Mussels Avenue – Cheap or Best Value?

Well this post will probably seem like the odd one out as nothing edible or ready to be consumed is referred to.

In one of my previous posts, I mentioned that my initial goal for my garden was to minimise my cost as much as possible and outlined the broad difference between cheap and best value. I am hoping that through this post I will be able to quickly illustrate the difference between those two notions.

Lindsay had the pretty good idea of suggesting using the accumulated shells at the beach down the hill to where we are, as an ornamental fill in between the raised beds.

So first impression, you will tell me that the idea of importing mussels sounds really naff and dead cheap and somewhere you are of course right.

Second impression, the shells are a renewable and sustainable resource. As it happens, they are also free: That is really cheap!

Third impression, picking and bagging up the shells in front of passersby, joggers or dog walkers could make you feel cheap!!

So cheap, cheap and cheap just sounds like it is cheap!! But hey! Look at my mussels avenue below. Does it look like cheap? No, it looks grand and definitely best value.

Sliced Beef Tongue with Tomato Sauce

Like most organ meats, Tongue is very nutrient dense and is an excellent source of pretty much all the B vitamins, as well as zinc, iron, selenium. 

It is also a fabulous source of collagen which is great for your joints and skin. It is hugely fatty but all good fats and is incredibly tasty, tender and satisfying. My family absolutely love it!

If you need another reason to give it a try, it is very cheap – you can buy a whole tongue for approx £3 at any good butcher. Wondering how to cook it – well it’s actually very simple….

Ingredients

1 x Fresh Beef Tongue – avoid the brined variety of beef tongue if possible because it makes it salty and tougher. Ask you butcher for a fresh one.

Variety of veg to make a stock to cook it in. We generally use celery, carrots, parsley, onion, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, chilli’s but really you can use what you have on hand or adapt to your own taste.

Wash the tongue and then put all of the ingredients in a large stock pot and fill with boiled water to cover everything – and a bit more if you can fit it in. Now bring to the boil and simmer for at least 2.5 hours. Or in a large slow cooker on low for 10 hours.

Once cooked discard the vegetables and herbs but keep the stock (put to one side to cool and then use in soups and sauces) and the tongue. Once cooled slightly use a knife to peel the tongue. The skin will remove quite easily. Then slice into pieces – about 0.5 to 1 cm each. Once you have prepared a sauce to go with the tongue you will fry off the tongue slices and serve with the sauce.

The sauce can be anything you fancy – we like it with a tomato based sauce. I generally go with our family favourite tomato sauce which is as follows:

Tomato sauce Recipe 

1 bell pepper – red yellow or orange

2-3 celery stalks

1 onion

1 can of chopped tomatoes

1 ladle full of stock – any kind

1-2 tbsp fish sauce

Chop and fry off the veg then add the stock and tomatoes and simmer for 20 mins. Puree. Add the fish sauce and stir in before serving. 

Serve with the pan fried sliced tongue and anything else you like – it tastes good with anything but we like rice, cauliflower rice, sautéed cabbage, gluten free pasta or rice pasta – equally good with mashed potatoes though!

Enjoy…..       

Mushroom Soup

And here we are at the final day – nutritious, simple, cheap and delicious soup, at No 7 of 7!

This is  soup I make frequently, quite often just for myself – I make a half batch and it does me two lunches during the week. I absolutely love it! Let me know what you think. 🙂

MUSHROOM SOUP

2 medium onions chopped

500g mushrooms

4 cloves of garlic

up to 500g beef stock

15g organic butter

milk

cream

tarragon

Saute the onions and garlic in the butter until soft. Add the mushrooms and tarragon and saute at a low heat for 5 mins. Stir and add the beef stock until it covers the mushrooms. Bring to boil then simmer for 15 mins. Puree until smooth, then add milk, to taste but say 50g. Serve with a drizzle of cream. Fall in love……

Carrot and Celery Soup with Chili and Lime

Nearing the end of my 7 days seasonal, nutritious and delicious soup theme, here is 6 out 7 (and yes I have posted it before many moons ago), but it is so good here it is again – plus I know you all love a bit of spice in your lives!

CARROT AND CELERY SOUP WITH CHILI AND LIME 

4 medium to large carrots – more if smaller, diced

1 Parsnip, diced

4-6 celery stalks, diced

2 medium to large onions, diced

1-2 tsps dried coriander

1-2 tsps dried cumin

2-3 red chili peppers, minced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1.5 litres of stock – use stock cubes of choice I used Kallo Organic Chicken stock cubes 1 for every 500mls of water

juice of 2 limes

Put in everything but the lime juice in a large pot with stock. Bring to boil then simmer for 20 mins. Add lime at end and puree to smooth consistency.

Serve and enjoy.

I decorated with red chili and fresh coriander leaves.

Serves 6

Curried Parsnip Soup

So continuing on the theme of Autumnal healthy and nutritious soups, here is number 2 of 7. Warming and satisfying, adjust the spice to your preferred strength.

Curried Parsnip Soup

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 15g butter
• 450g parsnips, peeled and chopped
• 900g chicken stock (making your own will give this a major nutritional punch)
• 1tsp-1tbsp curry powder (to taste)
• salt and pepper to taste
• organic whole milk – up to 220g optional – or a little more stock can be added
• cream for drizzling

Melt butter in heavy bottomed pan and cook onions until almost caramelised. Add carrot, parsnip and curry powder and cook for a few minutes. Add stock and bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer for 20mins. Puree until smooth. Taste and salt and pepper to your own taste. If you think the soup is thick then add milk or more stock or water.

Drizzle with cream and spinkle with paprika to serve.

 

Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Soup (freezes well) (Serves 4-6 depending on size of the squashes)

1 Butternut Squash, peeled and deseeded. Chopped into chunks. (weigh the chunks)

2 onions, chopped

1-2 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil

Chicken or veggie organic stock to same weight as total of butternut squash chunks

2-3 garlic cloves or more to taste

Heat oil in large pan and fry onion and garlic gently over low heat until nearly caramelised. Add Butternut squash and stock, bring to boil and then simmer for 45 mins. Allow to cool slightly then puree/blend until smooth. Add water if needed to reduce thickness. Season to taste. If you wish sprinkle with paprika and serve with sour cream and or sour dough bread.

CHEAP AND NUTRITIOUS SEASONAL FOODS

What’s cheap and nutritious at this time of year? Well root vegetables of course! New potatoes, carrots, parsnips, leeks, onions, turnip, swede, squash, celeriac. I love Autumn and all the flavours and colours that go with it, this is the start of soup and stew weather all healthy, nutrient dense, warm and filling options. My plan this week is to give you a soup recipe every day as a welcome back. First one up is one of my favourites – Butternut Squash soup. Watch this space! What’s your favourite?