TURKEY LEG WITH CURRY SAUCE, BUDGET FRIENDLY

Turn budget cuts of turkey or turkey leftovers into an exciting treat

updated Jan 2022 

Turkey with an exotic twist

This recipe is perfect for left-over turkey but is also ideal for budget cuts of turkey that often appear in the month following festive occasions like Christmas and Easter.  

Though great for the wallet, they need to be treated with care.  Some give off a great deal of fat and the meat can be tough, not lending itself well to roasting. 

One solution is to thinly slice the raw meat then marinade and stir-fry it. 

Another is to slow-cook the meat in stock, then cool, slice or cube the meat. Heat   through in a delicious gravy or sauce made with the intensely flavoured stock.  Both the meat and sauce can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.     

Turkey with Curry Sauce used a whole turkey leg which provided plenty of meat.  Think in terms of a fiver or under.   It is teamed with a dark curry sauce without too much heat but with fruity lowlights.  The deep spiciness may not appeal to young palates but stirring in a dollop of sugar free plain yoghurt and/or mango chutney or low/no-sugar apricot jam could help.

   
The curry sauce was adapted from an intriguing recipe featuring quite a few root vegetables.  The veg adds thickness, gloss and a nice intriguing undertone.  Exotic as it tastes, nearly all the ingredients will be found in normal kitchens.   

The recipe calls for cooking in low oven; 67 used a slow cooker. The original recipe is from a  cookbook by Lady Carnarvon (of Downton Abbey fame), published in the Daily Mail. 

Leftover meat and sauce can be frozen separately.  
  
Cost: around £5
Feeds: 4-8 including leftovers

Ingred:
   1.6k turkey leg, skin removed
   1 carrot
   1 stick celery
   1 onion
   a few peppercorns
   water or stock to cover

OR 1.6K cooked turkey meat
   
Curry Sauce
   3/4oz/20gm unsalted butter (1)
   2 tbsp good curry powder
   1 tsp tumeric
   2 tbsp sunflower oil

   3/4oz/20gm unsalted butter (2)
   1 large onion, finely diced

   1 tbsp flour
   1 large potato, washed & unpeeled,  thinly sliced
   3 med carrots, washed & unpeeled, thinly sliced
   2 parsnips (or if unavailable 1 med sweet potato, peeled), thinly sliced
   1 apple or pear, cored but unpeeled, in med dice (or a tablespoon mango chutney)

   500ml good stock

   1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
   pepper & salt

Method:

1. Cook the turkey leg with vegetables & stock/water in the slow cooker on low for 3-4 hours or until meat is tender but still sliceable. 
2. Allow to cool; remove gristle and fat from the meat; set aside & refrigerate
3. Cool stock; refrigerate until fat solidifies and can be removed
4. When ready to serve, slice or cube meat, either steam till warmed through and pour on top of heated curry sauce or heat in the curry sauce.

 Curry Sauce

1. Melt butter & oil over med heat; add curry powder & turmeric; fry 5 mins
2. Add second lot of butter plus onions, saute 5 mins till soft but not brown
3. Add flour & stir; stir in veg
4. Gradually add stock then balsamic vinegar; pepper & salt
5. Bring to the boil; turn heat down to gentle bubble
6. Pour into slow cooker & cook on high 2 hours OR cook in low oven 150c 45 mins to an hour
7. When time is up and veg are soft, cool and blend
8. After one hour, refrigerate
9. When ready to serve, slice or cube meat, steam till warmed through and pour on heated curry sauce OR heat in curry sauce

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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.    

ROAST LAMB WITH MINT GRAVY, For small households, Wallet-friendly, one-stop-meal (contins flour)

Small households needn't miss out on traditional Easter lunch

updated  4/25

Roast Shoulder of Lamb for 2 with sweet potato, broccoli and Mint Gravy
'Just the smell of the mint gravy is amazing and gives the very tender lamb a wonderful lift.  Never tried mashed sweet potato before; it's lovely.' Middle Aged Taster

There's something appealing about roast lamb for Easter but small households often miss out as roasts are usually quite big.  

British lamb producers have caught on, reduced prices of some cuts and supermarkets prepare smaller joints. Butchers' counters will also prepare a smaller joint.   

The lamb shoulder in this recipe was 3/4k, enough for two generous portions with leftovers.

This 67 recipe is so simple -- there's no need to stab flesh and insert fiddly bits of garlic and rosemary.    

The mint sauce is absolutely sensational -- not at all tart like some conventional recipes.  The one used here, adapted from Jamie Oliver, has no added sugar. 

A word of warning: roasting lamb shoulder can result in slightly fatty (though tender) meat though there is less fat than in some recipes.

If fat is an issue, the meat can be roasted until it is falling off the bone...but it won't be as tender.   A slow cooker is also possible (See Tips below) but the lamb won't have the crispy brown top. 

Use the oven space wisely and there'll be only two pans to wash up.

Cost: lamb £13'ish plus £2.00 for fresh herbs &  veg
Feeds:2 generously

Ingred:
   small or half shoulder of lamb under 1 kilo
   1 small package fresh rosemary 
   few cloves garlic

   med purple onion ore fennel in wedges
   2 small carrots, thinly sliced
   1 large stick celery, cleaned & chopped
   1 small glass wine, stock or white grape juice

   3-4 large sprigs mint, leaves removed from stems & finely chopped
   a tablespoon plain flour
   350-500gm stock 
   1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 

   2 sweet or baking potatoes, washed but unpeeled (If using baking potatoes, rub with olive oil, pepper & salt)

   1 generous cup of broccoli spears
   peas (opt)
   corn (opt)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to its highest temperature
2. Rub the shiny side of the lamb with olive oil, pepper & salt.  Arrange rosemary on top
3. Layer onions, carrots, celery and garlic in the bottom of a deep metal roasting tin, just big enough for the lamb; add wine/stock/juice 
4. Put the lamb on top of the vegetables
5. Cover dish tightly with foil; place in centre of oven
6. Turn heat down to 170c/150fan/345f
7. Place potatoes in the bottom of the oven on a baking rack with a tray underneath to catch drips
8. Roast for 2-3 hours or until meat is tender but still sliceable
9. Remove foil for last half hour of cooking
10. Wrap florets in a greaseproof paper parcel with a tablespoon of water, a bit of butter & pepper & salt; place on bottom of oven with potatoes
11. When lamb is done to your liking, remove, cover with foil & keep warm.  Turn off oven but keep veg on bottom shelf 
12. If using sweet potatoes, slit the skins and remove the contents, scraping as close to the skin as possible to get all the vitamins and minerals; stir through a bit of butter; cover & keep warm.  If using baking potatoes, keep warm in the bottom the oven
13. Gravy: Remove as much fat as possible from the juices & veg in roasting tin; place tin over med high heat, stirring to remove any bits stuck to the bottom.  Add a tablespoon of flour; stir; gradually add stock; bring to a boil & allow gravy to bubble for a few minutes.  Strain contents of roasting tin through a fine meshed sieve, pressing to push through as much of the soft veg as possible.  Return to pan - or a clean pan if you like; reheat, add red wine vinegar and mint.  Season to taste.
14. Serve lamb with potatoes, broccoli, other chosen veg and minty gravy

Tips: 

•  sweet potatoes have slightly more fibre and a slightly lower GI count than baking potatoes but are both quite nutritious.  See sweet potatoes vs baked potatoes 
• if using a slow cooker, follow steps 2-4.  Add a cup of good stock. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until tender but still sliceable.  

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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.  

SKINNIER WHITE CHOCOLATE, RASPBERRIES & GINGER PUDDING, easy-peasy, a healthier indulgence

Light & fluffy chocolate pudding studded with surprises - the perfect healthier indulgence for Easter 

Hidden surprises: studded with raspberries and candied ginger
'I loved the mix of flavours; the shards of ginger were unexpected and wonderful' 'Every spoonful had a different taste dominating; it was great!' Tasters

'Absolutely gorgeous!' exclaimed a 67 taster when polishing off a (large) portion of this pudding.

It looks white, creamy and bad-for-you but strained 0-fat plain yoghurt and whipping cream (fewer calories than double cream) reduce fat & cholesterol.  White chocolate and sweet ginger syrup add sweet/sharp undertones.  A hidden layer of fresh unsugared raspberries, dubbed ''one of the healthiest foods', adds a streak of colour as well as plenty of vitamin C and fibre. Chopped ginger from a jar embedded in the cloud-like pudding adds punch.  What a treat!

Cost: £3.50
Serves: 4-5 (easily doubles)

Ingred:
   1/2 pint whipping cream
   1 tsp vanilla
   5 1/4oz/150gm strained 0-fat unsweetened plain yoghurt
   3.5oz/100gm white chocolate, melted & cooled
   2-3 globules ginger in syrup, drained & coarsely chopped
   2 tbsp juice from the ginger jar
  
   1-2 punnets raspberries

   1 cup ginger biscuits, crushed (opt)

Method:

1. Whip cream to soft peak stage, mix in vanilla
2. Add yoghurt and chopped ginger; blend thoroughly
3. When chocolate is cool to the touch, add to cream/yoghurt mix and whip together; (it likely will form little fragments in the pudding, which is no bad thing)
4. Stir in ginger syrup
5. Refrigerate a few hours or overnight to allow flavours to blend
6. When ready to serve, scatter half the ginger biscuits if using in the bottom of the serving dish, cover with half the white chocolate pudding, sprinkle with raspberries, scatter remaining ginger biscuits over, pour the rest of the pudding on top
7. Garnish with raspberries (opt)

Tips:

• if cholesterol isn't a problem mix double cream with full-fat plain unsweetened yoghurt and double cream

Straining Yoghurt
Line a fine-meshed sieve with
a clean j-cloth that has been thoroughly rinsed.

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

HEALTHIER SMOOTHIE: GRAPE, SPINACH & BLUEBERRY

Spinach is one of the world's healthiest foods and, though unusual in smoothies, adds plenty of folates to pump up heart health and antioxidants to keep the brain sharp.

Spinach, grape & blueberry smoothie

This healthier smoothie combines spinach with grapes and frozen blueberries to make a light, deeply refreshing, satisfying drink.  The colour of the spinach dominates but the spinach itself barely penetrates the sweetness of the fruit.

The smoothie may not give you Popeye's muscles but it will please.

Cost: £1
Serves: 1

Ingred:
   1 generous large handful spinach, washed and with grotty leaves removed 
   a medium bunch of unseeded grapes, branches removed
   generous handful frozen blueberries
   1 generous tbsp dry ultra granola or plain oatmeal or seeds and/or nuts
   1 tbsp 0-fat unsweetened plain yoghurt (opt)
   1/2 cup water containing juice of half an orange
   
   extra granola for garnish

Method:

1. Whizz in smoothie maker or processor until fully blended
2. Garnish with granola if using
3. Consume immediately

Tips:

• Buy fresh berries when prices are good, freeze flat then decant into a zippered freezer bag.  Reach in for handful when needed.
• If you have no frozen fruit, replace water with ice cubes

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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.