RUSSIAN POTATO SALAD: vegetarian, lower-fat, gut-friendly, make ahead, high fibre, leftovers

Few will turn down potato salad - carb-phobic or not - but this version includes high-fibre vegetables and less mayo...

Potato Salad with a Russian twist: tomato, hot sauce, mixed veg & pickles
'...tastes really great!''..the veg & pickles made it sing!'

Back in the late 20th century, you couldn't walk into a Spanish bar or restaurant   without seeing a huge mound of Russian Potato Salad (for all 67 knows, it may still be true.) Offered as a tapa or a side. Russian Potato Salad is studded with mixed veg and often pickles; the mayonnaise based dressing has a touch of heat from a shot - or two - of hot sauce.      

It was very popular, though currently out-of-style.

Making this at home is a doddle if you have a bag of diced mixed veg - peas, carrots, corn - in the freezer and some pickles or gherkins languishing in the fridge.  If you haven't, it doesn't take long to prepare diced cooked carrot and/or to pickle cucumber or radishes.

Have a go; 67 thinks the colourful salad will please even the kids.

Cost: £2'ish

Feeds: a crowd

Ingreds

760gm/1.5lbs potatoes

1 tea mug frozen mixed vegetables OR 1/2 tea mug each frozen peas and diced carrot (2 carrots) 

2-3 tablespoons chopped gherkins or dill pickles OR home-made pickled cucumber or radish prepared ahead (2 thick slices cucumber or small handful radishes - 67 used mixed breakfast and normal radishes)

Pickling Sauce

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp white vinegar

3/4 tsp sugar

grind of pepper

Dressing

1 cup 50-50 mix of thick plain yoghurt & mayonnaise

1-2 tablespoons tomato paste or tomato sauce for colour 

couple of shots of tabasco or hot sauce, flavouring but not overwhelming the dressing

few shots of Worcestershire sauce, to taste (opt)

pepper & salt

Method:

MAKE THE MOST OF SUMMER FRUITS

Now is the time to take advantage of the gluts of summer fruits and berries.  Two things to remember:

• Freeze Berries in Summer for Winter: inexpensive tips for freezing berries now to brighten up meals later

• Almost instant jam/compote Easy peasy method of making jam/compote in minutes for breakfast OR making lots and freeze for use later 

B Lee/Bright Sun Enterprises accept no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.  This advice  has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.

JENNY'S 90-MIN WHOLEMEAL BREAD, Healthy, easy, wallet-friendly

Amazing soft, spongy tasty home-made bread that takes just 90 mins from start to finish...(less for rolls!)

Why bother with mass-produced bread after this recipe?

photo  17/7

67goingon50 has been searching for some time for a simple yeasted wholemeal loaf that's good for packed lunches. 

This recipe from the hilarious 'Jenny Can Cook' is really, really good.  It's so  tasty, the household will scarfe it down faster than you can bake it.  

For best results, you need electric beaters or a stand-alone mixer but it can be made by hand. 

The bread is nearly totally wholemeal flour and very, very good for blood sugar & digestion.  The finished loaf is light and spongy and somehow remains that way for days after baking.  

This is a wonderful loaf for busy families.  Your partner could make it.  So could an older child.

It is so easy on family budgets and you know exactly what has gone into it.

Give it a go.  You won't regret it.

Ingreds:

    260gm/9.1oz whole wheat flour*

      65gm/2.3oz bread flour (but all-purpose flour is ok)

        7gm/1 packet/2 tsp instant or active dry yeast (67 used instant)

        2 tbsp sugar

        1 tsp salt

    240ml milk, heated to 120-130f/48-54.5c for instant yeast or 110-120f/43.3-48.5c for active dry yeast

        1 egg
        2 tbs olive or other light veg oil

        

   up to 1/4 cup additional bread flour

Method: