FRUGAL BUT FABULOUS SPINACH, WHITE BEAN & RICE POTAGE: vegan base, frugal, easy prep,Archive

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This is the perfect soup for the end of the month: a simple, no-nonsense, spectacularly tasty,  stick-to-the-ribs satisfying meal...

first posted 4/15; updated 12/24

Healthy 'Gosh I'm hungry after working all day!' soup; 30 mins prep
'...unbelievably good, not at all stodgy or heavy.  I loved it
 thick and chunky AND smooth.' 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. 

First posted in 2015, the delicious soup stands the test of time;  67 makes no apologies for re-reposting it as families struggle with family food budgets. 

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

Cost: min £4.00'ish (12/24)

Feeds: 5-6

Ingred:
   2-3 tbsp good olive oil (don't skimp; it really makes the soup more flavoursome)
   med onion, peeled & diced (or fennel, trimmed, soaked in 9:1 solution of water & vinegar, with tough outer leaves & fronds removed and well scrubbed)

   3 cloves garlic, peeled & grated (opt)
   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 OR equivalent in frozen spinach
   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:

SPECIAL OCCASION DISHES FOR ST PATRICK'S DAY

St Patrick's Day has crept up on us this year, distracted as we were by  downed drones, failing banks, the Gary Lineker/BBC bunfight and the Budget.

Tomorrow Friday the 17th is the big day, marked in Ireland by parades and plenty of revelling with  friends and family.  Wearing green and shamrocks is part of the fun, as is drinking plenty of Irish beer and Irish whiskey.

The rest of us will likely mark the occasion with some traditional Irish food, often in an appetising shade of green.

Try one or more of 67goingon50's popular recipes for special occasion Irish dishes in the menu below.  

ST PATRICK'S DAY MENU

STARTERS 

Spinach Pate, 

Exquisite meat-free fluffy Spinach Parfait, low-fat

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Show-stopping exquisite hot dip served in a heated bread bowl...

MAINS

Self Saucing Slow-cooker Beef Brisket, 

 Prep ahead, low-fat, tender enough to cut with a spoon

Irish Lamb Stew: for all budgets'

Not just a load of old lamb bones & taters; this dish is stonkingly delicious!' Worth every moment of advance preparation. 

SPINACH ROULADE: with taramasalata; vegetarian option

As delicious as it is beautiful: pillowy and savoury; always delights

 

SIDES 

2-POTATO CHAMP

Healthier, more colourful, easier version of classic Irish mash

St Patrick's Spinach, Mushroom & Green Bean Salad; triple duty

DESSERT

Sensational Irish Coffee Cheesecake, no-bake

lower-fat, lower-cal; leaves diners speechless with delight & disbelief 

Please leave a Comment in the box below 

These recipes have been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  They may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.

EASY SPECIAL BREAKFASTS FOR MOTHER'S DAY: oven baked indulgence, prep ahead, opt for alcohol free

Guaranteed to please Mum, these recipes are mostly easy - and fun - for kids and dads to prepare and present:

BREAKFAST STICKS WITH MAPLE WHISKEY DIP

(OR alcohol-free maple syrup, jam, Nutella or lemon curd)

Decadent with whisky but so easy kids can make it under supervision; oven-baked, fab taste & texture

Slightly decadent but ever-so-scrumptious with more-ish crisp challah fingers

  

CHOCOLATE FLOWER PANCAKES:

prep-ahead, lower-sugar/fat/preservative, easy, child friendly 

Doesn't matter if they end up pretty or like Impressionist art; it's a mum-delighting treat which kids will have a lot of fun making

DOUBLE DIPPED CRUNCHY FRENCH TOAST

Ultra easy, ultra frugal delicious low-sugar treat with leftover bread

Perfect for mums, kids and dads.  All that's needed is bread & egg, and a bit of vanilla, sugar and cinnamon.  An extra slice will definitely not break the bank 

Please leave a comment in the box below

These recipe have been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.  

PORK, ALE & APPLE CASSEROLE (Archive): prep ahead, skinny, opt for no-alcohol or chicken

Have a look at  Welcome to the Blog

with advice, info & photos on the Nav Bar above

Comforting lunch as we hang on for spring...

                                                                                                               1st posted  2/21; updated 3/23

Cooked properly, Pork is not as unhealthy as we think; try this reduced-fat casserole, richly flavoured with pale ale, apples and root veg
'Lovely and rib-sticking; so comforting and satisfying.' Taster

Though signs of spring are encouraging, it's not yet time to whip out lighter recipes with plenty of salad, poultry and fish.

If you're getting bored with chicken and beef though, pork is a great between-seasons meat.  

It is good value right now; 600g/21.1oz shoulder steak is currently £5 at M&S and a leg joint with crackling is £9 per kilo.  But if you're not in the mood, buy, freeze and save for the Easter Holidays.

On the health front, pork is  one of the meats recommended for those low on Vitamin D.

Slow-cooked with with lots of inexpensive root veg, flavoured with cider or pale ale, this rib-sticking recipe will feed 6-8 generously.  And it is such a lovely golden colour -- not brown!!

Pork steak is not as lean as leg or fillet of pork but depending on how it's cooked, fat can be sharply reduced.

The casserole pictured is heavy on potatoes - both white and sweet -  a favourite of the 90+ retired priest for whom it was cooked. Some of the potatoes can be replaced without loss of flavour or texture.

Leftovers can be frozen or turned into a thick soup served over rice, noodles or toast. 

67 recommends using a slow cooker but instructions for oven or stovetop cooking are included.

Cost: £7'ish using pork shoulder steaks (Mar 2023)

Feeds: 6-8 (the recipe halves nicely)

Ingredients:

   500gm casserole pork OR pork steaks, shoulder or leg in large dice

   2-3 tbsp seasoned flour

   1-2 tbsp oil

   1 cup onion, in large dice

   2 garlic cloves, finely grated

   2/3 cup thickly sliced carrots

   2/3 cup celery, peeled & in good sized chunks

   2/3 cup swede or parsnips, in med dice (or 2/3 cup each)

   1.5 cups peeled white potatoes, in good sized chunks   

   2/3 cup peeled sweet potato, in good sized chunks (opt)

   250ml pale ale or apple cider or white wine

   approx 175ml good vegetable stock 

   1 large crisp apple peeled & cored, in fine dice 

   1 cup frozen peas AND/OR

   1 cup frozen mixed veg

   1-2 tbsp Dijon mustard

   salt & pepper

Method: