From the Archives: Early Gems from the 67goingon50 Archives: mostly frugal, low-fat/cholesterol & easy

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From the early Archives, some wonderful soups, sides, dishes that are 'more than a snack but not quite a meal' and mains.  They've been edited and the prices updated.  Most are healthy and all are delicous and interesting.   Go on, give them a try! 

SOUPS

Spinach & Bean Soup

Unbelievably good, chunky or smooth; not stodgy or heavy.  

Nutrient-rich from cupboard ingredients, part-prepare in advance 

Celeriac & Apple Soup

Silky, Delicate, Heavenly

How does such an ugly vegetable produce something so sumptuous?

Mushroom, Spinach & Chicken Liver Broth

Nothing calorific here but it's tasty, satisfying and slimming...

UBER SNACKS

Tortilla Espagnol (Potato Omelette): Cheats' version)

An all time favourite from Spain made easy

with chips from the chippie (ideal) or oven chips

Delicious hot; delightful at room temperature

Tortilla Espagnol II: Small Households' Stovetop version

  with peppers, cheese & other veg

Sausage & Crispy Potato Hash

Great at using up leftovers, low fat/cholesterol; easy

Veggie or meat sausages with crisp fried potatoes: Yum!

Family Delight Baked Beans

             Make-your-own beans are easy, saves money, provides 

             high grade plant protein and are delicious  & comforting. 

 Guilt-free comfort food, a winter warmer with lively spices

 

MAINS

One-Pot Un-fried Tuna Rice:

Party-perfect simple tasty budget dish that's low-fat/cholestero

Kid/ults love the perennial combo of tuna, sweetcorn & carb; this one contains 
peas and fat-free rice


Vegan 'Steak' 'n Gravy
Rich, saucy vegan delight that'll fool carnivores

Almost-instant Tuna Salad Italian Style:

Tinned tuna, tinned beans & deli antipasti 

With or without bread, ultra-healthy & satisfying

Spiced Pheasant with Orange

Rich & full bodied but low-fat/cholesterol; dairy-free option

Braised Pheasant is a scrumptious wallet-friendly treat;
this one is gorgeously non-traditional with Middle Eastern flavours 

Stir-fried Turkey Drumstick with Cabbage & Corn

Healthy, wholesome light & lovely; get the timing right

(post Thanksgiving & Christmas) and turkey prices drop 

These recipes have  been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.

FAMILY DELIGHT BEAUTIFUL BAKED BEANS: frugal, high fibre, low-sugar, versatile

Baked beans cooked from scratch are a revelation...they're low in added sugar and are very tasty

first posted Feb 2016 as Beautiful Baked Beans; updated 10/24

 Nearly Sugar-free Baked Beans, from Scratch
'Better than you-know-who's and better for you!' Taster

    

Baked beans from dry instead of from tins saves money, provides high grade plant protein with little effort, use time productively and is abase for a variety of  savoury comforting food. 

Dried beans and pulses are relatively cheap but require soaking overnight. They also need boiling and draining.  Twice.  But you can get on with other things during these stages. 

The results - tender beans with just a touch of resistance - are lovely.  The Beans absorb the juices they're cooked in and unlike tinned versions, levels of sugar are almost Nil. What's not to like?

Boston Baked Beans - sweet & salty with an undercurrent of heat - are a classic American dish.  67's version makes it more tomato-y and moderates the heat.  The base recipe is Vegan but there's a variation for carnivores and a less spicy kids' version that is also a little sweeter without adding sugar.   

The beans freeze well.

Cost: £3-4, more for carnivores (cut costs by making your own sun-blush tomato bombs)  
Feeds: 6-8

Ingred:
   450 gm/16 oz dried haricot beans (the best you can afford)
   2 cloves garlic, grated or minced (opt) 
   1 lge onion, thinly sliced (opt)
   1 small red chilli, deseeded and cut into fine strips, or 1/3 tsp chilli flakes 
   1 bay leaf
   2-3 tbsp molasses or black treacle
   2-3 tbsp tomato ketchup
   1 tsp dry mustard OR 1.5 tsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard
   1/2 tsp dried ginger or 2-3 med slices of fresh ginger 
   1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
   1/3 tsp salt
   350 gm sun-blush tomatoes (sun-dried will be too salty) (Make your own sun blush toms) 
    
Carnivore version:
    350 gm/12 oz shredded cooked ham hock (Frugal Food: Ham Hock) or (for those without cholesterol issues) raw unsmoked back bacon
   
Kids' version:
   No chilli or ginger and only half the mustard; unsweetened tomato juice (opt)

Method:

1. Soak beans overnight
2. Drain; put beans in a large pan and cover with 3 pints water; bring to boil; simmer 2 mins; drain & return to pan
3. Add garlic & onion if using, chili & bay leaf to beans.  Add 3 pints/1 1/2 litre water; bring to the boil; reduce heat to medium, cover, cook gently until beans are tender, 45 mins - 1 hour 
4. Drain in a sieve, reserving liquid  
5. Measure 1 pint liquid and stir in molasses, ketchup, mustard, ginger, Worcestershire sauce and salt.
6. Add liquid to beans.  Halve sunblush tomatoes or cut into thirds OR chop coarsely; stir into beans  
7. This is your base; divide according to the number of carnivores and vegetarians and proceed as below. 
8. Preheat oven to 40 f, 200c, 180 fan; gas 6.  The full recipe will bake in a 4-pint/ 2 1/4 litre baking dish. Adjust cooking vessel/s according to proportion of carnivores and vegetarians.  Cover dish/es and bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours or until beans have absorbed sauce and are tender 
9. Slow Cooker: 5-7 hours on low; check level of liquid after 4 hours.  When beans are tender with just a bit of resistance, check seasoning.  
10. Allow to stand for a few minutes before serving

Carnivores: Before baking:

     If using shredded ham hock, bury in the body of the beans along with the bone from the knuckle 

    If using raw bacon, separate pieces and scatter; push below surface of beans

Kids: 
    Half an hour before end of cooking, add sliced cooked sausages or vegetarian frankfurters (Tivali are great); if not sweet enough for the kids' palates, add 1/4-1/2 mug tomato juice

Comment:
'The beans were a great winter warmer and the little bit of spice livened it up.  It felt like guilt-free comfort food.' 20+ fund-raiser
'Better than you-know-who's and better for you!' Retired writer


Tips:
Remember: beans need to be teamed with wheat, rice, cheese, eggs or animal protein  to provide all essential amino acids

Serving Suggestions:

• succulent casserole for an informal party
• with crusty bread & salad for supper
• on wholemeal toast, sprinkled with cheese for a light supper
• as part of an English breakfast
• with poached eggs for brunch
• on wholemeal toast for brekkie
• cold from the fridge, eaten with a spoon after the pub

                                                            

                                                      More triple duty dishes, use 67 search function...

Please make 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.  

COUPLE'S KUNG PAO CHICKEN: low-fat, high fibre, fodmap friendly

This dish, adapted from Eating Well, is one of those wonderful quick & tasty mains for weeknight evenings. 

Who doesn't love authentic Chinese food that's easy to make at home!

It's healthy; the chicken breast is low in fat, the mixed veg adds gut-friendly fibre and the sauce is flavourful without overwhelmng. 

Moreover, the recipe is fodmap friendly!

If there are issues with high blood pressure, reduce soy sauce by half.

67 tested this at lunchtime and wanted a carb-free meal but 5-minute Chinese noodles or frozen cooked defrosted rice would be good matches.   

Cost:   £3.50'ish

Feeds: 2 with leftovers (singletons: halve the recipe)

Ingreds: 

   226g/8oz boneless, skinless chicken breast

   (1) 1 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce + 1/2 tsp sherry + 1/4 tsp cornstarch +      (add later) 1 tsp sesame oil 

   (2) 1/2 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tb low-salt broth + 1/2 tsp sherry + 1 tsp balsamic vinegar + 1 tsp chilli crisp  

   1 tb veg oil, not olive

   1.5 slices fresh ginger, peeled & smashed

   1/3 each red/green or mixed color bell peppers in 1/4 inch slices 

   generous handful of green beans, trimmed 

   1 med carrot in matchsticks

   2 tb unsalted roasted peanuts or almonds (opt)

Method:

DAIRY-FREE PLUM CARDOMOM CRUMBLE CAKE: dairy-free spelt flour with option for regular ingredients

At this time of year, plums are one of 67's favourite cake toppings.

Juicy colourful purple plums buried in nutty crumble on a tender sponge

Sadly, ripen-at-home punnets are no longer as budget-friendly as they have been over recent years but they are still cheaper than standard plums and represent good value.

A 400g punnet of purple plums from M&S costs £1.90 (compared to £2.50+) but contains at least 10 shiny fat specimens.  It's enough for two 18 cm/7inch cakes. 

This Plum Crumble recipe, dairy-free and made with organic spelt flour, produces a moist cake with a tender crumb.  If budget is your concern, conventional wheat flour and butter will save a few pennies.  

The recipe is not difficult to follow but preparing as much as you can before starting mixing makes 

life easier.

Cost: £4'ish for organic spelt flour, less for wheat

Makes: 1 x 7 inch/18 cm cake; 6-8 servings

Ingred:

Cake: 

          142g/5oz plant butter, measured when solid but softened  (67 prefers Tomor brand, from Kosher outlets and online)        

          142 gm/5oz sugar

          3 large eggs at room temperature  

         150g/5.2 oz white spelt flour + 46g/1.6oz wholemeal spelt 
                      OR 196.5g/7oz plain white spelt flour.
          1 tsp bkg pwder
          pinch salt

         1 tsp vanilla   

 Topping: 

   6 small plums

   1 tbsp cognac or grape juice

   100g/3.5 oz soft brown sugar
   1 generous tbsp cardomum 

   seeds from 3 cardamom pods (opt)

   1/3 cup chopped nuts  

          

Method:

Cake:

EARLY AUTUMN COMFORT FOOD

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Warming early autumn dishes that are healthy, easy and a bit unusual (in a good way!): 

Chinese Ramen Soup Bowl

triple duty, extremely quick & easy, satisfying

Wonderful bowlful of flavours & textures, ready in minutes!

Ambrosial Avocado Soup: Lightly spiced   

 Low-fat, carb-free, prep ahead; triple duty - all that & slides down like silk! 

               Wonderfully delicate, velvety textured soup - with a tiny kick!

 

Creamy Dairy-Free Cauliflower Soup, Vegan 

effort-free, delicious, budget-friendly

'the prep is utterly simple, containing cauliflower and little else; deliciously smooth, and full of the essence of cauliflower'

 

Vegan Fresh Tomato Pizza (No Cheese or Yeast!)

Baked raw tomatoes and piquant anti-pasti multiply the deliciusness 

of this simple pizza - just 15 mins to prep base

Potato & Artichoke Pizza (Cheese & Yeast-free!)

Unexpected, amazing, stonkingly delicious  - just 15 mins to prep base

(Dijon Green Beans on the side)

Please leave a comment in the box below.

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

UPDATED BUTTERNUT SQUASH, ORANGE & GINGER SOUP: Vegetarian, dairy-free option, easy, prep-ahead, wallet-friendly

Warming Butternut Squash soup tantalises with Christmas flavours  but work equally well for Hallowe'en & Nov 5th.(Update)

                                                                                                                  first posted 2020; updated 2024

Hints of ginger & orange in this full-bodied party soup 

A bowlful of this luscious Butternut, Ginger & Orange soup is a delicious treat, sliding down like warm silk.  

It'a vegan, make-ahead, easy and wallet-friendly -- a boon for cooks as well as health-conscius family and guests.

If you can find a Golden Butternut squash (instead of standard gourds) the flavour of the soup is ambrosial. Grown in Greece, Golden Butternut Squash is promoted as having richer, sweeter and fuller flavour, intensified by roasting the squash in advance  

If Golden Butternut isn't available, a regular one will still tastes lovely. Fresh ginger adds warmth without heat, and fresh orange juice  adds a lovely citrus backdrop.

The recipe makes a very generous portion of thick rich soup base, too much for most households unless you're entertaining a crowd.  67 recommends freezing half the base for another time.   

Soup as a first course is always a wise dinner choice from a budget point of view -- soup satisfies hunger pangs without dampening the appetite but cuts down on demand for expensive mains.  

Cost: min £3.75'ish (9/24)

Makes: almost two litres

Ingreds

   1 good-sized (about 1kilo/2 pounds) butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, in large bite-size pieces (see how to cut and peel a butternut squash from The Kitchen)

   2 handfuls cooked brown rice (adds fibre) OR 2 potatoes, peeled

   2 tbsp olive oil

   pepper & salt

  scant 1/2 cup white & light green bits of spring onions

              OR 1 med onion, coarsely chopped (FODMAP, see Tips)

  2 decent-sized stalks celery, peeled, chopped

  2 large carrots, washed and coarsely chopped

  1 tb olive oil

  scant tbsp dairy or plant butter

  1 quart/2.5 cups chicken or good vegetable stock (67 uses Marigold vegan granules)

Ingredients for each half recipe of base:   

   1.5 tb finely grated peeled ginger

   zest and juice of a medium orange (about 1/2 cup)

   slug olive oil

   min 1/2, max 1 litre good stock, depending on how thick you like your soup 

Garnishes:

• finely chopped chives
• Memorable Crunchy Croutons
• vegan bacon bits

Method:

PENSIONERS'/STUDENTS' DELIGHT: HOISIN CHICKEN WITH AVOCADO, TOMATO & CUCUMBER:

Shopping on a tight budget can be nerve-wracking but choosing items with care can save money without sacrificing taste or appearance.

 Photo to come

One might think, for example, that M&S might be out of bounds for cash-strapped pensioners and students.  

But the cost of 2-3 Higher Welfare Chicken Legs (£1.50) plus a large ripe Avocado (£1.75), a cucumber (70p) & a packet of tomatoes (95p) come in at just under £5.  That's enough for three generous high- protein, high-fibre tasty healthy platefuls. 

Leftover chicken goes into the freezer for another meal while leftover salad ingredients can be used during the rest of the week.  

(If you haven't any Chinese sauces in your condiments cupboard, replace with 2 tbsp soy sauce + 2 tbsp sherry, brandy or grape juice plus a quarter tsp fresh grated garlic (opt) and grated ginger OR a good pinch of powdered garlic & ginger. ) 

Both M&S and Waitrose offer regular and special foodstuffs to warm a frugal shopper's heart.  Just have a good look around; you'll be surprised.  

Sainsburys and Morrisons are also highly recommended by friends.  

Cost: £5

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

Chicken

3-4 higher welfare chicken legs

2-3 tablespoons Hoisin or Oyster sauce (or soy/sherry mix as described above)

Salad

1/3 large ripe avocado

half lime or small lemon

1/4 cucumber

2-3 small tomatoes or a handful baby tomatoes

splash of olive oil

splash of red wine vinegar

Method:

EASY PEASY HIGH PROTEIN/FIBRE CHOCOLATE BISCUITS: dairy free

These gorgous little biccies are a healthy twist on the easy 4-ingredient shortbread.

They're dairy free, replace wheat with spelt flour and include high protein almond flour.

Yes, they are a bit more expensive than some but in 67's view are worth it.  If you'd rather bake a more frugal biscuit, replace plant fat with butter or margarine and use ordinary flour.

The dough is a doddle to make but does need to sit in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight before baking.

Unlike shortbread, the biscuits are not crisp, more a delightful blend of cookie and cake.  Enjoy!

The amount is for a small household but multiples easily.

Cost: £2.50'ish (10/24)

Makes: 12'ish biscuits

Ingredients:

100gm/3.5oz plant butter cut from a solid block and softened (67 used Timor)

             25gm/3/4oz white sugar +

         15gm/generous 1/2oz brown sugar 

                 OR 40 gms/1.4oz white sugar

         1/2 tsp vanilla OR instant coffee mixed with 1/2 tsp warm water

     

         60gm/2.1oz plain white spelt flour +

         20gm/3/4oz wholemeal spelt +

         40gm/1.4oz ground almonds

               OR 80gm/oz white spelt plus 40 g/xxoz ground almonds 

         20gm/3/4oz good cocoa

     

Method:

CHICKEN SCRATCHINGS: crisps made from of chicken skin; low fat

These are a lighter, skinnier more-ish version of pork scratchings but much much healthier.

PHOTO TO COME

.

The recipe is very easy.  

• Preheat oven or air fryer to 200c/392F.  If using the oven, place a cooling rack into the base of a cookie tray with a low lip (the chicken skin does not sit in its own fat; it drips through) 
• Remove the skin from a whole chicken or a package of thighs or legs; cut skin into good sized segments ie breasts, thighs, drums 
• Spread the chicken skin as flat as you can without overlapping too much (it will shrink as it bakes) on the rack in the baking tray OR in the air fryer
• Bake at 200c/392F  20'ish mins until all the fat has melted and drained away, and the skin is golden brown, crispy and very crunchy
• Season lightly 
• Serve broken into bite-sized shards as a garnish for soups or salads 

Comments:  

'WOW!  These are jusr amazing! I'm tempted to buy a second chicken just for the skin.'  Retired writer

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.