APPLE CARAMEL SAUCE, easy treat for kids, definitely NOT healthy, dairy-free option

Everyone needs a treat now and again and this one is for Hallowe'en...

Original Nov 2017; updated Feb 25

                    

Apple Caramel Sauce: Very Indulgent; much healthier than mass-produced
  'Like a taste explosion in my mouth. Possibly the best of your sweets' Taster

Apple Caramel Sauce* manages to be utterly, utterly yummy and healthier than normal, too.  It will please both kids and adults.      

Apple Caramel Sauce & nuts
on plain yoghurt

It is not meant to be consumed on its own but poured over other things: ice cream, yoghurt, porridge, pancakes, brownies, cake.  It's very rich and frankly a couple of tablespoons is more than enough for a portion. 

Fresh fruit and spices offset the sweetness, bumping up the health factor.  It's a wonderful amalgam of still-crisp cubes of fruit which softens the intensity of the caramel...in a good way.

It's worth shopping around for unwaxed apples (try Pomona Belsize Park) but if you can't find them, peel the apples.  

Cost: £2.50'ish (Feb 2025)
Makes: 10-15 2tbsp portions; half this recipe is just right for Lockdowns. In normal times, recipe multiplies easily.

Ingred:
   3 crisp apples, cored, peeled and in half inch/1cm dice
   1-2 tbsp plant or dairy butter
   1/2 tsp cinnamon 
   1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated if poss but dried is fine
   juice of quarter of a lemon  

   scant 1 cup medium to dark brown sugar, lightly packed
   55gm/2oz unsalted plant or dairybutter
   1/2 cup dairy or plant cream
   1 tsp vanilla
   good pinch salt

Method:

CHILLI CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES easy make-ahead indulgence; kids' alternative

A sophisticated low-added-sugar treat for adult chocolate-lovers... 

                updated Feb 2022. posted 2017

Chilli Chocolate Truffles with fresh chilli garnish
'Perfect.  Heat & a kick of chilli without harshness in silky chocolate' Tasters

Mixing chilli with chocolate is nothing new.  Mexicans and Latin Americans do it all the time, gorgeously, in drinks, treats and even meat casseroles.

67's recipe is more European-style -- sophisticated but delicate.  There's a little less fire but enough of a slow, gentle burn to enhance the deep undertones of dark chocolate.

And prep is super-simple -- no wresting with small truffle balls; just turn the truffles out of the pan and cut into small rectangles.  

They are perfect after fireworks as a warming sweet treat or dropped into hot chocolate but kids should have a non-spicy version (alternate recipe below.) 

Cost: £2.50
Makes: 24 to 30 truffles

(67 has not tested this recipe with vegan cream or milk-free chocolate)

Ingred:
   200gm/7oz 70% cocoa-butter dark or bittersweet chocolate (67 prefers M&S)
   200ml double cream
     35gm/1 1/4 oz unsalted butter

  1 med-large dried chipotle chilli*, steeped in boiling water 3-4 mins & drained
  1/2 tbsp cinnamon
  1/4 tsp cayenne powder
  1/4 tsp salt

Note: for the full effect of the spices, don't stint on the cayenne 

Garnishes: cocoa powder; slivers of fresh red/yellow chillis, seeds & membranes removed (opt)

Method:

1. Line a container that's 8in x 8in/20cm x 20cm or equiv with a double layer of clingfilm pushed into the corners
2. Chop chocolate finely using a sharp knife not a processor;  set aside  
3. Gently melt cream & butter in a med saucepan over med-low heat until the butter melts & small bubbles appear around the edge of the pot; watch it carefully; don't let it boil
4. Take it off the heat; add chipotle chilli, stir in cinnamon, cayenne & salt; transfer to a clean bowl; cover loosely, allow to steep 2 hours.  
5. Start with a clean pan.
6. Remove chipotle chilli from cream; add a few tablespoons of cream and reheat until steam rises and small bubbles appear around the edge of the pot; DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL; you're making  the cream hot enough to melt the chocolate when it's added but not so much that the cream boils
7. Remove pot from heat
8. Add the chocolate in thirds, stirring with a whisk, making sure each addition is completely melted before you add the next third
9. Cool to room temperature, clingfilm; refrigerate a min 4 hours or preferably overnight.
10. When ready to serve, turn chocolate out onto greaseproof paper sprinkled with cocoa; remove clingfilm; cut into 24 equal pieces with a sharp knife dipped in very hot water 
11. Sift more cocoa over the bricks until they are well covered
12. Decorate some bricks with finely sliced fresh chilli (opt)
13. Serve with serviettes; freeze up to one month

Comments:

• 'Perfect.' Local council candidate
• 'Mmm. I can taste the chilli but it's not hot; the warmth hits the back of the tongue. The truffles are dark and lovely, rich and velvety.' The delightfully youthful Judy, aromatherapist & reflexologist for hospital cancer patients 
• 'A warming heat without the harshness of chilli in smooth, lovely chocolate.' Political Agent
• 'The final version of 3 is lovely; I like the heavier dusting of cocoa powder and there's more of a kick of chilli afterwards.' Senior office Woman Friday

Tips:

• Child friendly option - use milk baking chocolate; replace spices with 1/2 tsp vanilla essence or orange or peppermint essence; when set & cut into bricks, coat individually in cooled melted white baking chocolate; drizzle with orange or red icing (1/2-1 tbsp milk to 3 tbsp icing sugar) 
• obviously you can make round truffles but bricks are quicker &  easier
• *dried chipotles are not outrageously expensive & pep up other dishes; 67's came from Waitrose

                                                       More Skinnier sweets on NavBar: Recipes 11

        

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

SPINACH & WHITE BEAN SOUP, Vegan with Carnivore/Pescatarian options; Office lunch,

This is one of those simple workaday stick-to-the ribs soups that's no-nonsense  but spectacularly tasty...

Healthy 'Gosh I'm hungry after working all day/ready for lunch!' soup; 30 mins prep
'I could eat loads of this; it is so tasty and comforting!' Taster

It's also budget- friendly and packed with nutrients, made from mostly cupboard ingredients.  Better still, it can be part-prepared the night before, saving you even more time before a bowlful hits the table. 

Have it for dinner or lunch or transport it to the office in a thermos.  Blitzed and served in small cups, the soup makes a warming 'welcome!' to a party.  

Cost: min £2.25 depending on quality of ingred
Feeds: 5-6

Ingred:
   2-3 tbsp good olive oil (don't skimp; it really makes the soup more flavoursome)
   med onion, peeled & diced
   3 cloves garlic, peeled & grated 
   1/3-1/2 tsp dried thyme
   1/3-1/2 tsp dried basil (??)
   
   4 cups good veg stock (granules are fine) 
   
   2 bay leaves
   1 cup cooked brown rice OR 2/3 cup washed drained easy-cook white rice or orzo pasta 

   2 mugs packed spinach, washed, grotty stems and leaves removed
   425gm/15oz tin cannelloni beans (organic have best texture) rinsed thoroughly and drained

  1 cup water
  
  juice lemon or lime
  pepper & salt to taste
   
   Garnish: croutons

Method:

SPINACH & PULSES AUTUMN SALAD, Vegan, simple & wallet-frendly

A pretty salad with loads of vegetables and protein; spinach provides a more  substantial base than lettuce...

first published October 2017

Spinach, Bean & Vegetable Salad, Vegan
'Substantial but refreshing; perfect for autumn' Taster

Salads always seem a little insubstantial at the beginning of spring and the end of summer, even if they offer strong nutritional and digestive value. 

Which is a shame because using spinach instead of lettuce and adding pulses to traditional salad ingredients do a good job of meeting the body's needs in cooler weather.  Add a mug of soup/broth, a piping hot baked potato or toast for heat, if needed.  

This is a budget friendly dish that can cost as little or as much as you like, depending on your fridge or the depth of your pockets.  It's also very easy to prepare.  

Cost: depends on what's in your fridge but not likely to break the bank!
Feeds: 1 or many, again depending on what's in your fridge/cupboard

Ingred:
   generous handful spinach leaves, washed, drained and with stems removed
   sliced cucumber
   coarsely grated carrot
   sliced tomatoes, sprayed lightly with olive oil and salted lightly
   half an avocado, peeled & sliced, with 1/4 lemon squeezed over and seasoned with pepper & salt
   kidney beans, washed and drained (generous handful or a few tablespoons, depending on dietary requirements)
   raw mushrooms, med sliced (opt)
   sunflower seeds
Optional: 
   any other seeds and nuts: pumpkin seeds, walnuts, almonds 
   cooked leftover veg like broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, mange tout, shredded sprouts 

Method:

1. arrange ingredients prettily on a plate
2. sprinkle on seeds and nuts if using
3. serve with a vinaigrette dressing 

Tip:
For other frugal pretty salads, see Fantastic Frugal Salad and 
Perfectly Pretty Salads


Copyright: These salads have been designed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may only be reproduced in home kitchens.  Not for commercial use.