SKINNIER CARROT & CASHEW DIP, vegetarian, wallet friendly, easy, small households

If you didn't try this ambrosial dish during the Christmas season, try it now; you will be stunned...

original post 2019; updated 3/25

Skinnier Carrot, Cashew & Date Spread with Potato Foccacia 

Middle Eastern Cookbook author Bethany Kehdy's original recipe for Carrot & Cashew Moutabel - a dip with tahini but no chickpeas -  was a surprise for the blogger. 

I first had it many years ago in America and then forgot about it.  

Rediscovering the recipe was a delight because the dip is extraordinary: slightly sweet, crunchy, incredibly more-ish and with unique mind-boggling flavours.  It's also vegetarian with a vegan option, fairly wallet-friendly and easy to prepare -- godsends at this time of year.

8

But it is extremely rich, with masses of butter.

67goingon50 adapted the recipe to cut cholesterol and to make it a 'less than a meal, more than a snack' dish for a small household.

Cost: £'3ish (3/2025)
Serves: 2 with bread and/or vegetable crudités or more as an appetiser

Ingreds:

Base    
    250gm/9 oz carrots, pref organic, roughly chopped
    
    1/4 tsp caraway seeds
    1.5 tablespoons tahini
    juice & zest of half a lemon
    

Topping
    min 15gr - max 25gm(min 1/2oz-max scant oz) dairy or vegan butter or coconut oil
    22.5gm/3/4oz unsalted cashews
    30gm/generous 1oz finely chopped best dates*
    good pinch cinnamon
    1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut

Serve with: pitta or flatbread, raw veg like peppers, cauliflower, celery

Method:

ALMOST INSTANT SEAFOOD PASTA, alcohol, quick & easy, wallet-friendly

Returning to work after a holiday expends so much energy; this quick & easy pasta dish will help replenish it...

Almost Instant Seafood Pasta with White Wine & Garlic Sauce

Nearly everyone has goodies stashed away in the freezer for quick & easy meals after a hard day at the coalface/office.  67's is a bag of high-end but reasonably priced frozen prawns, calamari & mussels*.  A handful taken straight from the freezer, rinsed and drained, peps up soups, stir-fries and pasta, making  meals after work less of a chore.  

Almost Instant Seafood Pasta is an easy, satisfying budget-conscious meal.  It's also pretty healthy, low-fat and high protein.

The recipe gives approximate ingredients but really it's up to you how much pasta and seafood you want to put in your serving.

Don't be alarmed by the garlic; it works well with the wine, doesn't overwhelm the pasta but adds a bit of perkiness.    

The pasta featured in the photo pictured is spelt tagliatelle**  but truly any pasta will do.

Cost: under £1
Feeds: 1 but multiplies easily

Ingreds:
   60gm/generous 2oz pasta   

   1/2 tbsp olive oil
   1/2 tbsp butter
   1-2 med cloves garlic, grated
   
   a generous handful frozen seafood, rinsed & drained
   
   1/3 cup white wine/sherry/grape juice
   
garnish: chopped fresh parsley
                parmesan

Method:

1. Cook pasta in boiling water according to package instructions
2. 5 mins before the end of the cooking time, place a large frying pan over high heat
3. When the pan is very hot, add olive oil & butter
4. When butter is melted; add garlic, stirring smartly to prevent burning
5. Add seafood, toss for 2-3 mins or until prawns turn pink
6. Drain pasta - no need to hold back any pasta water
7. Add drained pasta, to pan, then wine
8. Mix; season and taste 
9. Pour into serving plate
10. Garnish

* Premium Seafood Collection min £8'ish/700gm: Iceland, Whole Foods
**Planet Organic, health food shops, specialist delis

                                                                         
More fish on Nav Bar: Recipes I/Fish...

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

POTATO & ROSEMARY FOCACCIA, easy-peasy, vegetarian, frugal

A welcome twist to a tasty wallet-friendly loaf...

Foccacia with Potato & Rosemary
"Unusual but great; moist with nice seasoning.' Taster

This wonderful no-knead crusty pillowy bread is perfect for early January.  It's a glorious accompaniment to soups and salads, or in sandwiches.

A little wholemeal flour adds fibre and ups the healthy factor; it's also wonderfully budget friendly.  

Best of all, it's ever so easy to make.  Potato Focaccia doesn't require any kneading; the overnight 'resting' does all the work.  Anyone who can mix things with a spoon, and knows how to fold, can handle this.  Older children can try it and will likely master it quickly. 

The result is fluffy but robust, soft airy and light.  It tastes fantastic -- crusty edges, soft interior punctuated with potatoes, and accents of olive oil, salt and rosemary.

Some planning is required; the dough is best refrigerated 24 hours but you can get away with 10 hours.  Then an hour's wait while the dough comes to room temperature.  After shaping, the dough sits a further hour before baking.

The bread freezes well and toasts beautifully.

Cost: £1.50'ish (6/24) 
Makes: 8 decent portions or 12 quarter sandwiches

Ingredients:
   350gm/12.3oz plain white strong bread flour
     50gm/1.7oz wholemeal flour
   1 tsp fast-acting yeast (for bread made by hand)

   1 tsp sea salt

   250ml + 2 tbsp lukewarm water 
   2 tbsp good olive oil

   1 large potato (a baking potato is perfect) or 2 medium
   approx 1 tsp dried rosemary 

Method:

1. Place flours & yeast in a good-sized bowl; stir till well combined
2. Place salt on one side of the flour
3. Pour in water and olive oil; bring together with a wooden spoon (it'll be sticky) 
4. Cover with cling film; refrigerate at least 10 hours or preferable 24; when ready the dough will be double in size and bubbly
5. Wash & scrub the potato; if not organic, peel.
6. Cut into 1/4 inch slices; drop into pan of boiling salted water; wait 5 mins or until nearly done
7. Drain on a clean tea towel or paper towels; refrigerate
8. Take dough out of fridge one hour before shaping it 
9. Generously spray a 9inch/25cm square pan or springform pan with olive oil and line bottom with greaseproof paper; spray again
10. Scrape dough onto the pan, forming a rough square
11. Set aside several potato slices for garish; chop the rest coarsely; dry well with a clean j cloth or paper towels
12. Scatter the potato pieces in the centre of the square without overloading; leave a little space inbetween each bit of potato and leave a bit of a border; lightly scatter over sea salt and a couple of generous pinches of rosemary 
13. Stretch & fold corners into the centre (like an envelope); make a half turn and fold the corners into the centre once more 
14. Turn dough over; pat into shape
15. Press down on the dough with fingers to form the characteristic 'dimples' (they may disappear while baking);  brush with 1 tbsp olive oil
16. Press potato slices into the top of the bread
17. Scatter over a generous 2/3 teaspoon (min) or 2 tsp (max) sea salt and the rest of the rosemary
18. Cover with cling film thats been brushed with olive oil to prevent sticking
19. Turn on oven to 175c/350f/gas4; rest dough a short distance away 30 mins
20. Turn oven up to 220c/425f/gas7; rest another 30mins or until double in size.
21. Bake in centre of oven 30 mins until golden brown, turning tray round half through for even baking
22. Cool in tin 10 mins before transferring to a cooling rack

Comments:
'I never thought of putting potato in bread but it's great.  The focaccia is moist with a nice light seasoning and was a lovely accompaniment to my stew.'  Political Agent

Tips:
If you liked this you will also like Olive/Onion Foccacia Bread, which is similarly easy to make.

                                                   More easy breads: NavBar Recipes II/Free from Common Wheat  (bottom page)

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.

JANUARY WHITE BEAN SOUP: dairy-free, low cost, high-protein, vegan, vegetarian or carnivore

Money-saving dairy-free white bean soup, wonderful in its basic form but easily tweaked for sassy variations

White Bean Soup: Tummy & wallet soothing, for vegans, vegetarians or carnivores
(This one with vegan 'bacon bits' and chives) 

67 makes no apologies for re-posting this recipe from 2017 because White Bean Soup is the perfect dish for money-conscious times.

It's comforting, healthy, high in protein but wallet-friendly. The small effort required to put the soup together is strangely comforting and more than repays the effort. 

The recipe is ever-adaptable, providing a thick satisfying main course or a silky sensational first course.  It can be served on its own or with added vegetables or shredded protein -- lots of stress-free variations.

Ideally one would use reconstituted dried white beans (see Cook Clever with Pulses) but tinned are also fine.

Cost: £2'ish (9/2025)
Feeds: 4-6; recipe easily doubles

Ingred:
   2 tbsp good olive oil
   1 yellow onion (about 1 coffee mug), finely diced or lightly processed
   a couple of carrots (a generous half mug), finely diced or lightly processed
   2 sticks celery in med dice (a generous half mug)

   generous 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
   1 small clove garlic, minced or grated
   1 tbsp fresh or 1/3 tbsp dried rosemary
   1 tbsp fresh or 1/3 tbsp dried thyme
   3 cups good stock (veggie for vegetarians but chicken is fine for carnivores)
  
   240 gm reconstituted dried white beans, cooked and drained  OR drained, rinsed tinned white beans

   3-4 tbsp grated parmesan (opt) 

Garnishes:

Vegan alternative to Bacon Bits
   1/3 cup wholemeal breadcrumbs (spelt for wheat-free)
   olive oil
   1/2-1 tsp salt
   1 tsp smoked paprika

Fried gently in olive oil until crispy and gorgeous smelling
   
   garnished with finely chopped fresh chives or spring onions

OR

•  goats cheese or feta 
•  crispy bacon bits 
• 0-fat strained yoghurt
• raw spinach, French beans, tender stem broccoli 
• shredded ham hock or chicken, tiny raw meatballs of beef, pork or minced chicken  

Method: