STUFFED POTATO SALAD WITH BACON, CHEESE & VEG: butter & egg-free, high fibre, lower fat, healthier carbs

Take the stuffing from twice baked potatoes, cool it, serve it cold and you have...

Festive Stuffed Potato Salad 
'Exceptionally tasty and interesting; not your run-of-the-mill tater salad' 

At around this point in the summer, potato salads become a little dull.  Mixing it up with rice or pasta or Chinese noodles - all of which pique the interest when al fresco dining - is one solution.

Or you can try this terrific amalgam of potatoes and tasty bits and pieces that was created for an elderly potato-loving friend.  

This salad is actually a cold version of the mix that goes into Skinnier Double Baked Potato Skins.

It pretty much knocks the socks off other recipes for potato salad lovers - especially when it is served very cold in a heat wave!

It contains baby chunks of reduced fat-cheese, crumbled streaky bacon and fresh & crunchy and/or roasted cooked vegetables.  67's usual low-cal mix of yoghurt mayo, reduced-fat cream cheese and a bit of milk bind it together.  

The result is a creamy mash full of flavour and texture contrasts.  And people love it!

Give it a try.  Potatoes are one of our good value foods.  When  cooked and cooled they score highly on the healthy meter; carbs are reduced and resistant starches are a gift for the gut. 

Cost: £2.50'ish

Feeds: 6-8'ish

Ingreds:

   4 good-sized baking potatoes 
   1-2 tbsp olive oil
   pepper & a little salt
   
   2-4 tbsp butter (opt)
   1/4 cup strained 0-fat yoghurt plus 1/4 cup fat-reduced cream cheese OR 1/2 cup yoghurt-mayo
   2 spring onions or 3-4 tbsp chives, finely chopped
   1/3-1/2 cup reduced-fat cheese, in fine dice or grated (67 uses M&S reduced fat Davidstow or Cathedral City) 
   4 slices streaky bacon, baked 20 mins in a 180c/350f oven, blotted with paper towels & coarsely chopped (opt )
   4-5 tbsp corn niblets OR finely diced fresh (de-seeded) OR sun-blush tomatoes
   4-5 tbsp finely diced bell peppers OR peeled celery 

   2 -4 tbsp milk 

   juice & zest of half a lemon

   pepper and a bit of salt

Method:

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY & BRANDY MOUSSE: free of fat/egg yolks, skinnier, no-bake, make ahead, indulgence

Dieters' Delight dairy & yolk-free chocolate mousse...but healthy doesn't mean insipid!

updated 7/23

Light but intensely chocolatey mousse with raspberries in brandy;
 sweet pastry biscuits and berry cream are optional

In a lifetime of great food, the most memorable is a sensational dark chocolate mousse with raspberries crushed in brandy.  OK, part of what made it so mind-blowing was the private dining room of the Royal Opera House with a platonic companion, one of the 'great and good'.  But the mousse sparked a life-long love affair with high-end chocolate.

This Fathers' Day recipe is especially for Granddads.  It's a healthier version of that glorious concoction, though no less delicious and silky.  It's dairy-free, has no egg yolks and only a small amount of added sugar.

That doesn't mean it's healthy -- there's too much chocolate for that -- but it's so rich, portion control is easy.  And you don't leave the table feeling you need to waddle away.  

Most people find the mousse fabulous completely unadorned.   But for special occasions, accompany with a bowl of sweetened whipping cream rippled with berries plus rows of Sweet Pastry Biscuits ( Slightly Healthier Sweet Pastry ). 

The mousse is easily put together and can be made a day in advance.

Cost: around £8.00ish (7/23) PLUS costs of biscuits & cream
Feeds: a group

Ingred:
   
    150gm/5.2oz 70% dark chocolate (67 likes M&S for this)
     
     6 egg whites (keep 4 yolks for pastry biscuits; the remainder will freeze)
     pinch of salt
     1/4 tsp lemon juice

     1 tsp vanilla extract

     35g caster sugar
      
     150-200gms raspberries

     min 1 tsp sugar, to taste

     2-4 tablespoons good brandy (orange juice for kids)

Garnishes: Whipping cream or plant or dairy yoghurt, Sweet Pastry Biscuits (link above)

    

Method:

SINGLETON/COUPLE'S CORNBREAD

A solution for small households that can't/won't/shouldn't eat an entire cornbread recipe in one go...

One lot for eating right away; the rest for freezing that day

Cornbread is one of those recipes which are easy to double but difficult to divide.

If you love cornbread but want good health, that can present a problem.  A whole loaf is tempting but not good for you even if stretched out over 3 days.  And cornbread can dry out if not stored properly. 

Originally, 67 was looking for a mini-version of cornbread cooked in an air fryer but the recipe isn't suitable for that.

67's solution?  Make the entire recipe but bake in separate containers; eat one straight away; flash freeze* the other on the day of baking, portion and bag up. Defrosted Cornbread is very close in texture and taste to fresh.  

This recipe is a little milder than 67's original Cornbread with Niblets, Chilli & Spring Onions and is slightly less grainy.  The blog's testers loved it. 

Produces: 1 small 6inch/15cm pan plus 5 large muffins OR 10 large muffins OR 18 medium muffins OR 2 small loaves
Cost: around £2.00

Equipment: a 6inch/15cm pan or similar sized cast iron skillet PLUS well-greased large muffin tin or a normal muffin tin OR 2 x 1 pound loaf tins  

Ingred:

140g/5oz plain white flour mixed with a tsp of baking powder 
125g/4.4oz coarse cornmeal/polenta, organic if poss  
1 Tbsp sugar (opt) (67 never bothers and the cornbread tastes fine.)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp (yes, tbsp!) baking powder

40g/1.4oz butter

30gm light vegetable oil 
2 med eggs
200 ml milk 

125g bell pepper (in any colour but green) in dice the size of corn niblets
4 spring onions sliced thinly on the diagonal, green and white

    OR 3-4 tbsp chopped chives OR both

generous teaspoon smoked paprika

Baked in large muffin tin 

1/2 tsp pepper
4 oz/110 gm grated strong cheddar (opt)

Method:
      Preheat oven to 190C/170fan/375F/gas 5

Method:

HALLOWE'EN CHILLI CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES, easy, lower added sugar

Sophisticated low-added-sugar treat for chocolaholics on Hallowe'en...                         

Deep dark chocolate truffles with shards of fresh chillis 
'Perfect!' 'I can taste the chilli but it's not hot; the chocolates are dark, rich & velvety' ''Really smooth, lovely chocolate.'

Though this 67 recipe is perfect for a Hallowe'en gathering, mixing chilli with chocolate is a year-round thing in Mexico and Latin America.  They add chocolate to everything - gorgeously - in drinks, treats and even meat casseroles.

This specially-created recipe by 67goingon50 is European-style -- sophisticated but delicate.  There's a little less fire but enough of a slow, gentle burn to enhance the deep undertones of dark chocolate.

And if you hate wrestling with truffle balls that smear chocolate all over your kitchen?  Well, all you have to do is  turn the truffles out of the pan in which they've set and cut it into small rectangles.  Simples!

These adult morsels are perfect after fireworks, as a warming treat or dropped into hot chocolate.  Kids should have a non-spicy version (alternate recipe below.) 

Cost: £2.50
Makes: 24 to 30 truffles

Ingred:
   200gm/7oz 70% cocoa-butter dark or bittersweet chocolate (67 prefers M&S but Morrisons will do, or for the frugal, Bournville) 
   200ml double cream
     35gm/1 1/4 oz unsalted butter

   1 med-large dried chipotle chilli*, steeped in boiling water 3-4 mins & drained
  1/2 tbsp cinnamon
  1/4 tsp cayenne powder
  1/4 tsp salt

Note: for the full effect of the spices, don't stint on the cayenne 

Garnishes: cocoa powder; slivers of fresh red/yellow chillis, seeds & membranes removed (opt)

Method:

EXOTIC SOFT FRUIT SALAD, healthier indulgence, low-sugar

 When life's too hot, gimme chilled fruit salad with a bit of sass!

