PRAWN, PEA & CORN SALAD: Almost instant, high fibre & protein, low-carb

Accidentally defrosted the freezer?  Time for unplanned but delicious salads and saving raw meat/fish.  Details on Welcome to the Blog posts on the nav bar (above).

Colourful multi-textured salad for busy times and to mark the (almost) end of winter...

Healthy Prawn, Pea & Corn Salad

They say necessity is the mother of invention and in the case of this recipe, a freezer that conked out overnight - accidentally - led to this quick colourful healthy salad.

A bag of frozen peas and a packet of frozen Atlantic prawns needed to be used up, quickly.  This delicious low-carb salad was the result.  It was especially enjoyable to eat, knowing that with budgets tight, good food didn't have to be thrown out.

The salad, obviously, is just as good with fresh products. 

Cost:  £3'ish, if using the salad drawer and defrosted veg & prawns

Feeds: 1 generously

Ingredients:

80gm defrosted Atlantic prawns or other fish (cooked, if raw)

2 generous handfuls frozen peas

2 generous handfuls tinned or defrosted corn niblets

1/4 cup finely sliced peeled celery OR slivers of red bell pepper 

generous handful of crisp lettuce leaves, sliced

1 small tomato cubed

opt: cucumber, peeled, in small cubes (67's went soggy in the fridge)

1/3 to 1/2 cup yoghurt-mayo (see bottom of page on dressings)

1/2 tbsp fresh 0r 1/4 tsp dried parsley, chives or green of spring onions

Opt garnish: crumbled cooked bacon 

Method:

1. Bring a small amount of water to a boil; add peas and corn; leave a few mins until peas are tender; drain, run cold water over; set aside 
2. Mix lettuce, celery and tomato in a bowl
3. Moisten peas & corn with a generous but not overwhelmong portion yoghurt mayo
4. Carefully stir in prawns; mix till all is moistened
5. Season with salt & pepper
6. Sprinkle over parsley or chives
7. Serve cold

Comments:

'An unexpected salad cobbled together when the freezer temporarily died was a lovely, tasty surprise.  Will make again...delierately next time.' Retired writer

Tips:

• If your freezer  stops working and you have unexpected defrosted food, remember the principle of freezing foodstuffs: the only time when you can re-freeze items is if they were frozen raw.  Then they must be defrosted and cooked.  Only when cooled can they be frozen again. 
• To make the prawns go further, slice in half sideways (like a butterfly)

 

  

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.

CREAMY, BOOZY, FRUITY CHOCOLATE PUDDING: easy lower-fat indulgence, fresh fruit, l/over Easter chocolate

Don't forget to have a look at Welcome to the Blog for the latest 67goingon50 developments, on the nav bar above

Pretty looking and pretty tasty pudding for any leftover bits of chocolate from Easter...

Dream-like pudding for a special occasion
'So beautiful! And delicious.' 'Liked the brandy undertones.'

This fabulous indulgent dessert was served at an Easter lunch and the guests were blown away.  

It's probably the last 67 indulgence for awhile in our cost-cutting times.

Despite being older, weight conscious and a little sugar-phobic, they scraped every single bit of pudding from the glasses without pause, murmering appreciatively throughout. 

The chef, meanwhile, was gratified; pudding had been off the menu but was scraped together. at the last minute.  And though the portions were small and fat levels reduced, the pudding was rich and satisfying. 

It is a financial indulgence but costs drop depending on what's in the cupboard/fridge.

The picture shows raspberries but any soft fruit will do.

Cost: £4.50'ish (4/23)

Feeds: 4 (recipe halves nicely; plus see Tips below) 

Ingredients:

small punnet raspberries, (or blueberries or strawberries) 
3/4 generous cup thick 0-fat Greek yoghurt

3/4 generous cup whipping cream

2 tbsp toasted coconut

couple of tablespoons finely chopped roasted nuts (67 used pistachios but any will do

1 tsp zest of lemon (opt; doesn't make it lemony but enriches the flavour))

4 chocolate truffles or equiv other leftover Easter chocolate

garnish (opt) fresh mint

Method:

FRUGAL: SAUSAGE & CRISPY POTATO HASH, leftovers, fodmap option, lower-fat, higher fibre

Proves frugal food can be appetising, comforting and delicious...

first posted 2019; update 11/24

The entire family will love this
'...surprisingly welcome after months of salads & bbq'd/cold meats' Taster

photo 18/7/19

Sausage and Vegetable Hash is the perfect post-holiday meal as family time, effort and budget is directed toward school uniforms and equipment.

Sausage Hash is great at using up leftovers and is very easy to put together.

if the sausages have to be cooked from scratch, two simple tricks are useful.  See Tips below.  

Another option is to opt for 67's nitrate-free sausage meat, rolled into generously portioned mini-meat balls & poached or baked.

One of the most satisfing things about this dish is the crispy sautéed potatoes, fried lightly in oil until golden brown and crunchy at the edges.  

The key to the dish is to sauté ingredients individually in a hot pan until beautifully burnished, set aside and keep warm until the rest is ready.  Then toss everything in the hot pan before serving.  

Feeds: 4 but recipe multiples easily
Cost: Min £5, depending on protein & leftovers

Ingreds:
     olive oil 

     4-8 cold cooked vegetarian or meat sausages (see options in Tips below), cut thickly & quartered OR equiv in sausage meat 

     1/2-3/4 kilo/1-1.5 pounds cooked potatoes, pref skin on, in generous chunks eg quartered new potatoes
     
     1 med-large onion in med dice or whites of a bunch of green onions, in medium slices (fodmap-phobes, leave out onions OR use onion infused oil and garnish with chopped fresh chives or finely sliced green of green onions)
     2 large sticks peeled celery, in similar size to onions
  
     generous handful tender stem broccoli or broccoli heads & stems plus 
     handful mange tout or green beans dropped into boiling water 3mins then plunged into ice water & drained
     generous handful radishes, top and tailed, halved & in med thin slices

     2-3 medium tomatoes or half a generous cupful baby tomatoes, cut in similar size to the sausages 

Method:

ANOTHER TERRIFIC RICE SALAD: fast & easy, fish, leftovers, healthy

Sometimes it's a relief not to cook...

A quick tempting meal with the help of deli friends & a superb wheat-free tabbouleh

'So fast; lovely full-bodied flavours'

When life's ultra-busy, it's a relief to know that food from the freezer, leftovers and deli treats can produce a superb meal in minutes.

Deli ingredients offer great flavour boosters when it's hot or you're too tired to cook.  With their variety of sauces - hot and spicy or mellow Italian - they will transform cold rice or pasta and vegetables.   

67's first choice of deli food* is fish but the antipasti mix of artichoke hearts, olives and sun-blush tomatoes always appeals.  When deli food is (as often happens) on special at 3 for £7 instead of £3.50 each, that's a bargain!

Mediterranean Calamari Rice Salad was a singleton dish which arose out of an excess of Wheat Free Tabbouleh (which itself used up an excess of parsley & mint) and a few leftover artichokes, sun-blush tomatoes and olives from an antipasti mix.  It was all added to pre-cooked brown rice (in this case, defrosted overnight).  Lovely!

However (see tips below) you can obviously start from scratch and feed a crowd.  It will no longer be a frugal dish but on the other hand, not excessively financially indulgent considering the convenience. It's also a great time-saver even if the rice and tabouleh need to be made a few hours in advance.    

Feeds: 1 but see tips below for 4 or more
Cost: min £1.00 plus leftovers; more if starting from scratch

Ingred:
   3-4 tbsp brown rice
   2-3 tbsp wheat free tabbouleh
   2-3 tbsp artichoke hearts, fronds removed
   a few sun blush tomatoes
   a few olives
   pepper & salt
   couple of pinches chilli flakes or a shot of tabasco (opt)
   any other leftover veg like steamed broccoli or green beans (opt)

  1/2-1/2 container deli calamari 

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients together
2. Check seasoning
3. Refrigerate until ready to serve 

Comments:
'So fast.  If all leftovers turned up in something so full-bodied and flavourful, I'd be as happy as Larry.' Retired writer

Tips:

• add more rice to make this dish go further
• for 4 or more: 1 coffee mug rice, pref brown, cooked per instructions & cooled; 1 deli container calamari (sauce of choice), 1 deli container antipasti drained, enough of 1 recipe Wheat Free Tabbouleh to moisten but not overwhelm the rice salad ingredients 

*usually M&S

More salad recipes 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.

LEFTOVERS: HOW TO USE UP SALAD INGREDIENTS

Waste not, want not...

first published 15/9/15

67goingon50 is used to using salad ingredients for cooking -- Asian chefs often use them in stir fries and as a garnish in soups.   These cheaper-than-chips recipes are two great clean-out-the-salad-drawer meals.    

The first is a surprisingly quick vegetable stock.

Broth Cup*

67 intended to use a (copious amount) of end-of-the-week salad ingredients to intensify the flavour of classic veg stock.  But after just half an hour of cooking, the stock was sweet and deeply flavoured enough to stand on its own. 

1.  QUICK VEGETABLE STOCK

Costs: little
Feeds: depends on how much salad & veg you have

Ingred:
Any or all of: lettuce, cucumber, mushrooms, radishes, tomatoes, carrots, celery and any other raw veg except beets 
onion
1-2 small chillis, seeds & membrane removed
several cloves garlic, grated
fresh ginger, peeled & grated
potato (opt)
fresh herbs including parsley or thyme
enough water to cover veg by at least 2 inches

Method:

1. Discard any dead leaves; remove any spoiled portions of tomato.  Remove stems from mushrooms; peel.  Top & tail radishes; slice thickly.  Cut cucumber in thick slices.  Using a peeler, make long strips of carrot.  
2. Peel onion; cut into wedges.  Scrub potato if using.  Wash herbs.
3. Place everything in a large pot with grated garlic and ginger. Add enough water to cover veg by 2in/4 cm
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Turn down heat to med-high; leave to bubble gently for at least 30 mins.  
6. Taste.  The stock should be fragrant and beautifully flavoured; if not, continue cooking for another 15 mins.  
7. Serve as broth or in a soup.  

2.  LEFTOVER SALAD VEG FRIED RICE (See The Art of Stir Fry)

Leftovers Fried Rice, Frugal & Healthy

This is not a dish for guests unless they're very close friends and not likely to be offended by leftovers.  As a means of using up some of the things in your fridge, it's ace. Tasty as all get out, any cooked meat or fish, leftover cooked veg and salad veg can be used.  Firm-set tofu, plain or spiced, is also good. 

Don't be afraid of stir-frying cucumber, radish or tomatoes -- they add a wonderful edge and help moisten rice which can sometimes be a little dry.

Cost: max £1
Feeds: 1-2

Ingred:
   1/2 mug diced raw cucumber
   1/4 mug sliced radish
   5-6 thickly sliced mushrooms   
   at least one heaping mugful of cold cooked rice  
   1-2 med tomato, seeds and all, diced, sprayed lightly with olive oil and lightly salted
   1 tsp grated fresh ginger
   1 tsp grated garlic  
   at least half a mugful of cold cooked diced meat OR flaked fish OR firm tofu (marinade plain tofu in a 1-1 mix of soy sauce and sherry/wine/grape juice for 20 mins)
    Oyster Sauce, Hoisin Sauce or Reduced Salt Soy Sauce (used sparingly)

Method:

1. Stir fry cucumber, radish & mushrooms over high heat in a pan lightly sprayed with groundnut (peanut) or other light veg oil for 1-2 mins
2. Add rice, tomato, ginger & garlic.  Stir quickly; add protein.
3. Reduce heat to med-high, cover pan and allow to steam gently for a couple of minutes or until heated through.
4. Add a scant tablespoon of oyster or soy sauce; stir through rice mixture.
5. Taste for seasoning.  Add pepper but only a little salt.
6. Serve.

*Waitrose

Tip: it is a good idea to serve salads plain with dressing on the side; that way leftover salad leaves can go into the stock pot.

 Also see: Improve your health with soup stocks

This information and recipes have been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises. They may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.

PICNIC SANDWICH: HOISIN CHICKEN BAGUETTE

Smoky chicken & crunchy veg makes a popular baguette for picnics...

East meets west in a baguette stuffed with hoisin chicken & crunchy veg 
'It was all a huge hit but  this was by far the best sandwich of the lot!' Tasters

67goingon50's Hoisin Chicken Vegetable baguette was the favourite out of all the sandwiches served when it catered a sandwich/finger food buffet recently. (The others were Tuna Nicoise, Cheese with Tomato Jam & Mushroom & Egg) 

The colourful mix of succulent chicken, smoky Asian sauce and crunchy vegetables was clearly a striking and satisfying combination. 

It's a great way to use up leftover chicken and salad vegetables. 

For the event, 67 used 1 1/2 large baguettes and cut them into 15 pieces.  Delicious as they were, the portions were also a bit messy to eat;  in future, 67 will either stick to sliced bread or cut the baguettes into larger pieces and wrap the bottoms in serviettes.

The Hoisin & chicken can be mixed the night before but it's better if the mayo is added when making the sandwich.

Cost: depending on what's in the cupboard, say £2
Makes: 4 portions but multiplies easily 

Ingredients:
   1x10inch baguette

   1/3-1/2 cup cooked chicken, shredded or in small dice
   couple of tablespoons diced celery
   couple of tablespoons diced raw bell pepper
   approx 1.5 teaspoons hoisin sauce*

   any lettuce except iceberg, washed & dried completely (it may be necessary to dab the leaves with paper towels to get rid of any moisture) 
   
   2-3 tablespoons Yoghurt-mayonnaise with lemon

   thin slices radish

Method:

1. Mix chicken, celery, bell pepper & enough Hoisin sauce to moisten but not overwhelm the chicken.  Refrigerate overnight if you wish.
2. When ready to proceed, slice a thin layer off the top of the baguette 
3. Remove some of the bread from the bottom layer, forming a groove.
   
   
   
4. Put down a layer of completely dry lettuce, pressing it into the groove; add a little yoghurt mayonnaise.
   
5. Add the chicken hoisin mix, mounding it into the groove.  Drizzle a little more yoghurt-mayonnaise on top.
6. Garnish with layer of radishes 
7. If necessary, remove some of the bread from the top slice to allow it to sit nicely over the filling
8. Wrap in tinfoil and cut at site

Comments:

'The Hoisin filling was amazing but the bread was kind of explosive and maybe not for a polite gathering!' 

*Lee Kum Yee

 More sandwiches Nav Bar: Recipes II

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.   

CALAMARI RICE SALAD, quick & easy, leftovers, wallet-friendly

Sometimes it's a relief not to cook...

updated June 2021

A quick tempting meal with the help of deli friends & a superb wheat-free tabbouleh

When life's ultra-busy, it's a relief to know that a food from the freezer, leftovers and deli treats can produce a fabulous meal in minutes.

Deli ingredients offer great flavour boosters when it's too hot or you're too tired to cook.  With their variety of sauces - hot and spicy or mellow Italian - they will transform cold rice or pasta and vegetables.   

67's first choice of deli treats* will usually be calamari and prawns but the antipasti mix of artichoke hearts, olives and sun-blush tomatoes always appeals.  When deli food is (as often happens) on special at 3 for £7 instead of £3.50+ each, that's a bargain!

Mediterranean Calamari Rice Salad arose out of an excess of Wheat Free Tabbouleh (which itself used up an excess of parsley & mint) and a few leftover artichokes, sun-blush tomatoes and olives from an antipasti mix.  They were all added to pre-cooked brown rice (in this case, defrosted overnight) with calamari in beep-sized pieces.  Lovely!

However (see tips below) you can obviously start from scratch.  Fresh calamari is wonderful and most fishmongers know exactly what to do with it but you will need to cook with care - it turns rubbery very quickly.  Obviously the dish will no longer be quite so frugal but on the other hand, not excessive either, considering the convenience and saving in time. 

Feeds: 1 but see tips below for 4 or more
Cost: min £1.00 plus leftovers; more if starting from scratch

Ingred:
   3-4 tbsp brown rice
   2-3 tbsp wheat free tabbouleh
   2-3 tbsp artichoke hearts, fronds removed
   a few sun blush tomatoes
   a few olives
   pepper & salt
   couple of pinches chilli flakes or a shot of tabasco (opt)

 1/2 container deli calamari or freshly prepared & cooked calamari

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients together
2. Check seasoning
3. Serve at room temperature

Comments:
'So easy to put together. If all leftovers tasted this good, I'd be as happy as Larry.' Retired writer

Tips:

• add more rice to make this dish go further
• for 4 or more: 1 coffee mug rice, cooked per instructions and cooled; 1 deli container calamari (sauce of choice), 1 deli container antipasti drained, enough of 1 recipe Wheat Free Tabbouleh to moisten but not overwhelm the rice salad ingredients 

*usually M&S

More salad recipes on NavBar: Recipes II/Salads...

Please leave a comment 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.

FRUGAL FOOD: VEGETABLE & PULSES SALAD, vegan, healthy, easy-peasy

Pulses have come a long way, baby and here's the proof...a gorgeous salad that gives popular potato salads a run for their money

Vegetable & Pulses Salad with Beetroot-Tahini Dressing 

A single tin of pulses, leftover salad & veg, an unforgettable dressing and some crunchy garnish makes this salad one of those frugal wonders: tasty, sassy, healthy and impressive.

Back in the day when City dining rooms were just beginning to acknowledge  the clamour for vegetarian dishes, all they offered was cheese, cheese and more cheese.  They gradually came round to the idea of pulses but offered little more than bowls of undressed pulses sprinkled with herbs.  

Not any more -- posh banquets now offer many imaginative and inviting vegetarian dishes.   

This colourful 67 salad is a meal in itself, with nuts, tahini and yoghurt providing all the amino acids necessary for a balanced dish.  

The recipe provides suggestions for the mix of veg and pulses but it's ok to be guided by what's in your kitchen.  A couple of rules: the amount of veg should be equal to or more than the amount of beans.  The dressing should add a punch of flavour or colour and bring everything altogether.  

Cost: depends on what's in your fridge but £2.50 will likely do it
Feeds: 3-4; more as a side (recipe multiples easily)

Ingred:
   1 tin kidney beans, drained and washed until the beans are completely free of  tin juices

   generous handful small cauliflower florets and another of trimmed green beans, cooked in boiling water 3 mins then drained
   4 tbsp sun-blush tomatoes, either make-your-own sun blush toms (cheaper) OR  deli OR jarred sun blush toms
   3-4 wedges marinated peppers, either make-your-own (cheaper) or deli or jarred marinated peppers
   handful fresh cucumber, in med wedges 
   handful fresh tomatoes; if baby toms, sliced; if normal toms, in large dice
   4 large raw mushrooms in small wedges
   1 tablespoon finely chopped chives or parsley (opt)

Garnish
   handful spinach or other leaves for a base
   peanuts or cashews, lightly salted, opt but recommended (if using commercial salted nuts, rub them with a paper serviette to remove some of the oil and salt)

Dressing
   100gm/3 1/2oz thick 0-fat yoghurt
   2 tbsp mayonnaise

   1 tsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar
   1 tbsp chopped fresh mint or 1 tsp dried  
   pepper & salt
   rounded tablespoon good tahini
   1 med beetroot in vinegar, drained, in small dice 

Method:

1. In a large bowl, gently mix pulses and veg, distributing everything evenly - a mouthful should contain nearly every element
2. Garnish with nuts
3. Mix dressing ingred; serve separately

Tips:

• for a large group, try mixing kidney beans with white beans or chickpeas
• try adding chunks of fruit: nectarine, watermelon, citrus fruit, apple, pear
• another suitable dressing would be Oriental Dressing (standard or creamy)

For more salads, go to  Nav Bar/Recipes...

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.

VIETNAMESE CHICKEN ROLLS,healthier, partlymake-ahead

A Vietnamese Roll with a twist - more protein, less veg...

Chicken Vietnamese Roll
'My favourite; it's tidier and the layers are good' 'It's perfect!  Love the peanuts with the chicken.' Tasters

 67's Vietnamese Chicken Rolls dispenses with many of the garden vegetables.  It makes the delicate poached chicken - a flavourful and surprisingly tender boiling fowl - the main focus.  

Chicken Roll has just a few veg: crunchy lettuce, thin sticks of celery and raw mushroom.  The sauce is a a fragrant mix of spring onions, ginger, garlic and oil which allows the chicken to shine.

The sauce can be prepared ahead of time, adding the spring onions at the last minute.

Cost: Variable esp. if using leftover chicken
Serves: 7-8

Ingred:
   1 package 22 cm Vietnamese rice paper wraps
   1-2 mugs shredded poached chicken, marinated in the sauce (below) 1 hour
                                                                                      
   several leaves crunchy lettuce, eg purple or baby gems, rinsed and dried
   1/4 cup finely sliced bamboo shoots (tinned, at major supermarkets & Chinatowns) (opt)
   1/3-1/2 mug thin matchsticks celery
   1/3-1/2 mug thickly sliced mushrooms, pref chestnut but white are fine
    
   1/3 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts, with most of the oil & salt rubbed off with a paper towel/serviette

Sauce:
    4 1/2 tbsp groundnut oil
    1 1/2 generous teaspoons grated garlic
    4 1/2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
Stir well; refrigerate

Just before marinating chicken, add 7 1/2 tbsp finely sliced spring onions, white & green & a couple of tbsp sherry (opt)


Method:

JAZZY AVOCADO, CHICKEN & BALSAMIC SALAD, healthy, low-carb, wallet friendly

A 67 favourite - rich in buttery 'good' fats, moist succulent chicken, low carbs and a  'knock 'em dead' dressing...

Slimmers' Avocado & Chicken Salad with a myriad of vegetables

Making a salad when the week's shopping has been stored in the fridge is a sensual delight -- all that wonderful fresh salad/veg waiting to be turned into a gorgeous plateful of food.  

What really pulls this salad together is the dressing - Balsamic  and Wholegrain Mustard vinaigrette.  It's a very perky and intensely flavoured dressing that both excites and satisfies the palate.

67 used simple salad veg - nothing flash to keep costs down - and poached chicken which works really well with the dressing.  You can change it up of course, adding or subtracting veg or changing the meat but I reckon a milder meat like pork will complement the salad best.

This is a last-minute salad; leaving it sitting for too long does it no favours.

To display the salad at its best, follow the template for Fantastic Frugal Salad.

Cost: £2.00'ish
Feeds: 1-2 but is easily multiplied

Ingred:
   handful of lettuce leaves
   2-3 inches cucumber thinly sliced 
   generous handful fresh grated carrot
   3-4 tablespoons cooked brown rice per person
   handful small cauliflower florets, cooked al dente
   1 large radish, halved & thinly sliced
   6-8 teardrop or baby tomatoes
   3 1/2oz/100gm or more thinly sliced poached chicken breast (leftover roast is also good but remove skin)
   1/2 small to medium avocado

   chopped chives for garnish

   half recipe Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette

Method: (See below for a packed/picnic lunch)