FAST, EASY & MAKE-AHEAD FAMILY MEALS BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Prepping for Christmas can add stress to normal mealtimes.   These recipes -- and  hopefully a partner who can pick up the slack -- will make life easier.

Courtesy of theworks.co  © Copyright Tony Ross and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

These recipes focus on either fast, easy or make-ahead dishes. They should keep everyone happy, including the Keeper of the Budget.

FAST

Almost-instant Noodles in Broth with Vegetables, Meat or Fish


Bacon Rice Supper, supertasty & frugal

Veggie Burgers, all the fun, none of the unhealthiness

Steamed Salmon & Bak Choy, quick & healthy

Cheat's Spanish Tortilla, unforgettable potato, onion & egg frittata

15-min flatbread, yeast & sugar free; makes a great pizza base


PREPARE AHEAD

Sweet Chilli & Ginger Salmon, easy on the chillis for the kids

Spiced Spare Ribs, low-fat, low-preservative, low-sugar

Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings plus Broth, frugal, too but use best chicken affordable

Tuscan Chicken, low-fat, healthy

Breakfast Muffins, ultra healthy with 2 of your 5-a-day






FUN FOOD FOR KIDS
Turkey Lollipops
Lamb Koftas
Hot Dogs & Home Made, low-preservative, low sugar Relish



MAIN MEAL SOUPS:
Double the recipe; blend half & freeze in family size portions
  

German Potato & French Bean Soup keep it healthy with veggie or chicken frankfurters

Rich Tomato Soup, ultra easy-peasy & versatile

Egg-flower Pea Soup simple and simply delicious


SOMETHING MORE FOR SUNDAY LUNCH

One-stop Roast Pork Belly Skinnier, easy-peasy, wallet-friendly 

Minty Slow-Roasted Lamb Ribs, Skinnier,one-stop, easy-peasy


THE KIDS CAN MAKE IT

Fabulous Frugal Fishcakes

Blueberry Pancakes, Make-Ahead

Chocolate Shortbread

Storecupboard recommendations 

Cook in advance & freeze:

• stock/broth, preferably homemade (make ahead & freeze) or good granules, eg  Marigold 
• ham hock, shred and bag in small portions
• rice (cook in advance & freeze) See how to...cook brown & white rice
• sausages (prepare & freeze in pairs)
• bacon (freeze in double slices)
• bread (frozen in double slices or rolls)

Store cupboard

• noodles
• tins of tuna & sardines
• frozen peas and corn (or tinned corn)
• eggs
• raw onion ( yellow/purple and spring ) carrots, celery, tomatoes, lettuce & peppers 
• potatoes
• flour, plain & wholemeal, sugar & fat for baking
• bagged pears, apples or plums for easy-peasy crumbles
• fat-free plain yoghurt
• jar of candied ginger in syrup
• chocolate for baking ie bars and powder 

Also see Recipes on the Nav Bar, category Almost Instant & Slow Cooker for more.....

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

BEEF AND DARK BEER STEW

THE DELICIOUS DARK SIDE OF BEEF & BEER...

Slow cooked for hours till thick, melting & unctuous

This is another of 67goingon50's make-ahead meals.

I was first served a Beef & Guinness Stew shortly after I arrived in London.  I fell in culinary love and have made it hundreds of times since with a hundred varieties. 

With a slow cooker (see Making the Most of Slow Cookers) even the toughest stewing beef will be tender and juicy.  But supermarket roast specials which can sometimes be a bit tough for roasting are also good for this recipe.  Cooking time depends on the quality of the meat.

67 used a slow cooker but the stew can also be cooked in the oven or the hob.

This is not a particularly frugal recipe and it has a slightly higher fat level than usual but is worth the indulgence.   If there are weight or other health issues, moderate portions. Any leftovers freeze well and can be transformed into a thick soup.  

To make the stew go even further, add a few thickly chopped parsnips in the early stages;  in the last hour of cooking, add a tin of drained, rinsed white beans (haricot or butterbeans). 

Serves: 6-8
Cost:  £7'ish

Ingredients:

500g/18 oz stewing beef
56 gm/2 oz flour

       2 large onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced 

6 carrots. in thick chunks 
1-2 cups/250-500 ml Guinness or porter (67 used 500ml) (Sorry, there is no halal equivalent but the alcohol will be cooked out by serving time)
1-2 cups/250-500 ml beef or other stock (67 used 250ml)

zest of one orange, coarsely grated 

 

1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 1/2 oz butter 

150gm/6 oz thickly sliced mushrooms
pepper & salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme

Method:

1. Place flour in a plastic bag; season with 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper.  Add meat and toss until the meat is coated.  Save the flour which, with the butter, will thicken the stew later. (The lazy/busy can eliminate steps 2-4)
2. Brown the meat in a heavy-bottomed pan over med-high heat in a tablespoon of olive oil; set aside.
3. Spray the same pan with olive oil; sautee onions until soft and translucent, about 15 mins.  Add sliced carrots; cook a further 5 minutes.  Return meat to pan with any juices.
4. Add the grated orange peel, the porter and stock (67 used 250ml), enough to cover the meat mixture.  
5. Bring to the boil, let bubble 5 mins, then decant into the slow cooker; cook on low 5-7 hours.  Check at the 4-hour mark; the meat should hold its shape and not fall apart.
6. If cooking in oven or on the hob, put all the veg & meat but not the butter, mushrooms and final dash of Worcestershire in a large saucepan with enough liquid to cover.  See fuller instructions in tips, below.
7. In a separate small pan, cook the mushrooms in a little olive oil.  When the liquid is gone, add  thyme.  Set aside.
8. When the stew is ready, add mushrooms
9. Mash the butter into the reserved flour; add to the stew, stirring; if mix has not thickened enough to taste, add another tablespoon flour mixed with butter. 
10. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice or pasta

Comments:
'The orange flavour is great and just in the right amount.  The mushrooms have retained their flavour and the beef melts perfectly, not like bullets in other stews.  I love a stew that is not too runny and this has great consistency, helped by the Guinness.  It certainly attracts me to getting a Slow Cooker if food tastes this good.' Middle Aged food lover 
'The Guinness adds a little extra kick and the meat is very tender.  It's a great winter warmer.' 20+ designer

Tips:

• Cooking on the hob: bring to a boil, simmer at a good bubble 5 mins,  turn the heat down to its lowest level , cover and simmer for 2 hours or until the onions have melded into the sauce. 
• Cooking in the oven: 130c,250fgas mark 1/2 in tightly sealed pot for 2-6 hours.  
• Often seen as a guy's dish, the provides plenty of iron which younger women should eat in reasonable quantities at least once a month.  

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.

CHEESE & CHIVE SCONES, higher-fibre indulgence, low salt/preservative, easy, make ahead option

A rich, flaky cheesy biscuit makes an ambrosial mouthful...

Half-recipe Cheese and Chive Savoury Scones
'Oh. My. God. These are absolutely gorgeous. Another one, please.' Taster.

These flaky tender scones flavoured with cheese and chives are quite frankly heavenly. They are great as an accompaniment to chunky soups or stews or at mid-morning.

There's no need to be fussy about the shape.  Use a biscuit cutter or go 'free-form' as above.  The smell of these is so divine, the crumb so tender and the tops just the right side of crunchy, no one will care what form they take.  

Best served warm on the day, any leftovers will freeze well.  Re-heat in an 180c/350f/Gas Mark 3 oven for 5-10 mins.  

Beware: with all the butter and cheese, the scones can scarcely be considered healthy but some of the flour is replaced by wholemeal, adding heart-healthy fibre.  As ever, portion control is the key.

Cost: £2
Makes: 12-14

Ingred:

250gm/9 oz plain flour
100gm/3 1/2oz wholemeal flour 
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

5 oz/150 gm cold, cubed butter
4-6 oz/115-170gr mature reduced fat cheddar*, grated 
4 tbsp finely chopped chives
(or 4-6 oz/115-170gr grated cheddar & chive cheese)
2 eggs, well beaten
7 tbsp very cold milk


Method:

1.  Preheat oven to very hot -- 220c/200 fan/425f; Gas 9
2.  Sift dry ingred. into a bowl; rub in butter until mixture resembles peas
3.  Add cheese and chives, stirring, until strands are well coated with flour
4.  Make a well in the centre; pour in eggs & milk.  Stir lightly with a fork until mixture just holds together.
5.  Turn out onto a lightly floured board and press lightly into a rectangle about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick.  Mentally divide the rectangle into three, lengthwise.  Fold the left hand side onto the middle; and the right hand side onto the middle & left sides.

6.  Repeat twice, pressing lightly with your hands between each folding 

Tri-folding of dough

7.  Roll it out to just under 1inch (2 cm) thick.  Cut into 2 1/2 inch/6cm rounds with a floured biscuit cutter.  Or, divide the rectangle into 12-14 smaller rectangles (As you can see from the top photo, you can go pretty free-form)
8.  Brush tops only with milk or egg beaten with a little water or milk
9.  Bake on an ungreased baking sheet 12-15 min until well-risen and richly golden.

*Davidstow M&S

Comments:
'I would never have known these have wholemeal flour in them; they are so light and the crumb is so tender.  They are perfect with Beef & Dark Beer Stew.' Retired writer.


Tips:  

• for make ahead option, mix dry ingredients, cover and set aside; grate cheese and chop chives, refrigerate; on the day prepare liquid ingred and proceed as normal
• for herb scones, add couple of tablespoons of finely chopped mixed herbs into the flour-butter mix before adding liquid

A version of this recipe was posted in February 2015

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

WELCOME HOME CHUNKY 'BIG' SOUP, No Additives, Healthy,Wallet-friendly. Make-Ahead option

A no-additives 'big' soup, perfect as a vegetarian, fishy or meaty meal

'Chunky Soup with great flavours: a bit of chopping and all is ready,
here with chicken
' Freshly, quickly and easily made from store cupboard essentials.' Taster

photo 25/8/16

Chunky tinned soups were a cupboard staple at Uni, held in reserve for the occasions when one couldn't bear to cook but needed quick nourishment.    

This recipe requires a little work but otherwise is quick, good for you and probably won't involve shopping.  A potato or two, carrots, celery and stock (homemade, granules or cubes) and a few fresh veg: cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers.  A bit of chopping and that's it.  And for those who hate chopping onions, there aren't any! (unless you choose to add sliced spring onions) 

The colours are enough to tempt anyone but other points in the soup's favour include: it's additive free, low in salt and budget friendly. It can also be partially prepared the night before. 

It is another versatile Triple Duty Soup.  Keep it plain for vegans/vegetarians or add pulses.  Or add chunks of raw or frozen fish/seafood or raw or cooked chicken or mince.

Serve with a good multi-grain wholemeal bread or thin wholemeal salt-free rice crackers (Kallo Organic Brown Rice Thins: Waitrose (cheapest) & health food shops). 


Cost: Minimal unless adding fish or meat
Feeds: 2 generously

Ingred:
   2 medium potatoes, peeled or scrubbed and in med chunks
   1 large carrot, peeled, halved vertically and in 1/4 inch slices
   2-3 sticks celery, peeled and in medium dice
   generous handful mushrooms, chestnut pref, quartered (opt)
   half a bell pepper, de-seeded & membranes removed, in half inch/1 cm squares

   1 pint good stock (vegetarian for vegetarians)

   generous handful cauliflower florets
   generous handful broccoli florets (opt) with stems peeled and in 1/4 inch slices
   any other veg: frozen peas? corn?

   olive oil

   raw chicken breast in 1/2 inch/1 cm slices (opt)

Method    

1. Place a medium-large saucepan on med-high heat
2. Spray generously with olive oil; add potatoes, carrots, celery, mushrooms and bell pepper; cook stirring occasionally for 5 mins
3. Reduce heat to medium, partially cover with a lid and continue to cook another 15 mins, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking (this process intensifies the flavours of the veg)
4. If the pan shows signs of getting too hot, add a tablespoon or two of water
5. Add stock, bring to the boil
6. If serving immediately, add cauliflower, broccoli or other veg and fish or meat if using.  Reduce heat to simmer, cook 5-10 mins. Check that the meat or fish is cooked or heated through and that the cauliflower is soft before serving  
7. If serving the next day, add cauliflower, broccoli or other veg and fish or meat if using; stir; remove from heat.  Allow to cool at least one hour; refrigerate.  When re-heating, bring to the boil and simmer (slight bubbles) 5-10 mins before serving.

Tips:

• Replace potatoes with cooked rice or barley
• The soup is also good pureed.  If adding fish or meat, puree first.  

(Questions & comments, pls email  b67goingon50@yahoo.co.uk 

and say if they can be included in the blog)

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