Sprout Pear Cranberry Walnut Slaw: vegetarian, vegan opt, lower-fat & carb, high fibre

No matter the weather, everyone will welcome this crunchy, sweet, tart slaw of creamy sprouts ...

 Autumn Slaw: Sprouts, Pear, Cranberry & Walnut in Lemon Pepper Dressing
'...a bright flavour burst with a good range of textures''

updated 2024; first posted 2017

This gorgeous salad provides a lovely contrast to root vegetables as Autumn digs in.      

It's crunchy, beautiful to look at and offers a terrific combination of flavours and textures.  The lively dressing perfectly complements the raw veg, fruit and nuts. 

It scores high on the healthy meter -- low salt & preservative, lower fat & carb and lots of vitamin-rich great fibre.  

It's wallet friendly, too; the only speciality item is dried cranberries but they can be replaced by diced grapes, sultanas, apricots or dried blueberries

Preparation is quick and easy. 

Cost: £3'ish (2024)
Serves: 4-6

Ingred:
   160-200gm/7oz sprouts
   1/4 cup dried cranberries blanched in boiling water, drained and dried + 1 tsp honey or maple syrup OR 1/3 cup seedless grapes in med dice
   1/3 cup walnuts coarsely chopped

   1 med pear, not too ripe
   1 tbsp lemon juice mixed with 1/4 cup water
   

Yoghurt Mayo Dressing with lemon zest and pepper  
     4 tbsp strained or Greek plain sugar-free yoghurt
     3 tbsp mayonnaise
     zest of one lemon
     2 tbsp lemon juice, to taste
     1 tsp cracked black pepper
     1/4-1/2 tsp salt

Method:

TRIPLE DUTY CORN SLAW WITH PLUMS, for vegans & carnivores

Outrageously satisfying slaw with a fashionable, exotic MidEast twist...

Sweetcorn & Plum Slaw, here with poached chicken
'A perfect salad, light in texture but very satisfying' - Taster

Lovely dark plums are back in supermarkets, still at just over a pound a punnet (9/23) in some places.  Use them for cakes and crumbles or to add wonderful accents to salads and even meats.

This gorgeous slaw combines sweetcorn and plums and is delicious in every way, with wonderful textures and spring-like colours.  It was adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi, the London chef famous for vegetable-heavy Middle Eastern dishes.

67's version is made from everyday ingredients so shouldn't break the bank.  It's not one of your throw-it-all-together-and-see-how-things-play-out salads.  Though the method is simple, there are one or two steps not normally associated with slaw, and a little planning is required.  

However, the steps add immeasureably to the pleasure of eating the dish.  And, the work repays - the slaw on the second day was as good as on the first, and would probably been as good on the third day if the full, instead of half, recipe had been made.  

You won't go wrong doubling the recipe; it will be wonderful in a packed lunch.

For something more substantial, the slaw was teamed with succulent poached chicken -- and the two complemented each other beautifully.

Vegans can add Roasted Spiced Chick Peas and some good wholemeal bread to ensure the full range of essential amino acids. 

Vegetarians can add soft goats cheese to the chick peas.    

The recipe's mint and parsley are best fresh if budget allows; dried will provide a subtler herbal kick.  



Cost: £3.00'ish (9/23)
Feeds: 6-8, more if serving as a side

Ingred:
     100ml white wine vinegar or 50-50 grape juice and malt vinegar
     200 ml water
     1 tsp salt

     175 gm/5 oz carrots, finely sliced into matchsticks or grated
     200 gm/7 oz  cabbage, shredded (not too finely)
     1 med red onion thinly sliced (opt) (67 didn't bother)
     240-500 gm/8.5-17.6 oz fresh corn niblets sliced from cobs OR drained sweetcorn (67 uses M&S)  
     1/2 yellow pepper, in dice the size of the corn (opt)
     olive oil
     1-2 med-large plums, in small dice

Dressing
  50 gm/1.75 oz yoghurt-mayo
   2 tsp Dijon mustard
   1.5 tsp sunflower (or vegetable) oil
   1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (or bottled for the frugal)
   1 garlic clove, grated
   2-3 tbsp fresh (OR 2-3 tsp dried) mint, med chopped
   2-3 tsp fresh (or 1 tsp dried) parsley, med chopped
   1/2-1 tsp dried coriander

Method:

'FLAT-PACKED' ROASTED CHICKEN IN 45mins

Save yourself pounds and a trip to the supermarket rotisserie with 67's Fast Roasted Chicken.

Lemon Garlic Spatchcocked Chicken
'Amazing taste & flavour for something cooked so quickly.'  Taster

Everyone loves whole roast chicken but mid-week no one wants to wait hours while it cooks.  Which probably explains the popularity of supermarket rotisseries despite the fact that the chicken gets soggy in the bag on the way home.

67's Lemon & Garlic Whole Roast Chicken is on the table in under an hour...prep included.  Cooking time is halved by removing the backbone of the chicken and flattening the breast, bringing the fleshiest part of the bird into closer contact with heat.  

The result is a wonderfully juicy, crispy bird, with the marinade seeping deep into the flesh.  It's a big improvement on a supermarket bird sweating in a foil bag. 

Doing stages 1-4 the night before means you can get the chicken in the oven as soon as you're in, before kicking off your shoes and getting a drink!

Cost:  £3-£5
Feeds: 4 as a main; 8 as a sports snack 

1.  Preheat oven to 190c/375f or equiv

2.  Turn the chicken breast side-down, feeling for the backbone.  Use a sharp knife to carefully slice down on first one and then the other side of the backbone.  (Freeze spine for stock) 

Courtesy of Jaimie Oliver  © Copyright Jaime Oliver  and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

3.  Open out the chicken; turn it over;  press down heavily to flatten it. 

4.  Mix a marinade of 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil, 1.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice, the zest of half a lemon, 2/3 teaspoon finely grated garlic and 1-2 tbsp finely chopped parsley.  Brush this over the underside of the chicken and over the top,   pushing the marinade into the crevices and under the skin.  

5.  Bake 10 minutes breast side up.

6.  Turn bird over, chicken breast facing down. Bake 10 mins.

7.  Turn chicken breast right side up.  Bake 25 mins, turning the baking tray back to front halfway through for even cooking.

8.  Normally 67 would remove the skin to reduce fat but the marinade is so outstanding it would be a shame to.

9.  Carve.

Tips:

• if you're trying to wean people off fatty, sugary chicken wings, this could be a perfect solution
• spatchcocking is also perfect for the barbecue

More picnic meats on NavBar/RecipesI

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.

VEGAN 'CHICKEN' GOUGONS WITH OPTIONAL BOOZY PEACH DIP,

Crispy crunchy low-fat 'chicken' gougons are an easy-peasy lunch for Dad to make for a vegan/veggie mum

first posted 2016; updated 2024

Crispy, spicy vegan 'chicken fingers' without the fat: a vegan treat for Mum

Here's a triple-duty Mothers' Day recipe for 'chicken' gougons that'll please a vegan/vegetarian Mum, small fussy eaters AND carnivores. 

In the current vegetarian/vegan climate, eco-friendly tofu is becoming more mainstream.  Plenty of innovative savoury tofu recipes are being developed, focusing on its role as a low-fat meat substitute which easily absorbs other  flavours.   

The gougons are usually eaten with low-sugar ketchup and/or yoghurt-mayo but if you're pulling out all the stops for Mum, add the boozy peach dipping sauce below.  

Preparation is easy and starts the night before.  Serve with baked potatoes or un-fried garlic wedges/sweet potato fries, going easy on the garlic mix for the kids, and Fantastic Frugal Salad.

Cost: £5'ish (but recipe halves nicely)
Serves: 2 adults, 2 kids 

Ingred:
    1.5 x280 gms firm organic tofu, in fingers (4 horizontal slices for each packet, each cut into 5-6 fingers; try not to make the fingers too fat - their 'chickenness' is easily lost)

    3/4 cup unstrained 0-fat yoghurt
    3 tbsp Dijon mustard
    2 small cloves garlic grated
    2.5-3.5 tbsp finely minced onion
    3/4 tsp salt  
    rounded 1/4 tsp pepper
    1.5 tsp celery salt (opt)

    3/4  tsp smoked paprika
    1/3 tsp thyme
    3/4 tsp oregano
    3/4 tsp cumin
    1/3 tsp dried coriander 
    OR INSTEAD of the 5 separate spices, 3  tsp Cajun seasoning

    1 generous  mug breadcrumbs (67 used home-made- stale bread whizzed in blender; Japanese panko crumbs are also good)  

Method:

1. Prepare the night before
2. Mix yoghurt and spices; pour half into a large glass tray
3. Carefully place fingers in the mix; cover with the rest of the yoghurt 
4. Cling film & refrigerate overnight
5. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450F, 220fan, 250C
6. Cover a large tray with breadcrumbs
7. Using a fish slice/spatula, carefully remove tofu fingers from yoghurt & place them on the crumbs; cover with the rest of the breadcrumbs, patting them on to the sides if necessary
8. Generously spray the baking tray/s with olive or veg oil; use the spatula to transfer breadcrumbed fingers to the baking tray 
9. Lightly spray top of fingers with oil
10. Bake 35 mins, turning the fingers once
11. Serve with ketchup (homemade if possible) and yoghurt-mayonnaise 

 Boozy peach (or nectarine), chilli & mint dipping sauce  
    1 large ripe peach/nectarine, stoned, coarsely chopped (or equiv tinned in juice, not syrup)
    1/3 raw yellow pepper, slightly less in weight than the peach
    2-3 tablespoons red onion
    1 tsp fresh mint or 1/3 tsp dried
    zest and juice of half a lime 
    brandy to taste, at least 1/4 cup
    1/2 tsp maple syrup (opt)

1.  Blitz until smooth with stick or bowl blender
2.  Refrigerate a few hours, pref overnight for flavours to blend
3.  Taste; add pepper and a bit of salt

Tips:

• Care is required getting the gougons onto the baking tray without breaking them
• Leftover firm tofu can be used in stir-fries or can be sliced, breaded & baked (as for gougons) and used as sandwich fillings
• a more extravagant salad requiring little cooking is 3-minute Asparagus, Pea & Corn

For more vegan/vegetarian radishes  go to NavBar/RecipesII:Vegetarian...

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