EARLY AUTUMN COMFORT FOOD

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Warming early autumn dishes that are healthy, easy and a bit unusual (in a good way!): 

Chinese Ramen Soup Bowl

triple duty, extremely quick & easy, satisfying

Wonderful bowlful of flavours & textures, ready in minutes!

Ambrosial Avocado Soup: Lightly spiced   

 Low-fat, carb-free, prep ahead; triple duty - all that & slides down like silk! 

               Wonderfully delicate, velvety textured soup - with a tiny kick!

 

Creamy Dairy-Free Cauliflower Soup, Vegan 

effort-free, delicious, budget-friendly

'the prep is utterly simple, containing cauliflower and little else; deliciously smooth, and full of the essence of cauliflower'

 

Vegan Fresh Tomato Pizza (No Cheese or Yeast!)

Baked raw tomatoes and piquant anti-pasti multiply the deliciusness 

of this simple pizza - just 15 mins to prep base

Potato & Artichoke Pizza (Cheese & Yeast-free!)

Unexpected, amazing, stonkingly delicious  - just 15 mins to prep base

(Dijon Green Beans on the side)

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.

UPDATED BUTTERNUT SQUASH, ORANGE & GINGER SOUP: Vegetarian, dairy-free option, easy, prep-ahead, wallet-friendly

Warming Butternut Squash soup tantalises with Christmas flavours  but work equally well for Hallowe'en & Nov 5th.(Update)

                                                                                                                  first posted 2020; updated 2024

Hints of ginger & orange in this full-bodied party soup 

A bowlful of this luscious Butternut, Ginger & Orange soup is a delicious treat, sliding down like warm silk.  

It'a vegan, make-ahead, easy and wallet-friendly -- a boon for cooks as well as health-conscius family and guests.

If you can find a Golden Butternut squash (instead of standard gourds) the flavour of the soup is ambrosial. Grown in Greece, Golden Butternut Squash is promoted as having richer, sweeter and fuller flavour, intensified by roasting the squash in advance  

If Golden Butternut isn't available, a regular one will still tastes lovely. Fresh ginger adds warmth without heat, and fresh orange juice  adds a lovely citrus backdrop.

The recipe makes a very generous portion of thick rich soup base, too much for most households unless you're entertaining a crowd.  67 recommends freezing half the base for another time.   

Soup as a first course is always a wise dinner choice from a budget point of view -- soup satisfies hunger pangs without dampening the appetite but cuts down on demand for expensive mains.  

Cost: min £3.75'ish (9/24)

Makes: almost two litres

Ingreds

   1 good-sized (about 1kilo/2 pounds) butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, in large bite-size pieces (see how to cut and peel a butternut squash from The Kitchen)

   2 handfuls cooked brown rice (adds fibre) OR 2 potatoes, peeled

   2 tbsp olive oil

   pepper & salt

  scant 1/2 cup white & light green bits of spring onions

              OR 1 med onion, coarsely chopped (FODMAP, see Tips)

  2 decent-sized stalks celery, peeled, chopped

  2 large carrots, washed and coarsely chopped

  1 tb olive oil

  scant tbsp dairy or plant butter

  1 quart/2.5 cups chicken or good vegetable stock (67 uses Marigold vegan granules)

Ingredients for each half recipe of base:   

   1.5 tb finely grated peeled ginger

   zest and juice of a medium orange (about 1/2 cup)

   slug olive oil

   min 1/2, max 1 litre good stock, depending on how thick you like your soup 

Garnishes:

• finely chopped chives
• Memorable Crunchy Croutons
• vegan bacon bits

Method:

PENSIONERS'/STUDENTS' DELIGHT: HOISIN CHICKEN WITH AVOCADO, TOMATO & CUCUMBER:

Shopping on a tight budget can be nerve-wracking but choosing items with care can save money without sacrificing taste or appearance.

 Photo to come

One might think, for example, that M&S might be out of bounds for cash-strapped pensioners and students.  

But the cost of 2-3 Higher Welfare Chicken Legs (£1.50) plus a large ripe Avocado (£1.75), a cucumber (70p) & a packet of tomatoes (95p) come in at just under £5.  That's enough for three generous high- protein, high-fibre tasty healthy platefuls. 

Leftover chicken goes into the freezer for another meal while leftover salad ingredients can be used during the rest of the week.  

(If you haven't any Chinese sauces in your condiments cupboard, replace with 2 tbsp soy sauce + 2 tbsp sherry, brandy or grape juice plus a quarter tsp fresh grated garlic (opt) and grated ginger OR a good pinch of powdered garlic & ginger. ) 

Both M&S and Waitrose offer regular and special foodstuffs to warm a frugal shopper's heart.  Just have a good look around; you'll be surprised.  

Sainsburys and Morrisons are also highly recommended by friends.  

Cost: £5 (2024)

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

Chicken

3-4 higher welfare chicken legs

2-3 tablespoons Hoisin or Oyster sauce (or soy/sherry mix as described above)

Salad

1/3 large ripe avocado

half lime or small lemon

1/4 cucumber

2-3 small tomatoes or a handful baby tomatoes

splash of olive oil

splash of red wine vinegar

Method:

EASY PEASY HIGH PROTEIN/FIBRE CHOCOLATE BISCUITS: dairy free

These gorgous little biccies are a healthy twist on the easy 4-ingredient shortbread.

They're dairy free, replace wheat with spelt flour and include high protein almond flour.

Yes, they are a bit more expensive than some but in 67's view are worth it.  If you'd rather bake a more frugal biscuit, replace plant fat with butter or margarine and use ordinary flour.

The dough is a doddle to make but does need to sit in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight before baking.

Unlike shortbread, the biscuits are not crisp, more a delightful blend of cookie and cake.  Enjoy!

The amount is for a small household but multiples easily.

Cost: £2.50'ish (10/24)

Makes: 12'ish biscuits

Ingredients:

100gm/3.5oz plant butter cut from a solid block and softened (67 used Timor)

             25gm/3/4oz white sugar +

         15gm/generous 1/2oz brown sugar 

                 OR 40 gms/1.4oz white sugar

         1/2 tsp vanilla OR instant coffee mixed with 1/2 tsp warm water

     

         60gm/2.1oz plain white spelt flour +

         20gm/3/4oz wholemeal spelt +

         40gm/1.4oz ground almonds

               OR 80gm/oz white spelt plus 40 g/xxoz ground almonds 

         20gm/3/4oz good cocoa

     

Method: