Tuesday, 13 August 2019

BREAKFAST RADISH, BEETROOT & AVOCADO

Cool AND Beautiful: delightful salad making the most of summer...
Avocado, Beetroot & Breakfast Radish Salad 
'The nicest most refreshing salad with really stunning flavours.' Taster      17/7/18

Beetroot is a wonderful vegetable; it tastes fabulous, has a myriad of health benefits and makes anything it is teamed with look marvellously picturesque. 

The root is low in fat/calories (great for weight loss), is full of vitamins and antioxidants and has masses of good fibre (great for the digestion).  It also sports high levels of folic acid - a boon for pregnant women.

This thrown-together summer salad teams beetroot with avocado and breakfast radishes (the long ones - though ordinary radish will do) and an orange-flavoured balsamic dressing in a winning combination.  A bit more of this salad veg and a little less of that won't be a problem.

The salad has lovely layers of flavour and texture; crunchy leaves contrast delightful with creamy avo and mellow beetroot. 

This will make great picnic food alongside cold eats; pack the ingredients separately and assemble on site.

Cost: £2.50'ish
Serves: 4 good-sized portions; recipe multiples easily

Ingredients:
    2 med cooked beetroot, thin outer layer peeled, cut into 1/2in/1cm cubes (cooked from raw or packaged is fine)
   1/2 avocado, peeled, in 1/2in/1cm cubes, with half a lemon squeezed over it and seasoned with pepper & salt
   handful of breakfast radishes (the long ones have less heat but ordinary radish will do) thinly sliced (at an angle with the long ones)
   a generous couple of mugs chopped lettuce leaves, rinsed & dried (any will do)
   2 generous handfuls grated carrot

(The salad is wonderful with the above ingredients but you can also add a handful of cooked peas and corn niblets.)

 Balsamic Orange Vinaigrette 
     3-4 tbsp good olive oil
     1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
     good pinch salt and 1/8 tsp pepper, pref. coarsely ground
     1 rounded tsp Dijon mustard
     zest one orange
     1-2 tbsp orange juice

Method:

OVER INDULGED IN HEATWAVE FOOD? TRY THIS...

Having a dicky tummy during a heatwave is no joke...
3-ingredient Smoothie that soothes summer stomach upsets
'This tasted really good and the ginger settled my stomach settle in an hour.' Taster



Here's a quick 3-ingredient smoothie that will help.

Hot weather can play havoc with food, leading to stomach ailments of various intensity.  

According to the NHS, common symptoms are:
  • feeling sick to the stomach
  • stomach cramps
  • tummy pain
  • lack of energy & weakness
  • low or no appetite
  • fever
and in worst cases:
  • vomiting
  • diarrhoea
The most important treatment is to drink plenty of liquids but also:
  • don't eat until you feel up to it and stick to small non-fatty meals
  • bland foods like toast, crackers, rice & bananas are good choices
  • avoid alcohol, caffeine, fizzy drinks & spicy and fatty foods
  • if things haven't improved within 3 days, see your doctor
In the early stages of stomach discomfort, this smoothie is perfect.  It is an ideal remedy during a heatwave: it's liquid, naturally sweet, soothing and refreshingly cold. 

The ginger is the medicinal ingredient here; don't hold back unless you're dealing with young kids.  Ginger is not over-powering but cuts the sweetness and calms the stomach. 

Cost: pennies
Serve: 1

Ingred: 
    2 generous handfuls frozen strawberries (if not frozen add a couple of ice cubes)
    1 ripe banana, peeled
    1/2-1 tablespoons (yes, tablespoon) grated peeled chopped fresh ginger 
    1/2 cup water

Method:
Blend in a smoothie maker or food processor; add a slice or 2 of banana for garnish.
                                              More smoothies, on Nav Bar: Recipes I/Drinks...

Please leave a Comment in the box below

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

Tuesday, 6 August 2019

HOLIDAY CANAPES: MINI SPICED BEEF KOFTAS,low fat/carb & preservatives

67's spicy Greek style koftas in miniature, make perfect canapés 
Beef Mini-Koftas
'Everyone loved these! And they looked really good.' Tasters

A platter of spicy little barrels of beef was included in 67's first formal catering event, a lunch for activists at the local elections. They went down a storm.  

The mini-kofta are full of intense flavours - spicy, herby and meaty - and, accompanied with an exotic tahini sauce, brought exclamations of delight.  

It's a perfect dish to make ahead; the flavour deepens as it sits.  Most of it can be prepared up to two days before: the meat can be mixed and moulded and the sauce made; both can be refrigerated in a couple of layers of cling film until needed.  The vegetable crudités, which add colour as well as crispness, can be prepared the night before.

The mini koftas in the photo are made with low-fat beef mince.  Lamb is traditional used but lower-fat minced turkey thigh also works well.   

