SKINNIER HEALTHIER 2-POTATO IRISH MASH: frugal, make-head, easy, no dairy option, vegan option

A healthier twist on Champ, the popular Irish mash -- smooth, creamy & piquant

updated Mar 2025; first posted  Aug 2016

Much more sophisticated and nicer than Bubble 'n Squeak!

photo  13.10.2019

The carb-conscious should save up their weekly carb intake for this one; it's worth it.

Rich, light and smooth, flecked with tender spring onions, this champ - adapted from the Irish - is so much nicer than bubble & squeak.  

It is also healthier.  Sweet potatoes slow down carb release and add gorgeous colour to the usual potato mash.  0-fat yoghurt replaces some full-fat milk.  

Prep is made easier by baking the potatoes then peeling & mashing them.  It's a perfect make-ahead dish -- it'll keep warm over boiling water.  Reheating is a doddle in an oven,  steamer or microwave. 

  
67's champ is lovely for breakfast with eggs and crisply fried shredded ham or pastrami/spiced beef.  It's also suitable for a budget-friendly main course, alongside beef brisket or meatloaf OR pork or ham. 

For a frugal meal, mix in shards of leftover meat, tuna or smoked mackerel, bake in a moderate oven and serve with vegetables or salad. 

Cost:  £3'ish plus cost of any meat or animal protein
Feeds: 2-3

Ingred:
   1/2 kilo baking potatoes, rinsed & halved vertically (usually 2)
   1/2 kilo sweet potatoes, with blemishes removed, in similar sizes to potatoes
    1-2 oz/25-50 gm butter (dairy or plant)
    1 small bunch spring onions, finely chopped    
    150 ml diary or plant milk
    100 ml 0-ft dairy or plant yoghurt (67 uses goats yoghurt)
     1/2-1 tsp salt

Method:

1. Bake potatoes naked, not wrapped in foil, at 400f/200c/180fan 30-45 mins
2. Heat milk until bubbles appear around the edges of the pan; take off heat and add a third to a half the spring onions; leave 5 mins then whisk in the yoghurt; set aside
3. When potatoes are done, peel; cut off any crusty bits; place flesh in large bowl
4. Add butter & salt; mash by hand or break down with with electric beaters on slow until no lumps remain - don't overbeat; the potatoes will turn into glue 
5. Little by little, add warm milk & onions to potatoes, whisking by hand until just before they get sloppy (67 used 4/5 of the milk); you're looking for smooth, light and creamy mash; stir in the remaining spring onions to taste (67 used almost all of them) 
6. Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight in a heatproof bowl/baking dish
7. When reheating the champ, remove from fridge half an hour beforehand to allow to come to room temperature 
8. Reheating on the hob: place the bowl of champ on top of but not touching bring a deep saucepan of boiling water; cover with a lid or foil, reduce heat to medium high; every ten minutes, stir, bringing the warm champ at the bottom up to the top until potato is heated through; check seasoning; add more salt & pepper if needed
9. Turn heat to low; keep covered until ready to serve.  
10. Reheating in the oven: preheat the oven to 180c/350f; bake 20-30 mins; leave the champ uncovered for a crispy top 
11. Serve with extra butter 

Comments:
'The great thing about the Two-potato Champ was its simplicity. I love mash; the addition of sweet potato and the easy preparation made a lovely change to one of my favourite meals.'  Middle-aged political agent

Tips:

• For individual champ cakes, reduce the amount of liquid by 1/4, form into patties and shallow fry in oil until crispy
• To save fuel while baking the potatoes, use the oven for something else (granola, cake) 

More vegetarian on NavBar: Recipes II

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. 

GAME BIRDS WITH ARMAGNAC & APPLE, low cholesterol, easy, make ahead

If you're game for wild birds, this is a sensational dish...

first posted  Dec 2015; updated 2/24

Adult fare: Sophisticated, heady Armagnac Partridges with Apple 

Game birds in Armagnac with Apple offers tender succulent meat and scrumptious juices for a meal to impress. It would make a delicious Thanksgiving supper for two, along with this week's 2-Potato Champ and Sprout Pear Slaw.   

Partridges are game birds, lean and low in fat; it has a slightly gamey flavour but in a good way.  The meat is particularly well suited to braising and roasting. 

They can be found in good butchers* and major supermarkets for  £5.00'ish each.   Though small, about 350gm/12oz, they're very meaty. The birds are pretty thoroughly plucked but you may see one or two tail feathers which can be removed with sterilised tweezers.

Pheasant is even better value at £5'ish each (2/24); it feeds 2 generously. -

Traditionally in the UK, wild birds - especially if young - are roasted, and served pinkly rare while older birds are braised.

But 67 prefers a slow cooker -- the flavour of the juices intensifies.  No matter how old the bird, the meat becomes beautifully tender without falling apart. 

Armagnac can be replaced by any other alcohol or white grape juice.

Cost: £max 6 + cost of alcohol & apple
Feeds: 2-3

Ingred:
    2 partridges or a pheasant in quarters
    olive oil
    1 small onion, diced
    1 small clove garlic, grated
    1 small celery stalk, peeled and finely diced 
    80 ml/1/3 cup armagnac/white wine/apple cider/grape juice
    300 ml/1 1/4 cups good chicken stock
    1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored & cut into 8 pieces

Method:

1. If necessary, remove giblets from the bird's cavity; set aside
2. Season the bird lightly in & out 
3. Spray base of a large pan with olive oil; over med heat brown 2-3 mins on each side; remove and rest 
4. Reduce heat, add onions, garlic & celery; sautee 5 mins until soft & translucent
5. Return bird to pan, skin side down, add alcohol and stock; bring to the boil
6. Pour into slow cooker; cook on low for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, 
7. 20 mins before end of cooking, add apple slices 
8. Thicken juices with 1 tbsp butter & 1 tbsp flour mashed together OR a slurry of 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp cold water. 
9. Serve with mash or rice and stir-fried Savoy cabbage (with or without bacon) (See Principles of Stir-Fry)

Comment:

'The armagnac and apple are a wonderful counterpoint to the wild meat, which is beautifully tender and not overdone.' Journalist

Tips:

No slow cooker? Try the hob or oven but if using pheasant, halve the bird (these methods are untested by 67) (a) reduce heat to moderate, put a lid on the pan and simmer for 35 mins or until cooked through and tender OR (b) place in a covered casserole dish in a moderate oven and bake 35 mins or until cooked through and tender 

More wild bird recipes, incl several for pheasant, in NavBar: Recipes 1/Poultry
 See also Pheasant & Venison, the Issues

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 :

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.

PERFECT HIGH PROTEIN OATMEAL OR SPELT PORRIDGES: Sugar-free, Vegan

Porridge is the perfect food as Autumn settles in...

Porridge Base: Sugar-Free, High Protein Nut & Seed Ultra Granola 
(here in oatmeal but also in spelt) 

posted as Ultra Granola in 2016

67goingon50's porridge - whether oatmeal or spelt - is heart-friendly, sugar-free, high in fibre and Vegan. 

And totally un-boring.  The base is a crunchy Granola (either oatmeal or spelt), studded with nuts and seeds, toasted to a burnished gold.  

And it's very healthy.  Dried unsweetened coconut replaces sugar or honey.  The combination of sunflower, sesame and pumpkin seeds is said to have the same protein value of steak.

Gently cooked with three (not two!) times the amount of liquid to granola - whether water or milk is a matter of choice - the result is creamy, nutty, easily digested and utterly more-ish. 

More than one starving singleton has opted for a big bowl of porridge instead of - or before - supper when under pressure.  

"A small bowl of porridge each day could be the key to a long and healthy life, after a major study by Harvard University found that whole grains reduce the risk of dying from heart disease..."   Daily Telegraph, 5/1/2015

The recipe was inspired by a 20-year-old No-Sugar cookbook which the Blogger lost.  

The frugal can halve the amount of seeds and nuts, and store the remainder in an air-tight container for next batch. 

First up is Oatmeal Porridge, then Spelt Porridge.  Due to popular demand, there is now a slightly sweeter version of ultra granola:                               

1.  Ultra Granola Oatmeal Porridge with Molasses Sugar & cream (opt)

67 loves organic Irish oatmeal (Flahavens) but standard oats are excellent and economical.  Either way, berries to scatter on top become more affordable.   

Cost: minimum £2.00 (2019 prices), less for standard oatmeal

Serves: many 

Ingred:

450gm/16oz oatmeal (not jumbo oats)

2 oz/57 gm dried, unsweetened coconut

2 oz/57 gm sunflower seeds

2 oz/57 gms sesame seeds in (opt - sesame can cause an allergic reaction)

2 oz/56 gms pumpkin seeds

2-4 oz/ 57-112 oz nuts of your choice.

2 tablespoons sunflower or other veg oil (not olive)

few drops of vanilla

Method:

Sprout Pear Cranberry Walnut Slaw: vegetarian, vegan opt, lower-fat & carb, high fibre

No matter the weather, everyone will welcome this crunchy, sweet, tart slaw of creamy sprouts ...

 Autumn Slaw: Sprouts, Pear, Cranberry & Walnut in Lemon Pepper Dressing
'...a bright flavour burst with a good range of textures''

updated 2024; first posted 2017

This gorgeous salad provides a lovely contrast to root vegetables as Autumn digs in.      

It's crunchy, beautiful to look at and offers a terrific combination of flavours and textures.  The lively dressing perfectly complements the raw veg, fruit and nuts. 

It scores high on the healthy meter -- low salt & preservative, lower fat & carb and lots of vitamin-rich great fibre.  

It's wallet friendly, too; the only speciality item is dried cranberries but they can be replaced by diced grapes, sultanas, apricots or dried blueberries

Preparation is quick and easy. 

Cost: £3'ish (2024)
Serves: 4-6

Ingred:
   160-200gm/7oz sprouts
   1/4 cup dried cranberries blanched in boiling water, drained and dried + 1 tsp honey or maple syrup OR 1/3 cup seedless grapes in med dice
   1/3 cup walnuts coarsely chopped

   1 med pear, not too ripe
   1 tbsp lemon juice mixed with 1/4 cup water
   

Yoghurt Mayo Dressing with lemon zest and pepper  
     4 tbsp strained or Greek plain sugar-free yoghurt
     3 tbsp mayonnaise
     zest of one lemon
     2 tbsp lemon juice, to taste
     1 tsp cracked black pepper
     1/4-1/2 tsp salt

Method: