole with Crunchy Topping, great holiday recipe
Tuna Salad Italian Style, healthy, delicious, satisfying 






This information was compiled and edited by the Blogger and may not be re-produced without written permission.  B Lee/Bright Sun Enterprises accept no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Please feel free to link to this site.