SALAD DAYS ON A BUDGET

The past few days of glorious heat and sunshine is a foretaste of summer: salads, barbeques, dining al fresco.  Was it too good to last?

Fantastic 4-ingredient salad:
Frugal, vegan, clear instructions on cutting and laying out 

Maybe for the weather which is already returning to normal with bluster, rain and high winds.

However, the demand for crunchy, refreshing salads will continue.  

Salads at all times are versatile, boost the body with health-giving ingredients and aid digestion.  All without spending a fortune.  

They're also a great learning opportunity for family members cobbling together something pretty for the table. 

This week's focus is on budget-friendly salads that involve as few ingredients as possible plus single vegetable salads.   

They are colourful, rich in textural contrast and involve easy exciting dressings. Keep a copy of the recipes within easy reach;  they'll make your life easier again and again. 

Simple Salads

Fantastic Frugal Salad (photo above): 4 inexpensive ingredients; for a change, replace carrots with leftover cooked veg like cauliflower or green beans

                                 Kale & Citrus Salad

Fresh, zesty combo of crisply air-fried kale, oranges and salty Parmesan;
so easy and tasty, even guys make it 

 Mediterranean Tomatoes

                                  

So simple, so sensational; stunning flavour.  Turns common-all-garden tomatoes into gourmet treats!  Add a slosh of red wine vinegar for a piquant accent.  

Caesar Salad 

An old favourite that continues to please, anytime, anywhere.  2 main inredients plus a simple or complex dressing  to die for.  Partly make-ahead, portable, Triple Duty

                              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 lightly cooked tenderstem broccoli (cooked in boiling water 3 minutes and shocked in ice or cold water). Surface scattered with chopped green beans (cooked as above) and red onion rings.  Add choice of bell pepper, cress, lamb's lettuce.  Also leftover veg like diced butternut squash or raw cauliflower florets or corn. Serve with Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Single Vegetable Salads

Single-vegetable salads help cut the food budget. They're simple but sassy and can be part-prepared ahead of time.  All offer alternative ingredients in case the cupboard is getting bare.  And all are delightfully delicious.

Soft Lettuce with Green Herb Dressing

Kids love watching chef mum or pop twist the lettuce's base and the leaves falling, petal-like onto the serving dish.  English 'butter' lettuce are considered a luxury by by some.  Easy-peasy refreshing delight.

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  Sweet & Sour Cucumber

  

  
  

  The humble cucumber takes on hidden depths in a mild but exotic dressing of maple syrup, soy, herbs & chilli.  Start at least 4 hours before needed.
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  Radish

  

  Here's a solution for rubbery, sad-looking radishes languishing in the back of the fridge.  Use the whole bag (55p 5/24); slice and bathe in a tangy creamy dressing with lovely, crunchy seeds. The radishes lose their bite and the kids won't complain.  Needs 2 hours prep.

  
  

Beetroot and Orange

Remember how much we love beetroot when we are unexpectedly served it?
In this recipe, The beets glistening prettily with orange vinaigrette, scattered with grated orange zest and delicate chives.  Perfect when regular salad ingredients are in short supply.

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

TRANSITION SALADS: BRIDGE THE SPRING SUMMER GAP

These 'transition' salads are more like 'whole-meal salads' with plenty of protein either in or alongside  a serving. 

This quartet of substantial plates are only a small number of similar salads available in the Archive.  

(By the way, spinach is at its best right now and while not exactly cheap scores high in terms of health; use leftovers on smoothies or in soups and stews) 

St Patrick's Layered Spinach Salad (Triple Duty)

Layers of spinach, raw mushrooms, tomato, beetroot & pumpkin seed provides delightful mouthfuls.  It easily transforms into a vegan, vegetarian, pescatorian or carnivore delight.

Sprout & Pear Slaw

Gorgeous combination of textures and flavours, perfectly complemented with a lively creamy dressing.  Very healthy, it is low salt & preservative, lower fat & carb and  high in vitamin-rich fibre.  

Prawn Pea & Corn Salad

Created after the freezer broke down, this melange of prawns, peas and corn in a bed of crisp lettuce and juicy tomatoes was an unexpected luxury.  Sensationally delicious, definitely, but also almost-instant, high in protein and fibre and low-carb to boot!  

Spinach Bean & Vegetable Salad (Vegan)

A nutrient-filled budget-friendly dish that can cost as little or as much as you like, depending on your fridge or the depth of your pockets.  Very easy to prepare.  

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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.

Pre-diabetic/Weight Loss Report 13

The usual healthy eating programme can go completely awry when many life changes take place in a short period of time. 

But remember: you can have strong cravings and satisfy them, but still maintain some semblance of healthiness.  Aim for 50-50 at a max.

For example: have sausage rolls but make them mini-sized; indulge a desire for cheese (adds calcium!) but choose hard cheeses embedded with fruit (eg stilton with apricots, Wensleydale with cramberries).  Have a bag of crisps but chose the low-fat, naked/low-salt variety.  

9 times out of 10, giving in to the cravings once will be enough.  

If appetite declines and weight watching is no longer necessary, don't let anyone panic on your behalf.  

Just be aware of what you are eating; make sure you have protein every day and eat some fruit & veg, even if in small quantities.

Your situation and your eating pattern will gradually improve.  

MAKE-YOUR-OWN HOT CHOW MEIN NOODLES, template, triple duty, budget-friendly, easy

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This hot version of last year's Chow Mein Noodle Salad was developed on a rainy bank holiday when salad just wouldn't do.

As good as Chinese take-away but much much healthier & cheaper

  

The ingredients are similar but 67 opted for pre-cooked high-protein Lentil Noodles (M&S), which in previous tests passed with flying colours.

The sauce is the same selling point; turning the noodles into something more-ish and almost addictive.  It has a sweet and savoury umami-ness (complex meaty savouriness).

If you need a bit of brushing up on how to home-cook Chinese, this recipe is a great template. There's a variety of vegetables and proteins to chose from. 

67 used a pork steak but you could easily substitute chicken, beef, prawns or tofu... or a mix.  

Other selling points?

It's a triple-duty dish with a single base; divide the noodles and vegetables according to the number of vegetarians and carnivores. Then proceed with the protein according to the recipe.  

Cost: depending on leftovers, min £2'ish (5/24)

Feeds: 2 but recipe multiplies easily

Ingredients:

Sauce:

2 tbsp sesame paste/tahini or peanut butter
2 tbsp jasmine tea, water or stock
1.5-2 tbsp soy sauce (1.5 if there are blood pressure issues)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar (or balsamic)

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tbsp veg oil (opt)

1/2 tsp sugar (opt)

1 tbsp minced or grated garlic

100-175'ish g/3.5-6.2g high-protein lentil noodles (M&S) OR

2-3 nests of uncooked medium egg noodles, wholemeal if health conscious 

150-200gm/5.2-7oz raw protein: pork, chicken, beef, prawns, OR firm tofu, drained and pressed

small handful of 3-4 of the following

broccoli

small cauliflower florets

green beans

celery

bell pepper

pea pods

mange tout

bak choy

peas

carrot shavings

Garnishes:

coarsely chopped roasted peanuts or almonds

chopped parsley or finely sliced green onions

 

Method:

1. Add dressing ingredients to a small jar/container with a tight fitting lid; shake vigorously; store in fridge until needed
2. If using lentil noodles, separate with chopsticks or a fork, store covered in fridge till needed
3. If noodles are uncooked, place in a large heat-proof bowl; cover with boiling water; leave 5-6 mins or until al dente; drain, rinse in cold water; separate with chopsticks or a fork; store covered in fridge 'till needed
4. Cut vegetables in generous bite size pieces; cover; set aside or refrigerate

   

   try to cut veg in similar size pieces 
   
   

BEGINNERS' YEASTED WHOLEMEAL BREAD FROM WATERPERRY GARDENS

67goingon50 loves quick and easy higher-fibre soda breads but sometimes yearns for soft and spongy yeasted breads.  Even supermarket white or wholemeal bread!

Beginners' wholemeal loaf: easy, tasty, budget & time friendly,
 just flour, water, yeast, salt & a bit of sugar 

However, ultra-processed foods and addditives are a concern. Cost is another factor; sourdough and gluten-free loaves are truly wonderful but are saved for payday!

However there's a delicious budget option for everyday: a home-mad loaf discovered at a retreat centre at a country estate in Oxfordshire called Waterperry.    

The loaf is easy to make without too much rising/resting time and is an absolute joy.  It's perfect for beginners.

Waterperry toast with
Peanut Butter 

It has a crisp crust (if you like) and a soft interior; the flavour is great and complements cheeses beautifully. 

It makes wonderful toast. 

67 is yet to test the way it behaves after freezing and will also test plain (not bread) flour but is pretty confident it will be fine...watch this space for an update. 

Cost: not much at all

Makes: 1 large loaf or 12 rolls (original ingredients for a 3-loaf batch are below) 

Ingreds:

500 g/17.6 oz flour of your choice (67 used Duchy Organic Strong Malted Grain Bread flour)

10gm/1/3oz fresh OR 5gm/1/5oz dried yeast 

1 teaspoons salt

handful sugar

glug of olive oil

300ml (hottish) water (100ml cold, 200ml boiling)

Method:

1. If using fresh yeast, grate into flour; add salt, sugar & olive oil; if using dried yeast, mix with flour, salt, sugar & olive oil 
2. Mix both cold and boiling waters in a jug or bowl; stir it into the flour with a spurtle (or the handle of a wooden spoon) until it forms a dough
3. Knead on a lightly floured surface; flatten & stretch from time to time (it's ready when you poke a finger in it and it springs back)
4. Clean your mixing bowl, flour it and return bread 
5. Cover with damp muslim or tea-towel or rinsed j-cloth; allow to double in size (67 left it in a cold oven for 2 hours)
6. Empy the dough onto a lightly floured surface; gently punch the dough down, flattening it 
7. Loaf: Roll up tightly, folding edges under; place into a well buttered 2 pound loaf tin OR halve dough, cut in half, roll rightly and place in 2 x 1-lb well-buttered loaf tins
8. Rolls: form a long sausage, cut 12 even pieces; place close together on baking parchment in baking tray
9. Brush tops with milk, butter or oil (vegan), scatter over seeds if you like; allow to rise in tins 30mins
10. Preheat oven to 200ºc; Loaf: bake 14 mins; reduce to 180ºc for 23 mins; Rolls: bake 5 mins; reduce to 180ºc for 10 mins
11. Loaves are cooked when bottom sounds hollow when tapped; if not, turn loaf upside down in tin and return to oven for another 5 mins or so till done
12. Cool on wire racks; slice as thin or as thick as you like

Comments:

'I didn't measure my water properly and the dough was a bit dry but I cracked on with the kneading and left the dough to rise.  After 2 hours the dough was lovely and fluffy-looking.  The loaf looked appetising after shaping and resting and baked up well.  The fresh bread, if not as spongy as planned, had great texture and tasted wonderful. The toast was great.  I'm definitely trying this recipe again.' Retired writer  

Tips:

• this should work with regular (ie not bread) flour
• it's easier to measure the cold & boiling waters into a bowl before adding to the flour
• Measures for 3-loaf batch:  1500g/53oz flour; 30g fresh OR  15g/generous 1 oz dry yeast ; 3 teaspoons salt; handful sugar; glug of olive oil; 900ml water (hottish) (1/3 cold, 2/3ml boiling)
• Cheese version: add grated cheese or fennel seeds to dry mix before 1st kneading; when loaves are glazed but before baking scatter over grated cheese 

  

Please leave a comment

This recipe has bee adapted from Waterperry House  

PRE-DIABETIC WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMME REPORT 11

7 May

My scales have been giving off odd readings, often by a kilo or so in a 10 min period, and a replacement has finally arrived.

From the way clothes fit, I did gain a little weight but have been a volunteer in the election, tramping up and down streets, up and down stairs and bending frequently to push material through letter-boxes.  

Not having a good meal with good carbs before I started meant running out of puff quickly.  Not a good look. 

Before the election, I'd settled nicely into a pattern of carbs for breakfast (following strength training), a huge salad with some protein for lunch, and then carbs with vegetables for dinner (to avoid early waking).  It worked well and I am getting back to the regime.