Exotic soft fruit salad: 'Who knew fruit salad could be so exciting?' 

 photo 6/8/16 

Three things set this stunning fruit salad well apart from the run-of-the-mill.  

One, all the fruit is soft - either berries or stoned fruit - and there are none of the usual apples, pears or oranges.  Two, apple juice replaces the usual high- calorie sugar syrup that sweetens many fruit salads.  Three, the addition of finely diced sweet stem ginger and a tiny amount of ginger syrup adds an exotic layer of flavour. 

To take it up an extra level, add a soupcon or two of brandy or another fruit liquor for a boozy kick.  (Abstainers can go for white or red grape juice.)

Extremely easy to put together, the fruit salad should be made on the day of serving but refrigerated several hours to allow the flavours to blend.

The salad suits every budget: be as frugal or extravagant as you please but probably three fresh fruits is the minimum. 

Cost: depends on what's put in it, say min £6 for three fruits £8'ish for many fruits(leftover fruit can go into Black Sugar Fruit Cups or smoothies)
Serves: 6-8

Ingred:  any or all of
   1/2 cup strawberries, quartered
   1/2 cup blueberries
   1/3 cup raspberries, halved
   1/2 cup pitted cherries, halved
   1/3 cup grapes, halved if large
   1-2 kiwi fruit, skinned and sliced
   1/2 cup pineapple segments, fresh or frozen (pref), or drained tinned in juice, not syrup
   1 peach or nectarine, peeled and stoned, coarsely chopped
   a handful of fresh lychee fruits, halved, or 1/2 cup tinned, drained lychees (opt)

Then: 200 ml apple juice, organic if poss 
   1-2 globes stem ginger in small dice (from jars of ginger in syrup, most supermarkets)
   2-3 tbsps ginger syrup from the jar
   1 tsp vanilla extract or the seeds from a vanilla pod

   2-3 tbsp brandy or fruit liqueur or grape juice (opt)

Method:

CHOCAHOLICS' SKINNIER LAYERED MARQUISE, no-bake

The perfect double chocolate surprise: minimum effort, maximum pleasure - and it's skinnier 

updated  2019; first post Feb 2016

Skinnier Double-chocolate Marquise, for health conscious chocoholics 
'...like a giant truffle!' '...very velvety and light' - Tasters

A double layer intensely rich chocolate dessert, this spectacular indulgence was inspired by the Royal Opera House Pastry department and the indomitable Michel Roux.  It's a treat for the serious chocolate lover - perfect when a show-stopper is required.  

Even better, it's not as unhealthy as it looks, it's no-bake and can be prepared well in advance! 

French in origin, a marquise is an intense velvety chocolate dessert rich in butter, sugar, eggs and cream.  

67 cut out the butter and eggs and lowered sugar, reducing cholesterol significantly.  Two boozy flavours complement each other (try 3 layers if you're adventurous!).  

It's richly darkly wonderful and oh-so-sophisticated.  There is a version for kids (below).  Whichever version you go for, small portions are sensible -- and healthier. 

If you prefer something cold in the heat of summer, it freezes well.  

Use the best chocolate you can (at least 70% cocoa*) but if you're budgeting and don't mind Cadbury's, Bournville will do.

Cost: £8.50 - less, depending on the chocolate (2019)
Serves: at least 8, double if slices are halved vertically (recipe halves nicely)

Ingred:

   400 gms dark chocolate, at least 70%
   200 gms double cream
   200 gms plain 0-fat yoghurt, not strained, but with liquid poured off 

   2 tbsp brandy/white wine/grape juice   
   1 generous tbsp syrup from candied ginger
   2 tbsp finely chopped ginger from syrup

   2-3 tbsp framboise raspberry liqueur or white grape juice
   150 gms fresh, sweet raspberries 
  

Method:

DADS' FAVS: CHOCOLATE IRISH COFFEE CHEESECAKE, lower fat indulgence, kids opt, easy

Dads will adore this ravishing adult dessert and it's a little healthier than usual... 

Chocolate Irish Coffee Cheesecake

Sorry for this stock photo* but 67's decorative & photo skills were having a bad day. 

'My all time favourite!' 'Really liked this.' Tasters 

UPDATED 3/25/first posted 12/14 

67 has met very few chaps who didn't adore Irish Coffee with its punchy blend of whiskey and cream.  Add chocolate, as in this version specially created by 67, and it is even more delicious.  It will leave Irish Coffee lovers speechless with delight and disbelief.  

Delight because the combo of intense coffee, dark chocolate and a thick layer of rich blowsy cream is unbeatable.

Disbelief because it's skinnier - lower in fat and sugar.  Calories were reduced with 50% reduced-fat cream cheese (80% fat-reduced also works) and in some places whipping cream instead of double cream. 

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 cheesecake, though healthier than most, is by no-means low calorie.  Or frugal.  But the 23cm/9inch cheesecake provides at least 12-15 portions.  (Portion control is one aspect of healthy eating even on an indulgence day.)

The cheesecake is a doddle to make; it's a no-bake solution for a busy cook.  Several steps are involved but all of them are simple.  

The recipe halves nicely; a kids' version is in Tips below. 

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: £9.00'ish (recipe halves nicely) 3/2025 

Ingred: 

13-15 plain or chocolate coated digestive biscuits, bashed with a rolling pin in a heavy plastic bag, or coarsely whizzed in a food processor, until gravelly; the mix should be nice and crunchy but without big chunks of cookie 

90 g unsalted dairy or plant butter, melted

300gm/10.5oz 50% (or 80%) reduced-fat cream cheese, dairy or plant, at room temperature

1 pint/600ml dairy or plant double cream 

100g/3.5 oz regular or dairy-free, 70% cocoa dark baking chocolate (67 uses M&S)

2-3 tablespoons expresso coffee powder mixed with 2 tbsp boiling water

3-4 tbsp whisky or brandy 

Topping:

approx 150 gms dairy or plant whipping cream

1 tbsp icing sugar 

1 tsp vanilla extract (opt)

50 gm cocoa powder, or 70% chocolate, chilled and grated or peeled

Method:

POMELO & LEMONGRASS FIZZ, easy, alcohol-free opt, low-sugar

Not a cocktail as we know it, Jim, but so enjoyable no one will care...

'Wonderful' 'Refreshing' 'Works perfectly
with the other flavours'

Chinese New Year equals pomelo -- the giant pear-shaped grapefruit & melon hybrid seen tumbling over one another in front of Chinatown shops. Pomelo has a melon-like sweetness that's faintly astringent; the large capsules of flesh burst in the mouth, refreshing the palate. 

It was the perfect choice for a drink to go with 67's Chinese style canapés & dumplings.

Pomelo teamed with lemongrass produced an enticing unpretentious nicely balanced blend.

Mixed with champagne, it was ambrosial; even in fizzy water, the mix was delightful.  Perhaps in vodka or gin the blend would be  more muscular; test it; let 67 know. 

For best results, prepare a day in advance to allow flavours to blend  

Cost: very little plus cost of alcohol
Makes: 8-10 glasses (recipe halves nicely)

Ingred:

Pomelo 

     

   300gm/generous 11oz pomelo flesh, free of peel and membranes

   1 grapefruit, peeled, segments removed from membranes 

   2 small apples, peeled & cored

   1/2 cup boiling water

   4 lemon grass, trimmed of dry outer leaves and the bottom couple of inches of fibrous bulb  

Prepare a day ahead

Method:

1. Give the lemon grass a couple of good whacks with a rolling pin or equiv until the fragrance released is unmistakeable
2. Slice finely; place in heat-proof bowl, pour over boiling water; steep 20 mins
3. Pour lemongrass infusion (incl water) into blender/smoothie maker
4. Add all the other ingred; whizz to a fine pulp 
5. Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl; add pulp, pressing the flat of a spatula against the mesh to extract all the liquid
6. Pour into an air tight container; chill 24 hours 
7. When ready to serve, mix one part cocktail with 1 1/2 parts champagne or other alcohol, prosecco or fizzy water

Comments:

'Wonderful!  It tastes exactly as it smells; the pomelo & lemongrass flavours are distinct.' Wine Journalist

'Goes perfectly with the canapés; doesn't override the hoisin flavour of the beef.' Husband of wine journalist 

'Very refreshing; tastes good in the mouth.' Mother of wine journalist

 Please post a Comment  

                         

 More canapés & first courses on NavBar: Recipes 

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

VEGAN CHERRY CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM, dairy-free, low-sugar, easy

This is the nicest, tastiest, healthiest ice cream; you won't believe there's no cream - just bananas...

Sensational creamy soft ice containing just cherries, banana & chocolate
'No-fat, utterly delicious AND healthy.  Unbelievable!'

This dessert is not just an excellent remedy for tummy troubles; it's also a sensational treat for all times.  It's stuffed with this year's crop of fat purple cherries and dark chocolate shards and is incredibly creamy and delightful. 

67 has been meaning for ages to test recipes for a cherry and banana soft ice cream which have been circulating on the net and this wonderful treat is the result.  

Bananas have creamy, easily digested flesh.  They're excellent at muting hunger pangs and helping to return the digestive system to order.  They're also naturally sweet so are perfect for low-sugar delights.  

If you ever thought you could't eat ice cream for health reasons, think again!

You'll be amazed how easy the recipe is BUT you do have to plan ahead.  The bananas and cherries have to be chopped frozen before you start.  

Cost: £2-£3, depending on choice of ingredients
Makes: 2-3 portions but recipe doubles easily

Ingred:

  2 small ripe but not black bananas, sliced and frozen
  1 cup pitted or chopped cherries, frozen (from fresh are best but supermarket frozen will be ok)
  splash fresh orange juice, milk or cream (opt).  OR cherry brandy/brandy/whiskey/chocolate based liquor (opt)
  1/2 tsp vanilla (opt)

  small handful fresh cherries
  50 gm dark chocolate, in shards
   
Method:

1. Peel and slice  bananas, lay them out on a ridged tray, freeze
   
2. Bag up and returned to freezer until ready to make the ice cream
3. Remove stalks from 1 cup cherries; cut off the fat sides (like prepping a mango) then chop the flesh surrounding the pits in small pieces.
   
4. Place the cherry pieces in a sealable freezer bag, making the layer as flat as you can by pressing out the bulges.
   
    
5. Freeze flat and store.
6. Making the ice cream: Prepare fresh cherries as in 3; set aside
7. Put frozen banana slices, frozen cherries  and a slosh of milk, cream or orange juice in blender; process until all is fully combined.  It should look like soft-serve ice cream. (See tips below)
8. Stir through fresh cherries and chopped chocolate distributing evenly for a rustic appearance; for something smoother, pulse until coarsely combined.  

Comments:
'This was a revelation.  I usually avoid ice cream because of the high fat and sugar content; this recipe manages to avoid all that.  I recommend this to all oldies, dieters and anyone wanting to eat healthily.  This will definitely be made again!'  Retired writer 
'It was absolutely brilliant - and totally  delicious!' Semi-retired consultant

Tips:

Tips:

• If your blender isn't very powerful , you may need to stop the machine a couple of times to push down the mixture to move it along.  The time this takes will unfortunately encourage the ice cream to melt and it will have to be re-frozen after the cherries and chocolate are added.  67 uses a smoothie maker instead of an ageing and not very efficient blender.
• the frugal can reduce the amount of 2nd stage fresh cherries and chocolate or not add them at all
• Cherries can be replaced by any other berries and the chocolate, by nuts or dried fruit. 

More fruit desserts in Recipes II on NavBar

Please leave a comment in the Box below

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

LUXURY BANANA BREAD WITH CHOCOLATE, GINGER & GINGER CREAM: low-added-sugar, fresh fruit, higher fibre, leftovers

Bananas, chocolate & candied ginger make a winning combination in a gorgeous special occasion version of a family favourite... 

An utra-luxurious banana bread with a wow factor 

This luxury version of banana bread, studded with chunks of chocolate and shards of sweet stem ginger, is a knock-out.  The velvety topping of cream, yoghurt and ginger syrup is also wonderful.  

So often, banana breads - healthy, tasty and thrifty though they are - can be boring.  But banana and chocolate make a winning combination; add finely chopped ginger from syrup (in a jar) and you're onto a completely different level.

With banana breads, spontaneity is not an option.  Planning is required.  The bananas have to reach the right stage of ripeness: soft, spotty and almost black.  Don't be tempted to rush the process; banana bread that doesn't smell or taste of banana is just...sad.  

67's bananas were purchased when they were barely yellow and it took over a week to reach the right stage.  (Baking unripe bananas in the oven until the skins were black were a disaster, causing acute digestive problems!)

This cake is best baked on the day but the ingredients can be prepared and measured out the day before.  


Cost: £5.00'ish (Aug 23) 
Makes: one large 12-14 slice loaf

Ingred:

400-500gm/14-16oz unpeeled ripe bananas 

3 med eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
110gm/3.8oz sugar (white & brown is good)
175ml sunflower or light veg oil

255gm/9oz plain flour sifted (1/3 wholemeal flour raises fibre but white will do)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 generous tbsp dried unsweetened coconut OR ground almonds

70gm/2.5oz choc chips or roughly chopped chocolate
42gm/1.5oz finely chopped drained ginger from syrup

Topping:
   100mg whipping or double cream in stiff peaks
    100gm/3.5oz 0-fat Greek or Icelandic yogurt
       2 tbsp ginger syrup (from jar)
       1/2 ball ginger from syrup, in tiny matchsticks

Method:
Equipment: 1x2lb loaf tin; 3-4 lined cupcake moulds    

1. Grease a 2lb loaf tin; line with a strip of greaseproof paper that extends over the edges
2. Preheat oven to 180c/350f 
3. Peel bananas; remove any rotten bits; mash thoroughly 
4. Add: beaten eggs, vanilla, sugar & oil; using electric or a stand-alone beaters, whisk until thoroughly blended 
5. Sift in flour, baking powder & salt; blend; stir in coconut
6. Add chocolate & sweet ginger, distributing evenly
7. Pour into tin
8. Remove 1/2 cup of batter (trust me!) and pour into cupcake moulds
9. Bake loaf in centre of oven 45-55 mins; if getting too brown, cover with greaseproof paper; place cupcakes on top shelf - they should be ready in 15-20 mins (a cocktail stick inserted into the middle will come out clean)
10. Serve warm or at room temperature with topping 
11. Topping: mix cream to stiff peaks; stir in yoghurt, ginger syrup & ginger 

Comments:
'Good...very good!.' Campaign manager
'Unique; the topping was very special.' Intern, Boston University
'The cake is lovely and the cream gorgeous.' Political Agent
'I love the ginger and really enjoyed the blend of tastes.' Underground driver
'Really nice.  The cake is very tender; the ginger not overpowering.' Political Youth co-ordinator
'Lovely! I don't have a very sweet tooth but liked this, especially the fruity flavour and strong chocolate hint.  Wouldn't have minded more ginger but what there was gave a nice crunch.' Senior marketing/admin manager

Tips:

• Replace plain flour with spelt
• If you liked this you will probably also like chocolate croissant banana bread and butter pudding

For more lower sugar baking, go to NavBar/RecipesI: Baking...

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.

POMELO & LEMONGRASS COCKTAIL, easy, alcohol-free opt

Not a cocktail as we know it, Jim, but so enjoyable no one will care...

'Wonderful' 'Refreshing' 'Works perfectly
with the other flavours'

Chinese New Year equals pomelo -- the giant pear-shaped grapefruit & melon hybrid seen tumbling over one another in front of Chinatown shops. Pomelo has a melon-like sweetness that's faintly astringent; the large capsules of flesh burst in the mouth, refreshing the palate. 

It was the perfect choice for a drink to go with 67's Chinese style canapés ( Hoisin Orange Glazed Beef Skewers & Unfried Vegan Dumplings).  

Teamed with lemongrass, the pomelo produced an enticing blend, unpretentious and nicely balanced.   

Mixed with champagne, it was ambrosial; even in fizzy water, the mix was delightful.  Perhaps in vodka or gin the blend would be  more muscular; test it; let 67 know. 

For best results, prepare a day in advance to allow flavours to blend  

Cost: very little plus cost of alcohol
Makes: 8-10 glasses (recipe halves nicely)

Ingred:

Pomelo 

  

   300gm/generous 11oz pomelo flesh, free of peel and membranes

   1 grapefruit, peeled, segments removed from membranes 

   2 small apples, peeled & cored

   1/2 cup boiling water

   4 lemon grass, trimmed of dry outer leaves and the bottom couple of inches of fibrous bulb

Prepare a day ahead

Method:

1. Give the lemon grass a couple of good whacks with a rolling pin or equiv until the fragrance released is unmistakeable
2. Slice finely; place in heat-proof bowl, pour over boiling water; steep 20 mins
3. Pour lemongrass infusion into blender/smoothie maker
4. Add all the other ingred; whizz to a fine pulp 
5. Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl; pour in pulp, pressing the flat of a spatula against the mesh to extract all the liquid
6. Pour into an air tight container; chill 24 hours 
7. When ready to serve, mix one part cocktail with 1 1/2 parts champagne or other alcohol, prosecco or fizzy water

Comments:

'Wonderful!  It tastes exactly as it smells; the pomelo & lemongrass flavours are distinct.' Wine Journalist

'Goes perfectly with the canapés; doesn't override the hoisin flavour of the beef.' Husband of wine journalist 

'Very refreshing; tastes good in the mouth.' Mother of wine journalist

 Please post a Comment  

                         

 More canapés & first courses on NavBar: Recipes 

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

GINGER & LEMON THROAT SOOTHER, low/no sugar

Here's a soother for a hacking cough that's low/no sugar, fat & preservative free

first posted 13 October 2015

Why go to the pharmacy when you can make this delicious throat soother for pennies!
'It really helps my throat and taste so pure.' Taster

This gorgeous drink is both medicinal and a refresher.  And it has hardly any calories and no cholesterol!

It will help soothe a sore throat and can reduce coughing.  It tastes quite wonderful but extra sweetener can be added for kids.

Fresh ginger

You'll need fresh root ginger. Pale, unwrinkled, firm roots are best.  Buy loose from a trusted supermarket or market stall but try to avoid ginger in sealed plastic bags.  

Some ginger will be in large pieces with lots of knobs coming off the main stem.  It's perfectly okay to break off a piece more suited to your needs. 

Peel the ginger before use by running the edge of a spoon down the skin; it will fall away. 

The traditional way of making Ginger tea involves a lot of steeping and cooking to make a paste. This 67 version is much simpler but no less effective. 

Cost: pennies

Serves: 2 as a drink; many in cordial or cocktails

Ingred:

   1 1/2 teaspoons peeled, grated or minced ginger

   grated zest of half a lemon

  

   1 1/2 cups/300ml boiling water

   1/2-1 tbsp maple syrup, honey or sugar (opt)

Method: