Strawberry Sensations for a Heatwave

Wimbledon fortnight! 

30C tempertures.  Hot nights.  Shorts & vests.  

Strawberries!!

Here's a choice of wonderful strawberry treats, ranging from luxury to budget, many of them healthy, some low-fat/sugar and easy prep.

LUXURY

Creamy, Boozy Fruity Chocolate Pudding

Pretty looking and pretty tasty pudding which uses up leftover bits of chocolate ...

Dream-like pudding for a special occasion
'So beautiful! And delicious.' 'Liked the brandy undertones.'

Posh Strawberries 'n Cream with a Sweet Ginger Twist:

Strawberries 'n Cream but not as we know it, Jim...it's even better!  Sophisticated twist on a classic: sweet ginger in syrup with ginger nut biscuits; tasters said: '...unexpected but stunning!'

THE REST

Strawberry Lime Cordial

Lively strawberry lime fizz, a gorgeously fruity thirst quencher perfect for a heatwave...

Perfect for adults and kids, strawberries & a hint of lime need just fizzy water or white grape juice OR champers and white wine or vodka. Easy to make, it's prepped in advance.   

Healthy Strawberry Ripple Fro-Yo Ice: 

0-fat, 0-Cream, Vegan Option - but wonderfully tasty.  Easy-peasy. Budget-friendly

Budget Creamy Fresh Strawberry Pud:

Easy yoghurt-based dessert with a knock-out glaze that looks like a million pounds but costs pennies! 

Strawberry Muscovado Sugar lower-fat Creamy Pud

Strawberrry & Orange Platter: Vegan

Fresh, colourful guilt-free dessert: Low-sugar, healthy, frugal, easy.

Skinnier classic dessert of fresh orange slices in a sugar and orange liquor syrup, 

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

Everything You Need to Know About Strawberries

Why is it so easy to love strawberries?  

• annual appearance of strawberries marks the unofficial bedding in of summer.  
• their bright red color is so attractive; their flesh is sweet &juicy and their aroma is utterly tantalising  
• we love the way the appearance of strawberries in the shops celebrate English institutions like Wimbledon and Eton 
• We love them eaten by the handful, fresh from the punnet, OR drizzing them thickly with double cream OR stirring them into thick double cream studded with broken meringues and drizzled with dark chocolate
• Strawberry flavours are popular everywhere.  In food: jams, baked goods, ice cream, coffee toppings, milkshakes.  Elsewhere: in soaps, lip gloss and perfumes

But there health benefits, too, right?  They're:

• nutritionally rich
• low in sugar
• high in fibre
• low calorie
• high in Vitamin C
• contains good levels of magnesium (the current mineral de jour) which helps nerve funvction and can relieve depression

Are strawberries quintessentially English?

Actually no.  They were cross-bred in 17thC France from species in eastern North America and Chile. From a botanical point of view, the strawberry is not even a proper berry.   It's an 'aggregate accessory fruit', meaning that each seed  on the outside of the fruit is actually one of its many flower ovaries, with a seed inside it.^[4]

Strawberries 'n Cream though, is English.  It was created by Thomas Wolsey in the court of KingHenry VIII when strawberry farming was in demand.  

What is the strawberry business worth worldwide?

World demand for strawberries continues to climb.  The top three srtrawberry producers are China (by far), the United States and Egypt (sources: World Population Review & Tridge )

Global producetion has risen 39% in the 10 years to 2022. 

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

RICE SALAD WITH GRAPES & HOISIN CHICKEN: easy, satisfying, portable, healthy, low-sugar & fat

Quick nutritious and tasty salad of rice, grapes and chicken provides lashings of energy for a busy life...

Fruity spicy rice'n chicken dish for a busy life

We all know what it's like trying to eat healthily and well during an election.  If, at the same time, you're trying to balance a second committment, food prep can become a big distraction.

That's why this salad was created.  Make enough of the ingredients for 2-3 servings, assemble as needed, pack one for now and another for later.  

67 used rice as the carbohydrate base but it can be repolaced with pasta or cold potatoes.  

The chicken, easy-peasy but with a spicy more-ish sauce, is easily cooked in an air-fryer or oven.

All ingredients remain fresh and zesty for three days (including cooking day).  

With M&S higher welfare chicken legs still at around £1.50 for 2, the recipe is not going to bust the budget.  In fact, it's worth buying an extra packet of legs, marinading and cooking them at the same time, and freezing for another time when cold. 

Cost: £2.50'ish (6/24)

Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients:

Salad

1-1.5 mugs cooked & cooled brown rice (pref), white rice, pasta or potatoes

2 whole chicken legs, raw

small bunch firm purple/red grapes

1/2-3/4 mug fresh green beans or mange tout

handful spinach or lettuce leaves

Marinade:

3 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tsp orange zest

1.5 tbsp orange juice

1/16th tsp (if that!) chilli crisp or hot sauce like tobasco or siracha (opt)

Orange Yoghurt Mayonnaise

   3 tbsp strained 0-fat yoghurt 

   1.5 tbsp mayo

   3/4 tsp orange zest

   2 tsp Hoisin sauce

   pepper & salt

Method:

LIME & ALMOND SHORTBREAD THINS, easy indulgence

When an unexpected indulgence is required, this recipe meets the need...with bells on!

Lime & Amond Shortbread Thins

It was created for a guest who, it was revealed, was   celebrating a birthday.  

Based on the popular 4-ingredient Bottom of the Barrel Shortbread, the Lime Almond Thins are a delicious little treat.

The lime sings of summer, the richness of butter and icing (not granulated) sugar produces a tender crisp mouthful, and the tiny nuggets of nuts make for an entrancing texture.

At least an hour's resting time is needed but otherwise the recipe takes little time to prep, bake and ice. 

It's a godsend.

Cost: £1.75 (6/24)

Makes: 20 'ish biscuits, depending on size

Ingredients:

 

Biscuits

  100gm/3.5oz soft salted butter

             40 gms/1.4oz icing sugar

         3/4 tsp lime juice

         2 generous tsp lime zest

     

         110gm/3.8oz plain white flour 

         25gm/4/5 oz ground almonds 

              

         generous handful finely chopped almonds (not blanched) 

Flowing Lime Icing 

2 tsp lime juice

1/2 cup icing sugar

     

Method:

1. Whip butter until structure breaks down (a few seconds);  beat in sugar until pale & fluffy - a few minutes; beat in lime juice; blend in lime zest
2. Add ground almonds, mix; then flour, slowly mix until soft dough forms; stir in finely chopped almonds  distributing as evenly as possible  
3. Form into a log of chosen size, wrap in cling film, twisting ends to even out lumps and bumps; refrigerate at least 1 hour
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 180c/350f
5. Carefully (the dough is delicate) slice biscuits 1/4 inch/generous 1/2 cm thick.  Using a fish slice or palette knife, transfer to baking tray/s lined with greaseproof paper or a silicone mat, leaving   space in between
6. Bake in oven or air-fryer 11 mins; cool on baking  tray 5 mins; transfer to cooling rack
7. Make Lime icing: mix lime juice with icing sugar, if necessary adding more juice little by little until the icing flows but hardens quickly.  
8. When the biscuits are completely cold, either drizzle the icing with a fork or spoon OR fill a small sandwich bag, snip off a corner and squeeze icing onto the biscuits OR dunk the biscuits into the icing until half is coated (you'll need double the icing recipe in that case).  Alternatively, serve plain, OR drizzle with or partially dip in melted white chocolate 
9. Store cookies in an airtight container

Comments:

• 'The biscuit was glorious to eat; it had a gorgeous texture, and the lime icing really 'took the biscuit'.  Retired writer
• These are very good; the best!'

Tips:

• If you don't have ground almonds, replace with wholemeal flour....the texture and flavour will change but it'll still taste good
• Replace chopped almonds with any other nuts

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.

CELEBRATING POTATOES WITH BBQ/BUFFET/AL FRESCO TREATS: many low-fat & salt, budget-friendly, easy, high-fibre, make-ahead

67goingon50 is celebrating the potato this week. 

These recipes for hot and cold dishes are made with any old standard garden-variety potato.  

For many people concerned about good health, weight gain or high carb counts. potatoes are - if not forbidden -  certainly limited. 

Which is a shame because potatoes have their merits.  They provide  fibre, have plenty of vitamins and minerals just below the skin and no fat. 

Potatoes also contain a type of fibre called resistant starch that feeds friendly gut bacteria and improves digestion.  Potatoes that have been cooked and cooled have higher levels of resistant starch.

Summer is such a great season for potato lovers.  Few buffet, BBQ or picnics will lack a potato dish.  And while it may sound odd to offer a hot/warm potato dish in the sushine, scalloped potatoes or just plain baked potatoes are surprisingly popular.  Even better for cook, you can get them ready in advance and forget about them until it's time for them to be cooked.   

For carb-phobes, it will be  easier to take a small portion or two without going back repeatedly for more.

Here are a few of the Blogger's favourite summer potato dishes 

-- hot, warm and cold.  Most of them are budget-friendly

Glamourous multi-layer tortilla: 

vegetarian, make ahead, healthier, budget conscious

Spanish Potato Omelette with Spinach, Tomatoes & Peppers.  Perfect taste of Spain that's as good as it looks.  Simple home-made or bought-in Sun-blush tomatoes provide unexpected bursts of flavour.

Lower-fat Tumbet (Layered Potato Ratatouille Pie):

Vegetarian with vegan option; prep-ahead, budget friendly

All of the intense flavour of the original without excessive richness.  Available in two skinny versions: one sprinkled with crumbled feta; the other, plain.  

Skinny Scalloped Potatoes, French Style: 

lower-fat, make ahead

Using milk instead of cream, this rich soft creamy wodge of potato slices melded together into glorious starchy creaminess.  As good cold (and with less resistant starch) as hot.  Great with meatloaf. 

UBER OVEN BAKED POTATOES

 easy-peasy, wallet-friendly

The perfect baked potato - fluffy interior & crispy golden skin - is a thing of wonder.  Cooking them is an art...get them just right with these tips.

Potato Foccacia

Easy-peasy no-knead bread, prep 24 hours ahead, Light wholemeal

Crusty pillowy bread that's a doddle to make is a welcome twist to a wallet friendly loaf.  Unusual but wonderful; moist with lovely seasoning. 

Spiced Potato Cigarillos

Lower-fat, baked not fried, oven or air-fryer; easy, inexpensive

More-ish Vegan Indian-style 'chip butties': a few steps but easy-peasy; punchy flavours with knock-em-dead gorgeous coriander sauce 

Please leave a Comment in the box below

These recipe have been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises. and

may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.  

CHINESE CHICKEN NOODLE SALAD: Triple Duty, frugal, leftovers

Asian noodle salad choc-a-block with protein and colourful vegetables rings the changes from pasta and potatoes...

Triple Duty Hoisin Noodle Salad, here with egg noodles & chicken but with plenty of other options.

 'Tasty; lovely strong flavours; abundant!' Tasters

Outdoor eating is always a pleasure, no matter what's spread out on the picnic blanket.  But there's no harm in introducing something new and refreshing;  instead of potato or rice salads, try a Chinese noodle salad.  Frugal and healthy, it travels well and much of it can be prepared in advance.

The salad shown has a base of egg noodles with chicken in a dressing rich with sesame, garlic, ginger and hoisin.  But you could substitute prawns or scallops (for those with deep pockets), cooked beef or firm tofu.  If you don't like the smokiness of Hoisin sauce, try full-bodied slightly sweet Oyster sauce.

Any other noodles in the cupboard will also work well;  try 'glass' green bean starch (for dieters) or egg-free or sweet potato or wholemeal noodles.  If you're thinking of stocking up on noodles on your next visit to Chinatown, have a look at How to Use Your Noodle/s'.

As well as being tasty and interesting, the salad is a great repository for raw or cooked leftovers. 

Feeds: 3-4

Cost: £4.50ish (6/24), less depending what's in the fridge

Ingredients:

 3-4 nests noodles

  

  2-3 cups cooked protein: shredded chicken or  prawns or cubed tofu (marinated 20 mins in a mix of 1/4 cup each of reduced salt soy sauce & sherry with 1/4 tsp each grated garlic and peeled ginger)

  1/3 cup finely sliced bell pepper (any colour)

  1/4 cup peeled celery in fine dice

  1/4 cup drained bamboo shoots in matchsticks (opt)

  2 tablespoons hoisin or oyster sauce

  

  generous handful of 3 of the following cooked veg: green beans, mange tout or snap-peas, broccoli flowers, asparagus stems, carrot curls, thinly sliced raw mushrooms, defrosted frozen peas, corn (tinned, drained; frozen or from a cob)

  2-3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

  2-3 spring onions, bases and grotty leaves removed, finely sliced

  a handful roasted, salted cashew nuts or peanuts (remove some oil & salt with a kitchen towel) - optional

Dressing:

   3 tablespoons olive oil

   2 tablespoons light vegetable oil

   3 tablespoons any vinegar (67 used cider)

   2 teaspoons reduced-salt soy sauce

   1 teaspoon sesame oil

   1.2 tsp 5-spice powder (opt)

   1 clove garlic grated

   1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or 1/2 tsp dried

   1.2 tsp oregano

   2 tablespoons Hoisin or Oyster Sauce *

   pepper & salt 

   (drained orange segments, fresh or tinned in juice)  opt

Method:

BROCCOLI, NEW POTATO & EGG SALAD: Vegetarian, easy-peasy

Freesh, colourful combo hits all the marks for a June potato salad...

Unexpected combo makes a terrific side

New potatoes are one of life's luxuries at the start of the season (ie now) and though more of a drain on a wallet, is - for a treat - worth it.

Those thin skins; the slightly waxy tender flesh; the smaller-than-normal size!  

What sets new potatoes apart from other potatoes is that they are harvested early in the season when the leaves are still green. This means new potatoes aren't completely mature; the sugar inside them hasn’t turned entirely to starch.  It makes the potatoes sweeter than normal and when cooked, boosts their creamy texture. 

New potato afficianados would say no other potato will do for some recipes and it's partially true...there is nothing like a new potato.  

That said, while 67 loves them, in this recipe during a cost of living crisis, any small waxy potato will be absolutely fine.

Cost:  £2.25, less for ordinary potatoes (June 24)

Feeds: 1-2 but recipe doubles easily

Ingreds:

Salad:

150gm-200gm (5.2-7oz) new (or small salad) potatoes halved

150'ish grams fresh or tenderstem broccoli (stems and florets)

1-2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled

Yoghurt-Mayo with lemon 
   3 tbsp strained 0-fat yoghurt
   1.5 tbsp mayonnaise
   3/4 tsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
   3/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest 
   pepper & salt

Method: