LIME & ALMOND SHORTBREAD THINS, easy indulgence

When an unexpected indulgence is required, this recipe meets the need...with bells on!

Lime & Amond Shortbread Thins

It was created for a guest who, it was revealed, was   celebrating a birthday.  

Based on the popular 4-ingredient Bottom of the Barrel Shortbread, the Lime Almond Thins are a delicious little treat.

The lime sings of summer, the richness of butter and icing (not granulated) sugar produces a tender crisp mouthful, and the tiny nuggets of nuts make for an entrancing texture.

At least an hour's resting time is needed but otherwise the recipe takes little time to prep, bake and ice. 

It's a godsend.

Cost: £1.75 (6/24)

Makes: 20 'ish biscuits, depending on size

Ingredients:

 

Biscuits

  100gm/3.5oz soft salted butter

             40 gms/1.4oz icing sugar

         3/4 tsp lime juice

         2 generous tsp lime zest

     

         110gm/3.8oz plain white flour 

         25gm/4/5 oz ground almonds 

              

         generous handful finely chopped almonds (not blanched) 

Flowing Lime Icing 

2 tsp lime juice

1/2 cup icing sugar

     

Method:

1. Whip butter until structure breaks down (a few seconds);  beat in sugar until pale & fluffy - a few minutes; beat in lime juice; blend in lime zest
2. Add ground almonds, mix; then flour, slowly mix until soft dough forms; stir in finely chopped almonds  distributing as evenly as possible  
3. Form into a log of chosen size, wrap in cling film, twisting ends to even out lumps and bumps; refrigerate at least 1 hour
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 180c/350f
5. Carefully (the dough is delicate) slice biscuits 1/4 inch/generous 1/2 cm thick.  Using a fish slice or palette knife, transfer to baking tray/s lined with greaseproof paper or a silicone mat, leaving   space in between
6. Bake in oven or air-fryer 11 mins; cool on baking  tray 5 mins; transfer to cooling rack
7. Make Lime icing: mix lime juice with icing sugar, if necessary adding more juice little by little until the icing flows but hardens quickly.  
8. When the biscuits are completely cold, either drizzle the icing with a fork or spoon OR fill a small sandwich bag, snip off a corner and squeeze icing onto the biscuits OR dunk the biscuits into the icing until half is coated (you'll need double the icing recipe in that case).  Alternatively, serve plain, OR drizzle with or partially dip in melted white chocolate 
9. Store cookies in an airtight container

Comments:

• 'The biscuit was glorious to eat; it had a gorgeous texture, and the lime icing really 'took the biscuit'.  Retired writer
• These are very good; the best!'

Tips:

• If you don't have ground almonds, replace with wholemeal flour....the texture and flavour will change but it'll still taste good
• Replace chopped almonds with any other nuts

Please leave a comment in the box below

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.

CELEBRATING POTATOES WITH BBQ/BUFFET/AL FRESCO TREATS: many low-fat & salt, budget-friendly, easy, high-fibre, make-ahead

67goingon50 is celebrating the potato this week. 

These recipes for hot and cold dishes are made with any old standard garden-variety potato.  

For many people concerned about good health, weight gain or high carb counts. potatoes are - if not forbidden -  certainly limited. 

Which is a shame because potatoes have their merits.  They provide  fibre, have plenty of vitamins and minerals just below the skin and no fat. 

Potatoes also contain a type of fibre called resistant starch that feeds friendly gut bacteria and improves digestion.  Potatoes that have been cooked and cooled have higher levels of resistant starch.

Summer is such a great season for potato lovers.  Few buffet, BBQ or picnics will lack a potato dish.  And while it may sound odd to offer a hot/warm potato dish in the sushine, scalloped potatoes or just plain baked potatoes are surprisingly popular.  Even better for cook, you can get them ready in advance and forget about them until it's time for them to be cooked.   

For carb-phobes, it will be  easier to take a small portion or two without going back repeatedly for more.

Here are a few of the Blogger's favourite summer potato dishes 

-- hot, warm and cold.  Most of them are budget-friendly

Glamourous multi-layer tortilla: 

vegetarian, make ahead, healthier, budget conscious

Spanish Potato Omelette with Spinach, Tomatoes & Peppers.  Perfect taste of Spain that's as good as it looks.  Simple home-made or bought-in Sun-blush tomatoes provide unexpected bursts of flavour.

Lower-fat Tumbet (Layered Potato Ratatouille Pie):

Vegetarian with vegan option; prep-ahead, budget friendly

All of the intense flavour of the original without excessive richness.  Available in two skinny versions: one sprinkled with crumbled feta; the other, plain.  

Skinny Scalloped Potatoes, French Style: 

lower-fat, make ahead

Using milk instead of cream, this rich soft creamy wodge of potato slices melded together into glorious starchy creaminess.  As good cold (and with less resistant starch) as hot.  Great with meatloaf. 

UBER OVEN BAKED POTATOES

 easy-peasy, wallet-friendly

The perfect baked potato - fluffy interior & crispy golden skin - is a thing of wonder.  Cooking them is an art...get them just right with these tips.

Potato Foccacia

Easy-peasy no-knead bread, prep 24 hours ahead, Light wholemeal

Crusty pillowy bread that's a doddle to make is a welcome twist to a wallet friendly loaf.  Unusual but wonderful; moist with lovely seasoning. 

Spiced Potato Cigarillos

Lower-fat, baked not fried, oven or air-fryer; easy, inexpensive

More-ish Vegan Indian-style 'chip butties': a few steps but easy-peasy; punchy flavours with knock-em-dead gorgeous coriander sauce 

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.  

CHINESE CHICKEN NOODLE SALAD: Triple Duty, frugal, leftovers

Asian noodle salad choc-a-block with protein and colourful vegetables rings the changes from pasta and potatoes...

Outdoor eating is always a pleasure, no matter what's spread out on the picnic blanket.  But there's no harm in introducing something new and refreshing;  instead of potato or rice salads, try a Chinese noodle salad.  Frugal and healthy, it travels well and much of it can be prepared in advance.

The salad shown has a base of egg noodles with chicken in a dressing rich with sesame, garlic, ginger and hoisin.  But you could substitute prawns or scallops (for those with deep pockets), cooked beef or firm tofu.  If you don't like the smokiness of Hoisin sauce, try full-bodied slightly sweet Oyster sauce.

Any other noodles in the cupboard will also work well;  try 'glass' green bean starch (for dieters) or egg-free or sweet potato or wholemeal noodles.  If you're thinking of stocking up on noodles on your next visit to Chinatown, have a look at How to Use Your Noodle/s'.

As well as being tasty and interesting, the salad is a great repository for raw or cooked leftovers. 

Feeds: 3-4

Cost: £4.50ish (6/24), less depending what's in the fridge

Ingredients:

 3-4 nests noodles

  

  2-3 cups cooked protein: shredded chicken or  prawns or cubed tofu (marinated 20 mins in a mix of 1/4 cup each of reduced salt soy sauce & sherry with 1/4 tsp each grated garlic and peeled ginger)

  1/3 cup finely sliced bell pepper (any colour)

  1/4 cup peeled celery in fine dice

  1/4 cup drained bamboo shoots in matchsticks (opt)

  2 tablespoons hoisin or oyster sauce

  

  generous handful of 3 of the following cooked veg: green beans, mange tout or snap-peas, broccoli flowers, asparagus stems, carrot curls, thinly sliced raw mushrooms, defrosted frozen peas, corn (tinned, drained; frozen or from a cob)

  2-3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

  2-3 spring onions, bases and grotty leaves removed, finely sliced

  a handful roasted, salted cashew nuts or peanuts (remove some oil & salt with a kitchen towel) - optional

Dressing:

   3 tablespoons olive oil

   2 tablespoons light vegetable oil

   3 tablespoons any vinegar (67 used cider)

   2 teaspoons reduced-salt soy sauce

   1 teaspoon sesame oil

   1.2 tsp 5-spice powder (opt)

   1 clove garlic grated

   1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or 1/2 tsp dried

   1.2 tsp oregano

   2 tablespoons Hoisin or Oyster Sauce *

   pepper & salt 

   (drained orange segments, fresh or tinned in juice)  opt

Method:

BROCCOLI, NEW POTATO & EGG SALAD: Vegetarian, easy-peasy

Freesh, colourful combo hits all the marks for a June potato salad...

Unexpected combo makes a terrific side

New potatoes are one of life's luxuries at the start of the season (ie now) and though more of a drain on a wallet, is - for a treat - worth it.

Those thin skins; the slightly waxy tender flesh; the smaller-than-normal size!  

What sets new potatoes apart from other potatoes is that they are harvested early in the season when the leaves are still green. This means new potatoes aren't completely mature; the sugar inside them hasn’t turned entirely to starch.  It makes the potatoes sweeter than normal and when cooked, boosts their creamy texture. 

New potato afficianados would say no other potato will do for some recipes and it's partially true...there is nothing like a new potato.  

That said, while 67 loves them, in this recipe during a cost of living crisis, any small waxy potato will be absolutely fine.

Cost:  £2.25, less for ordinary potatoes (June 24)

Feeds: 1-2 but recipe doubles easily

Ingreds:

Salad:

150gm-200gm (5.2-7oz) new (or small salad) potatoes halved

150'ish grams fresh or tenderstem broccoli (stems and florets)

1-2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled

Yoghurt-Mayo with lemon 
   3 tbsp strained 0-fat yoghurt
   1.5 tbsp mayonnaise
   3/4 tsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
   3/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest 
   pepper & salt

Method: