ROAST LAMB IS NOT JUST FOR BIG BUDGETS

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English spring Lamb is traditionally served at Easter and good lamb remains in the shops for weeks afterwards. 

While lamb legs are often out of the reach of the budget-conscious and prices have risen like everythihng else, there are plenty of cuts that provide a seasonal treat without breaking the bank.

Shoulders and half shoulders of lamb, slow roasted, are gorgously tender and well flavoured.  Lamb ribs, served in a mix of chicken drumsticks and wings, are popular.  Stews and casseroles from a slow cooker are deeply moreish.

These terrifically tasty and satisfying lamb recipes are the Blogger's Choice from the Archive.  Whether singleton, pensioner, twosome, family gathering or a crowd, you'll find something wallet-friendly and easily prepared. 

67 prefers to support English lamb producers but New Zealand lamb is also available.

Roast Lamb for small households with Savoury Mint Gravy

 Minty gravy elevates this delicious half shoulder roast, just the right size for a small household

Lamb Koftas with Sensational Tahini Sauce

Easy. Prepare the night before. Suitable for barbie and grill.  Even if the weather's horrible, these Mediterranean style koftas warm body and soul. 

Slow-Roasted Crispy Lamb Ribs 

Easy Crispy Meaty Lamb ribs with a crusty brown surface and much lower fat

Flash Fried Lamb Steaks with Sherry Soy Sauce 

 Lamb Steak with vegetables & rice: terrifically tasty easy singleton's supper after a day in the office 

 

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

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

AVOCADO SALAD: great for beginners needing a template; high fibre; heart healthy, budget friendly.

Bargain priced avocados: a delight for nearly spring...

Avocado Salad: a template for colourful, healthy
multi-textured mix of simple salad ingredients  

When food budgets are tight, we take our pleasures where we can.

Cut-price avocados, which seem to be in abundance in most supermarkets right now, is sure to be 1 of them.  

A great source of culinary delight, avocados are on sale at £1'ish each, sometimes much less -- under half the price of a perfectly ripe specimen. 

And they're are not just for guacamole or the ubiquitous sourdough toast with poached eggs.  They're brilliant in smoothies, soups, pilaffs and vegetable sides.

But the delights of the lovely green fruit will not be yours until you have mastered the art of ripening rock-hard ones.  Have a look at 67's sister post this week: How to...the Art of Avocados and everything you need to know which provides the experts' instructions on the best way to ripen an avocado.  

This post's simple salad for a small household is a real treat, mouthwatering, delicious and satisfying.  

But it also offers a beginer's guide to creating the right proportion of ingredients for a thrilling salad.  It will turn you into a pro.  

Cost: £1-2, depending on the salad drawer

Feeds: 1 or 2

Ingreds:

Salad:

1/3-1/2 small crunchy lettuce like baby gem, or equivalent
2-3 inches/5-7 cm cucumber
1-2 handfuls washed baby tomatoes or 1-2 standard tomatoes
1/2 peeled ripe avocado
a few ounces of cold leftover meat or cooked prawns (opt)
Extras: (opt)
2-3 radishes, sliced thin
1 stick celery, washed, trimmed at top and bottom

lightly toasted pine nuts OR sunflower &/or pumpkin seeds

crumbled crispy bacon 

Dressing for 1, easily multiplied:

2 tbsp good olive oil

1 tbsp vinegar, pref basamic, OR white or red wine vinegar OR lemon or lime juice

1/2 tbsp Dijon, wholegrain or other mild mustard

1/2-1 small clove garlic, finely grated (opt but recommended)

1/8 tsp sugar or a dash of maple syrup (opt but recommended)

salt & pepper

Method:

1. Mix dressing ingredients in a small jar with a tight fitting lid (washed empty herb jars from M&S  are ideal here); shake vigorously until emulsified ( completely blended & thick); keep cool till needed 
2. Just before serving, separate lettuce leaves at the base, remove grotty bits of leaf or core, wash in a solution of 9 parts water & 1 part white vinegar; pat dry with paper towel.  Slice into 1/2in/2 cm pieces
3. Wash & peel cucumber but leave a space between each strip, leaving a striped appearance; slice thinly at a slant  (see below)
4. Wash & halve baby tomatoes or cut whole tomatoes into small bite-size chunks; spray with olive oil, salt lightly; rest
5. Add the 3 items to the bottom of a good-sized bowl; mix loosely
6. Peel half an avocado (leaving the stone in the remaining half, painting with oil or lemon juice and covering tightly with cling firm); vertically cut in 2 the remaining half; cut into med slices OR chop into generous-sized chunks; spread out on a board; sprinkle liberally with lemon juice to prevent discolouring.  Add to bowl.
7. Cut protein, if using, into bite sized chunks; add to bowl
8. Lightly mix with tongs, being careful not to break up the avocado
9. Vigorously shake dressing again; pour over enough to moisten but not overwhelm 
10. Dressing will keep in fridge 3-5 days

Comments:

'I do love a perfectly ripe avocado with a few shards of protein and the usual crisp lettuce, cucumber and fragrant tomatoes.  Bathed in a balsamic vinaigrette, it's first class.  Roll on spring and summer!'  Retired writer

Some ways of preparing salad veg

Tips:

If you liked this avocado recipe, you will also like: 

1. Mixed Salads, Perfectly Pretty: simple appealling salads
2. recipes for cooked avocado (surprisingly wonderful): 
   • Avocado Pilau: ambrosial, for slightly underripe avocado
   • Avocado Vichyssoise: almost carb free; warm or chilled

   
   

   Please leave a Comment in the box below

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.

HOW TO...THE ART OF THE AVOCADO

 Take advantage of the glut of budget-friendly avocados...

The glorious beauty of a perfectly ripe avocad

Have you noticed the stacks of reduced price avocados in the supermarkets lately?

67goingon50 was tempted to buy but avocados became a Mexican Conflict Commodity in the late 2010's, caught in the middle of drug cartels trying to muscle in on avo-profits. In 2022 things got so bad, the US suspended imports of Mexican avocados.  

67goingon50 - like so many others - cut back on buying avocados.

But the US suspension was brief.

The Mexican Asocciation of Producers, Packers and Exporters complained that  famers were being punished doubly - being extorted by cartels and losing their livelihoods.  They are now asking consumers to resume buying avocados while the the Mexican govenment puts in place social development and community programmes.   

Which means afficianados of avo on sourdough toast can carry on without guilt.

Why are avocados so popular?

Avocado consumption in the US has doubled over a decade.

It's partly to do with the fact that avos are a healthy fat, mostly mono-unsaturated, which helps the heart.  Avos do contain protein and carbs but only in small quantities: a third of an avo clocks in at 1 gr of protein and 4 of carbs.

The velvety texture of avocado gives a rather luxurious appeal and the slightly sweet, nutty flavour is gorgeous.  They are very versatile. (See uses below).  Avocados are also easy on the gut.  

For Mexican food producers avocado are an ideal product. Native to Mexico, avocados are what are known as climacteric fruit; they can ripen after they're harvested.  That means they can be transported thousands of miles from farm to table and arrive at their best.

But that's also their biggest drawback.  

Because you don't know what's inside until you cut into it

 

In an ideal world, you would find pale green loveliness like the photo above.

Other times you might find an oversoft interior with black & bruised spots.

Or something so firm, you can't cut into it.

Overripe, squishy avo?  Bin them.  Under-ripe? There are easy remedies. 

First, learn to recognise a ripe avocado.  Then experiment with the tried and trusted remedy of ripening a rock-hard specimen

Guaranteeing a ripe avocado

The laziest way of finding a ripe avocado is to ask your friendly 

independent green grocer for an avocado ripe for today or tomorrow.  A beautifully ripe avo is pretty much a given then but it will cost you.  Probably over £2.

And in the Cost of Living Crisis etc. etc when supermarket avos are under a pound (and a upmarket fruit section is currently selling them for 70pence), it makes sense to get with a learning programme.

A ripe avocado has:

• dark green almost-black skin
• a rough texture
• a bit of give when squeezed
• a mould-free, clean node with a non-squiffy smell where the stem was attached

Dealing with an unripe avocado

Waiting for an avo to ripen can be aggravating; it could take days.  The net is full of wild and wonderful methods of 'ripening in minutes' with ovens, microwaves etc.  Most avocado specialists recommend avoiding those methods. The results can be awful; some are disgusting.  67 tried a few and regretted it. 

The method most often recomended by experts is to put the avocado in a brown paper bag with a banana or apple, seal the bag with a clip/clothes peg and store it at room temperature for 24 hours.  (Bananas and apples contain enzymes which help ripen avocados.)  No brown paper bag?  Replace with newspaper.

If not ripe at the end of 24 hours, leave for another 24 hours.

When ripe (firm with a bit of give), use immediately or store in a refrigerator up to 3 days.

If you've cut the avo open and it's not ready, don't panic.  Leave the stone intact.  Brush surfaces with oil or lemon juice to form a protective film; re-assemble, wrap in cling film and refrigerate unil ripe.

Some common & less well known delicious recipes for Avocado

Room temperature:

• on toast, with a sprinkle of nuts and a poached egg
• guacamole
• smoothies
• Salads: mixed green or with prawns or chicken 
• Vegetable Sides: Sweet, Sour & Spicy Avocado Corn

Cooked (surprisingly wonderful): 

• Avocado Pilau: ambrosial, great for slightly underripe avocado
• Avocado Vichyssoise: almost carb free; warm or chilled

Sources: all from Apple News+

Good Housekeeping

Chowhound

Pop Sugar 

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

EGG-DROP CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP, Cheat's Version

When eating, not cooking is the hghest priority... 

A riff on the Chinese Classic, Egg-Drop Pea soup, but with mushrooms instead is equally delicious and filling.

You know how it is.  It's suppertime, you're famished after a day at the (desk) trenches but you really can't summon the energy to cook.

On days like that, 67 relies on supermarket friends.  Like tins of soup with carefully chosen additions to turn it into a gourmet treat.

Previous 67 experiments turned out well, like the Bean & Dahl soup which morphed into a thick Mulligatawny with rice and crisp green apple.

This recipe focuses on tinned Cream of Mushroom soup (on offer at M&S for 70p 19/3).

A bit of chopping of fresh mushrooms, the addition of milk or cream and a single egg turns something ordinary into something special.  Thick and unctuous, it is wholly satisfying.

Cost: $1'ish

Serves: 1 but multiplies easily

Ingreds:

3-4 mushrooms, white or Chestnut

tsp of butter

1 tin Cream of Mushroom soup, not condensed

1 egg

scant tin of milk or single cream

(opt): 

thyme

lemon juice or zest

Method:

1. Chop mushrooms finely, saute in butter over med-high heat in a med saucepan until cooked through and most of the liquid disappears; sprinkle with a pinch of thyme & a little lemon zest or juice if using; stir 
2. Add soup to the pot; fill tin about 3/4 full with milk or cream; stir with a fork to loosen soup left behind; add to pot; whisk gently
3. Turn heat to low; cook until the soup is hot but not boiling (don't let it boil) breack the egg into a small cup; beat with fork until competely broken down
4. When soup pot shows small bubbles at the edges, pour the egg from a height in a thin circular stream into the hot liquid; leave a minute then gently stir to break up egg strands
5. Turn heat off, rest soup a few mins until egg is cooked through; sprinkle with fresh (preferred) or dried parsley
6. Serve 

Comment:

'Brings back childhood memories, in a good way.  Very satisfying at the end of a tiring day.' Retired writer

Tips:

• Condensed soup is fine but the flavour might be slightly diluted 
• you can of course make your own cream of mushroom soup, thinning with stock or cream

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

FRUGAL FOOD: TUNA FRIED RICE WITH A TWIST

Tuna fried rice with a difference...

Great for budgeting weight-watchers: it looks like a big portion but uses only 1/2 cup of brown rice

Most of us - especially kids - love tuna fried rice.  And the great thing about it ithe dish is that it's easy to ring the changes without losing the essence of tuna-ness.

This version, made with brown rice stuffed with vegetables is a little less exotic than the original but no less appealling.  

It's designed for those looking for something a little lighter but everyone will love it.

A singleton portion has only half a cup of rice and will use up all your leftover bits of veg hiding in the vegetable and salad drawers.

As well as being budget-friendly, it's healthy, high in fibre, and doesn't have too many carbs.

Cost: £1.50'is depending on stores

Makes: single generous portion but mutiplies easily

Ingreds:

1/2 cup cooked brown rice, pref a day old
1 tin tuna, regular or small depending on appetite

fresh tomato

spinach

Plus any or all of (depending on what's in hand):

onions (yellow or red)

fennel or celery

mushrooms

bell pepper

broccoli spears, green beans, mange toute or peas

OR any other combo of items 

Garnishes:

hoisin, Oyster sauce or soy sauce

fried egg with runny yolk

touch of chilli flakes or miniscule amount of chilli crisp

lemon slices

Method:

1. If rice grains are stuck together put them in a sealed bag and rub gently until grains separate; set aside
2. Blanch spinach in boiling water; drain
3. Remove core from  tomato/s; score an x in the bottom; cover with boiling water 5 mins or until skin begins to peel back; drain; plunge into cold water; discard peel, seeds & liquid; cut outer layer of tomato into 3 manageable pieces and then into med dice
4. Set aside spinach and tomatoes
5. Set a large frying pan over high heat; add a slick of peanut or light veg oil (not olive)
6. Cut remaining veg into med dice; add to pan when hot, stir fry a minute or so; turn heat down to med low; cook gently, stirring occasionally 10 mins or until soft 
7. Fork tuna into little chunks and flakes, reserve some of the oil
8. When veg is cooked, add rice, tuna, tomatoes and a bit of tuna oil; stir gently until well mixed; raise heat to med high to crispen the bottom; leave 5 mins without touching
9. Pour onto a platter; season with s & p 
10. Place spinach strategically around the rice 
11. Serve with sauce of choice & if you like a fried egg with runny yolk 

Comments: 

I really liked this; i love Chinese style tuna fried nice but this was very nice. The fresh tomato and spinach added lovely fresh touches and I liked the crispy bottom.'  Retired writer

Tips:

If re-heating, microwave or steam

Please leave a Comment in the box below      .

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

PROTEIN FOR OLDIES & VIGOROUS EXERCISERS: How to Calculate

Easy-to read simple guide to calculating protein for older exercisers worried about protein intake... 

Also useful for Pre-Diabetes & Weight Loss
Courtesy of timesnewsnow.comand licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

The post is particularly helpful for those needing a good combination of high protein, low carbs and who regularly exercise, often vigorously.  

The at-a-glance portion suggestions for cooked protein are a godsend.

67goingon50's original post on calculating protein needs was updated  in March 2023 and is much more expansive than this post. It is chock full of useful information.  Read it here.

The post is adapted from a post in AppleNews+ and from past articlesing higher protein needs for the ageing.  Sadly the name of the Apple article was lost during a clean-up!

DAILY PROTEIN RECOMMENDATIONS

MIN: 40G protein

MAX: 100G protein

BEST SPREAD OVER 3 MEALS

ANIMAL PROTEINS

Each serving contains roughly 20g of protein: 

• Beef, lamb, pork – 2 medium slices

• Turkey, chicken – 1 small breast

• Grilled fish – 1 small fillet

• Salmon, tuna, mackerel – 1 small tin/fillet

• Shrimps, prawns – 2 serving spoons

• Eggs – 3 medium

• Cottage cheese – 4tbsp

• Greek yogurt – 4tbsp

• Milk (skimmed/semi-skimmed) – 1 pint

VEGETABLE PROTEINS

Each serving contains roughly 10g of protein: 

• Nuts (e.g. peanuts, cashews) – 4tbsp

• Seeds (e.g. sunflower, sesame) – 4tbsp

• Baked beans – half a large tin

• Kidney beans/split peas – 5tbsp, cooked

• Lentils – 5tbsp, cooked
• Tofu (soya bean curd) – half a packet
• Soya milk – approx ⅔ pint
• Hummus – 3tbsp (approx ½ a tub)

• Peanut butter – 2 heaped tbsp (thickly spread on 2 slices of bread)
• Grains –¼ to ⅓ of a plate

B Lee/Bright Sun Enterprises accept no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.  The material was assembled and edited by BM Lee/Bright Sun Enterprises. 

SPROUT, FENNEL ORANGE & NUT SALAD: Vegan, high fibre, fresh fruit

As part of either a pre-diabetic diet -or any healthy eating plan - this seasonal vegetable and fruit salad is a winner...

Derliciously healthy Sprout, Fennel, Orange Salad is full of texture & flavours
'Very satisfying & filling.  The contrast of  aniseed-y fennel and toasted almonds with  sweet sprouts was wonderful.' Taster

This glorious mix of seasonal veg and fruit is adapted from Lisa Bryan's Downshiftology: Healthy Meal Prep (from Pure Wow, a collection of recipes and other items from its affiliates). 

It's perfect for the tail end of winter, offering a colourful multi-textured and multi-flavoured mix.  Happily, it's make-ahead and will travel well in a lunchvbox.  It lasts 2-3 days in the fridge.

Serve on its own or with added protein and don't worry about adding carbs unless you really want to.   

Cost: £3.50'ish, depending on what's in the fridge & cupboard (3/24)

Serves: 3; recipe doubles easily

Ingreds:

Salad

• 225g/8oz Brussels sprouts, trimmed & finely sliced or processed
• 3 mandarin oranges, peeled, segmented, membranes removed and halved
• 1 green onion white & green, thinly sliced
• 40g sliced toasted almonds
• 1/2 medium fennel bulb, fronds & core removed, with shavings formed with a peeler and halved
• 11g parmesan (pref) or choice grated cheese

Lemon Vinaigrette

• 40ml extra virgin olive oil
• 60ml fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp honey, maple syrup or sugar
• 1/2 garlic clove, minced
• 4 teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Dressing: In a small bowl, vigorously whisk the oil, lemon juice, mustard, honey, garlic, salt & pepper until emulsified.
2. Salad: Place shaved sprouts in a heatproof bowl; pour over boiling water; leave 3-5 mins; drain & rinse in cold water. (this step is opt)  In a large mixing bowl, combine the sprouts, fennel, oranges, green onions, sliced almonds. Generosly drizzle the dressing on top without overwhelming. Sprinkle over parmesan/chosen cheese.

3.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Comment:

'Really fresh, filling salad.  I loved the contrast of fennel with sweet sprouts and orange.  And the crunch of toasted almonds was wonderful.' Retired writer

Please leave a Comment in the box below 

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