NAVIGATING THE FOOD JUNGLE IN A COST OF LIVING CRISIS...

Cost of Living: Supermarket Nightmares...

Courtesy of Pixaby:  © Copyright Steve Buissinne tand licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

It's a teensy bit unnerving shopping right now because at times like these, some food producers are tempted to sell substandard food, mislabel products or just generally lower standards.  

It's almost inevitable when times are tough.  Remember the horse meat scandal?  

We're not there yet but we are seeing stories of cheap imports (Polish eggs, anyone?) sneaking onto the shelves in disguise.  Some of the cucumbers in the 67 basket recently have been such poor quality, they've been instantly binned.  

What to do?   

67 believes the trick is to only shop at supermarkets you or your circle of friends know and trust.  

Is the produce fresh?  Is the meat of decent quality?  Are the bargains truly worth buying and eating?  Or are they just so bad you bin them and chalk it up to  experience?  

The everyday items on the shelves - are they good value or are they an afterthought, to fill in the spaces between the weekly specials?

Don't be afraid to look around at places you think are beyond the range of your budget.  

Even the best ones have weekly specials that are difficult to resist.  

Last week, 67 enjoyed 3 beautiful crisp, juicy Braeburn apples for just 85p at M&S, when normally they're purchased individually at one of Belsize's posh greengrocers.  (Whose prices, to be fair, are excellent for small purchases.)

There are plenty of meat bargains available at middle and top tier supermarkets.  Waitrose usually has at least one weekly special on fresh meat including Angus beef; the meat is in large pieces but that's easily fixed with a knife, a chopping board and a freezer.  M&S has terrific permanent offers on chicken and minced beef.  Sainsbury's often sells lovely cuts of pork and beef steaks, and usually has a stunning offer on fruit or veg. (Avos at 50p each, anyone?)

Can I still be vegan in these difficult times?

PENSIONERS DELIGHT: SIMPLE MUSTARD MAPLE ROAST CHICKEN for a Fiver, low-fat; incl pricing for other courses

Don't forget to have a look at Welcome to the Blog

for tips on turning economy food into tasty satisfying dishes

Turn a supermarket chicken into something special...

Chicken with Mustard & Maple Sauce (half a chicken for 2): 
'a lot easier & quicker than the original recipe; the chicken was juicy and very flavourful' Tester

Despite the Government's welcome help, feeding the household is still a big worry and many have had to bite the bullet and lower standards a little, cooking standard chicken instead of free-range.

But they're discovering that treated properly, supermarket meats can be nearly as good as free-range.  

And supermarket meat prices/bargains are very good.

At M&S, a small chicken big enough for 4 is selling for £3.50 (as of 27/5/22).  A extra-small bird big enough for 2 adults & 2 children was only £2.70 at Sainsburys. (Their chicken has always been a surprise - in a good way -  for flavour and texture - when tested by 67 in the past.) 

(See this week's post  NAVIGATING THE FOOD JUNGLE IN A COST OF LIVING CRISIS...)

This simple recipe for Chicken with Mustard and Maple Syrup turns supermarket chooks into star.   

The recipe is a simplified version of the original recipe which poached the chicken before roasting.  This version instead places a tin of water in the bottom of the oven/air fryer to ensure it stays moist and firm.

Cost: £4 or under (around £5-6 with carb, salad & dessert)

Feeds: 4 or makes 2 meals for 2

Ingreds:

One small chicken

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

2 tablespoons maple syrup OR honey

small clove garlic, grated (opt)

Garnish: couple of spring onions 

Method:

SINGLETON CHEAT'S PRAWN SALAD: wallet-friendly, carb-free, low-fat, easy and wallet-friendly

Prawns may seem to be an indulgence out off the reach of ordinary budgets but this recipe makes them go further...

Wallet-friendly prawn & vegetable salad with the help of supermarket friends
'Really lovely and it's great to know there are prawns left for another meal.'

As well as being wallet-friendly, the salad is healthy: high protein, high fibre, carb-free and low fat/cholesterol.  And delicious, too, of course!

It's another of those super-meals put together quickly and easily with the help of supermarket friends.  Both prawns and (optional) artichoke hearts are often included in M&S's excellent 3-for-2 offers.   

If you're having an office day, the ingredients pack inside a mason jar or plastic container with a well-fitting lid.   

Cost: £3'ish, depending on salad ingredients/leftovers at home (2022)

Feeds: 1

Ingreds:

2 mugs salad leaves: romaine, baby gems, iceberg, lamb's lettuce

herbs (opt): parsley, cress

generous handful of artichoke hearts, fronds removed (opt)

2/3 mug cucumber in thumb size pieces

2-3 tomatoes, in bite-size chunks

handful of leftover veg: cauliflower and/or broccoli florets or green beans or mange tout or asparagus OR freshly cooked and cooled veg in thumb-size pieces

one half a 140gm/5 oz container prawns in paprika or sriracha sauce, including sauce

4 tbsp thick 0-fat yoghurt OR a 50-50 mix of yoghurt & mayo

          pepper & salt

       squeeze of lemon juice (opt)

Method:

SINGLETON'S EASY SHORTBREAD: 5 ingredients, quick, indulgence

Have you ever sat on your own at home and fancied a small mid-afternoon no-fuss sweet that that provides just enough to satisfy cravings and no more?

Rapidly decimated Singleton's Sensational Shortbread
'Sophisticated and sensationally crumbly but so easy' Tester

This Shortbread recipe, adapted from lovely-jubbly Jaimie Oliver, is the perfect solution.

It takes only five ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, flavouring and chocolate and only makes enough to satisfy one (or two) people.  For more, double the recipe.

It is gorgeous.  And the prep takes all of 7 minutes!

67 used orange flavouring but the recipe can be made in all variations.  Try chocolate chips mixed into the dough.  Or lime with almonds.  Or coconut, cherry and vanilla.   

The sky's the limit .

Ingreds:

75g/2.6oz butter or dairy-free margarine, cut from cold and left to soften

100gm/3.5oz plain flour (67 used 1/4 wholemeal flour for added fibre)

25gm/0.75oz sugar (67 used a 50/50 mix of white & brown sugar)

zest of one orange, divided AND/OR 1/8 tsp orange essence (found near the vanilla)

25gm/3/4 oz 70% dark chocolate (chocolate below 70% usually contains dairy)

Method:

1. Line a 6in/17cm tin with greaseproof paper (crumple it up, spread it out into the tin and press into the edges) 
2. Place butter, flour and sugar in a small deep'ish bowl; mix; if using orange zest, add half here  
3. Rub between your thumb & forefinger until full of crumbles; don't overmix; add rest of zest (if using orange essence, see no 8 below) 
4. Press into pan
5. AIR-FRYER: Bake at 165°C;  OVEN, 190°C  20 mins
6. Remove shortbread with paper base from pan; place on cooling rack
7. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over but not touching simmering water; add essence of orange, stir 
8. Drizzle over shortbread from a height
9. Cut into fingers
10. Serve

Comments:

'Sophisticated and sensationally crumbly but ever so easy; prep takes 5 mins.' Retired writer

Tips:

• instead of drizzling chocolate on top, mix into the dough a small handful of dark chocolate chips or vegan white chocolate chips before baking
• Replace orange zest with lime zest; scatter finely chopped or flaked almonds over the chocolate glaze

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