Luxury Layered Blueberry, Brandy & Chocolate Cheesecake Pie: indulgent, no bake-filling, make ahead, lower-fat, alcohol

Luxury Blend of layered Cheesecake and Sponge...

Slightly wonky layers but tastes good!

Most people adore chocolate cheesecake or a delicate chocolate sponge.  Put the two together and you have a luxurious layered 'pie' with the 'Wow!' factor that delights.

Please note: 67 has yet not tested a dairy-free version of the cheesecake but other recipes in the blog have performed well with dairy-free substitutes.  The Blogger will shortly be testing supermarket plant creams   

The cheesecake is by no-means low calorie.  Or frugal.  But the 23cm/9inch cheesecake pie provides at least 12-15 portions.  

Several simple steps are involved in the making and does take organisation.  Parts of it are ideally made ahead to save time and angst on the day.  

The recipe halves nicely.  

The recipe was inspired by Morrisons' staff canteens, which created easily-assembled recipes for canteen cooks -- but they weren't lucky enough to get anything like this!  

Serves: up to 15

Cost: £10.00'ish (recipe halves nicely) 9/2025 

Ingredients: 

1.  Sponge

1 x 1-bowl Easy Chocolate Sponge, baked in a 23.5cm/9.5 inch springform pan, base lined with greaseproof paper, cooled in tin

2.  Berries

1 x 180g/6.3oz punnet blackberries

4 tbsp whisky or brandy 

3.  Cheesecake

300gm/10.5oz cream cheese, non-supermarket or from a kosher deli,  at room temperature

1 pint/600ml double cream 

1.5 x 100g/3.5 oz (i.e. 150g/5.2oz) regular or dairy-free 70% cocoa dark baking chocolate (67 uses M&S)

2-3 tbsp icing sugar

4.  Topping:

150'ish ml whipping cream

1 tbsp icing sugar 

1 tsp vanilla extract (opt)

remainder of blackberries 

3-5 chocolate coated digestive biscuits, bashed with a rolling pin or whizzed in a food processor, until gravelly (opt) OR

70% chocolate, chilled and grated or peeled (opt)

Method:

BEEF & DARK BEER STEW, easy, wallet-friendly, dairy-free option

Have a look at  Welcome to the Blog

with advice, info & photos on the Nav Bar above

THE DELICIOUS DARK SIDE OF BEEF & BEER...

first posted 2015; updated 3/25

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 tasted shortly after arriving in London.  It was culinary love: deep, dark colours, intense flavour and 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. 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;  tougher cuts of beef like chuck and stewing beef are perfect.  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: min 6-8, more with extra veg & tinned beans
Cost:  min £9.50'ish

Ingredients:

500g/18 oz stewing beef

56 gm/2 oz flour

2 tb olive oil

       2 large onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced (OR if there are worries about fodmaps, an equivalent amount of very well-cleaned fennel or celery)

6 carrots, top & tailed, peeled and in thick chunks 

(to make stew go further, add 3 peeled parsnips & half a small peeled swede in similar size chunks)  

1-2 cups/250-500 ml Guinness or porter (67 used 500ml) (Sorry, there is no alcohol-free equivalent but the alcohol will be cooked out by serving time)

1-2 cup/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 

Prepare an hour before serving: 

1.5 oz dairy or plant butter 

150gm/6 oz thickly sliced mushrooms

pepper & salt

1/2 tsp dried thyme

tin of haricot beans, drained (opt) 

Method:

CHERRY CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE, quick & easy crowd-pleaser, no-icing sugar, butter & baking chocolate

There is nothing like an American 'sheet' cake for a crowd...

Chocolate Sheet Cake studded with fresh cherries with cocoa not chocolate 
(for amateur gardeners in a strenuous Sunday session) 

67 loves the idea of American sheet cakes which are as it says on the tin: cake baked in a large flat tray to feed a crowd.  The look of the cake is so tidy and neat.  Usually served in squares or rectangles, the cake is thinner and flatter than usual.  Taste isn't affected but somehow the eating of it is different, more pleasurable.

Americans tend to use special recipes for sheet cakes and they are rich, moist and dense.  But translating American measurements to Imperial (UK) is not easy and many an unsuspecting baker has come a cropper.  67 instead turns to reliable standards from its recipe box.

In this one, 67 used a favourite one-bowl 8x8inch/20x20 cm chocolate cake, multiplied the ingredients by 1.5 and baked it in a 11x9in/28cmx23cm tin.  The tin was - strictly speaking - not really large enough for the amount of batter; 67 has now located a 12x13inch/31x33cm tin which should produce the requisite sheet cake thinness.

Even so, the more-than-a-sheetcake was moist, delicate and fine-crumbed with a mellow dark chocolate overtone -- rather special.  And the cherries soaked in (optional) brandy were gorgeous! 

67goingon50's recipe is healthier than most -- it has no butter.  It is also ideal when stores of baking chocolate are getting low but the cupboard has cocoa in abundance.  

The recipe is adapted from the late Michael Barry, the head of London's first commercial radio station.

Cost: £3.00'ish plus cost of topping (4/2024)
Feeds:16-20

Ingred:

   225gm/7.9oz self raising flour (plain flour, add 2 tsp baking powder)
   6 heaped tablespoons cocoa powder
   1.5 baking powder
   1.5 tsp baking soda

   165gm/5.8oz sugar
   225 ml sunflower oil
   225 ml mill
   1 tsp vanilla
   3 large or 4.5 small eggs

  couple of handfuls fresh cherries, pitted and halved

  brandy

Gilding the sheet cake lily with
double cream and extra chocolate topping  

No-Icing-Sugar Chocolate Topping (opt - requires baking chocolate)

75gm/2.6oz 70% baking chocolate
85 ml milk or cream (if no cholesterol worries)

 
Garnish: couple of handfuls fresh cherries, coarsely chopped, soaked in brandy for 2 hours and drained OR baking cherries blanched in boiling water  OR sprinkles 

  

Method:

CAKE

1. Preheat oven to 160C/325F
2. Line a 13x9in/33cmx23cm (or 12x13inch/31x33cm) tin with greaseproof paper 
3. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder & soda into a large bowl; hand whisk till blended
4. Add sugar, then milk, oil, eggs & vanilla.  
5. Using electric beaters or a wooden spoon beat until smooth, dark brown and creamy. 
6. Bake 15 min; reduce heat to 150C/300F.  Cook another 15-20 mins but 10 mins before the end, insert a skewer in the centre; if it comes out clean, it's done.   
7. Cool 15 mins in tin; transfer to cooling rack 
8. When completely cool: drizzle over No Icing Sugar Icing and add fruit, if using

No Icing Sugar Icing (requires baking chocolate) 

1. Melt chocolate in a bowl over but not touching simmering water
2. Off the heat, add milk or cream; blend well.
3. Dribble over the cake 
4. Scatter over drained cherries
5. Use leftovers as a sauce, on the side, or for another occasion
6. Garnish, if liked

Comments:

'Absolutely lovely; you could sell this! And yes I could taste the cherry brandy!'  Retired 86 year old priest

'I love this because it's not over-sweet and the chocolate has a lovely mellowness'  Retiree

Please leave a Comment in the box below

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

HOLIDAY HOISIN-ORANGE BEEF KEBAB/SKEWERS

As a canapé or for supper, these scrumptious skewers shout 'Eat me!'

Beef Skewers with Hoisin Orange Glaze 
'Oh my goodness! They are absolutely wonderful!' Taster

Chunks of beef, chicken or pork in a smoky-sweet Asian-sauce is threaded on skewers with 'shrooms and toms to make a sassy treat.

67 created these for a cocktail do, using rump steak (great texture) but sirloin, rib-eye or budget-friendly lean diced beef can also be used.  Chicken or pork will also work.  

With cheaper cuts, marinade 24 hours to tenderise the meat and allow the flavour to penetrate the muscle fibres.  The fruit & veg offset the richness of the marinade; they also help the meat go a long way. 

High temperatures either by grilling, barbecuing or roasting bring out the best of the meat, encouraging some fat to render off while still retaining moisture.  Once cooked, glaze the skewers with honey & orange.  A slightly charred exterior is ideal.    

Cost: say, £5 but more or less depending on the meat 
Makes: min 10 1 inch/2 1/2cm skewers 

Equipment: cocktail sticks 

Ingred:
   200gm/7oz rump or sirloin steak (or casserole steak/lean diced beef for the frugal) OR chicken breast or pork fillet
    handful cherry tomatoes
    handful mushrooms, pref chestnut

Marinade
    2 tbsp hoisin sauce
    2 tbsp sherry or brandy or white grape juice
    zest of an orange, not too finely grated
    juice of half an orange
    1 tsp grated ginger
    segments from half an orange

Glaze 
   1 tbsp runny honey or maple syrup
   1 tbsp fresh orange juice
   sesame seeds
     
Method:

1. Prepare at least 6 hours or the night before needed
2. If toms are not organic, soak in a solution of 9 parts water to 1 part vinegar 20 mins; rinse, drain; refrigerate 
3. Brush mushrooms with paper towel to remove grit; set aside.  
4. Cut beef into generous 1.25 inch/3.5cm squares (your butcher will do this  if asked nicely); remove fat/sinew 
5. Mix marinade ingredients; pour into a sealable plastic bag
6. Add meat, smoosh it into the marinade
7. Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight (24 hr for cheaper cuts of meat) turning now and again 
8. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 200c/400f
9. Cut off pointed ends of orange segments (what's left will stay longer on the skewer)
10. Slice mushrooms thickly
11. Drain meat
12. Thread onto a cocktail stick in this order: tomato, beef, orange segment,  mushroom
13. Place on a rack in a baking tray; cook in upper oven 5-7 mins; brush meat with glaze, sprinkle with sesame seeds & turn 
14. Serve hot 

Comments: 
'Oh my goodness; these are wonderful - full of umami flavour.' Wine journalist 
Silence on first taste followed by lots of appreciative noises: other guests  

More starters/canapés NavBar: Recipes 11

                          Please post 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.

MUMS' VEGETARIAN EASY-PEASY WHITE CHOCOLATE & RASPBERRY PIE: no-bake; quick & easy, lower fat & sugar, part prep-ahead; no

A lower-fat cream pie with full-fat flavour; it's no-bake & ready in minutes...

Lower-Fat White Chocolate Cream Pie with Berries 
'Lovely and creamy; it has full-fat flavour.' Taster  

29/4/20                      

Note: This recipe has not been tested for dairy-free products

Check prices for 2026

67goingon50 has been posting easy-peasy recipes using only a few ingredients since the year dot of the blog and continues to do so.

White Chocolate Raspberry Pie has only five ingredients apart from the pie shell: cream, yoghurt, white chocolate, icing sugar and vanilla.  Alcohol is optional.  

The pie is part of the Emergency Baking series; you know, when unexpected/ special guests are on the way. Or even when a fabulous but time-saving dessert is required. This one has an added advantage - it's no-bake.

At such times, no one minds cheating with pre-baked all-butter or no-butter pie or tartlet bases* - or even ready-made pastry.  Neither is expensive for what you get but if you make your own pastry, the total cost falls.

The raspberries can be replaced by strawberries, blueberries or blackberries, all of which have their own unique health-giving nutritional profile.

One warning: you need white baking chocolate; white chocolate bars for eating will not do.  You will find it in the baking sections of supermarkets, next to dark baking chocolate.  

Melting white chocolate needs careful attention; too much heat and it seizes up.  Heat over simmering not boiling water.  

Cost:  £6, less if making your own pastry (3/19)
Serves: 12 decent portions

Ingredients:
    1 x 8 or 9inch pre-baked pie shell (supermarket is fine)
    200gm whipping or double  cream
    200gm 0-fat plain Greek (thick) yoghurt
    

    120gm white baking chocolate** broken or chopped into small pieces
    

    1 tsp vanilla
    1 tbsp icing sugar
    2 tbsp brandy or other liquor OR white grape juice

    1 punnet raspberries or other fruit

Method:

SKINNIER NO-BAKE LIME CREAM PIE FOR ST PAT'S DAY, lower fat & added sugar, make ahead

Lime Cream Pie: no-bake, lower-fat, perfect for St Pat's Day...

Heavenly scents of lime, deeply creamy, darkly chocolate 
but lower in fat and added sugar
'Really lovely base; I'd have liked more lime.' 'Gorgeous!' 

The cream pie is a North American institution -- American diners usually display Coconut Cream Pie, Butterscotch Cream Pie or Chocolate Cream pie.  And sometimes all three.

The pies usually had a sweet pastry base; the filling consisted of a thick, intensely flavoured custard loosened with whipped cream.  

This impressive Skinnier Chocolate and Lime Cream Pie from 67's kitchen tries to emulate the American creamy indulgence but with lower fat and sugar levels.  Replacing double cream with whipping cream and replacing some cream cheese with 0-fat yoghurt means damage to the health is limited but pleasure remains high.  

There is no baking involved in Chocolate and Lime Cream Pie but there will be melting of chocolate and butter.  Both the base and the filling can be made the night before.

If serving away from home, paper plates and spoons are a must.

Cost: £6
Serves: 18-24 (min 3 rows of 6 pieces) 

Ingred:
   300gms/10.5oz bashed chocolate biscuits or processed to a sandy texture (67 used leftover chocolate shortbread but store-bought are fine)
    2.5-3 oz/70-90 gm melted butter

   180 gms whole-fat or 30% fat-reduced cream cheese, left out for a few hours or zapped for 20 secs in the microwave
   170 gm 0-fat yoghurt strained 4 hours or overnight or 0-fat Greek yoghurt (Total/Fage preferred) 
   3.5 oz/100gms white baking chocolate, melted
   1 tsp vanilla extract
   fine zest of 5 limes
   4-6 tbsp lime juice OR 4 tbsp lime juice plus 2 generous tbsp Cointreau
    
   300 ml whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks

   Garnish: segments of lime (opt)

Method:

HOISIN & ORANGE GLAZED MEAT KEBABS, chicken option, indulgence, budget friendly option

As a canapé or for supper, these scrumptious skewers shout 'Eat me!'

Beef Skewers with Hoisin Orange Glaze 
'Oh my goodness! They are absolutely wonderful!' Taster

Chunks of beef, chicken or pork in a smoky-sweet Asian-style sauce is threaded on skewers with 'shrooms and toms to make a sassy light treat.

67 created these for a cocktail do, using rump steak (great texture) but sirloin, rib-eye or budget-friendly lean diced beef will be fine.  Chicken or pork can also be used. 

With cheaper cuts, marinade at least overnight to tenderise the meat and allow the flavour to penetrate the muscle fibres.  The fruit & veg offset the richness of the marinade; they also help the meat go a long way. 

High temperatures either by grilling, barbecuing or roasting bring out the best of the meat, encouraging some fat to render off while still retaining moisture.  Once cooked, glaze the skewers with honey & orange.  A slightly charred exterior is ideal.    

Cost: min £3 but depends on meat 
Makes: 10 1 inch/2 1/2cm skewers 

Equipment: cocktail sticks 

Ingred:
   200gm/7oz rump or sirloin steak (or casserole steak/lean diced beef for the frugal) OR chicken breast or pork fillet
    handful cherry tomatoes
    handful mushrooms, pref chestnut

Marinade
    2 tbsp hoisin sauce
    2 tbsp sherry or brandy or white grape juice
    zest of an orange, not too finely grated
    juice of half an orange
    1 tsp grated ginger
    segments from half an orange

Glaze 
   1 tbsp runny honey or maple syrup
   1 tbsp fresh orange juice
   sesame seeds
     
Method:

1. Prepare at least 6 hours or the night before needed
2. If toms are not organic, soak in a solution of 9 parts water to 1 part vinegar 20 mins; rinse, drain; refrigerate 
3. Brush mushrooms with paper towel to remove grit; set aside.  
4. Cut beef into generous 1 inch/2 1/2 cm squares (your butcher will do this  if asked nicely); remove fat or sinew 
5. Mix marinade ingredients; pour into a sealable plastic bag
6. Add meat, smoosh it into the marinade, turning once or twice
7. Refrigerate, turning now and again 
8. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 200c/400f
9. Cut off pointed ends of orange segments (what's left will stay longer on the skewer)
10. Slice mushrooms thickly
11. Drain meat
12. Thread onto a cocktail stick in this order: tomato, beef, orange segment,  mushroom
13. Place on a rack in a baking tray; cook in upper oven 5-7 mins; brush meat with glaze, sprinkle with sesame seeds & turn 
14. Repeat (12) 4-5mins
15. Serve hot 

Comments: 
'Oh my goodness; these are wonderful - full of umami flavour.' Wine journalist 
Silence on first taste followed by lots of appreciative noises: other guests  

More canapés & first courses on the NavBar: Recipes 

                          Please post 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.

RICOTTA STUFFED CREPES WITH SUN BLUSH TOMS & ARTICHOKE HEARTS IN WHITE WINE SAUCE

A Special Occasion Treat for Vegetarians...

Crepes stuffed with a fluffy, nutty filling and a bold white wine sauce
make a worthy special lunch

First published Jan 2016

Sophisticated, with subtle flavours and textures, the dish is well worth the three stages of cooking.  Much of it can be prepared the day/s before serving.  

The recipe* was tested on someone who eats a lot of vegetarian food and someone beginning to experiment with vegetarian recipes. The dish should delight and intrigue most vegetarians and nearly-vegetarians.  It might not, perhaps, be a good introduction to the vegetarian beginner.  

The crepes are lower in fat than usual and the addition of wholemeal flours makes them even healthier.

This is not a frugal dish but it is for a special occasion. Leftovers will be fine on the second or third day after cooking.

Cost: £4
Serves 2-4

1.  Crepes: 

Ingred:
    3 large eggs
    2/3 cup/160 ml milk
    2/3 cup/160 ml water
    2 tbsp sunflower oil
    min 1/4-max 1/2 tsp salt
    80 gm/3 oz white flour
    30 gm/1 oz wholemeal flour
   
    butter or oil for pancake pan

Method:

1. Use stick/bowl blender to whizz eggs, milk, water, fat & salt
2. Add flour; stir then whizz 1 min. Scrape the bottom and sides to check all flour is incorporated 
3. Refrigerate 1-2 hours
4. Heat a heavy-bottomed 7 inch fry pan until moderately hot; brush lightly with fat 
5. Stir crepe mix with a whisk 
6. When pan is moderately hot, remove from heat; pour in a scant 1/4 cup batter and tilt pan to distribute 
7. Return pan to heat and cook about 2 mins or until bottom is golden and edges are starting to curl 
8. Flip; cook 30 seconds
9. Stack on a plate with strips of greaseproof paper to separate crepes 
10. Repeat until all the batter is used up 
11. Cool an hour, cover and refrigerate or put to one side for filling
12. These can be frozen if separated by a large piece of greaseproof paper between each crepe

2. White Wine Sauce

Ingred:

   1 1/2 cups/360 ml good veggie stock
   1 cup/240 ml dry white wine/white grape juice  (a medium wine glass)
   5-6 dried porcini mushrooms
  
   3 tbsp butter
   3 tbsp flour
   pepper & salt

Method:

1. Simmer stock, wine & dried mushrooms in a saucepan for 30 mins (not boiling but bubbles around the edges)
2. Strain liquid; discard mushrooms or put aside for another dish  
3. Heat fat in heavy saucepan; when it bubbles, add flour and whisk till flour is incorporated. Reduce heat to low; cook for a few minutes, stirring.  Slowly add hot stock, whisking continuously until sauce thickens
4. Cook gently a further  10 mins over low heat; season with pepper & salt

Tip: the sauce freezes well

3. Savoury Ricotta Filling

Ingred:
   6 oz/175 gm Ricotta
   1 egg

   50 gm/1.8 oz ground almonds
   65gm/2.3 oz plain 0-fat yoghurt
   25 gm/3/4 oz parmesan or soft goat's cheese

   1/4 tsp salt
   1/3 tsp dried or freshly grated nutmeg
   small handful whole almonds chopped into small but crunchy pieces  
   40 gm/1.5 oz sun-blush tomatoes 
    40 gm/1.5 oz artichoke hearts

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 325f, 160fan; 170gas; generously butter a dish 6 inches x 10 inches ('ish; bit bigger won't hurt) 
2. Whizz Ricotta & egg with stick or bowl blender
3. Whisk in ground almonds, parmesan and yoghurt; add salt, nutmeg and slivered almonds
4. Take a crepe and place it golden side down.  On the edge closest to you, place 2-3 tbsp ricotta filling in a horizontal line building up a little height
5. Add a few sun-blush tomatoes and artichoke hearts
6. Fold the edge closest to you over the filling, then the sides; roll away from you until you have an enchilada (or spring roll) shape.  Lay the crepes. seam side down, in the  buttered dish 
7. Cover the crepes with greaseproof paper then the dish with foil, sealing edges
8. Bake 30 mins
9. Serve with mixed lightly boiled veg and hot white wine sauce 

Tips: 

• There will be leftover pancakes; freeze & use for Crepes a l'Orange
• M&S sell an antipasti selection: sun-blush tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olives & capers; £3+ for a generous portion
• use semi-dried (sun-blush) tomatoes; sun-dried will be too salty

                                                      *adapted from Martha Rose Shulman's The Vegetarian Feast  

Please leave a Comment in the box below

 :

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

STEAK POTATO & ONION PIE. an Indulgence in every way

A luxurious Steak & Potato pie that's left every guy (and most women) happy

Luxurious Steak, Potato & Onion Pie
  North American/Asian fusion that's perfect for a singleton Christmas

This is a childhood dish, a fusion of Asian and North American cooking.  In times past both the onions and potatoes were deep-fried.  Which is why the pie was only made on special occasions and no more than a few times a year.  

Some might consider the pie a waste of good steak but it's an excellent way of making a tender, delicious cut go further.  And my goodness, it tastes fabulous.

67 developed different cooking techniques to reduce fat and increase fibre.     However, the high carb count and the cost of good steak will probably continue to make this an indulgence. 

Cooking is divided into four stages over 40 mins; it all comes together in a glistening glorious heap which is served immediately.  Leftovers reheat well.

This is one occasion to splurge on good meat; keep your eye out for regular bargains on steak.  

Cost: £5-7, depending on cut
Feeds: 1-2

Ingred:
   
   125gm/4oz onions, thinly sliced
   1-2 tsp olive oil
  
   250gm/8oz potatoes, in 1/4 inch slices (peels can be left on but if potatoes are not organic soak 20mins in 9 parts water & 1 part vinegar) 
   1-2 tbsp olive oil

   pepper & salt

   250gm/8oz rump or sirloin steak
   1/4 cup cornflour (not cornmeal)
   groundnut or other light oil

   water

Steak Marinade:
   1/3 cup med sherry
   1/4 cup reduced salt soy sauce* 

Method:

1. Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan until hot then turn heat to low; add olive oil & onions; cook slowly, stirring occasionally for 20-40 mins or until onions are soft and melting; decant into a bowl; keep warm (the frying pan will be used again later)
2. Drop the potato slices into boiling water for 3 mins - the slices will be 3/4 cooked.  Drain; pat dry with paper towel.
3. Pre-heat oven to 200C/400f/gas6; toss potatoes in oil and spread in one layer on a baking sheet; bake 20 mins, turning once, until beginning to brown and the edges begin to crisp; keep warm 
4. Cut steak in 2 pieces along its widest side; slice each across the grain in 1/3 inch/3/4 cm pieces; toss in a plastic bag with cornflour & shake until each slice is lightly coated; add to marinade; rest 20 mins
5. Remove meat from marinade; drain, catching the juices
6. Heat the frying pan over med-high heat, pour in a thin film of oil
7. When oil is hot, add beef slices in one layer (you may need to do this in batches); leave for 1-2 mins or until bottom is brown & a bit crispy; toss and cook a further minute; decant onto a plate; keep warm
8. Turn heat down to med; stir marinade & drained juices & add to the pan with a couple of tablespoons of stock, scraping away at the cooked-on bits
9. If gravy is too thick, add more stock; bring to a boil then simmer 5 mins
10. The gravy should be the consistency of double cream; season lightly
11. In a flat dish or on a platter, layer the onions & season lightly with salt & pepper; layer potatoes on top, season lightly; add steak slices; pour over gravy allowing it to settle in the crevices
12. Serve immediately

                                                                          *Amoy, Pearl River Bridge

Comments:

• 'There is something about the combination of steak, onions and potatoes smothered in intense gravy that is so satisfying but even with adjustments, it is rich.' Retired writer
• 'I'd have this all the time if my wife would let me.' Businessman

                                                               More steak on NavBar: Recipes I/Beef...

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.

SLOW-COOKER VENISON CASSEROLE, low-fat, healthier

Wonderful, whether the venison's out of a forest or a supermarket...

1st posted 2017; updated  Feb 2022

Ultra-healthy Venison & Veg slow-cooked Casserole 
'Hearty & luxurious. Meat v' tender; not a strong game flavour; gravy lovely & rich.' Taster  

This recipe was created many years ago, when a family friend asked for a recipe for less tender cuts of venison.  This quasi-Oriental casserole with lots of  veg and lovely thick gravy was the result.  Reader, he liked it!  

The exact recipe was lost one one move or another but this one is close to the original, and takes advantage of the growing presence of venison on our supermarket shelves.

Venison, whether wild or farmed, is considered by food specialists as an excellent meat to have in your diet.   It's low in fat and high in protein and minerals.

Until recently prices were out of the reach of most shoppers.  The cost has come down to a more reasonable level, though higher priced steaks are more readily found than less expensive casserole venison*.

Aside from a little bit of collagen that's easily removed, venison is pure meat.  Cooked in a casserole with root veg and served with sides, it will feed 4 easily.

The meat needs to marinate overnight; prep needs to start the day before it's needed. It will take about half an hour to work through the simple stages but once complete, the casserole can be forgotten until the final stages. The result is worth it.

The casserole can be prepared a couple of days in advance.  

Though there is some alcohol in this recipe - as there often is for venison - it cooks off and the dish is suitable for children as well as adults. 

Cost: around £6.50 for diced venison shoulder plus whatever veg is not in your larder 
Serves: 4-5 

Marinade:
    3 tbsp brandy or red wine or red grape juice
    1 1/2 tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce
    2-3 cloves garlic, grated
    1 tbsp grated ginger, peel remove

The Casserole   

   350g/12.3oz casserole or diced shoulder venison 

   2-3 slices back bacon, fat removed, in lardons
   1 tbsp butter 
   1 tbsp olive oil
   1 med onion, diced

    1 large celery stalk, peeled and finely diced 
    1 large carrot in large chunks
    1 peeled parsnip in large chunks

    zest of one orange
    2 med Chinese dried shitake** mushrooms (opt), steeped in boiling water 20 mins, stems removed and finely diced (reserve liquid)
   1/2 pint/280 milligrams good stock 
    80 ml/1/3 cup armagnac/white wine/apple cider/grape juice

Once the casserole is cooked:
    juice of one orange    
    generous 1/4 cup prep-ahead easy low-sugar plum & ginger jam (pref) or low-sugar jam (don't worry, you won't taste it)
    2 tablespoons oyster sauce***
    1 inch peeled ginger, grated
    few shots of Worcestershire sauce (opt)

   Garnish: sliced spring onions

Method: