LAMB FOR EASTER

 

Lamb Recipes for Easter 

English spring Lamb is traditionally served at Easter and good lamb remains in the shops for weeks afterwards. These recipes are family favourites; they're easy to prepare and fat levels are much lower than usual.  

 Roast Lamb for Small Households

Lamb Mongolian Style: gutsy crispy lamb but lower fat; pancakes at the ready: exotic and fun

Italian-Style Lamb Shoulder with tomatoes: low-fat one-pot wonder; wallet-friendly

Lamb and Red Wine Stew: sublime casserole will impress guests

FABULOUS MOSTLY MAKE-AHEAD PICNIC FOOD

 Fabulous Picnic Food - mostly make-ahead 

The first stage of Freedom from Lockdown has coincided with terrific weather; make the most of it!

Beef Koftas with Tahini Dip & Crudites

Mini Spiced Beef Koftas: spicy, herby, meaty, low-fat/carb/preservative

Healthy Spanokopita (Vegetarian spinach & Cheese Pie): fabulously crispy but without butter; and salty levels have been cut back 

Avocado & Ham Devilled Eggs, Vegetarian opt: quirkily yummy with delicate heat and a sublime 'Wow!' salty sweetness.

No-bake lower-fat Lime Cream Pie: chocolate crust; option for no-alcohol

LOW-CARB SMOKED MACKEREL FISHCAKES: low carb, easy, make-ahead

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Tasty not-tuna fishcakes for the carb-phobic replace 'taters with celeriac...

Tasty chunky smoked mackerel fishcakes

These very nice fishcakes are a twist on the usual; instead of mild-flavoured tuna, salmon or cod, strongly flavoured mackerel is the name the game (or the fishcake).  

The mackerel is bound with celeriac, not potatoes, and the fishcakes are deliberately chunky.

They're healthy. Celeriac mash is at the low end of the carb scale and though it's texture is similar to potatoes, has fewer calories.   

Smoked mackerel - one of the blog's favourite fishes - is high in essential fatty acids and easier to keep and store than fresh mackerel.  Its  smoky flavour and meaty flakes are a perfect counterpoint to potatoes or rice.  

Serve with a lemon vinaigrette and salad.

Cost: £4.00

Feeds: 6-8

Ingreds

250g peeled celeriac in 1 cm cubes

300 gm smoked mackerel, skinned, bones removed, in large flakes

6 spring onions

zest and juice of 1 lemon

          1 tsp sumac (opt)

salt & pepper

2 med eggs, beaten 

Optional: flour, breadcrumbs, egg or milk

 Method:

PARMESAN COURGETTES, an easy indulgence (opt for low-carb)

Richly rewarding indulgent courgettes... 

Parmesan Courgettes...a wonderful treat

This is one of the Blogger's favourite courgette dishes* which - for obvious reasons - does not appear on the menu very often.

The courgette slices are coated in flour and parmesan but overall, the coating is light and the carb count is not horrendous. There's no other way of cooking these beauties except by frying them (oven-baking doesn't work though there is a grilling option in Tips) but as long as you're using a good vegetable oil (pref olive) and don't go overboard, you'll be all right.  

It's a good idea to check the pan and oil are at the right temperature.  Don't leave them unattended; they will burn quickly.

Cost: £2'ish

Feeds: 3-4

Ingreds:

4-6 medium courgettes 

3 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoon butter (opt) or replace with olive oil

Method:

CELERIAC FRIES- guilt-free, lower carb/calories, replaces potatoes

If you're on a low-carb diet but craving potatoes, this root vegetable is a great substitute...

Stock Photo

Celeriac - fondly known as the Ugly Veg (see photo below) is, like potato, a starch but is much less starchy than potatoes.  They are much less calorific and dramatically lower in carbs.

The texture of celeriac is similar to potato, though a little more wet, which is why chips or wedges will never get truly crisp.  But they are packed with fibre and keep you fuller for longer. 

With these fries, you don't need to hold back...eat as many as you like.

Cost: £1.25'ish

Feeds: 2-3

Ingredients:

1/3 of large celeriac, peeled & cut into chunky chips

1 tbsp peanut or other veg oil

1 generous tsp mild curry powder OR paprika (for that golden appearance) OR try Zataar (Middle Eastern mix of sesame seeds, sumac, thyme, marjoram, oregano, basil, salt) with a few finely chopped nuts 

OPTIONAL sauce of your choice: tomato, tomato & red bell pepper etc

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200C/400F
2. Mix veg oil and chosen seasoning
3. Toss celeriac chips until coated
4. Spread out on a rack on a baking sheet with plenty of space in between
5. Bake 20-25 mins, turning once
6. Place in serving bowl, squeeze a little lemon juice over

Comments:

'OK, not crispy but very tasty and filling. Even better, I didn't miss not having potatoes. I liked the crunchiness of the Zatar topping but curry powder or paprika would have given them that appetising glow.'  Retired writer

Celeriac Notes

Not cheap but not outrageously expensive either, a 20oz/3/4 kilo celeriac will cost about £2.50.  It keeps well in the bottom of the fridge for a few weeks.  it is delicious in salads & soups and is often used like potatoes in stews, mash or as chips.  

Newer celeriac can be peeled but 

others need a knife to remove the peel.  Take a big slice off the grandly bottom so that the celeriac is stable. Run the knife in thin slices between the peel and the celeriac, as if you were preparing a pineapple. 

 

Please leave a Comment in the box below

This recipe has been adapted by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced without the author's written permission

BEEF & DARK BEER STEW, easy, wallet-friendly

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THE DELICIOUS DARK SIDE OF BEEF & BEER...

Slow cooked for hours till thick, melting & unctuous

This is one of 67goingon50's signature dishes and it is absolutely stunning.    

It's based on the Beef & Guinness Stew the Blogger first had shortly after arriving in London.  I fell in culinary love with its deep, dark colour, its intense flavour and its rich thick gravy.  The meat was so tender it could be cut with a spoon and the vegetables had wonderful texture.  

67 has made the stew hundreds of times since and each time diners have been blown away. 

Initially, cooking the stew in a low oven for 9-10 hours was the way to go but now 67 relies on a slow cooker.  (see Making the Most of Slow Cookers) There's little chance of overcooking; the stew just gets more rich and deeply flavoured. 

If you like beef - which has fallen out of favour recently -  prices are pretty good right now.  Watch for bargain prices at M&S, Waitrose & Sainsbury's.  

The stew is an indulgence worth every penny and was perfect for St Patrick's Day lunch.  It's wallet-friendly, not frugal and it is slightly higher in fat than usual 67 recipes.  

But it does feed a lot of people, especially if you add a few thickly chopped parsnips or swede in the early stages, and in the last hour of cooking, a tin of drained, rinsed white haricot beans. 

If there are weight or other health issues, restrict the amount of beef in a portion and load up on veg.  Leftovers freeze well and can be transformed into thick soup.  

Serves: 6-8
Cost:  £7'ish

Ingredients:

500g/18 oz stewing beef
56 gm/2 oz flour

       2 large onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced 

6 carrots. in thick chunks 
1-2 cups/250-500 ml Guinness or porter (67 used 500ml) (Sorry, there is no halal equivalent but the alcohol will be cooked out by serving time)
1-2 cups/250-500 ml beef or other stock (67 used 250ml)

zest of one orange, coarsely grated 

 

1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 1/2 oz butter 

150gm/6 oz thickly sliced mushrooms
pepper & salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme

Method:

EGG-FREE BUTTERMILK CHEESE BISCUITS , easy, make ahead

Life-saving recipe for busy cooks....

Rich with cheese & chives, well-risen & crusty: egg-free buttermilk scones 

Buttermilk is one of those great baking ingredients that helps flour products - especially soda bread and scones - rise beautifully.  

Traditional buttermilk was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cream - giving the flavour of cream but not the fat - perfect for salad dressings and baking.  Nowadays most buttermilk is cultured. 

67 uses it mostly in soda breads and fluffy American pancakes.  But this recipe for cheese biscuits is a delight.  

For some recipes, 67 prefers 'proper' buttermilk from the store rather than the usual yoghurt-water or milk & vinegar substitutes.  But plans for supermarket buttermilk often come a cropper.  And then you're faced with a container of buttermilk that needs to be used today - and preferably yesterday.   

Looking for ideas for buttermilk on the net, 67 learned that:

• buttermilk (like milk) can be frozen
• buttermilk biscuit/scone dough can (like some cookie doughs) be frozen raw
• buttermilk in scones means melted butter can be used; the sometimes slightly irritating step of rubbing cold butter cubes into flour can be avoided 

It also stumbled on a simple recipe for buttermilk scones which also happened to be egg free.  This recipe, adapted from the cafe sucre farine is - as the label says - ridiculously easy.  

And really, really tasty with the perfect ratio of cheese and chives.

Cost: £3.00 (less for cheese-free scones)

Makes: 10 med rounds; 6-8 rectangles

Ingredients

240ml buttermilk

130g/4.6oz butter

250gm/8.75oz flour, plus extra for shaping

1 tbsp sugar (opt: 67 didn't bother)

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup grated cheddar

4-6 tbsp chives (67 used 4 and a bit)

Method:

CHRISTMAS 2020: DISHES FOR ALL COURSES: STARTERS/APPETISERS, MAINS, SIDES, AFTERS/TREATS

 Starters:

Golden Butternut Soup, vegan

Mini Sausage & Onion Yorkshires (vegetarian with carnivore opt)

Lamb & Tahini Bites, lower-fat easy

Luxury Double Smoked Salmon Canapes

 

Sides

Festive Pull-Apart Soft Fan Rolls, special occasion indulgence

Delicious Sprout Latkes; vegetarian with vegan opt, 

Lettuce Wedges with low-fat Thousand Island Dressing

Vegetarian Red Wine Gravy

Mains

Festive Pate & Mushroom Dome, Vegetarian, incl Nut Pate & Brandied Mushrooms 

       One-stop Chicken Christmas Dinner

       Festive Fish Pie in White Wine Sauce

       Non-Turkey Festive Dishes

    

Afters

Fabulous Egg Nog, safe for oldies

& Sophisticated Mocha Butter Cookies

Egg Nog Truffles, quick & easy indulgence 

Bottom of the Barrel Shortbread, 4 ingreds

Creamy Pineapple Glazed Pudding, thrifty, easy

Light, Gingerbread Sheet Cake

 

Please leave 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

MAIN COURSE 'BURGER SOUP: thrifty, lower-fat/cholesterol, slow cooker, easily digested

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with advice, info & photos on the Nav Bar above

Pleasing, satisfying North American Classic, cousin of the Beef Stew...

updated nov 2022

A hearty bowlful of beefy deliciousness 

This is one for the family favourites' list -- especially since Waitrose & M&S sell  almost permanently 500gm 20% fat beef mince at around £2 (last time 67 looked) .  

Don't be afraid of the 20% fat beef; 67 uses it all the time and so far, the fat that is released is good quality.  The flavour of the beef is usually excellent and in 67's mind, it's a bargain.

67's method of cooking the mince removes as much fat as possible (making it more suitable for cholesterol-phobes) and boosts meaty flavours.

Like many American supper dishes, 'Burger' Soup is hearty, easy to make, and reheats well.  There is an element of 'kidult' food here - it's a soupy version of the hamburger - but everyone who's eaten it (including the Blogger) loves it. 

As for the chief cook and bottle washer, the soup is a godsend one-pan wonder: you only need some warm bread/buns to go with, find a bit of salad and throw-together a dessert for a great, satisfying meal.  

To continue the American theme, 67 defrosted some recently baked banana cupcakes and topped them with peanut butter frosting. But quick, easy and more-ish brownies would also work.  

If beef is not in your food plan, turkey or chicken mince is an even lower-fat/cholesterol alternative. 

The vegetables can be chopped and changed without affecting its deliciousness; the soup freezes well. 

The slow-cooker method is recommended for best flavour but a stove-top version is included.  

Cost:  £5'ish

Feeds:  4-6

Ingreds: 

500gm/17.5oz ground beef

olive oil 

 

1 onion, in small dice

2 sticks celery, in chunks (bite-size for slow cookers; smaller for quick version)

2 carrots, in chunks (bite-size for slow cookers; smaller for quick version)

bell pepper, topped, tailed, de-seeded and de-membraned, in bite-size chunks

2 cloves garlic, grated

2-3 med potatoes, in bite-size chunks, or a combo of potatoes, parsnips, swede or other root veg (2'ish cups)

1 can tomatoes 

1.5c beef broth (granules will be fine)

1.5 tsp tomato paste

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp salt 

1/4tsp pepper

1/2 tsp oregano

1/8tsp cayenne    

          

       

After soup base is cooked:       

       1 can (any old) tomato soup (67 used M&S @ 50p a tin) 

       1 cup frozen peas or frozen diced mixed veg (if you can find them)

       Garnish: 1tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried parsley flakes 

Method:

CORNBREAD WITH SPRING ONIONS, PEPPERS & PAPRIKA : lower-fat, sugar-free, easy

Moist, fluffy, fine-crumbed and golden, cornbread is a perfect accompaniment for Hamburger soup...

Golden, crumbly sugar-free polenta quickbread 

Cornbread is a quick bread using coarse polenta (not cornflour) which originated in Native America.  It is now popular in the southern US, Greek, Portugal and Turkey. 

Not surprisingly.  Fairly easy but very delicious, it is a favourite with with 67 tasters no matter what shape, flavour and size is offered!   

This new one is studded with the fresh sweetness of bell pepper, tempered with spring onion and smoked paprika. It's delightful, warm or cold.

It's a little milder than 67's original Cornbread with Niblets, Chilli & Spring Onions and slightly less grainy.  But the Blogger - and others - loves it.

Produces: 10 large muffins OR 2 small loaves 
Cost: around £2.00

Equipment: well-greased large muffin tin OR 2 x 1 pound loaf tins

Ingred:

soft butter for greasing tins

140g/5oz plain white flour mixed with a tsp of baking powder 
125g/4.4oz coarse cornmeal/polenta, organic if poss  
1 Tbsp sugar (opt) (67 never bothers and the cornbread tastes fine.)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp (yes, tbsp!) baking powder

40g/1.4oz butter

30gm light vegetable oil 
2 med eggs
200 ml milk 

125g bell pepper (in any colour but green) in dice the size of corn niblets
4 spring onions sliced thinly on the diagonal, green and white

    OR 3-4 tbsp chopped chives OR both

scant tablespoon smoked paprika

Baked in large muffin tin 

1/2 tsp pepper
4 oz/110 gm grated strong cheddar (opt)

Method:
      Preheat oven to 190C/170fan/375F/gas 5

LAMB'S LETTUCE SALAD WITH AVOCADO DRESSING: Easy-peasy, Healthy

A 'Bring On Spring' salad...

Lambs Lettuce, Cucumber, Radish & Avocado Dressing

If - like 67 - you're getting sick of crunchy lettuce and are longing for soft-leafed floppy Bibbs/English lettuces, this salad is for you.

Lamb's Lettuce - also known as màche or corn salad - is back in the shops.  It has a soft texture, belying its rich green colour.  It's not expensive - about £1.60 for a good sized pack - and requires almost no prep.  Just rinse, dry and spread on a plate. 

The photo above has a few half moons of cucumber and some thin slices of radish for colour, texture and flavour contrast.  67 likes the simplicity of it but you could add whatever raw or cooked veg you like, perhaps beetroot?

The dressing is equally easy: fat-free yoghurt, mayo and ripe avocado mashed with a smidgen of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper.

It looks gorgeous and tastes great.  Not bad for a few minutes work!

Cost: about £1.25

Serves: 4-5; both salad & dressing multiply easily

Ingredients:

Salad

couple of handfuls lamb's lettuce

2-inch slice of cucumber, sliced in half mons

3-4 trimmed radishes, thinly sliced

Dressing

1 generous tablespoon fat-free yoghurt

1 generous tablespoon mayonnaise 

1 small slice ripe avocado, peeled (about 2-3 tbsp)

1 generous tsp balsamic vinegar

pepper & salt

Method:

SINGLETONS' SKINNY APPLE CRANBERRY & CINNAMON CRUMBLE: lower-fat & sugar

Oh so dependable, so delicious, fruit crumbles...but skinnier

Individual Crumbles  (with one-dish option)
'Excellent' Taster

Fruit crumbles are such a lovely dessert - hot and comforting -  and there are so many variations, you could have one a week for months without getting bored.  They're also wallet-friendly - bags of apples and pears are so reasonable these days - and you can dress them up with dried or frozen fruit and nuts.  Or not, as you wish.

They're healthy, stuffed with naturally sweet fresh fruit, and when you make your own you control the amount of fat and sugar, fibre (replace some flour with wholemeal) without affecting levels of crunchiness and flavour.  

1-dish Pear & Blueberry Crumble 

Apple Cinnamon Cranberry Crumble was cobbled together for a Sunday lunch.  It makes four individual crumbles or a single dish. (See Tips) The individual crumbles win the 'Wow' test but are a bit more of a faff to prepare.  


Cost: £2'ish
Makes: 4 small or one large crumble enough for 2-3 people; recipe multiples easily 

Ingredients:

     110gm/3.8oz plain flour
     35gm/1.2oz wholemeal flour
     min 2 - max 4 tbsp brown sugar

     50-60gm/1.7-2.1oz cold unsalted butter, in small cubes 

    generous handful dried cranberries (or other dried fruit), refreshed in boiling water 5 mins and drained (opt)

    2 good-sized or  4-5 small apples, as ripe as possible

    zest and juice of orange

    1-2 tsp cinnamon 

    1/2 tsp nutmeg

flaked almonds

Method:

STOVETOP POTATO ONION OMELETTE ( SPANISH TORTILLA) - budget friendly, small households

Budget friendly Vegetarian Delight, from scratch...

Stovetop Tortilla Espagnol (Potato & Onion Omelette) from scratch
'Fills the house with wonderful aromas; worth the extra cooking time'

Unlike 67goingon50's earlier recipe for Cheat's Tortilla - the popular Spanish Potato Omelette - this one does not rely on high-calorie chip shop chips and there's no oven involved.

This authentic version contains potatoes cooked from raw so it is cheaper than buying a bag of fries.    67 loves both versions but the air fryer (for chips) is still broken and this stovetop version is really very very appetising...and fills the kitchen with tantalising aromas.

The one pictured above is a 4-egg version, which will feed 3 quite generously. 

Feeds: 3 (recipe multiplies easily
Costs: £1.50

Equipment:  6-7in/15-18cm round pan

Ingred:
1 med yellow onion (about 100gm/3.5oz)
1 large potato, thinly sliced

Olive oil, the best you can afford 

4 large eggs

min. 1 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp pepper 


Method: