MIDI-CARROT CAKE FOR SMALL HOUSEHOLDS: no butter, dairy free option, low-sugar, high fibre

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Who doesn't love Carrot Cake?

At last! A midi-carrot cake for 2 or 3, as rich and luxuriant as family sized.

'Texture excellent, moist and slightly crumbly; flavour rich and delicious; cream cheese icing lovely.' 'I love carrot cake; yours was one of the best!'

 

A 'healthy-ish' treat that hasn't lost its wicked appeal, carrot cake is immensely gratifying.  Sweetness comes mainly from health-giving carrots; heart-healthy nuts add crunch; wholemeal flour, gut-friendly fibre.  

The cake is dense and rich but not heavy; gorgeous dairy or plant cream cheese is an elegant topping.   

It'a an all-season treat with a healthier vibe and particularly welcome when life is a little fraught.  So it is no surprise that the biggest craving chez 67goingon50 during Lockdown III is for Carrot Cake. 

Singletons/small households are at a disadvantage when it comes to something like carrot cake.  So it was time to create a small one that captures the sublime texture and flavours of the original.  Far from being a lesser version of the original, the midi-carrot cake was sensational -- so much so, 67 likes it better than bakery carrot cakes, some of which can be very moist.  

67 opted for ginger in syrup as the sweet accent but it is a little extravagant.    Feel free to replace ginger with fresh or tinned pineapple or even raisons.

If there is one complaint about this smaller cake, it is that the amount of batter is slightly larger than 67's usual 6inch/15cm (air fryer) midi-cake pan.  But using the excess for cupcakes/muffins that can be frozen (un-iced), means one might never need to look for a bakery with carrot cake again! 

For singleton or small households, it's now possible to have home-made carrot cake and eat it, deliciously, economically and without waste.

Cost: £2.50'ish (2021)
Serves: one 6in/15cm midi-cake and 3 large cupcakes (cooked in muffin - not cupcake -  tins) OR 6 large cupcakes or 10 generous sized cupcakes  

Ingred: 
  70gm/2.4oz light brown sugar  

  10gm/2 generous tsp dried unsweetened coconut 

   80ml light vegetable oil 

   27 ml buttermilk/OR 75% plant or dairy yoghurt, 25% water OR 27ml plant/dairy milk with 2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar, rested 10 mins
    1 large egg
    

    3/4 tsp vanilla   

   90gm/3.2ozplain white flour. 

    41gm/1.4oz wholemeal flour. 

    3/4 tsp cinnamon.  
    1/3 tsp nutmeg

    1/2 tsp ground ginger (opt)  
    1/2 tsp baking soda  
    1/3 tsp salt.  
   

    170 gm/6oz carrots, coarsely grated  

    2 large globes ginger in syrup finely diced OR 1/3 mug drained fresh or tinned pineapple wedges, shredded

    2 generous tablespoons chopped walnuts

    2 tbsp ginger syrup or pineapple juice for brushing over top of cake/s (opt)

 Lower fat & sugar Cream Cheese Icing: (Plant or dairy)
    57gm/2oz room-temperature reduced-fat cream cheese  
    20gm/ 3/4 oz thick plain yoghurt

    20gm/ 3/4 oz icing sugar

    few drops vanilla essence 

OR

Dairy-free 'buttercream'

    Garnish: 1 ball ginger in syrup, finely diced OR couple of generous tablespoons shredded pineapple

Method:

CHINESE TWICE (UN)FRIED CHICKEN, lower fat, wallet-friendly , dairy free option

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Crispy, tender but lower fat double un-fried chicken (baked) makes the most of supermarket specials...

updated 11/25; first posted 2020

Chinese (un)fried Chicken: crisp, crunchy, juicy, tender & exotic

Supermarkets are good at acknowledging the struggles too many families are going through trying to feed their families in these difficult times. 

Sainsburys' decision in 2021 to match Aldi prices was a welcome surprise.  67goingon50 had a quick look around and prices were indeed lower than usual, on a par, in fact with Morrisons.  67 has tested Sainsbury's economy chicken in the past and found it good value, especially the items on price lock.  In another suprise, 67 found a kilo of generously portioned drumsticks - 11 of them, enough for a family  - for £2.40 (2021) at Waitrose, of all places.  They went into the freezer. 

Keep your eyes peeled; wach for '3 for...' offers.  You never know when you might meet an unexpected bargain and if you can't use the items right away stash them in the freezer!  

67 used defrosted Waitrose drums for this crispy, crunchy lower-fat (un)fried Oriental chicken.  The meat is very tender and the coating crisp and delicately flavoured with 5-spice powder, star anise, garlic & ginger.

The process is two-step but easy; start the night before needed by marinading in buttermilk then before cooking, dredge  in breadcrumbs - twice.  

They're also baked twice (like double fried chicken) for maximum juiciness and texture.

Cost: min £4.50'ish? depending on chicken (11/2025)

Feeds: 3-4

Ingredients:

1 kilo chicken drumsticks or thighs

Marinade
    250 ml buttermilk (OR plant or dairy t milk mixed with 2 tbsp vinegar OR 75% unstrained plain diary/plant yoghurt mixed with 25% water

    1 tbsp Dijon mustard

    1/2 tsp salt

    1/2 tsp celery salt (opt)

    1 tsp pepper

    1 small onion or equivalent fennel, finely sliced

    1 tsp cayenne

    1 tbsp smoked paprika

    1 tbsp 5-spice powder

    1 whole star anise or 1/4 tsp dried (opt)

Coating

    650gm/23oz fresh or packaged or make-your-own fine breadcrumbs (try panko or  blitzing stale dry bread in a blender)

    1 tsp celery salt

    1 tsp salt

    1 tsp pepper

    2 tsp 5-spice powder

    1.5 tsp garlic salt (opt)

    1.5 tsp dried ginger

Method:

FLAT RICE STICKS WITH VEGETABLES & CHILLI SWEET SAUCE, Vegetarian, Triple Duty

Rich Chilli Sweet Vegetables & Noodles continues Chinese New Year celebrations...

Flat Chinese Noodles with veg in a robust Chilli Sweet Sauce

It may not look it but this dish has a bit of a kick; it's for adventurous palates or  kids with sophisticated appetites.  

The sauce (unlike 67's Lower-Sugar healthier Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce) is thick and robust; the sturdy flat noodles - affectionately known as rice sticks or Ho Fun - soak up flavours beautifully.

'Ho Fun' Noodle Sticks

Flat Noodle Sticks are more solid and have greater culinary 'heft'  than the usual strands of Asian noodles (see how to use your noodle/s).  Flat sticks stand up well in intense Asian dishes, especially those with black beans or chillis.

The flat noodles do require proper cooking for 10 mins in boiling water rather than just soaking.  But from there they are simply drained, cooked and stirred into a sauce.

The photo above shows a vegetarian side dish but it can easily become a main course with the addition of cooked meat, fish or plant protein.

Cost: depends on what's in the cupboard but a minimum of say £3.50'ish

Feeds: 2-3

Ingreds:  

2-3 nests of rice stick noodles

Sauce:

125ml water

125ml rice vinegar (67 didn't have any and used 50-50 apple cider & white wine vinegar)

     4 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

   50gm/1.75oz sugar (67 used low sugar apricot preserves)

     1 tsp finely grated peeled ginger

     1 tsp finely grated garlic

     1 fresh red chilli or 1/4 tsp chilli flakes

     1-2 tablespoons soy sauce (the minimum for anyone with blood pressure issues)

      1-2 tsp hot sauce (sriracha?) or a few shots tabasco

     1 tsp tomato paste

     1 tbsp cornstarch or rice flour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water (opt)

Vegetables:

1 tablespoon groundnut or plant oil (not olive)

1 large courgette, cut into batons

couple of handfuls mushrooms, in med slice

generous handful grape (small) tomatoes, halved

Garnish:

toasted sesame seeds

toasted sesame oil

Equipment: large frying pan with lid, serving dish with a lip       

Method:

WALLET-FRIENDLY BANANA-CHOCOLATE BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING (NEW)

 Budget friendly version of indulgent Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding...

Leftover bread, ripe bananas & a few handfuls of chocolate
'Quite a treat considering it's budget friendly.' Taster

Not everyone can afford an egg-and-cream-rich pudding in Lockdown III.  But this  frugal version of the indulgent chocolate croissant banana bread and butter pudding is still a great Sunday lunch treat.  

It's another recipe that makes great use of ripe bananas and uses up stale bread.  No more than two eggs are required. 

The pudding - with an optional sophisticated alcohol twist - can go into the oven after the main course and be ready in 30 mins. 

The Blogger tried the recipe (adapted from Robert  Carrier) with homemade wholemeal bread in the interests of using up leftovers.  It was lovely, with a firmer texture than usual but creamy with pockets of melted chocolate underneath and deliciously crispy on top.

There's a bit of buttering, slicing and possible chopping of chocolate involved but none of the steps are difficult.  Using chocolate chips will make life easier.

Cost: £1.50 min, depending on available leftovers. 
Serves: 4

Ingred:
     8 slices bread, buttered

     3 ripe but not black bananas

     1/3-1/2 cup chocolate chips or a bar of backing chocolate cut in shards

     1/4 cup/60 ml orange juice or orange liquor, brandy, whisky or white grape juice (opt)
     1-3 oz/25-75g sugar (67 didn't bother but compensated with maximum 56% dark chocolate; 70% chocolate will need a bit of sugar)
     3/4 pint/226 ml milk
     2 eggs
     4 tbsp light cream or Greek yoghurt

     1/2 tsp vanilla
     

Garnish:

1/2 tbsp sugar (opt)

icing sugar
    

Method: