HEATWAVE SKINNIER MEATLOAF FOR PICNICS & SANDWICHES, low-fat/cholesterol; make ahead

Don't forget to have a look at Welcome to the Blog (Nav Bar above)

for food news and other recipes 

Meatloaf - American comfort food - is ideal for packed lunches and picnics; this one has a bonus: it's low fat and cholesterol

Skinny Poultry Meatloaf with easy-peasy Tomato Sauce 
and Scalloped Potatoes, French Style

1st posted 24 March 2015

This recipe, inspired by Ina Garten, uses minced poultry (but you can substitute minced beef).  Turkey thigh, with the lowest protein/fat ratio (lamb is the highest), is ideal but chicken thighs are a good second best.  Minced chicken breast is not recommended; it can dry out.  

Poultry is gentler in flavour than beef; the texture here is very light, moist, soft and meaty.  You don't taste the mustard, onion, garlic & Worcestershire but it gives an incredible boost to the flavour. It's meatloaf, Jim, but not as we know it!  

The addition of oatmeal, not breadcrumbs, adds fibre and makes the loaf even better for you.  

Whole boiled eggs in the centre 'a la Nigella' provide pretty slices and also makes the loaf go further.   

Cost: £4.00'ish (1/24)
Serves: 4-6

Ingred:
500gt/17.6oz minced turkey or chicken thigh or up to 20%fat beef mince
1 mug diced yellow onion

2 garlic cloves, grated 
2-3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp tomato puree (low-salt if you have salt issues)

2 med handfuls oatmeal
1 large raw egg 
3 tbsp water or stock
1/2 to 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper

3 small soft-boiled eggs, cool (opt)

1/4-1/2 cup tomato ketchup,mixed with (optional) 1tsp sugar, Worcester sauce and a couple of dashes of hot sauce OR LOW-SUGAR HOMEMADE KETCHUP 


Method:

VANILLA SHEETCAKE WITH CHERRIES Indulgence

67goingon50 returns full-time on 22 July

Meanwhile check out b lee@BrightSunEnter1 for food tweets 

An American-style sheetcake is a terrific way to showcase fat, ripe cherries in all the shops...

Buffet/picnic dessert/treat in guilt-free('ish) portions
'Absolutely magnificent: moist, gorgeous & the cherries are perfectly ripe!' 

You don't need many cherries - just 200gms/7oz - and they're available at under £2 in most supermarkets.  But if the budget is tight, you can do without or replace with baking cherries blanched in boiling water to soften and remove preservatives.

67goingon50 has become very fond of single-layer sheet cakes which are baked in a large flat rectangular pan, almost always iced and perfect for feeding a crowd.  

Served in rectangular slices, the smaller portions contain less fat and sugar than conventional cake.  So one can enjoy the treat with less guilt.

The Vanilla Sheetcake with Cherries is scrumptiously rich with a fine textured crumb. The fruit is - literally - the 'cherry on top'  

Cost: £5, including cherries

Serves: a crowd

Ingreds:

   280gm/9oz self-raising flour (if using plain flour reduce flour by  1.5 level teaspoons) 

    2 level tsp baking powder

   1/4 tsp salt

   

   250gm/8oz soft unsalted butter

   375gm/12oz sugar

      5 large eggs, slightly cool

      2 tsp vanila extract

Toppings:

   Cherry Glaze

       1 cup icing sugar

       1-2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice

        leftover cherry segments

A dusting of Icing Sugar

Or: whipped cream with fresh cherries

Method:

HEALTHY SUMMER PICNIC

This would be one of my happy picnic or happy meals with the emphasis on Healthy: low fat/cholesterol and carbs, lots of fibre, plenty of fresh vegetables or fruit.  Something for everyone.

Dieters Delight Ambrosial Tomato Gazpacho: Vegan, No cook

Dieters' Delight: Smooth & creamy but dairy free & minimal salt

A large thermos of this wonderful chilled tomato-based gazpacho, maybe with a bit of vodka for adults, is the perfect starter, served in cups in small portions. 

Lower-fat/Salt Spanokopita: Vegetarian, Butter-free cylinders of Greek Spinach, Egg & Feta Pie

Lower-fat & salt but fabulously tasty version of a Greek favourite...

For a picnic, form into 2 fat cylinders.  Either pack into stiff-sided containers and slice on site, or slice beforehand and pack with serviettes protecting each layer. 

Southern Spiced Unfried Chicken: inspired by you-know-who, this succulent crispy chicken is low-fat, low-calorie and delightfully spicy. 

The taste, crunch and juiciness of a high street brand but better
and much much healthier. 'Sensational!' Tasters

 

New Potatoes Vinaigrette:  Mayo-free, easy-peasy, with radish & red onion

This potato salad is flavoured with vinaigrette, not a creamy dressing and is so delightful you'll wonder why it's not offered more often. 

Pineapple slices/wedges served cold or at room temperature; juicy and glorious  on a hot day; prepare the day before

A bag of small multi-coloured tomatoes, celery & cucumber sticks

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

(SLIGHTLY) HEALTHIER SWEET PASTRY, EASY PEASY

 

 This recipe is repeated after dropping off some search engines  

Spectacularly simple sensational sweet pastry a la Great British Baking Champion Candice Brown...

Gorgeous sweet pastry (before trimming) from pie-phobe 67 without angst!! 
'On a par with 5-star hotels; the best I've ever had' Blogger 

This fantastic pastry is easily one of the best 67 has ever made -- or ever eaten.  Beautiful texture, wonderful taste, it's like pastry found in 5-star+ hotels.  It's hard to believe it's home made.  

For anyone afraid of pastry, this method from Candice Brown (she of the Bake-Off lipsticks) is a lifesaver.  The pastry is made like cake: butter and sugar are creamed, eggs are added and then flour. 

The result?  A melt-in-the mouth biscuit-like shell not unlike a delicately sandy French sable.  It's perfect for custard, fruit and cream pies.  

It is very rich with four egg yolks and is for special occasions. But brown sugar replaced some white and one-third of the flour is wholemeal.

 

The recipe can be turned into Sweet Pastry Biscuits to accompany mousses and fruit parfaits.  

Sweet Pastry Biscuits

Cost: £1.75
Makes: a 25cm/10inch shell or 35 biscuits

Ingred:
   100gm/3 1/2oz unsalted soft butter
     75gm/2 1/2oz white sugar
     25gm/scant 1oz soft brown sugar

  4 egg yolks

  125gm/4 1/2 oz white flour
    59gm/1 3/4oz wholemeal flour
    25gm/scant 1oz ground almonds
    zest 1 lemon

Equipment: 23-25cm/10-11inch loose bottomed fluted tart tin or equiv.  For biscuits: baking sheets 

Method

HOLIDAY CANAPES: MINI SPICED BEEF KOFTAS,low fat/carb & preservatives

67's spicy Greek style koftas in miniature, make perfect canapés 

Beef Mini-Koftas
'Everyone loved these! And they looked really good.' Tasters

A platter of spicy little barrels of beef was included in 67's first formal catering event, a lunch for activists at the local elections. They went down a storm.  

The mini-kofta are full of intense flavours - spicy, herby and meaty - and, accompanied with an exotic tahini sauce, brought exclamations of delight.  

It's a perfect dish to make ahead; the flavour deepens as it sits.  Most of it can be prepared up to two days before: the meat can be mixed and moulded and the sauce made; both can be refrigerated in a couple of layers of cling film until needed.  The vegetable crudités, which add colour as well as crispness, can be prepared the night before.

The mini koftas in the photo are made with low-fat beef mince.  Lamb is traditional used but lower-fat minced turkey thigh also works well.   

Cost: £5.50+ for beef; the frugal should go for turkey 
Makes: 24+ mini-koftas 

Ingred:
   500 gm minced beef
   1 med onion or half a Spanish onion, grated or processed into small shards
    1.5 tsp sumac or 67 Spice mix
    1.5 tsp cumin
    1 tsp cinnamon
    1 tsp dried coriander
    zest of one lemon
    2-3 tbsp fresh mint, chopped medium fine, or 1 tsp dried
    2-3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped medium fine, or 1 tsp dried
    1 egg (opt)
    pepper & salt

Method:

1. Spread out mince on a sheet of greaseproof paper
2. Cover with onion and dried herbs only; mix well with two forks or with hands, ensuring the herbs are blended into the meat.  Work lightly; the koftas should be moist and yielding, not hard as rocks
3. Add lemon zest & fresh herbs; stir well, distributing everything evenly; mix in egg if using.  
4. Break off a tablespoon; fry to check for seasoning; add pepper & salt as needed 
5. Use a small 1 1/2 inch/4 cm ice cream scoop to divide the mix into equal pottions.  Form each into a barrel shape; place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, leaving a little space in between. 
6. Cover loosely in 2 layers of clingfilm,  ensuring the pan is air tight;  refrigerate overnight
7. When ready to cook, allow mini-koftas to come to room temperature.
8. Preheat oven to 180c/350f
9. Bake 15 mins, or until centres are no longer pink 
10. Remove to a cooling rack lined with paper towels; once no longer hot, scrape or rub off any juices that have seeped from the mini-kofta
11. Spear kofta with cocktail sticks
12. Arrange on a platter around tahini dressing and Chinese crudités   

Tahini Dressing:

   200gm/7oz thick o-fat yoghurt

   4 generous tbsp mayonnaise
   2 tsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar
   1 med clove garlic, finely grated
   2 tbsp chopped fresh mint OR 2 tsp dried  
   pepper & salt
   2 tbsp good tahini
   1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (opt)
   
Mix well

Comments from political activists & council candidates:
    'Loved these!'
    'Beautifully spiced though I could have used more heat.'
    'Looks so pretty.' 
    'These are really, really good.'

   
Tip:

• make these in larger sizes for a portable lunch
• finely diced fresh chillis or chilli flakes can be served in a separate dish                           

 More hot weather dishes on Nav Bar: Recipes I   

Please leave a comment

   

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.   

FAMILY HOLIDAYS: GREEK LAMB KOFTAS, make ahead, buffets & picnics

Luscious lamb koftas, delicately layered with spices and herbs...

updated 1 May 2018; photos   16/5/16

One of the most popular 67goingon50 recipes of all time
'Beautifully seasoned & spiced; brought back memories of the Mediterranean.' Taster

Koftas, Greek style, are full of flavour -- without heat -- and will please the kids as well as the adults on a holiday.  

Most of it can be prepared the day before: the meat can be mixed and moulded and the tahini sauce made.  Both can be refrigerated in a couple of layers of cling film until needed.  

Though it doesn't take much time to prep the salad on the day and is better for it, in an emergency the veg can be pre-cut and stored in an air tight container.

The photo shows the koftas in homemade chickpea flour wraps (for the wheat-phobic) but the cigar-sized sausages also fit beautifully into pitta pockets.  The raw cabbage salad, smothered with tahini-yoghurt dressing, ensures nearly all your 5-a-day veg quota is met. 

Minced lamb is traditional for this dish but minced beef or turkey thigh can also be used.  

Cost: £6.50 (3/23) for lamb; the frugal should go for turkey thigh or beef mince
Feeds: 6-8

Ingred for Koftas (cabbage salad & Tahini Dressing below)

   500 gm minced 10% fat lamb (or turkey or beef)
  
    1 med onion or half a Spanish onion, grated or processed into small shards
    1.5 tsp paprika
    1.5 tsp cumin
    1 tsp cinnamon
    1 tsp dried coriander
    
    zest of one lemon
    2-3 tbsp fresh mint, chopped medium fine, or 1 tsp dried
    2-3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped medium fine, or 1 tsp dried
    1 egg (opt)
    pepper & salt

Method:

1. Start the night before
2. Spread out mince; cover with onion and dried herbs; mix well but lightly with two forks or hands, ensuring the herbs are blended into the meat
3. Add lemon zest & fresh herbs; stir well, distributing everything evenly; mix in egg  
4. Break off a tablespoon; fry to check for seasoning 
5. Form into fat cigar shapes about 3inches/7cm long, cover in 2 layers of clingfilm & refrigerate overnight
6. When ready to cook: Either (1), heat a large skillet on medium high heat; add a thin layer of vegetable oil.  Shallow fry the koftas -- 4 mins on the first side, then 3 mins for each of the other three sides. Cut one down the middle to check the meat is cooked through (a little pink is fine)
7. OR (2)  BBQ or grill on med-high heat until done to your liking
8. Remove to a cooling rack lined with paper towels
9. Arrange on a platter with tahini dressing, wraps or pitta and salad ingredients (if using pittas, slice an inch off the top and use it to line the bottom of the pitta to stop the sauce from making the bread soggy)
10. Generously drizzle both the meat and the cabbage salad with Tahini Dressing

1. Cabbage Salad 

half recipe Lamb Koftas

   1 generous mug finely shredded cabbage

   1/2 mug finely sliced peppers

   1/3 mug finely sliced red onion (opt)

   halved and sliced tomatoes

Tahini Dressing:

   200gm/7oz strained 0-fat yoghurt

   4 generous tbsp mayonnaise
   2 tsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar
   1 med clove garlic, finely grated
   2 tbsp chopped fresh mint or 2 tsp dried  
   pepper & salt
   2 tbsp good tahini
   1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (opt)
   
Mix well

Comments:
'These were beautifully seasoned, spicy but not hot.  I loved them; the entire package of meat & salad and the tahini dressing brought back memories of the Mediterranean. They would make lovely canapes in smaller form.' Retired writer

   
Tips:

• The koftas were shallow fried in sunflower oil; cooking them any other way can reduce flavour and dry out the meat.  Reduce fat by resting the cooked kaftan on paper towels.  
• 67 does not have a barbeque but has seen koftas formed around wooden or metal skewers for open-air grilling.  If using wooden skewers, soak them in water overnight (before skewering the koftas) or they'll burst into flames!
• slice an inch off the top of the pitta and line the bottom to stop the sauce from making the bread soggy
• finely diced fresh chills can be served in a separate dish                           

 More hot weather dishes on Nav Bar: Recipes I   

Please leave a comment

   

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.   

CHILLIN' WITH A VERSATILE ROULADE

Kick back and relax with this gorgeous triple-duty roulade...

Spinach Roulade with Cream Cheese & Taramasalata
(options for sun-blush tomatoes and ham/pastrami)

A spinach roulade which has can chill in the fridge for several hours is perfect for a special occasion or a hot spell.

Whenever this recipe from 67goingon50, appears it prompts eliciting many ooh's and ah's.  It has a pillowy outer topped with creamy beautifully seasoned layers.  

And trust me:  guys - including die-hard carnivores - love this roulade as much as ladies.  

Fresh spinach is recommended but if you haven't the time for the sorting and cleaning required, frozen spinach is fine (though flavour may be slightly compromised, in which case choose well seasoned filling as below)

The taramasalata lifts the roulade out of the ordinary, its saltiness setting off the cream cheese.  If taramasalata is not your thing, replace with a garlicky beetroot hummus and add 1/3 tsp cayenne for a kick.  

OR
  

Spinach Roulade with
sun blush tomato bombs

1. try a single layer of cream cheese pureed with a few tablespoons of sun-blush toms (left) and, if you like, puree with 2 ounces smoked salmon,then stir in another 2 ounces shredded smoked salmon 

2. or scatter the cream cheese with antipasti (sun blush toms, chopped artichoke hearts and/or olives)

3. If you must please carnivores,  finely minced cooked ham or pastrami/spiced beef mixed with mild mustard mayo can replace taramasalata


Planning is required; part of the preparation takes place the day before and the roulade should be made several hours before serving.

Cost: min £8;ish , depending on spinach & additions (6/25)
Serves: 6-10, depending on width of slices

Ingred:

Roulade:
   400gm/14oz fresh spinach, stems & grotty leaves removed (1 generous (250ml) cup after being cooked and squeezed)  or 538gm/10oz/1.5 cup frozen spinach, drained

     10gm plant or dairy butter melted
       1/2 tsp powdered nutmeg, fresh grated if poss
       1/4-1/3 tsp salt and 1/3 tsp pepper, to taste 
       4 tbsp finely chopped chives or 4 tsp dried chives
       1/2 tsp cayenne (opt)

    4 large eggs at room temperature,  separated    

   

Filling: 

   100gm/3.5oz 40% dairy or plant cream cheese 
   zest of a half a lemon
  
   100gm/3.5oz taramasalata (or alternative filling as above)

   couple of tablespoons dairy or plant parmesan (opt)
   
Method:

LOWER-FAT TUMBET or POTATO RATATOUILLE PIE: vegetarian/vegan, lower fat, prep ahead, picnics

Savoury potato and ratatouille pie: substantial and delicious hot, warm or cold

updated 5/2023; first posted 2019

Skinny Tumbet: layered potato, courgette, aubergine & tomato pie
'...all of the intense flavour without excessive richness' Taster

6/7/16

Tumbet was a summer staple in the 67 kitchen until its incredible richness became too much for a health-conscious diet.  Skinnier Tumbet is adapted from a recipe by Sophie Grigson (daughter of Jane and now with her own show on Food Network) published many years ago in the Evening Standard.  

Tumbet is often described as a Mallorcan/Canary Islands version of ratatouille but it's not a stew - it's an oven-baked layered dish. 

Tumbet unlike ratatouille however also contains potatoes. Its components are more multi-textured and in Spain it can accompaby meats.i

This recipe is designed to cut fat sharply without losing flavour. 67goingon50 developed a method of cooking aubergines without using pots of olive oil in the recipe Marvellous Meatless Moussaka. The experience helped re-work the tumbet to produce a lighter, healthier but still delicious dish.  

67 made two skinny tumbets. One was sprinkled with crumbled (leftover) feta; the other was plain.  Both tasted good though the feta version makes a more nutritionally balanced dish.  

It's a straightforward recipe but some prep the day before -- cooking the vegetables and making the sauce -- reduces stress on the day. 

Cost: about £5.50 (5/23)
Serves: 6-8 as a side; 4-6 as main (recipe halves easily)
Ingred:
  
 1 large aubergine (about 8oz/225gm), in 1/4in/1/2cm discs

   1.5 lb/3/4 kilo waxy potatoes in 1/4in/1/2cm slices (67 used new potatoes; but really any also do if not overcooked)

   3 peppers, any colour, deseeded and in 1/4in/1/2cm spears  
   olive oil, about 1/3 cup

Tomato Sauce   

    2 x 14 oz tins chopped tomatoes or passata (a little more expensive but smoother)
   3 cloves garlic grated
   3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
   1/2-1 tbsp sugar (opt but counteracts the acidity of the tomatoes)
   pepper & salt

   feta cheese (opt)

Method:

BEETROOT & SMOKED MACKEREL SALAD, healthy, Vegan & vegetarian option

Full of goodness: Smoked mackerel and tangy beetroot...

More heatwave food below...

Not much finger-lifting here: Smoked Mackerel & Beetroot Salad
'The beetroot, radish and dressing really make the smoked mackerel sing.' Taster

It's tempting in this heat to concentrate on bbq'd meat and salads but fish should be considered, too.  It cooks quickly, takes on marinades beautifully and is easily digested.  And is rich in omega-3, which every body needs. 

Fish is also heart-healthy and should be eaten twice a week. 

If you buy smoked fish, no cooking at all is needed.

This Smoked Mackerel and Beetroot salad is ready in minutes and is bursting with flavour, moistness and crunch.  Team it with the 10-minute Smashed Potato Salad and spend the rest of your normal cooking time enjoying the sun.

Smoked mackerel is the least expensive of smoked fishes.  The budget conscious should beware of less expensive brands - they can be very salty.  The Blogger prefers the drier individual mackerel sides available at good fishmongers but most major supermarkets do a good selection*.  

Cost: £1.50
Serves: 1; multiplies easily


Ingredients 
   2 half fillets smoked mackerel, peppered for pref.
   3-4 radishes (the long breakfast radishes for pref but any will do)
   few chives

   2 med cooked beetroot, fresh or cooked

   Balsamic/Orange vinaigrette
     3-4 tbsp good olive oil
     1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
     good pinch salt and 1/8 tsp pepper, pref. coarsely ground
     1 rounded tsp Dijon mustard
     zest one orange
     1-2 tbsp orange juice


Method:

1. Make vinaigrette
2. Peel beetroot cooked from raw OR remove outer layer from packaged beetroot; cut into 1inch/2cm cubes
3. Pour enough vinaigrette over cubes to generously moisten; set rest aside to serve at table
4. Pile beetroot on a plate
5. Arrange mackerel on top
6. Thinly slice radishes; chop chives; scatter prettily around beetroot and mackerel 
7. Chill till ready to serve

Comments:

'Smoked mackerel is one of my favourite fishes but the beetroot and perky dressing really makes it sing.' Retired writer

*67 prefers M&S and the (good value) Waitrose Essentials

 Tips:

• Vegetarians and Vegans can replace mackerel with hard boiled eggs, smoked tofu or drained chickpeas which have been  sprinkled with smoked paprika and baked in a moderate oven for 10-15 mins until crisp
• Liked this? You'll also like Smoked Mackerel, Egg & Potato Salad

                          Nav Bar:RecipesI for more fish... 

           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.    

AVOCADO, BEETROOT & BREAKFAST RADISH SALAD, Vegan

Cool AND Beautiful: delightful salad making the most of summer...

Avocado, Beetroot & Breakfast Radish Salad 
'The nicest most refreshing salad with really stunning flavours.' Taster

Beetroot is a wonderful vegetable; it tastes fabulous, has a myriad of health benefits and makes anything it is teamed with look marvellously picturesque. 

The root is low in fat/calories (great for weight loss), is full of vitamins and antioxidants and has masses of good fibre (great for the digestion).  It also sports high levels of folic acid - a boon for pregnant women.

This thrown-together summer salad teams beetroot with avocado and breakfast radishes (the long ones - though ordinary radish will do) and an orange-flavoured balsamic dressing in a winning combination.  A bit more of this salad veg and a little less of that won't be a problem.

The salad has lovely layers of flavour and texture; crunchy leaves contrast delightful with creamy avo and mellow beetroot. 

This will make great picnic food alongside cold eats; pack the ingredients separately and assemble on site.

Cost: £2.50'ish
Serves: 4 good-sized portions; recipe multiples easily

Ingredients:
    2 med cooked beetroot, thin outer layer peeled, cut into 1/2in/1cm cubes (cooked from raw or packaged is fine)
   1/2 avocado, peeled, in 1/2in/1cm cubes, with half a lemon squeezed over it and seasoned with pepper & salt
   handful of breakfast radishes (the long ones have less heat but ordinary radish will do) thinly sliced (at an angle with the long ones)
   a generous couple of mugs chopped lettuce leaves, rinsed & dried (any will do)
   2 generous handfuls grated carrot

(The salad is wonderful with the above ingredients but you can also add a handful of cooked peas and corn niblets.)

 Balsamic Orange Vinaigrette 
     3-4 tbsp good olive oil
     1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
     good pinch salt and 1/8 tsp pepper, pref. coarsely ground
     1 rounded tsp Dijon mustard
     zest one orange
     1-2 tbsp orange juice

Method:

WALLET-FRIENDLY SEAFOOD, ITALIAN STYLE: Healthy indulgence, prep ahead, easy, portable

Stand-out Italian Mixed Seafood Salad, worthy of a an upmarket deli

Updated 5/23 first posted 2018;

Italian Seafood Salad with Avocado & Grapefruit
 

This is a gorgeous Italian-style seafood salad - garlicky, lemony, wine-scented and with a flash of heat.  67 adds the creaminess of avocado and tang of grapefruit for a new and blissful dimension.   

If there's the budget - and the time - one could start from scratch with a selection of fresh seafood but it will cost you, in money and time.  

67 recommends wallet-friendly frozen Seafood: 350 gm Premium Slection from Iceland £5 OR 200 gm from M&S £4.30 (or if on offer, £12 for 3) OR Sainsbury's £3.50 (untested).    They are a good mix of squid rings, mussels and prawns but if you want a wider selection; add defrosted frozen scallops and/or cubes of cooked white firm-fleshed fish.    

If shellfish is not your thing, use a mixture of dried and fresh fish fillets: cod, smoked or plain salmon, mackerel or haddock.  Add a generous handful finely sliced fennel for crunch.

The flavours of this dish are impressive but it needs to be started the day before you plan to serve it.  The shellfish is marinaded overnight or up to 24 hours. Avocado and grapefruit is added at the last minute. The dish keeps well in the fridge three days; it's perfect  for a portable lunch.

Cost: min £8'ish (2023) depending on choices
Feeds: a small group, in a buffet

Ingred:
   475gm/16oz cooked mixed shellfish (see * above) or filets of fish
   
   1/4 cup good olive oil
   1 tsp oregano
   1/4 tsp chilli flakes
   
   2 cloves garlic, grated
   1 1/2 tomatoes (no seeds or pulp), in small dice
   2 tbsp white wine vinegar   
   1/4 - 1/2 glass white wine
   zest half a lemon
   2 tbsp lemon juice
   2 stalks celery, cleaned, peeled and thinly sliced
   1/2 packet parsley leaves, rinsed and chopped coarsley

   1 small avocado
    juice half a lemon
   1/2 grapefruit, in segments

   lettuce leaves of choice(opt)

Method:

1. If necessary defrost fish on the morning of the day of preparation; rinse & drain; place in a glass bowl that will hold the fish comfortably 
2. Heat a small saucepan over med heat; add olive oil; heat through.  
3. Add oregano and chilli flakes (the oil will sizzle); cook 1 min
4. Add diced tomato and garlic; cook 2 mins
5. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, white wine vinegar and white wine; cook 1 min. Remove from heat
6. Add thinly sliced celery and parsley; stir to combine
7. Pour over shellfish; cover tightly with clingfilm; refrigerate
8. Just before serving: peel and stone avocado; dice in sizes similar to the shellfish; sprinkle with lemon juice; add pepper and salt
9. Segment grapefruit (see Orange and Berry Plate); dry grapefruit on a paper towel -- you're looking for the bitter-sweetness of grapefruit without allowing the juice to dilute the marinade; chop into pieces similar to mussels
10. Mix the shellfish, avocado and grapefruit together with some of the marinade.
11. Serve at room temperature with plenty of parsley leaves decorating the outer edges or on a bed of shredded lettuce
12. If transporting to a picnic, line a plastic storage box with tight fitting lid with cling film, pour in shellfish and marinade; place a layer of cling film over the top of the container before covering it.  

                                                                                        

Comments:

'This is almost exactly like the glorious seafood salad I very occasionally buy from my favourite Italian deli...but at under half the price.  I make it go further by serving on lettuce, in small portions.' Retired writer

                  More fish on NavBar:RecipesI 

 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.  

GUILT-FREE CHINESE BARBEQUED PORK, picnics, prep ahead, lower fat, sugar & salt , portable

Eating healthily doesn't mean pork's off the menu, especially if it's a nearly fat free  Oriental classic that's lower-sugar & salt 

first posted feb 2018

'Perfectly flavoured.' 'A revelation; hard to believe it's low fat/sugar/salt.  ' Tasters

This virtually guilt-free exquisitely flavoured meat is perfect for a summer's picnic.    

The unmistakeable sweet and savoury sauce and crisp slightly burnt edges of the pork is a popular choice in Chinese restaurants.  But many versions are laden with sugar & salt, and some pork strips have hidden layers of thick fat.  

67goingon50 instead used pork fillet that is pure extra-lean meat.  It has less fat than skinless chicken breast and though a little more expensive, goes a long way.     

67's marinade, meanwhile, cuts sugar, reduces soy sauce and salt to minimise blood pressure and blood sugar issues. 

It does not include the usual red or yellow bean sauces which will likely sit at the back of a westerner's cupboard.  But 67 introduces a 'new' Asian flavour: hoisin sauce*.  No apologies because a jar of this dark, salty-sweet smokey condiment will be used again and again -- as a glaze, a dipping sauce or (like oyster sauce) a flavouring for fried rice. 

Preparation of the meat is simple but needs to be done a day in advance.  The  wonderfully tender, succulent guilt-free meat will be a real crowd-pleaser. 

Cost: £3-4, depending on meat 
Serves:  4-6 as a snack at a picnic or buffet 

Ingred:
   400-500gm/12-16oz pork fillet, trimmed of fat & sinew

 Marinade:
     1 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
     1 tsp oyster sauce
     1/2 tsp reduced-salt soy sauce
     1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil (or peanut oil)
     3/4 tsp sugar
     1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup or honey     
     2-3 tbsp brandy or sherry
     1 tbsp tahini or smooth peanut butter
     2 med cloves garlic, peeled & grated
     2 tbsp peeled & grated ginger
    1 tsp 5-spice powder     
    1/2 star anise

     red food colour without e numbers* (opt) (67 didn't bother)

Method: