Pensioner's Delight: Potluck/Party Muffletta lower-fat multi-layered Italian sarnie, dairy-free opt, vegetarian opt

67goingon50's Pensioners' Muffletta, a multi-layered Italian-style sandwich for the dentally challenged (including toddlers) using soft bread & delcately textured lively fillings ...

It may look like a load of standard fillings but nearly every one has a taste twist that provides stunning flavours

Normal mufflettas use crispy topped panini or ciabatta with chewy interiors and layers of cold Italian charcuterie, olives and salad.  They are, to be sure, fabulous.

But this one was a special treat for 4 delightful senior ladies at a picnic during the intermission of Macbeth at Keats House.  With champers!

Readers, they were thrilled with it!

A small challah loaf big enough for 8, soft but sturdy*, was filled with 6 layers of classic soft fillings but with unexpected twists. 

The muffletta isn't frugul but nor is it extravagant, especially since the portions are loaded and 8 portions is not a small number.

The recipe may seem daunting but as long as you get everything ready (perhaps the previous day?) before you prepare and fill the bread, you will be fine.

Cost: £10'ish depending on fridge contents (6/23)

Feeds: 8 hungry people

Ingredients:

1 medium cholla or soft wholemeal loaf, plain or seeded (enough for 8 regular portions)

5-6 tbsp very soft dairy or plant butter OR for those worried about fat, soft lettuce leaves washed & throughly dried OR both

at least 8 lettuce leaves, washed and thoroughtly dried

Filling 1

dairy or plant butter and well-dried lettuce leaves

Filling 2

1/2 cup thinly sliced chicken breast

Dressing: 1 tbsp mayo

               2 tbsp thick plain dairy or plant yoghurt

               1.5 tbsp cranberry sauce or piccalilly

Filling 3

Dairy or plant brie, thinly sliced (no need to remove rind)

Filling 4

2 large thin slices ham or pastrami or spiced beef

smear of Dijon mustard

Filling 5

single layer lettuce leaves covering the meat & half way up sides

Filling 6

1 tin tuna steak (or very good quality flakes, drained & coarsely broken up)

grated zest of lemon

juice of half a lemon

2 sping onions, green & white, both finely sliced 

lots of coarsely grated black pepper

Dressing: 1.5tb olive oil; 1 tsp balsamic vinegar; half clove grated garlic (opt but adds punch); 1/2 tsp mustard (wholegrain or Dijon); salt; pinch of sugar

Filling 7

layer of thinly sliced cucumber (opt)

Filling 8

egg mayo (supermarket OR your own: eggs, hardboiled, coarsely grated & moistened with just enough yoghurt mayo to hold together OR Chinese Egg Salad

1/3 recipe supermarket or make-your-own sunblush tomato bombs, finely chopped

 

Filling 9

half a tub supermarket hummous or 67's singletons's easy skinny hummous

handful toasted sunflower seeds (opt)

Filling 10

single layer soft butter lettuce

Method:

Equipment needed: 2 small trays, a small heavy book

1. Prepare ingredient fillings the night before; cover; refrigerate till needed
2. At least 2 hours before serving:
3. Slice the top off the cholla bread about 1 inch/2cm in depth
4. About 1.5 inches from the edges and the bottom, cut an inner ring of soft bread; remove all but 1 inch/2cnm off the side and 1.5 inches/3m off the  bottom (there should be a circular flat base in the bottom of the loaf-see photo above)
5. lightly butter bottom and sides of loaf
6. Thoroughly dry lettuce leaves; line the base and half way up the sides with 2-3 pieces of lettuce, folding or tearing to fit
7. Separate chicken pieces to prevent clumping; add only enough dressing to hold the contents together generously but not wet
8. Cover with thinly sliced brie, leaving spaces if necessary to reach the edges 
9. Cover the brie layer entirely with slices of ham/pastrami; smear lightly with Dijon mustard
10. Cover with a layer of lettuce 
11. Pour ingredients for tuna dressing into a small jar with tight lid; shake until mixture thickens, set aside; lightly stir tuna with rest of tuna layer ingredients until well mixed; pour over dressing...the fish will be a little dry which is as it should be. Spread evenly over lettuce; cover with cucumber slices if using 
12. Mix egg mayo with finely chopped sunblush tomato, adding a little of the juices if you like; spread egg over tuna
13. Cover egg with hummous; scatter over sunflower seeds
14. Cover with soft dry lettuce; top with cholla lid
15. Wrap tightly twice in clingfilm; place on a tray
16. Cover with second small tray; place a good sized book on top
17. Refrigerate a few hours...no more than 4
18. Slice into wedges on site

Comments from the feisty group of mature ladies/early feminists:

'This is really really nice!'

'Could I have a bigger piece? Oh, alright, I'll have two!'

'Very tasty.'

'Yes, I would love to take home the leftovers!!'

'Think it's going to be bunch of boring old fillings? Think again.  Nearly every layer has an unexpected and unusual flavour.  Fabulous!'

Tips:

Vegetarian option: 

• replace chicken with tofu 'chicken' gougons
• replace ham with vegan deli ham (M&S/Waitrose) OR thinly sliced vegetarian frankfurthers (Tivali: Waitrose, Mr Mistry South End Green) 

* small cholla loaf £4+, Roni's Hampstead & Belsize Village, Panzers, Waitrose 

Notes:  The muffletta is an Italian sandwich originating in New Orleans.  It's always been hefty despite - in the early days - having only three components: bread, spicy olive salad and Italian charcuterie.  Nowadays there is a wide choice of fillings including soft cheeses, cooked and raw vegetables, deli meats and rich dressings.

                 Please leave a Comment in the box below 

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

SEAFOOD PANCAKE, KOREAN STYLE: wallet-friendly, quick'n easy, low-salt, vegetarian option, higher fibre, vegetarian option

With food budgets so tight, Savoury pancakes & waffles look like becoming a trend... 

Seafood & Scallion Pancake, Korean style

Pancakes and waffles are, after all, thrifty, filling, quick, easy and delicious.  And  they stand in for a variety of meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

This Korean-Style Seafood Pancake, adapted from maangchi*, is more special than most but is not overly extravagant, especially while M&S seafood is on a 3-fer-£12 offer.  It's especially suitable for pensioners/couples looking for a celebration meal.

If youve had a meal in a Korean restaurant, you'll know how popular Korean pancakes are.  This one is both soft and crispy and delightfully savoury, without spice or garlic.  Usually served with hot'ish sauce, the pancakes also go well with 67's own make-ahead (milder) Sweet Chilli Sauce or if time is short, oyster or hoisin sauce.  

The spring onions don't overwhelm; they soften and mellow after cooking.

The pancake is wonderful at any time of day.  On its own, it's a protein packed low-carb delight but served with rice or Asian soup noodles, it's even better.  

Cost: £4.00'ish (2023)

Feeds: 2, multiplies easily

Ingredients:

100gm/3.5oz all purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornflower

       1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

 

3/4 cup very cold fizzy water

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 green onions, top & tailed, in 3 inch chunks

small handful thin green beans, topped & tailed

150gm/4-5oz ready-cooked prawns, calamari & mussels (or choice of vegetables in fine matchsticks with something like tofu if you like) 

salt & pepper

 

one large egg, beaten 

thinly sliced red pepper, opt

Method:

PENSIONERS' £5 DELIGHT: SAUSAGE BEAN & BEER STEW with salad and Apple Hand Pies; veggie option

Multiplies easily for family-sized parties but also great for couples & singletons...

Sausage, Beer and Bean Casserole; frugal, tasty, healthy, boozy.
'Loved it - tangy & much more interesting than usual stews.' 
20+ Fijian Australian Taster

updated June 2022; photo 9/8/16

Sausages are still holding their own in the UK despite scare stories linking them to an 18% higher risk of cancer.

The truth is: those figures are linked to a daily dose of fatty, poor quality sausages.  If that's you, think again.  

For most people, eating sausages infrequently and then only free-range high-meat, or lower-fat versions like beef, venison or wild boar won't bring you any closer to death's door.  

Independent or artisan butchers stock sausages from farmers specialising in small production.  They will be a little more expensive but vastly superior in quality.  More importantly the flavour is so good, just a couple of sausages treated well, go far and become good value. 

Some supermarkets stock packaged sausages that are a good compromise between high-quality and junk.  But 67 urges you to at least try high quality sausages if budget permits.  

This recipe calls for two good-quality sausages (though more can be added) and will feed two people quite happily as part of a three course meal.  

The beer gives a pleasing flavour (even for non beer drinkers) but feel free to replace with wine, grape or apple juice or good stock.

Note: 67 has not tested vegetarian sausages in this recipe but sees no reason why they wouldn't work 

Cost: (of sausage dish) £4.50'ish, incl beer (9/2025)
Feeds: 2 (or 1 extremely hungry-possibly hung-over-chap...)

Ingred:
    min 2 beef, venison or wild boar sausages or equiv 
    1 tsp olive or vegetable oil
    1 med onion or equivalent fennel or celery, diced
    1 full coffee mug of pale ale OR equiv
    1-2 tsp muscovado (black/molasses) sugar    
    1 tbsp tomato puree
    dash of Worcestershire sauce

    1 tin butter beans (recommended) or other white beans, rinsed & drained
    
    juice of half a lime or lemon
    1 generous tsp wholegrain mustard
    1 tsp sweet paprika

Garnish: 1 tomato, deseeded, and diced
              olive oil
              salt
              1-2 tsp minced fresh parsley

Method:

1. Bring a small pot of water to the boil; prick sausages all over with a fork; drop into boiling water (releasing some fat).  
2. Turn off heat; rest 10 mins; cool.  These steps are not necessary for vegetarian sausages.
3. Slice sausages thickly; heat olive oil in a deep frying pan over med-high heat; brown sausage slices on both sides (a few mins), remove & set aside  on greaseproof paper
4. Reduce heat to medium; add onion to pan; fry until soft & translucent without browning - about 10 mins
5. Add ale; then tom puree, sugar, Worcestershire & thyme; scrape bottom of pan to remove crusty bits
6. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer; leave until half the liquid is gone (mybe 5 minutes)
7. Turn up heat to med: add sausages, drained butter beans, paprika, mustard & lime juice; stir 
8. Heat through 5-10 mins
9. Check seasoning; add more pepper and salt if necessary or a bit more ale or stock if too dry
10. For garnish: generously spray tomato dice with olive oil; add salt & pepper; stir through finely chopped parsley
11. Served scattered with tomato & parsley, alongside half a large baguette and half a recipe of Lettuce with Green Herb dressing
12. Dessert? Easy Apple Hand Pies provides a beautiful ending, with or without ice cream

Comments:

'I wish I'd had this recipe at uni; it's amazing how one can turn two sausages into such a tasty dish!'  Holder of 2 honours degrees.

'Loved the flavour: it was tangy & much more interesting than usual stews.' 

20+ Fijian Australian Taster

Tips:

• Toulouse sausages, twice the size of normal ones, are also great in this recipe
• Don't have molasses sugar? Sub with dark brown sugar.
• Replace beer with wine, grape or apple juice or good stock
• When poaching sausages, do several at a time; cool, refrigerate then freeze in pairs

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.  

 

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:

DOUBLE DUTY CHERRY SALSA: budget friendly, fat/dairy/egg free, vegetarian option

Turn glorious cherries into a super tasty salsa for cooked meat...

Ready for a close-up: Cherry Salsa with an Asian Twist 
'Sounds improbable but the cherry & onion blend so well; good with meat'

Try this twist -- a cherry salsa with Asian seasoning.  It's colourful, tasty and rather sassy.  It is perfect for brightening up cooked chicken or duck, or poached chicken.  

 A vegetarian version is on offer, too - with or without the Asian spices - teamed with cottage or ricotta cheese spread on flatbread or toast.

Like all salsas, it's pretty easily thrown together.  It will keep well refrigerated for 4 days; if transporting to a picnic or barbecue, pop it in a large cooled jar with a tight fitting lid.    

Cost:  £2.50 (7/2022)
Makes: 1.5 cups, multiplies easily

Ingred:
   1/2 cup cherries, halved, stones removed    
   1/2 cup cherry toms, quartered 
   1/2 cup cucumber, de-seeded &  finely chopped
   2 tbsp red onion or whites of spring onions, finely sliced
   1/2 red chilli, seeds & membrane removed, finely chopped 
   zest & juice of half a lime
   1 tbsp roughly chopped coriander or green of spring onion

Asian additions:   
   1 tsp reduced salt soy sauce
   1 tsp dry sherry
   1 generous tsp finely grated peeled fresh ginger
   1/4 tsp 5-spice powder

Vegetarian version:
   the Asian spices are optional
   2 tablespoons light veg oil (olive or groundnut) 
   cottage or ricotta cheese (dairy or vegan)
   flatbread, bought or made (15-minute flatbread)

Method:

1. Combine all salsa ingred except Asian spices in a large bowl; take half and roughly process with a blender (or chop further into tiny pieces)
2. Fold processed mix into the salsa ingred
3. Add Asian seasoning if using
4. Refrigerate 30 mins

For vegetarian version:

1. As above, without Asian ingred, but with couple of tablespoons light oil  
2. Spread cottage cheese/ricotta on flatbread or good toast
3. Top with salsa
4. Probably best served with knife & fork 

Comments:
'The mixture sounds improbable until you try it; the cherry and onion blend so well.  It's perfect with cold meat and good bread but would also be good as a topping for melon.'  Political Agent 

Tip:

 Also works as a dip for tortilla or pitta chips

 * inspired by Food & Wine & Bon Appetite 

                                                           For similar recipes go to Sauces/Dips... 

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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.   

SMOKY AVOCADO DEVILLED EGGS: Dairy free option, vegetarian opt, lower-fat, wallet-friendly

These quirkily yummy devilled eggs have it all: intense creaminess, delicate heat and a sublime salty sweetness that's just 'Wow'...

Quirky - in a good way - eggs stuffed with avocado, air-dried meat & egg yolk

Devilled Eggs - a thing of the 1950's - has undergone a revival, not least because eggs are still an inexpensive protein and endlessly versatile when it comes to flavours. 

Here's another fresh take on the popular stuffed eggs: Avocado & Pastrami  (vegetarian option below). 

If you watch Food Network*, you've probably seen chef/model Katie Lee whizzing up a vegetarian Avocado Devilled Egg.  It inspired 67 to create something similar but more muscular.


67 chose vertical stuffed eggs for a special occasion but the standard half eggs also work very well. 

Cost: £5'ish
Makes: 9 first courses; 18 canapes for a buffet

Ingredients:
   9 hard boiled eggs (see method below)

  3/4 medium ripe avocado
  1 tsp lemon zest
  2 tbsp lemon juice
  1/2 tsp salt
  1/2 tsp wholegrain mustard
  45gm/1.5oz pastrami or preferably air dried ham
  1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  4-8 drops tabasco or hot sauce, depending on taste (67 used 4)
  1/4 tsp chilli flakes (opt)
  1 rounded tbsp good mayo
  1 rounded tbsp 0-fat thick plain dairy or plant Greek yoghurt
  pepper

  2-3 tbsp finely chopped celery
  2 tbsp finely chopped chives

  1-2 tbsp very hot water

Method:

1. Tap hard boiled eggs top and bottom on a hard surface then push down firmly on the egg and roll it to crack the shell.  Peel the shell away; dipping in a bowl of water to make the peel release easier 
2. Whether making the vertical stuffed eggs
   
   or the classic half-egg, slice a tiny bit off the bottoms so that the egg sits level and doesn't roll around.  With the vertical egg, the smaller pointier bit is the bottom.  You'll also have to slice off the top of the egg to get to the yolk.
3. Place the yolks in a med bowl.  If making the vertical version, you may need to - carefully - dig out the yolk with a small pointed knife
4. Add avocado, lemon zest & juice, 2/3 of the meat, salt, smoked paprika, tabasco, chilli flakes, yoghurt & mayo.  Blend; add hot water; blend again
5. Stir through rest of meat, celery and chives
6. Scoop into a piping bag or plastic sandwich bag with a large tip of your choosing or no tip at all.  Pipe or spoon filling into the egg whites. 
7. If serving vertically, place tops at an angle on the filling.  

Comments:

'They were really great.  The flavour was good and I could taste the meat.  I prefer a little less creaminess but overall, I liked them. 'Bakery/deli Manager

Notes: Air Dried vs Smoked Hams 

Proscuitto and the Spanish Serrano Ham have similar levels of salt to bacon or ham but are air dried and, when produced in the traditional way, contain no nitrates. 

Proscuitto and Serrano are also lower in fat.  Comparing 3 slices of bacon to 2 of  air-dried unsmoked hams, air-dried have half the calories, half the fat and half the saturated fat. Obviously the paper-thin slices of air-dried ham contribute to its healthier profile.

Given a choice and the budget, 67 prefers Italian prosciutto but the less expensive Spanish serrano is a more than acceptable substitute, and you get more in weight for your pound.           

*Freeview 41   

Tips:

• Vegetarian options: replace ham with sun-blush tomatoes OR just blend yolks with yoghurt mayo, salt, smoked paprika
• Foolproof Hard-Boiled Eggs without sulphur ring.  Place eggs in a pan of water; bring to a boil; turn off heat, cover with a lid and leave for 7 minutes.  Run under cold water. 
• If you liked this you will also like 67's Tuna Stuffed Devilled Eggs  

   

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

SUMMER MEAT FEAST: EASIEST MOST DELICIOUS CHICKEN IN THE WORLD

Chicken, Jim, but not as we know it!  Astonishingly succulent, sweet & tender   

original post 2016; updated 2024  

Clean, Green Lean & Mean: Poached Chicken with Cherry Salsa 

  

Don't be put off by the simplicity of this recipe; chicken cooked by poaching is silken and velvety, succulent and tender, bringing out the 'chickeness' of the bird.  The result is so moist and delectable, people will wonder whether it's a different breed of chicken. 

The tender, yielding flesh provides a pillowy vehicle for a trio of bold sauces: piquant ginger and scallion, oyster or hoisin sauce and reduced salt soy sauce.  Or you could go for a (fat-free) Cherry Salsa with Oriental spices.

Every family in Asia has a version of this dish; it's health-giving and easy to digest.  Prepared several hours in advance, it's ideal for buffets; it also provides an excellent cold or room-temperature alternative to blazing hot meats just off the barbecue. 

Chicken cooked in this way is more like a delicacy than boring 'rubber' chicken.  And you end up with a glorious broth for freezing.  

The chicken takes only minutes to prepare.  And, in a fuel-conscious world, cooking time last only twenty minutes; the residual heat of the stock does the rest.  Don't go over the resting time or hold back on the ice; the chicken can dry out otherwise.

This is not a frugal dish but it is a memorable one.

Cost: up to £10, depending on the chicken*
Serves: about 6-8 with sides

Ingred:

   1 whole chicken 1-1 1/2 k/ 2 1/2-3 lbs, skinned (the best you can afford) , 

   6 slices ginger 1/4 in/1/2 cm thick
   6 spring onions, floppy leaves removed and bottoms trimmed, cut in three
   6 whole peppercorns or 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
   a splash of dry sherry/white wine/white grape juice (opt)

    English Bibbs (soft) lettuce

Ginger & green onion Sauce
  3 tsp grated ginger
  6 tbsp finely chopped white spring onions
  3 tbsp groundnut/peanut oil
  1 generous tsp grated garlic (opt)
   

Method:

(You'll need a pot large enough to cover the chicken with liquid; a vertical stock pot is ideal but any large stock pot will do.) 

1. Place chicken in stock pot; cover with water
   
2. Bring to the boil; skim off froth; reduce heat to low 
3. Add green onions, ginger, pepper & sherry, if using
4. The water should be bubbling slightly - too much toughens the fibres
5. Cover with lid; simmer 20 min 
6. Turn off heat source; remove pot from heat, set aside & rest 1 hour; the chicken will carry on cooking
7. Prepare a large bowl of iced water  
8. Remove chicken from broth and plunge into iced water; set aside
9. Strain broth through a sieve; discard vegetables & pepper.  Cool broth one hour then refrigerate overnight.  (Scrape off fat layer on top; use as broth within 3 days or freeze.)
10. Remove chicken from iced water; pat dry; discard cooling water 
11. Serve at room temperature 
12. Carve flesh (see How to...Carve a Chicken).  Place leg meat underneath and breast meat on top in a pleasing mound. 
13. Serve with Ginger Scallion Sauce and Reduced Salt Soy Sauce and/or Oyster Sauce OR  for a more westernised take, cherry salsa
14. Ginger & Scallion Sauce: Put ginger & spring onions in heatproof bowl; heat oil until very hot and pour over - the ginger and spring onions will sizzle.  Stir and pour into a serving bowl 

Tips:

• If you don't have a large enough pot, use the largest lidded pot you have.  Cut chicken into sections: legs & breasts.  Proceed as above but reduce cooking time by 5 mins.
• Recommended brands for lower-salt soy sauce: Amoy & Pearl River Bridge

*organic chickens are available at most major supermarkets for £12 (2021)

More Chicken on NavBar/Recipes I

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

SWOTTERS' DELIGHT: ENGLISH BREAKFAST SALAD, lower-fat, frugal-dish

Perfect for grazing students... 

English Breakfast Salad, Tomatoes & Mushrooms
'A brilliant, practical way of presenting breakfast for swotting students or a holiday weekend!'

This salad is perfect for occasions when you're not sure when people will turn up for breakfast.  

It has a lovely twist  -- it's full of breakfast goodies:  bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms and potatoes.  The only thing missing is sausages but are easily added.  Cook them the low-fat way to keep the salad as healthy as possible. 

Preparation couldn't be easier.  New potatoes, if you can get/afford them have thin skins, don't need peeling and cook quickly. The picture shows the recipe using half a kilo of new potatoes but you could double the amount of potatoes and still have a lovely, lively salad.  (Of course, any waxy potato will do for this recipe.) 

The bacon is cooked in the oven for low-maintenance.

Serve with crusty French or pumpernickel bread,  iced coffee and/or orange juice and mint.  

The food can be prepared in advance and assembled on the day.  
    
Cost: £3.50 (using new potatoes @£1.50 per kilo but other waxy potatoes can be used)
Feeds:  4-8, depending on how many potatoes are used,

Ingred:
   1/2-1 kilo/1-2 pounds new potatoes (ordinary potatoes are fine)
   6 slices streaky or back bacon 
   3 large eggs 

   1 small clove garlic, minced or grated
   2 tbsp lime zest 
   1 tbsp each minced fresh (or 1 tsp dried) basil & parsley (opt)
   1/8-1/4 tsp salt
    3 tbsp mayonnaise
   6 tbsp 0-fat Greek or strained yoghurt

   1 large ripe tomato (about 6 oz/170 gms)
   4 oz/13 gm mushrooms
   1 whole grapefruit (opt)
   a quarter cup finely chopped chives

   crisp lettuce for garnish

Method:

1. Lay bacon on a rack in a tray and bake at 350F/180C for 20 mins or until crisp.  Pat with paper towel to remove grease. When cool, cut the slices in 6-8 pieces. Cool, cover and refrigerate.
2. Cook and peel eggs as below.  Refrigerate.  
3. Ensure potatoes are more or less the same size; if some are very small, hold back.  Place potatoes in a large pan of lightly salted water.; bring to a boil; simmer about 10 mins or till tender (the point of a sharp knife should meet a little resistance in the middle); add small potatoes half way through cooking; drain, cool 45 mins & refrigerate.
4.  For yoghurt mayo: mix mayonnaise & yoghurt; add garlic, lime zest, salt and herbs (opt). Refrigerate

Before Assembling:

1. Remove items from fridge half an hour before serving to come to room temperature
2. Halve each egg lengthwise; cut each half into 4 wedges; set aside
3. Cut tomato in med dice
4. Chop mushrooms in med dice
5. Chop chives, reserving a few tablespoons
6. Peel & segment grapefruit if using; chop in medium dice 
7. Stir tomato, mushrooms, chive & grapefruit into yoghurt
8. Add potatoes to yoghurt-mayo mix; stir to coat

Assembly:

1. Arrange lettuce leaves around outside of platter
2. Add layer of dressed potatoes 
3. Reserve a heaped tablespoon each bacon & egg for garnish. 
4. Sprinkle a handful of bacon & a few egg wedges over first potato layer 
5. Add a 2nd layer of potatoes; repeat step 4 until potatoes are used up 
6. Garnish with bacon & egg and fresh chopped chives  

Tips:

• This also makes a great picnic dish
• Foolproof Hardboiled eggs without sulphur ring: place eggs in a pan of cold water; bring to a boil; turn off heat; cover with lid.  Leave 10 mins then plunge into ice water OR run under cold water until eggs are cold. Roll on a flat hard surface, shells will crack and peel away easily

                         More salads on NavBar: Recipes II/Salads 

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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.   

ALMOST INSTANT PLUM & GINGER JAM, low-sugar, quick & easy, wallet friendly

Makes the most of well-priced plums but any fresh fruit & spice will do...

Low-sugar Plum & Ginger Jam on pancakes, made in minutes
'Incredible!! Loved the chunks of plum & the warmth of ginger.' .'

updated 9/25; first posted 2017

Plenty of punnets of reasonably priced purple plums and nectarines around at the moment.

Either will make gorgeous Almost Instant Jam/compotes and will be a welcome addition to any household.

Preservative-free and very low in sugar, the Jam is much healthier than opening a jar of mass-produced -- and takes almost as little time.

First named 'weekend jam' because it can be easily cobbled together on a dozy weekend morning, it's likely to be consumed at a single sitting -- it uses only four plums.   

As much a compote as jam, chunky with juicy fruit, rich with spice, it has only enough sugar to enhance the flavour without overwhelming it.  

The recipe can be doubled.  Though it's at its best shortly after it is made, the jam will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.

Cost: £2.25'ish (9/25)
Serves: 4

Ingred:
    4 plums, stone removed
    1 tbsp butter
    min 1, max 2 tbsp brown sugar

    1 generous tsp fresh grated ginger, skin removed
    1-2 pinches dried ginger (to taste)

    1/2 tsp good vanilla
    2-4 tbsp water

    1-2 tbsp fresh orange juice

Method:

1. Soak plums in water for 10 mins
2. Heat a heavy bottom med frying pan over med heat
3. Use a spoon to emove stone from each plum, then cut into 8 slices halve them 
4. When pan is ready, melt butter
5. Add plums & sugar, stirring to coat on all sides 1-2 mins
6. Stir in gingers; toss

   

   Plum & Ginger jam 

7. Add vanilla, a couple of tablespoons of water; simmer 3-4 mins or until fruit is beginning to collapse and a jammy sauce is formed
8. Taste; add more sugar if needed
9. Add orange juice
10. Take off the heat
11. Remove a quarter of the  mix; mash or roughly process; stir into the rest of the jam
12. To thicken further, put back on hob until desired thickness is reached
13. Serve on pancakes, toast, yoghurt or ice cream

Comments:
'Great jam!' Political Agent

'The plum and ginger Jam was incredible!! Loved the chunks of fresh plum and the warmth of the ginger at the back of your throat.'  Office Administrator 



Tips:

• kids may not like the ginger in this 
• add a shot of brandy for another layer of flavour
• if using nectarines, replace ginger with dried cinnamon and a pinch of allspice
• if you liked this, you will probably also like frugal Instant Fruit Compote
• the compote/jam can be frozen once cooled but after defrosting must be reheated; taste; it will likely need a little more sugar and/or spice 

Please leave a Comment in the box below

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