Cost: £5.50+ for beef; the frugal should go for turkey 
Makes: 24+ mini-koftas 

Ingred:
   500 gm minced beef
   1 med onion or half a Spanish onion, grated or processed into small shards
    1.5 tsp sumac or 67 Spice mix
    1.5 tsp cumin
    1 tsp cinnamon
    1 tsp dried coriander
    zest of one lemon
    2-3 tbsp fresh mint, chopped medium fine, or 1 tsp dried
    2-3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped medium fine, or 1 tsp dried
    1 egg (opt)
    pepper & salt

Method:

  1. Spread out mince on a sheet of greaseproof paper
  2. Cover with onion and dried herbs only; mix well with two forks or with hands, ensuring the herbs are blended into the meat.  Work lightly; the koftas should be moist and yielding, not hard as rocks
  3. Add lemon zest & fresh herbs; stir well, distributing everything evenly; mix in egg if using.  
  4. Break off a tablespoon; fry to check for seasoning; add pepper & salt as needed 
  5. Use a small 1 1/2 inch/4 cm ice cream scoop to divide the mix into equal pottions.  Form each into a barrel shape; place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, leaving a little space in between. 
  6. Cover loosely in 2 layers of clingfilm,  ensuring the pan is air tight;  refrigerate overnight
  7. When ready to cook, allow mini-koftas to come to room temperature.
  8. Preheat oven to 180c/350f
  9. Bake 15 mins, or until centres are no longer pink 
  10. Remove to a cooling rack lined with paper towels; once no longer hot, scrape or rub off any juices that have seeped from the mini-kofta
  11. Spear kofta with cocktail sticks
  12. Arrange on a platter around tahini dressing and Chinese crudités   

Tahini Dressing:
   200gm/7oz thick o-fat yoghurt
   4 generous tbsp mayonnaise
   2 tsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar
   1 med clove garlic, finely grated
   2 tbsp chopped fresh mint OR 2 tsp dried  
   pepper & salt
   2 tbsp good tahini
   1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (opt)
   
Mix well

Comments from political activists & council candidates:
    'Loved these!'
    'Beautifully spiced though I could have used more heat.'
    'Looks so pretty.' 
    'These are really, really good.'
   
Tip:
  • make these in larger sizes for a portable lunch
  • finely diced fresh chillis or chilli flakes can be served in a separate dish                           
 More hot weather dishes on Nav Bar: Recipes I   

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.   

HOLIDAY HOISIN-ORANGE BEEF KEBAB/SKEWERS

As a canapé or for supper, these scrumptious skewers shout 'Eat me!'
Beef Skewers with Hoisin Orange Glaze 
'Oh my goodness! They are absolutely wonderful!' Taster

Chunks of beef, chicken or pork in a smoky-sweet Asian-sauce is threaded on skewers with 'shrooms and toms to make a sassy treat.

67 created these for a cocktail do, using rump steak (great texture) but sirloin, rib-eye or budget-friendly lean diced beef can also be used.  Chicken or pork will also work.  

With cheaper cuts, marinade 24 hours to tenderise the meat and allow the flavour to penetrate the muscle fibres.  The fruit & veg offset the richness of the marinade; they also help the meat go a long way. 

High temperatures either by grilling, barbecuing or roasting bring out the best of the meat, encouraging some fat to render off while still retaining moisture.  Once cooked, glaze the skewers with honey & orange.  A slightly charred exterior is ideal.    

Cost: say, £5 but more or less depending on the meat 
Makes: min 10 1 inch/2 1/2cm skewers 

Equipment: cocktail sticks 

Ingred:
   200gm/7oz rump or sirloin steak (or casserole steak/lean diced beef for the frugal) OR chicken breast or pork fillet
    handful cherry tomatoes
    handful mushrooms, pref chestnut

Marinade
    2 tbsp hoisin sauce
    2 tbsp sherry or brandy or white grape juice
    zest of an orange, not too finely grated
    juice of half an orange
    1 tsp grated ginger
    segments from half an orange

Glaze 
   1 tbsp runny honey or maple syrup
   1 tbsp fresh orange juice
   sesame seeds
     
Method:
  1. Prepare at least 6 hours or the night before needed
  2. If toms are not organic, soak in a solution of 9 parts water to 1 part vinegar 20 mins; rinse, drain; refrigerate 
  3. Brush mushrooms with paper towel to remove grit; set aside.  
  4. Cut beef into generous 1.25 inch/3.5cm squares (your butcher will do this  if asked nicely); remove fat/sinew 
  5. Mix marinade ingredients; pour into a sealable plastic bag
  6. Add meat, smoosh it into the marinade
  7. Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight (24 hr for cheaper cuts of meat) turning now and again 
  8. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 200c/400f
  9. Cut off pointed ends of orange segments (what's left will stay longer on the skewer)
  10. Slice mushrooms thickly
  11. Drain meat
  12. Thread onto a cocktail stick in this order: tomato, beef, orange segment,  mushroom
  13. Place on a rack in a baking tray; cook in upper oven 5-7 mins; brush meat with glaze, sprinkle with sesame seeds & turn 
  14. Serve hot 

Comments: 
'Oh my goodness; these are wonderful - full of umami flavour.' Wine journalist 
Silence on first taste followed by lots of appreciative noises: other guests  

More starters/canapés NavBar: Recipes 11

                          Please post a Comment in the box below 
                        

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