FAMILY DELIGHT BEAUTIFUL BAKED BEANS: frugal, high fibre, low-sugar, versatile

Baked beans cooked from scratch are a revelation...they're low in added sugar and are very tasty

updated 10/24; first posted 2016 as Beautiful Baked Beans; 

 Nearly Sugar-free Baked Beans, from Scratch
'Better than you-know-who's and better for you!' Taster

    

Baked beans from dry instead of from tins saves money, provides high grade plant protein with little effort, use time productively and is a base for a variety of  savoury comforting food. 

Dried beans and pulses require soaking overnight. They also need boiling and draining.  Twice.  But you can get on with other things during these stages. 

The results - tender beans with just a touch of resistance - are lovely.  The Beans absorb the juices they're cooked in and unlike tinned versions, levels of sugar are almost Nil. What's not to like?

Boston Baked Beans - sweet & salty with an undercurrent of heat - are a classic American dish.  67's version makes it more tomato-y and moderates the heat.  The base recipe is Vegan but there's a variation for carnivores and a less spicy kids' version that is also a little sweeter without adding sugar.   

The beans freeze well.

Cost: £3-4, more for carnivores (cut costs by making your own sun-blush tomato bombs)  
Feeds: 6-8

Ingred:
   450 gm/16 oz dried haricot beans (the best you can afford)
   2 cloves garlic, grated or minced (opt) 
   1 lge onion, thinly sliced (opt) OR bulb of fennel
   1 small red chilli, deseeded and cut into fine strips OR 1/3 tsp chilli flakes 
   1 bay leaf
   2-3 tbsp molasses or black treacle
   2-3 tbsp tomato ketchup
   1 tsp dry mustard OR 1.5 tsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard
   1/2 tsp dried ginger or 2-3 med slices of fresh ginger 
   1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
   1/3 tsp salt
   350 gm sun-blush tomatoes (sun-dried will be too salty) (Make your own sun blush toms) 
    
Carnivore version:
    350 gm/12 oz shredded cooked ham hock (Frugal Food: Ham Hock) or for those without cholesterol issues raw unsmoked back bacon OR pastrami or salt beef
   
Kids' version:
   No chilli or ginger and only half the mustard; unsweetened tomato juice (opt)

Method:

1. Soak beans overnight
2. Drain; put beans in a large pan and cover with 3 pints water; bring to boil; simmer 2 mins; drain & return to pan
3. Add garlic & onion if using, chili & bay leaf to beans.  Add 3 pints/1.5 litre water; bring to the boil; reduce heat to medium, cover, cook gently until beans are tender, 45 mins - 1 hour 
4. Drain in a sieve, reserving liquid  
5. Measure 1 pint liquid and stir in molasses, ketchup, mustard, ginger, Worcestershire sauce and salt.  Add to beans.
6. Cut sunblush tomatoes into halves or thirds OR chop coarsely; stir into beans  
7. This is your base; divide according to the number of carnivores and vegetarians and proceed as below. 
8. Preheat oven to 40 f, 200c, 180 fan; gas 6.  The full recipe will bake in a 4-pint/ 2.25  litre baking dish. Adjust cooking vessel/s according to proportion of carnivores and vegetarians.  Cover dish/es and bake for 1-1.5  hours or until beans have absorbed sauce and are tender 
9. Slow Cooker: 5-7 hours on low; check level of liquid after 4 hours.  When beans are tender with just a bit of resistance, check seasoning.  
10. Allow to stand for a few minutes before serving

Carnivores: Before baking:

     If using shredded ham hock, bury in the body of the beans along with the bone from the knuckle 

    If using raw bacon, separate pieces and scatter; push below surface of beans

    If using pastrami or salt beef, shred and push below surface of beans

Kids: 
    Half an hour before end of cooking, add sliced cooked sausages or vegetarian frankfurters (Tivali are great); if not sweet enough for the kids' palates, add 1/4-1/2 mug tomato juice

Comment:
'The beans were a great winter warmer and the little bit of spice livened it up.  It felt like guilt-free comfort food.' 20+ fund-raiser
'Better than you-know-who's and better for you!' Retired writer

Tips:
Remember: beans need to be teamed with wheat, rice, cheese, eggs or animal protein  to provide all essential amino acids

Serving Suggestions:

• succulent casserole for an informal party
• with crusty bread & salad for supper
• on wholemeal toast, sprinkled with cheese for a light supper
• as part of an English breakfast
• with poached eggs for brunch
• on wholemeal toast for brekkie
• cold from the fridge, eaten with a spoon after the pub

                                                            

                                                      More triple duty dishes, use 67 search function...

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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.  

PENSIONERS' DELIGHT: 1-PAN CHICKEN & SPICY RICE

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Spicy rice with chicken...what could be nicer?

1-pan meal with savoury rice with veg & succulent tender wings
'... the cajun spice was a bit low key but chilli flakes added punch' taster 

The meal is easy, cooked in one pan, and involves only a little chopping.  67 was testing a microwave pack of brown rice but any quick cook, or frozen home-made, rice will do. 

The recipe doubles easily for a family.  If you prefer, replace wings with legs which cost the same as wings, or thighs which cost more.  Or see Tips (below).  

Use any number of veg according to what's in your fridge. 

Cost: ££2'ish

Serves: 2 generously

Ingreds:

5 chicken wings

min 1/2 cup brocolli or other green veg in thumb size pieces
1/4 cup red pepper in medium dice

5-6 white mushrooms thickly sliced (opt)

200'ish gm/7oz microwaveable rice or 3/4 cup cooked rice

1/2 tin chopped tomatoes

water 

1.5 - 2 tsps Cajun seasoning OR 1/4 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/4 tsp chilli flakes, 1/3 tsp thyme
generous pinch of chilli flakes (opt, if needed)

salt & pepper

Method:

SPLIT PEA POTAGE FOR PENNY PINCHERS: ultra frugal, ultra healthy, ultra comforting, prep ahead

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This awesomely delicious, comforting low-cost soup is re-posted for our  unprecedented penny-pinching times...

first posted April 2020: updated Oct 2022

Triple Duty Split Yellow-Pea Soup: 
Vegan base topped with cream cheese for vegetarians; with ham; with beef
'Really comforting delicious high protein  soup.' Taster

 
This wonderful soup is thick, rich and substantial but uses ultra frugal ingredients.  Better still, it cooks beautifully on a stovetop, slow cooker or in a sturdy pot over an open fire. 

It's a Triple Duty wonder: a vegan base with additions creating vegetarian or carnivore alternatives.  

Though often associated with Scandinavia, split pea soups also have Canadian roots. Long before lentils and beans were go-to soup ingredients, split peas - yellow and green - were a staple in poorer Canadian provinces along the Atlantic Coast.  

A single recipe, studded with plenty of root veg, would be stretched over a few days with added stock or water and bits of protein.  It would be served  chunky or cooked down to a puree, and served with bread or hard biscuits.  

This version makes a belly-warming modern meal, with or without salad and chunky breads (easy-peasy Cheese & Walnut Soda Bread or Cornbread with Corn Niblets, Scallions & Chillis).  Even with just toast, or the ultra-frugal easy Breakfast Biscuits (here doubling as dinner rolls) Split yellow Pea potage will be a favourite meal as winter rolls in.  

The flavour of this soup is really exceptional.  67 can't stress enough how delicious it is and how comforting.  Thick soups, incorporating pulses, ease stress - medically as well as financially.  They calm and build up the body.  

In the UK, split peas have not traditionally been used but are now readily available in supermarkets and health food shops.  Standard yellow split peas cost between £1.30-£1.70 per kilo; organic is much more. 

The potage is so good, you might even want to share a 25 kilo bag of split yellow peas from Whole Foods among friends, splitting the £47.00 cost (winter 20.22).  

Cost: Not much, maybe a couple of ££ at most; more if using organic 
Feeds: 6 but recipe doubles easily

Ingreds:

   1 cup dried yellow split peas

   tap  water to cover

   2 tsp turmeric

   2 garlic cloves, unpeeled (opt) 
   
   med onion in med dice
   1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
   two sticks celery, coarsely chopped
   1 large potato or sweet potato in med dice (opt)

   1-2 tbsp olive oil

   1 garlic clove, grated or minced

   1/3 tsp smoked paprika
   1/4 tsp marjoram
   1/4 tsp dried basil
   1/8 tsp cumin
   1/4 tsp salt
   1/8 tsp pepper

   1/8 tsp dried thyme

   1 bay leaf

   

   1 litre vegetable stock 

(For Ham Split Yellow Pea Potage:  ham bones and/or 110 gm/4 oz shredded ham hock, back bacon with fat removed or sliced ham)

After cooking is complete (opt): 
   juice & zest of half a lemon
   pinch chilli flakes or a finely diced small chilli (opt)
   couple of generous handfuls spinach or kale
   1/3 cup button mushrooms, in large dice

Method:

1. Soak peas overnight in plenty of water;  remove bits floating on top and drain.
2. Cover peas with an inch of fresh water, add a couple of unpeeled garlic cloves & add 2 tsp turmeric, bring to a boil; turn heat down to simmer; cook 20 mins on stovetop; take off heat; remove garlic cloves; separate peas from liquid; set both aside 
3. Meanwhile put a large pot on high; when hot, add oil, onions, carrots, celery & potatoes; stir; reduce heat to low; stir in garlic; cover pan partially with lid; cook 20 mins, stirring occasionally to prevent burning
4. Add herbs plus split peas with cooking liquid and enough stock to make one litre 
5. Bring to a boil; skim off any froth; bubble 5 mins.  Add ham bones/ham if using.  Then...
6. Slow Cooker: cook on low 6-8 hours  (longer cooking breaks down the peas) OR
7. Stovetop: Simmer with lid slightly ajar 3-4 hours
8. Check the level of the liquid occasionally; more stock may be needed.  The split peas are ready when they are soft but basically holding their shape 
9. Take half of the mix; coarsely blend with a stick blender and return to pot OR process all to a rough puree
10. Stir in zest & juice of lemon& chilli 
11. Serve piping hot with choice of garnishes (below)

Vegan/Vegetarian Garnishes:

• Spinach or kale & mushrooms: stir in, leave a further 20 mins or until kale and mushrooms are no longer raw
• Memorable Crunchy Croutons or Vegan 'Bacon Bits' 

Carnivores/Pescatatarian Garnish:

• Shards of ham hock or sliced ham
• Mini beefballs blanched in boiling water 5 mins
• Flaked smoked fish.

Comments:

'It's a really comforting soup; I liked the added kale.' Semi-retired council administrator

'My all-time favourite is the ham & split pea potage: I love the flavour of ham without the salt!  The vegan/vegetarian versions need something salty, crunchy or strongly flavoured to give it a kick; otherwise it gets boring.' Retired writer

Tip:

• One suggested ratio for split peas to water is 2 litres of water/stock per each 500gm/18oz split yellow peas.
• Split peas are excellent for those sensitive to histamines* (usually the over 50's); split peas are low in histamines while lentils and pulses are high.   

Ham & split pea potage cooked to a luxurious thickness - so thick you can stand a spoon up in it - but if you want to make it go further add stock.

  

NOTES ON HISTAMINES: Histamines are chemicals in the body responsible for allergic responses; they can't be avoided.  Histamine intolerance doesn't mean the body is sensitive to it but does indicate there's too much of it in the body.  Research into Histamine intolerance continues; it's poorly understood and not easy to diagnose.  However limiting foods which produce high levels of histamines can help.

More budget conscious on NavBar: Recipes 1/Frugal...

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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.  

ULTRA-FRUGAL RICE CONGEE/STEW: triple duty; uses up leftovers; easy; prep ahead

Waiting-for-payday comfort food that costs pennies but is tasty, nutritious, filling and low-carb... 

Oriental ultra-frugal & nutritious thick Rice Congee/Stew

67goingon50 hesitated before posting this recipe, fearing that it is too frugal for most households even in these straightened times.  

But the Ultra-frugal Rice Congee (stew) is a favourite chez 67 and apparently amongst women needing to balance a tight budget, a low-carb diet and daily nutritional needs.  It's also very soothing and easily digested after overdosing on rich foods.

Congee is a thick porridge of mostly disintegrated rice cooked in water or stock.  It's popular in Asian countries, for breakfast but also for lunch with side dishes.  

It can also be served - as with this 67 recipe - with added protein and flavouring to make it a meal on its own.  

While it is ideal for people who are ill, rice congee has a cult following amongst  aspiring businesswomen, models and actresses trying to surviving healthily on tight budgets.  

The great things about this congee are:

• it requires only 100g/3.5oz protein (meat, fish or tofu)
• it needs no more than 1/2 cup rice 
• it requires 7-8 cups of water or stock, making a large amount 
• this recipe simmers for a couple of hours, maximum, instead of the usual 8-10 hours or overnight
• it's versatile: eaten as is (the blogger's favourite), or with vegetables added or on the side

This congee provides all the necessary amino acids for good health, carbohydrates for energy, fibre for gut health and a flavoursome stock.  

It will last a singleton 3 days, topped up with water or stock as it thickens.  A shot or two of hoisin or oyster sauce or chiu chow chilli oil adds oomph.  

It's a great stop-gap when food budgets are strained and is an interesting Oriental take on 67's other recent ultra-frugal dish, Splendid Split Yellow Pea Soup (with or without ham/pastrami). 

This recipe does, however, require rice frozen in advance.  (67 packages up washed rinsed rice in 1/2 cup portions and stores them in the freezer.)

Costs:  depending on protein, about £2.50 (2022)

Makes: 1 litre

Ingreds:

1/2 cup brown rice (preferred but white will be ok), washed, drained and frozen at least overnight

3 tb peanut or light veg oil, divided (not olive)

3-4 med dried shiitake mushrooms (opt but adds unique flavour) PLUS/OR fresh shitake OR oyster OR white mushrooms to make a total of 113g/4oz 

4 spring onions, greens & white divided (if avoiding fodmap foods, use double the amount of green and use the whites elsewhere)

113gm/4oz meat mince OR fish, seafood or tofu in small cubes

1 tb grated ginger

1/2 tb grated garlic

1/2 tb soy sauce

1/2 tb sherry or grape juice

Method:

1. If using dried mushrooms, place in a bowl and cover with boiling water; leave for 30 mins; save juices but strain through a clean j-cloth and set aside;  remove stems of mushrooms and and slice thinly
2. Fresh mushrooms: slice thickly
3. Heat 2 tb oil in a large saucepan pan over medium high heat; add mushrooms, cook, stirring occasionally until golden & crisp (6-8 mins)
4. Thinly slice onions; reduce heat to med-low; add  onions to mushrooms; cook stirring 1-2 mins until fragrant but not brown; push to one side; turn heat back up to med
5. Add 1 tb veg oil, stir in protein, breaking it up with the spoon; add with soy sauce, sherry, grated ginger and garlic; leave 1 min until light brown
6. Add 7 cups of water to pan; bring to a boil; add frozen rice; return to boil stirring to scrape up any brown bits
7. Turn heat down to med; cover pan leaving a small gap, bubble gently, min 20 mins, max 2 hours (an hour was about right for 67) or until rice is soft and close to disintegrating; about a third of the liquid will have been absorbed - feel free to replace with water or stock
8. Garnish with more thinly sliced green shoots of spring onions and serve with soy, hoisin or oyster sauce and, if liked, chiu chow chilli oil or equivalent
9. Refrigerate leftovers; rice will continue to swell; when reheating add more water or stock to thin the congee plus if you like extra protein.  Eat within 3 days.

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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.  

PORK BELLY MEAT POPS. frugal, easy, versatile option for toddlers and the elderly

Pork Belly Strips turn into handheld meat pops in this thrifty, easy tasty recipe...

Hand-held Pork Belly Meat Pops with BBQ Sauce 'Rather nice for bargain pork'

It's only occasionally that pork belly strips will go on sale at just over £2 for 500gm in a supermarket like Sainsbury's but even when not selling at such an attractive price, pork belly is a bargain protein.

It's also - when treated right - healthy, and if you're suffering from low Vitamin D, one of the few foods that helps increase it.  

67goingon50 has posted pork belly slices before; this newer version is very easy though it requires some planning.  The strips are poached in water to tenderise the flesh and release some fat.  Then is it is bathed in a punchy sauce, roasted in an air fryer or oven and served with extra sauce.  Voila: hand-held pork pops!

If you'd rather not have any fat at all, or if very tender pork is required (for oldies, say, or toddlers) double the poaching time until the pork is ultra-tender.  Remove fat, pop a skewer into the meat and proceed as described...but reduce cooking time by a third.  

Cost: £2.50-£4, depending on supermarket

Serves: 3-4

Ingreds:

500 g belly strips separated

One clove of garlic

One slice of ginger

Enough water or stock to generously cover

couple of spring onions or small white onion 

Marinade: 

1/3 - 1/2 cup ketchup  

2 to 3 tbsp soy sauce

2 to 3 tbsp sugar

1/3 tsp dried ginger

Pinch chilli flakes

Tabasco or hot chilli sauce (opt)

Garnish:

Crisp lettuce leaves eg baby gems or iceberg

Halved baby or sliced large tomatoes 

Method: