FUSS-FREE EASY DILL PICKLES, low-sugar/salt, Vegan

There is nothing better than a good dill pickle and home-made reach the next level...

Easy-peasy Home-made Dill Pickles 
'Wow! I love these, I do. Very refreshing.' 'Nicer than I expected. Great cold.' Tasters

67's home made dill pickles* are crisp and crunchy, bathed in an invigorating solution of vinegar, fresh dill, sugar and salt.  

And they are as easy as pie to make.  Basic store cupboard ingredients (though pickling seeds if you have them, are fine).  No jars have to be sterilised, no boiling water baths wrestled with and no storing the pickles for months until they 'ripen'.  Just simple prep, three days in the fridge and they're done.    

They taste fantastic - neither too sweet nor too vinegary.  Family and guests will be very impressed.  

The pickles make an excellent snack, a side for burgers and hot dogs or adding a little assertiveness to dressings and salads.  

The amounts of sugar and salt are low and the solution avoids nasty preservatives.   

Take advantage of low cucumber prices; this recipe won't break the bank.

The pickles will last 1-2 weeks.  

Cost: depending on cucumbers about £3.50

Makes: 1.5 litres

Ingred: 

   
  Brine   

      3.5 cups water

      1.25 cups white vinegar (white wine vinegar for pref. but standard white will do)

      1 tbsp sugar

      3/4 tbsp salt

      1/2 tsp Dijon mustard or 1 tsp mustard seeds

      3/4 tsp dried coriander or 1 tbsp coriander seeds (not fresh)

   1 kilo/2pounds supermarket cucumber, washed 

   2 cloves garlic, finely sliced 

   2 bunches fresh dill

   7-8 black peppercorns

Method:

PALAVER-FREE DILL PICKLES, low sugar & salt, vegan

There is nothing better than a good dill pickle and home-made are real crowdpleasers:

Easy-peasy Home-made Dill Pickles 
'Wow!  I love these, I do. Very refreshing.''Better than I expected.' Tasters

67's home made pickles* - inspired by tv chef Bobby Flay - are crisp and crunchy, bathed in an invigorating solution of vinegar, fresh dill, sugar and salt.  

67 used basic store cupboard ingredients (though pickling seeds if you have them, are fine) and the preparation is incredibly simple.  No jars have to be sterilised, no boiling water baths wrestled with and no storing the pickles for months until they 'ripen'.   Just easy prep, three days in the fridge and they're done. 

They taste fantastic - neither too sweet nor too vinegary.  

Family and guests will be very impressed. 

The pickles are excellent as a snack, as a side for burgers and hot dogs or adding a little assertiveness to dressings and salads.  

The amounts of sugar and salt are low and the home-made solution avoid nasty preservatives.   

Take advantage of low cucumber prices; this recipe won't break the bank.

The pickles will last 1-2 weeks.  

Cost: depending on cucumbers about £3.50

Makes: 1.5 litres

Ingred: 

   Brine   

      3.5 cups water

      1.25 cups white vinegar (white wine vinegar for pref. but standard white will do)

      1 tbsp sugar

      3/4 tbsp salt

      1/2 tsp Dijon mustard or 1 tsp mustard seeds

      3/4 tsp dried coriander or 1 tbsp coriander seeds (not fresh)

   1 kilo/2pounds supermarket cucumber, washed 

   2 cloves garlic, finely sliced 

   2 bunches fresh dill

   7-8 black peppercorns

Method:

LIGHTER PICNIC FOOD: PICKLED VEGETABLE CRUDITES, Vegan

Get ready for a picnic treat -- low-sugar moreish pickled vegetables 

first posted Dec 2017

This 67goingon50 recipe for ultra-healthy people-pleasing crudités can be freely eaten by all members of the picnic party.  Despite taking only an hour to prepare, the veg are crisp and crunchy with bold flavours -- perfect for dining outdoors.   

The method is simple: a bit of veg trimming, a quick blanch in boiling water and a soak in hot pickling liquid made from general household ingredients.  

Refrigerate a few hours and you have a stunning collection of colourful, sensationally tasty vegetables.

Only make enough for the number of expected guests; the vegetable pickles are best eaten on the day they're made.    

Cost: £2.50'ish, depending on your eg drawer (6/25)
Serves: 4 as a starter or on a buffet table

Ingred:

   1 large carrot, in sticks (see photo above)
   generous handful cauliflower florets, slightly thicker than carrot sticks
   1/3 medium pepper, de-seeded, in finger size strips

   bowl of ice water large enough to take the above

The following are left raw:   
   handful mushrooms, quartered
   handful peeled celery in strips the size of the peppers
   handful cucumber sticks, de-seeded 
   50 gm/2oz radishes, trimmed
   50 gm/2 oz sugar snap peas or mange tout, strings removed  (opt)

Pickling liquid:
    min 4.5 tbsp, max 6 tbsp sugar (67 used 4 1/2)
    140 ml red wine vinegar (or white or cider vinegar if you haven't red)
      10 ml reduced-salt soy sauce (Amoy or Pearl River Bridge)
    150ml cold water or cold blanching water from veg
    1 tbsp grated ginger
    1 tbsp grated garlic
    1/2 star anise

pepper& salt

Method:

ORANGE & HOISIN GLAZED WILD SALMON, wallet-friendly, healthy, easy

Wild salmon so clearly telegraphs special occasion and this flavourful gently exotic dish won't break the bank (unless you want it to)

Salmon Fillets with a Hoisin Orange Glaze 
'supremely simple yet sensational' Taster  

This is a glorious recipe for salmon fillets: an unusual (in a good way) smoky, fruity glaze keeps the flesh succulent and tender.  It can be surprisingly wallet-friendly.  

Salmon from big health food stores* and upmarket supermarkets are eye-wateringly expensive (though gradually reducing) but the taste and texture is superb.  As it should be. If you've deep pockets, these are the ones to go for.

For everyone else, frozen wild salmon is by no means an inferior alternative.  Two small fillets and two good-sized sized tail portions come in at £4.60 at UK's favourite frozen food shop**.  They can be cooked from frozen but 67 finds defrosting, rinsing and drying the fillets gives a better result.

The glaze is simple but appealing: orange & hoisin. The sweet oranges appeal particularly to kids' palates.  If the cupboard doesn't run to Hoisin - an excellent sauce which 67 recommends - replace it with easy-peasy home-made sweet chilli sauce.  

Never overcook fish; these fillets will be ready in 10-12 minutes.  Check by inserting the point of a knife into the thickest part of the fish; a bit of pink is fine.  Cover with foil and let rest 10 minutes before serving; the fish will carry on cooking.

Cost: min £5
Feeds: 4

Ingred:
   4 salmon fillets, defrosted or fresh
   2 tbsp Hoisin sauce (Chinatowns and some supermarkets***)
   1 large orange: zested coarsely then peeled and sliced thickly
   pepper & salt

Method:

1. If using frozen fish, defrost fillets overnight; rinse, blot with a paper towel
2. Preheat oven to 180c/350f; place a deep tray or ovenproof glass container filled with 2in/4cm water in the bottom of the oven (to stop the fish from drying out)
3. Season fish lightly with pepper & salt
4. Mix Hoisin & orange zest; brush fillets with hoisin mix; place orange slice on each one 
5. Lay fillets in in a low sided glass dish (or a metal baking tray lined with greaseproof paper)
6. Bake 10-12 mins; brushing once with hoisin and orange after 5 mins
7. Remove from oven; cover with foil, rest 10 mins
8. Serve with extra sauce on the side, unfried rice, steamed rice or boiled baby potatoes plus a salad or quick cooking green veg like tenderstem broccoli, green beans, shredded sprouts cooked in boiling water 3 mins or until done to your liking

Comments:

'So easy to put together and absolutely sensational to eat.  Will try other frozen fish after this.'  Retired writer

Tips:

• you can use easy-cook white supermarket rice for untried rice, following the packet instructions

*Iceland

**M&S,Morrisons

Please make a comment

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

SKINNIER CHAR SIU BBQ PORK, lower fat, sugar & salt

One of the best Oriental classics -- sweet, savoury, spicy, juicy pork -- but much almost guilt-free more healthy. 

first posted feb 2018

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

  

This virtually guilt-free beautifully flavoured meat is perfect for Chinese New Year or when nothing else but Chinese will do...or even on a summer's picnic, sliced, as a snack.

 

When 67 tested the pork, it nearly didn't go to tasters.  It was beautifully tender and moist.  The pork is that good; the flavour is terrific despite - or maybe because of - the way the heathier ingredients were combined. 

     

Char Siu barbecued pork are long strips of boneless pork, often coloured red, marinated in an unmistakeable sweet and savoury sauce.  The crisp, slightly burnt edges are optional; the generous layer of sticky finger-licking coating is not.  

Though every lover of Chinese food adores Char Siu, most people with health or obesity issues approach it with caution.  Many char siu sauces are laden with sugar & salt and some pork strips have hidden layers of thick fat.

67goingon50 used pork fillet, a healthy cut that's a little more expensive than most.  But it has less fat than skinless chicken breast and, once trimmed of (thin layers) of sinew, is pure extra lean meat.       

67's marinade reduced sugar and cut back on soy sauce.  Reduced-salt soy helped minimise blood pressure issues.  

With this dish, the blog introduces a new Asian flavour: hoisin sauce*.  It comes in a jar, is dark and salty-sweet and you will use it again and again as a glaze, dipping sauce or (like oyster sauce) a flavouring for fried rice. 

The exotic and infrequently used red or yellow bean sauces which some recipes claim is a must for 'authenticity' make no appearance here.

Prepare a day in advance.

Cost: £4-5, depending on source
Serves:  3-4 depending on sides

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:

You'll need a small roasting tin two inches/5cm deep and a large baking/cooling rack that sits comfortably on top

1. Cut the fillet into two equal sized pieces 
2. Mix all the marinade ingredients, whisking or processing to blend
3. Pour the marinade into a plastic zip-lock storage bag or a large plastic bag (placing the bag in a deep bowl will reduce mess)
4. Put the pork into the bag, mushing it round so the fillets are well coated
5. Refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight, turning when you remember
6. When ready to cook, bring pork to room temperature
7. Preheat oven to 200c/400f
8. Rest the baking rack over the tin, making sure it's stable; fill tin half full with hot water 
9. Place the filets on the tray, reserving the marinade 
10. Bake 20 min, dabbing marinade on the meat halfway through
11. Reduce temperature to 180c/350c; bake another 20 mins, basting every 5 mins or so.  If you have a meat thermometer, the inner temperature should be 65-70c/145-60f 
12. To give the fillets a charred look, turn temp up to max (OR turn on the grill) and cook until edges crisp & blacken
13. Mix 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey with a drop of red colouring, if using; brush it all over the fillets until they glisten
14. Serve at room temperature; slice thinly on the diagonal

Comments: 
'This was a revelation; the sauce was so like restaurants in London's Chinatown, it was hard to believe fat, sugar & salt were reduced.  The meat was very tender and succulent but it was good to have the option of crisping and charring the exterior. I loved it!' Blogger
'The pork was perfectly flavoured and melted in the mouth.' Political Agent

Tips:

• the Char Siu sauce can also be used on pork butt or shoulder, sliced into strips 2in/5cm wide but the meat has more fat

Ways to Serve Char Siu pork:

• over a mound of white rice with Honeyed Chinese leaves and gravy made with the leftover marinade plus stock
• sliced, on noodles in hot broth 
• over a salad of Chinese leaves & cucumber with Oriental dressing 
• as a snack, sliced 

    

*Lee Kum Kee   £2/400gm

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.

FRUGAL MEATS FOR JANUARY: HAM HOCK, Easy-peasy, fat-free, packed lunch, make ahead

A FRUGAL CUT OF HAM THAT TICKS ALL THE BOXES

Cooked Ham Hock: plenty of freezable meat for under a fiver!

Ham Hock is one of those 'budget' cuts that really delivers - a cut price bacon that goes far. 

A hock is a knuckle-like formation, neither leg nor foot, surrounded by thick layers of flesh.  It comes either plain or smoked; the smoked is slightly more fibrous and bacon-y.  Ham hock is quite a bargain when a couple of slices of ham on the bone costs a similar amount -- around £4.  If you're inclined, even some organic butchers stock ham hocks.   

The meat is wonderful - tender and juicy slabs with just the right amount of distinctive saltiness that never overwhelms.  

Unlike ham, hock is not usually served on its own.  It's used to add flavour to greens, soups, casseroles, breakfasts and hotbreads.  It lifts pulses beautifully and is a great substitute for bacon.  Sliced and teamed with coleslaw or celeriac & apple slaw, it also makes a great sandwich

Ham hocks do require special treatment but the steps are simple.  The hock is soaked overnight, then boiled twice to remove salt and tenderise the meat.  It's best if this is done on a day when you're relaxing at home and not frantically busy -- and you get to enjoy the wonderful aromas of simmering ham hock wafting through your kitchen.  

Raw and cooked ham hock freeze well.

Cost:  £4.00'ish 
Provides: 3/4 pound/1/3 kilo of meat 

Method:

SIMPLE PICKLED VEG, Chinese style: Vegan, frugal, 'plain' opt

Get ready for a treat -- picked veg in under an hour!

Pickled crudités - some crispy & crunchy; some al dente
 (and Yes, I did forget the cucumber!)

''Wow!' 'Delicious!' 'I normally detest cauli but love these!' Tasters

I first encountered pickled veg at a central London hotel popular with foreign correspondents.  The basic recipe was astonishing -- super quick, tremendously easy with delicious punchy results. 

It's a simple method, made to be consumed on the day.   

There's a bit of veg trimming, a quick blanch in boiling water and then soaking in hot pickling liquid.  Results?  A colourful collection of people-pleasing crudités.  Definitely not run-of-the-mill.  

And they're not expensive, using ingredients found in most store cupboards. 

This recipe is 67's own blend.

Cost: £1
Serves: Many as a starter or on a buffet table

Ingred:

   1 large carrot, in sticks 
   generous handful cauliflower florets, slightly thicker than carrot sticks
   1/3 medium pepper, de-seeded, in finger size strips

   bowl of ice water large enough to take the above

The following are raw:   
   handful mushrooms, quartered
   handful peeled celery in strips the size of the peppers
   handful cucumber sticks, de-seeded 
   50 gm/2oz radishes, trimmed
   50 gm/2 oz sugar snap peas or mange tout, de-stringed

Pickling liquid:
    min 4 1/2tbsp, max 6 tbsp sugar (67 used 4 1/2)
    140 ml red wine vinegar 
      10 ml reduced-salt soy sauce (Amoy or Pearl River Bridge)
    150ml cold water or cold blanching water from veg
    1 tbsp grated ginger
    1 tbsp grated garlic
    1/2 star anise

pepper& salt

Method:

1. Bring a pot of water to the boil; add carrot sticks & cauliflower; reduce heat to med high; after 2 mins, add strips of pepper.  At the 5 minute mark, remove veg with slotted spoon or spider (saving blanching liquid), and plunge veg into ice water.  Leave a few mins; drain
2. Mix pickling liquid ingred in a saucepan; place over med high heat until steam rises from the surface and bubbles appear around the edge
3. Arrange cooked and raw veg in the bottom of a heatproof dish that will hold most of the veg in one layer
4. Pour hot pickling liquid over the veg
5. Leave to cool, stirring occasionally, until all is at room temperature 
6. Drain, reserving liquid
7. Arrange veg, sprinkle with sesame seeds, pepper & a little salt 
8. Refrigerate until ready to serve
9. Have cocktail sticks and plenty of serviettes on hand

Comments:

• 'They're delicious!.  I like the mushrooms best.  I don't normally like celery but the pickling makes them edible.'  Hospital governor + local council candidate
• 'Wow!  Incredible.  The snow peas are my favourite but the cauliflower is amazing.'  Wonder Woman Office Administrator
• 'Mmm..mmm! All the veg are delicious.  I am doing this for Christmas Day.  Normally I eat crudités as a chore but I love the cauliflower and I normally detest cauli!'  Political Agent

Tips:

• the leftover pickling liquid can be re-used once within 3 days
• a lighter pickling solution can be achieved by mixing 2-3 tbsp sugar, 75 ml white vinegar and 75ml cold tap or blanching water with your own choice of herbs and spices

                                            
                                       For more sides, go to NavBar/Recipes II/Sides...

Any questions or comments, please go to the Comments box at the bottom of this page

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