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

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

 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 a base for a variety of  savoury comforting food. 

Dried beans and pulses 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) OR bulb of fennel
   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 OR pastrami or salt beef
   
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/1.5 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.  Add to beans.
6. Cut sunblush tomatoes into halves or 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/ 2.25  litre baking dish. Adjust cooking vessel/s according to proportion of carnivores and vegetarians.  Cover dish/es and bake for 1-1.5  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

    If using pastrami or salt beef, shred and 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...

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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.  

5-MINUTE TASTY IRISH SODA BREAD WITH SEEDS: high fibre; egg & butter free; easy

Healthy bread that's super quick and easy, tasty and beautifully textured - make it top of your home baking list

Easy-Peasy 5-min prep Irish Soda Bread with Oatmeal & Seeds
'... so tasty, fresh or toasted, for so little effort!' 

Irish Soda Breads are a lifesaver in busy households: there's no kneading or rising, no preservatives, salt is controlled.  This tasty loaf  takes just 5 mins to measure, mix and slide into the oven.

This simple recipe is free of butter or eggs, relying on low-fat buttermilk and baking soda for the rise.  

It's a lovely tender bread that is also very healthy.  It makes great toast, and freezes well.

This recipe is perfect for small households.

Cost: £1'ish for common wheat; 75p more for organic spelt  (1/2024)

Makes: small loaf (that won't last long!)

Ingredients:

175 gm plain flour (67 used Sharpham Organic wholegrain spelt but any flour will do) 

 50gm oatmeal

handful sunflower seeds

handful pumpkin seeds (opt)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

 

min 180ml-max 240 ml buttermilk or vegan substitutes (67 used a combo of yoghurt, milk & buttermilk - see Tips) 

 

Method:

TWOSOME'S CRUNCHY SUMMER SALAD, vegan, low fat/cholesterol, high fibre

Out of this world Fantastic Crunchy Summer Salad

Wonderful vegan treat courtesy of Cameron Diaz

Greens and fruit combos are wonderful in the summer and this 1   is really, really terrific...even when we are cowering under umbrellas during startlingly heavy showers!

This Crunchy Summer Salad is perfect to celebrate the Android version of 67goingon50's first cookbook 'Fabulously Frugal from 67goingon50', out now on Lulu Bookstore (details on Welcome to the Blog, nav bar above).  It's also a great send-off before 67goingon50 embarks on its annual summer break.  

Crunchy Summer Salad is from actress Cameron Diaz in conjunction with her organic wine Avaline.  And, like her, it is definitely not run-of- the-mill. 

The vegan medley is packed with good stuff: crunchy veg, creamy fruits, fab colours, spice without heat and a load of satisfying proteins and vitamins.

It's basically an assembly job - no cooking, yay! - but there is 10 mins of chopping.  Then another 10 mins to gather and measure ingredients for the complex but yummy yummy sweet, spicy, umani dressing.

The result is worth every minute.

To save time and effort, singletons can store half the greens, keeping the avocado and fruit separate, for adding to the plate before dressing and serving.

The salad is not frugal but not exorbitant.  It's a true 'treat' meal.  

Cost: £4'50'ish (possibly less depending on what's in the fridge) (8/23)

Feeds: 2 but multiplies easily, and is great for a buffet table

Ingreds:

2 c salad greens (mixed or single) torn in bite-sized pieces
1/2 c raw snow peas, top and tailed, strings removed & julienned along the width of the snow pea

1/2 c raw carrots in long-ish matchsticks (or 1/4 cup carrots plus 1/4 cup small raw cauliflower florets)

1/4 c cucumber, deseeded, in thin'ish half moons

1/4 of a mango or melon (or a decent sized peach or nectarine), peeled and in large bite-size chunks

1/2 avo, sliced (squeeze over 1/4 of a lemon to prevent browning; season with salt & pepper) Also: see Method below

1/2 c mixed herbs (67 used mint & parsley; basil & chives will do for a change)

Dressing:

1/8 cup cashews, toasted

1 tb maple syrup (or honey or brown sugar)

1/8 to 1/4 chilli crisp or 1/2 tsp hot sauce of choice

juice of lime

1/2 tbsp Dijon

1/2 tb fresh ginger

1/2 tb miso paste (or tahini or equiv half veg stock cube)

small clove garlic grated

1/2 tbsp soy sauce 

1/8 cup sunflower oil

1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

Garnish 

1/8 c toasted cashews

1/4 cup puffed rice (health food shops) or cold cooked brown rice (opt) 

1 lime wedge 

Method:

STIR-FRIED PEPPERS, CARROTS & GREEN BEANS: vegan.high fibre, healthy, easy

Veg drawer leftovers: perfect, healthy, budget-friendly dish...and delicious, too...

Wonderful colour contrast plus crunchy & toothsome textures
'this was great; perfectly sized veg, easily digested by kids & oldies'

67goingon50 always manages to have at least one carrot and part of a bell pepper in the veg drawer at the end of the week.

They're usually still in good condition and combining them with some of the newly bought veg in a bright and breezy stir-fry is a no-brainer.

What defeats most non-Asian cooks about stir-fries is getting the timing right.  Hard vegetables like carrots & cauliflower need the most cooking, things like  courgettes come next and finally, quick cooking veg like green beans & tenderstem broccoli need the least amount of cooking.

It also helps if all the veg are in similar sizes before cooking.

Cost: minimal

Feeds: 2

Ingredients:

1 carrot

1/3-1/2 bell pepper

generous handful green beans

generous handful mange tout or tenderstem broccoli

       peanut or other vegetable oil

       soy sauce

       sherry or grape juice (opt)

       splash of tap water

Method:

(NEW) SEEDED CHEAT'S LOW-FAT TORTILLA CHIPS, Almost Instant, high-fibre, Easy-Peasy

Have a look at Welcome to the Blog (nav bar, above) for more recipes, 

latest grocery news and tips on new products & shopping

 Almost as easy as buying a packet but much better for you...

Freshly oven baked tortilla chips with a mix of Zatar seasoning and Smoked Patrika
'Fab replacement for bagged crisps/tortillas; really crispy, more-ish & satisfying.'  

If you watch your weight and cholesterol, cravings for a bag of commercially produced potato crisps (chips, in American parlance) or tortillas.  If it's once in a while, giving in is easy.  

But after getting used to - and enjoying - a regime of home-made treats where salt and fat are controlled, and preservatives and additives ruthlessly cut (such as roasted spiced chickpeas and stovetop popcorn) commercial chips & tortillas no longer appeal.

So the discovery of some wholewheat and plain flour tortilla/wraps with linseed and poppy seeds* was a chance to experiment. 

The tortilla wraps were, after all, relatively healthy: high in fibre and with some Vitamin D, good for natural immunity. 

But in the same way that thinly sliced baguettes make great crostini canapés, so chopped up tortillas make great crispy crunchy tortillas when flash fried or - for the cholesterol phobic - baked.

The baked ones have an almost cracker like texture, but thinner and better.  The fried ones were just like my old favourites from Whole Foods - ultra crispy and a real treat - but the layer of oil, however thin, was guilt-inducing.  

I know which ones I like best but like the good girl (!) I try to be, will stick to the oven-baked version unless it's a very special occasion.

Both recipes are below.

Cost: £1'ish plus cost of seasoning

Makes: equiv. one large bag crisps but 2 wraps make a generous portion for 1

Ingreds:

wholemeal seeded wraps

olive or vegetable oil

salt & pepper

Garnishes:

• Zatar seasoning(Middle Eastern style blend) of sesame seeds, sumac, thyme, marjoram, oregano, basil, salt
• smoked paprika
• 67's Middle Eastern Spice Mix

Method:

BROCCOLI 'VICHYSSOISE': vegan, easy, kid-friendly

Perfect for a Dads' Day celebration: lovely and mellow, hot or cold...

Mellow, smooth Vegan Broccoli 'Vichyssoise':
 thoroughly green treat alongside Cornbread with bell pepper & green onions

The blogger has an inordinate fondness for broccoli.  It's the taste of it and the health benefits.  Whether it's hot in stir fries, steamed or floating in soups as a garnish, or in substantial salads it's easy to get through a lot in a lifetime.

Broccoli Soup however has been problematic.  Most broccoli soups involve cheese and/or potato or rice, both of which are on the blog's proceed-with-caution list.  

This soup, inspired by the BBC's Good Food site, hits all the right buttons.  It's green through and very tasty with a lovely mellowness.  For art's sake, a swirl of dairy or vegan yoghurt or cream prettifies it nicely.  But essentially, it's a dieters' delight.  

It's a great opportunity to use up broccoli stems and any green bits in your vegetable drawer.  67 included leftover cucumber and mange tout with no ill effect.

Cost: £2'ish (2020)

Serves: 4, multiplies easily

Ingred:

    1/2 tablespoon olive oil

    1/2 med to large onion or the well-washed greens of 6 spring onions

    med garlic clove, grated (opt)

    200-300gr/7-10.5oz broccoli,

        flowers & peeled stems

    100gm/3.5oz frozen peas 

    100 gm green leaves: chard, lettuce OR mange tout, snap peas or green beans 

    2/3 litre good stock (granules or cubes are ok)

    1/2 teaspoon sumac (or lemon zest)

    juice of half a good-sized lemon

    plenty of salt & pepper

Garnish: peas, mushrooms or croutons; yoghurt or cream; smoked paprika  

Method:

WALNUT ANCHOVY CHINESE LEAVES, Vegan opt

Stunning salad with flavours and textures matching its exquisite appearance...

Purple Chinese Leaf Salad with Walnut Anchovy Dressing, Asian-style 

Here's a fabulous salad - with vegan option - that is astonishing in its physical beauty and its stunning flavours and textures.

The beautiful purple leaves are simply a novelty version of the usual pale green Chinese cabbage (also known as Chinese leaves or Napa cabbage).

The flavour and texture of the coloured Chinese leaves* are not affected by the colour; they are still super juicy and crunchy and mildly sweet.  But in this recipe they are drenched in a superb walnut dressing** studded with anchovies and given an Asian twist with ginger and flaked chillis.  That takes the salad to a stratospheric levels in terms of flavour. 

Buy good anchovies that are not saturated in salt.

A vegan version replaces the anchovies with sun-dried tomatoes or olives but you'll need at least a generous tablespoon.   Whatever you choose, this salad won't be forgotten in a hurry.

Of course, ordinary Chinese leaves will work just as well - it'll still taste superb but just won't look as pretty.


Cost: max £2.50'ish   
Serves: 4; recipe halves nicely

Ingreds:
  
Sauce
   3/4 cup walnuts
   2 oil packed anchovies drained & finely chopped OR 1 generous tablespoon sun-blush tomatoes or olives
   1/4 cup oil, ideally made up of 3/4 peanut oil, 1/4 olive oil
   finely grated med clove garlic 
   1/2inch/1cm peeled ginger, finely grated
  
   2 tbsp white wine vinegar
   zest of lemon or lime
   1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
   freshly ground pepper, a little salt
   
   1/2-1 small chilli, de-seeded, membranes removed, finely diced OR generous pinch of chilli flakes

Salad  
  Chinese leaves
  2-3 med beetroot, peeled and sliced
  4 radishes
  stick celery, peeled & finely sliced
  1/4 cup fresh parsley

Method:

1. Toast walnuts 5 mins in moderate oven; watch them carefully; they go from nicely brown to overdone in a heartbeat; cool
2. Coarsely pulse half of the walnuts, the anchovies, oil, garlic & ginger 
3. Stir in vinegar, citrus zest and juice, pepper & salt
4. Coarsely chop (or leave whole) remaining walnut pieces 
5. Arrange salad ingredients prettily on a plate, drizzle over dressing
6. Scatter over walnuts, parsley and chilli if using

***M&S £1.50
*adapted from BA magazine

Tips:

• make this go further with cooked brown rice, yellow peppers & an extra anchovy, finely sliced.  Amazing.

• the walnut sauce transforms into a gorgeous sauce for pasta; leave out the ginger, add a few fresh tomatoes sprinkled with olive oil and salt, and plenty of basil.  

More salads and vegan/vegetarian dishes on NavBar/Recipes II...

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Copyright: These salads have been designed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may only be reproduced in home kitchens.  Not for commercial use.

MANGO & CHILLI COLESLAW, low-fat, low-salt, Vegetarian with vegan option; prep ahead

first posted 2015; updated May 2023

NOT JUST ANY OLD COLESLAW


This  combination of fruit and chilli in a creamily dressed slaw is to die for and my lunch group were amazed at the combination.

The mango and fresh chilli combination was a knock-out winner with several people immediately asking for the recipe.

When mangoes are back in season, they can be expensive; venture out to a local Middle Eastern grocer or independent greengrocer for the best ones. 

If mangoes are out of budget, peaches and nectarines are a good substitute but it can be difficult to find ripe ones. Grilling or poaching the fruit can solve the ripeness problem; otherwise use tinned fruit in juice, not sugar syrup.  

If preparing this in advance, wrap each element in separate containers and assemble just before serving.


Serves 4-6
Cost: depending on choice of fruit, men min £3.00'ish (5/23)

Ingred:

500g shredded cabbage

250g carrot, peeled with a peeler

1-2 chillis finely diced (to taste ) OR 1-2 teaspoons chilli flakes OR scant 1/8 tsp chilli crisp (it's extremely hot but in small doses adds an appealling undertone of heat)

1/2 fresh mango, coarsely cubed or 1/2 tin mango, drained 

1 lime, zest & juice

A small mug yoghurt-mayo dressing 

extra chopped chilli or flakes (opt)

Method