Marks & Spencers Haul, Fruit and Treats Review

My lovely Mum handed me in a delicious selection of messages from Marks and Spencers.  The local M&S, has recently started selling more exotic fruits.  It is great to be able to sample such unusual items and was delighted to see kumquats and star fruit (which I've not seen sold in stores for a-few years).  A childish delight befell my sister and I as we dug into a fruit platter, trying out a fruit new to us in mangosteen.  It is a fantastic ending to a meal and also way to encourage children's curiousity trying out these unusual fruits. Morrisons supermarket is also very good for their exotic fruit options and that extends to veg too.

Lemon, Black Lentil and Quinoa Pecan Salad With Allspice Dressing 

Loved this salad, it is full of lots of little bits, herbs, nuts and is so full of flavour. Within the salad there are wheat berries, quinoa, black lentils, pecans and other grains.  It is ready dressed with a lemon and allspice dressing.  This has a citrus zing, freshness and an aromatic peppery flavour from the spicing. The combination of ingredients makes this salad so palate tingingly delicious!

Currying The Flavour- Sauce Reviews

I do love a good curry.  You can get a bit overwhelmed going into the supermarket and being met with such a wide variety of choices.  Be these brands or varieties, you can go Indian, Chinese, Thai or Caribbean the shelves stock them all!  My own tastes, when it comes to curry are that I like them quite spicy but not taste bud numbingly so.  Much prefer tomato based curries, lighter type sauces and those with a-lot of onion and aromats.  Find that I often need to add extra spices to curries as they can be a little bland from the jar.  In this post I'll share some of my favourites.  Only issue with supermarket available sauces is how oily they can be.

Loyd Grossman Dopiaza Curry Sauce

His brand, that has his name as its seal of approval.  Lloyd Grossman has a range of Italian, Indian and Thai sauces available and sold in most supermarkets.  His Dopiaza curry sauce is probably my favourite.  It is a delicious, light sauce that is full of flavour.  It is quite subtle, meaning that  you can appreciate individual spices and flavours.  It is not terribly thick and it is especially delicious for being so abundant in onion, these also give it a nice texture. 

New & Interesting Supermarket Finds

There have been a number of products that have caught my eye in recent weeks.  Especially since the stores have already been rearranged and festive goodies have started to appear.  It is early and not even thinking about Christmas yet, but it is nice to have a-few more choices!  The slight chill in the air and the darkness at 8pm signifies the changing of the seasons.  It is sad to say goodbye to summer, especially one so glorious.  However, autumn has its own benefits.  Food certainly comes into that in a big way.  More home baking, encouraged by The Great British Bake Off.  More soups, root veg and filling, warming foods- yum!

Despite my dad working as a craft brewer, I am not a big beer fan.  Fruit beers are a definite exception though.  The above is made by a brewery in Alloa, Scotland and it is made from the unique Tayberry.  A Tayberry is named after romanticised silvery river.  It is a cross between a raspberry and blackberry, they are a long purpley sweet berry that is packed full of flavour.  I bought a couple of these for dad, as he is always keen to try new and different beers and ciders.  Purchased from Aldi supermarket, I am unsure whether they will be sold in Aldi stores outside of Scotland.  Like the rural specialities that have become more and more available in the store.  It is great to see, particularly that some of the fruit and veg are local too.  These Scottish specialities show that the store supports local growers and meat producers and has certainly encouraged my shopping there.  One of the most interesting additions has been a Scottish influenced, Tablet flavoured ice cream (certainly one for the sweet toothed I'd imagine!). 

Marks & Spencers Delicious Salads

Marks & Sparks must be the prepared salad kings of the British high street/supermarkets.  Such a range of foods they have on offer for lunchtime and very tempting meal deals.  Their prepared salads are always so fresh and full of flavour.  They sell boxed tubs of salads, many of which are on a 2 for £3 mix and match deal.  These come ready dressed or with an accompanying  pot of dressing.  In this post I will share some of my favourites in their range.  They add new ones all the time too, so am always on the look out for them!  They had a nice one called a shaker salad but haven't seen it for a while.

A light salad, especially considering it is a pasta one.  Orzo is more like a grain than pasta and is very nice.  The salad itself contains juicy sundried tomatoes and a basil dressing.  It is a bright and colourful salad, the yellow Orzo stained with turmeric has a lovely contrast with the bright red tomatoes.  It was a little oily for me but still very enjoyable and packed full of flavour.  Really must look out for Orzo would be great to have for a change and like the idea of it in a herby minestrone soup. 

Berrylicious Summer Puds To Look Out For and Fruity Sorbets

Being honest I am not really a pudding person, do love to make them though!  Family are big sweets fans and growing up tea wasn't tea unless there was a pudding.  Nod to Dad there and his traditional upbringing!  Have found my families favourite puds during the summer are those containing beautiful British berries and naturally laden with lashings of cream!  Whether they be berry tarts, mousses, fools, sponges or simple strawberries and cream.  This post is to share some of the berry puds that have caught my eye around the supermarkets.  In the garden, my Dad has always grown his own berries. Memories from childhood, of time spent picking bowl fulls of berries or sneaking under the strawberry net for te plump juicy berries.  Berries he grew, included raspberries, red currants, blackberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries.  Would totally lose track of time when out picking the fruit and would then, sit cross legged on the grass with my sister topping and tailing or sorting berries in some other way.  Favourites were the red currants, stunningly beautiful to look at like red jewels on a string.  Gorgeous the way they hung from the bushes and caught the light. 

Recipe: Crushed Cannellini Bean and Garlic Soup

I really love soup, so much!  Make a pot once per week.  Enjoy it as a meal but also as a snack, it really appeals to my savoury tastes.  Quite often have a mug as a late night snack before bed.  So comforting the warmth and savoury saltiness of it.  Was known to drink veg stock cubes when I was younnger!

 

  This soup below is one I make quite often.  A big fan of beans in all of their forms, tinned beans are a cupboard staple and there is so much that can be done with them.  The canellini beans add a bit of creaminess to the soup and make it pretty filling.  The flavours make for a nice combination and it is a very fresh soup.  It is so quick to put together, no soaking or long boiling here!  In total takes just shy of 1/2 an hour to make.  Due to the brief cooking all of the flavours come out.  If possible it is best to use fresh herbs, the herbs in the soup are what makes it really.

 

Feeling Saucy- Stir Fry Sauce Reviews

A fail safe and a regular meal, fast, simple, easy and tasty.  Probably eat this at least 3 times per week therefore it is important to vary it with different veg and sauces!  I often have a simple stir fry just with soy, fresh ginger, chilli and garlic.  Also make a peanut satay sort of sauce with peanut butter and if I am really lazy just add lashings of sweet chilli sauce.  In this post will share some of my favourite sauces on the shelves of the trusty old supermarkets.

Blue Dragon Spicy Szechuan Tomato

A delicious and tangy sauce.  I never before associated tomatoes with Asian food.  Was quite sceptical when trying it for the first time.  The sauce is lovely.  It is spicy and has a sweet peppery flavour, the tomato comes through too.  The sauce is slightly sweet but well balanced out with the addition of rice vinegar.  Ginger and garlic also come through fairly strongly.  The sauce is full of flavour and my absolute favourite stir fry sauce.

Summer Eating- Making More of Fruit & Ideas

One of the things I love most about summer is the food.  A bountiful supply of fresh fruit and veg are so tempting, al fresco dining and homegrown (by Dad) produce are just some of the highlights. July has been positively scorching and it is the best summer we've had in this country for years and years.  With the warm weather, it brings a more continental type appetite, I find.  Personally much more in the mood for light meals, salads and there is a definite increase in the consumption of a variety of fresh fruit.

-Make Fruit The Star: Some Random Ideas-

National Vegetarian Week and 2 Seasonal Tea Recipes



Spring Onion, Watercress, Radish, Samphire, Asparagus, Chicory, Jersey Royal Potatoes,  Broccoli and Apricots.  Those are just a small selection of the fruit and veg in season.  There is a plentiful supply of delicious, fresh ingredients in shops to cook with and also inspire.  Being in season means that you get produce at its very best and it tends to be kinder on the pocket.  Many of the supermarkets, as it is National Vegetarian Week are doing special offers on veg friendly food- brands such as Linda McCartney, Innocent and Qurorn.  These are well worth looking out for.

 

Food Memories and Recent Finds

Have not done a general food review post for a little while.   The ones written recently, have all had a seasonal theme to them.  This post is largely inspired due spotting drink Um Bongo in my local Tesco.  This juice drink was a real favourite of mine when I was growing up.  Similarly, last week I found a packet of crisps which I also remember fondly from my childhood.  Didn't think they were made anymore and they were quite as yummy as I remembered them to be!  Have been in a real savoury mood recently and this post certainly reflects this.  With the arrival of the warmer weather (at long last!), have found that I have been eating a-lot more fresh fruit, salad and cold meals in the evening.  One of my favourite things at the moment is baked sweet potatoes in their skin, nicer, healthier and more flavoursome than your standard baked pot!  As they were on last weeks super six, I had a generous bag full of the things for a fantastic 69p.  So versatile, they are excellent in a veggie curry and yummy in a soup- particularly combined with roast parsnips.   

UM BONGO

Not a new drink but one that I haven't seen or drank for many years.  It is also the first time that I have seen it come in a large carton (1 litre) as opposed to a single serve one.  On the shelf alongside, there was a new type which is orange in flavour and aptly called- Orang-Utan.  This keeps up the jungle feel of course!  As a child the bright and colourful packaging appealed and I seem to remember it having a very cool advert and catchy theme tune.  The flavour of the standard version and one I bought is tropical.  It blends nine different fruits to give it, its unique taste.  It is a lovely light and refreshing drink.  Especially nice chilled with ice.  It isn't like other tropical juice drinks, which oddly perhaps sometimes have a tomatoey flavour to them (to me).  I thought that it may be too sweet as the food and drinks often are that we enjoyed as children.  However, this wasn't the case at all.  A refreshing drink and real blast from the past!

Product Review- Easter Themed

Easter Treats

The shops have outdone themselves, there is such a beautiful array and selection of food, craft and floral/plant items to celebrate Easter.  I have succeeded in managing to visit each of the major supermarkets available in my area over the past month (Tesco, Asda, Lidl, Aldi and Morrison's- phew!).  Not purposefully, a couple of the times were on request of certain items by others.  I was disappointed and rather surprised to hear that M&S are not running a dine in roast.  Treated Mum to their deal for Mothers Day.  Family enjoyed it and as Dad is cooking, he was hoping to take advantage.  From what I have seen there are a number of offers running over the weekend on meat roasting joints.  It is very much the sweet tastes that arethe main focus at Easter time in terms of products available.  I have not seen but heard about a Hot Cross Bun flavoured beer being available, don't like the sound of that!

Chocolate Mini Egg Review

There is quite a range of mini eggs available and sold in the UK's shops.  They are a real favourite of mine.  The type of eggs I will be reviewing in this blog are chocolate ones in a crisp sugar shell.  I thought that I would share my thoughts on the eggs that I've tried over the years.  All of these are widely available.

  I would be interested to hear from anyone regarding their own favourites, special Easter plans or any varieties local to you or that you may have come across.  Happy Easter in advance and may it be sweet!



Cadbury Mini Eggs

The classic mini egg.  The Cadbury version are the original and for many the best.  I must admit that I am very partial.  These eggs are the perfect size with a perfect coating, not too thick or thin.  The interior is Cadbury chocolate and for some reason to me it is the taste of easter (that type of choc).  Perhaps it is due to it being the commonmost Easter egg choc.  The yellow eggs have a slightly different taste to the others, which is very nice.  You can buy them in a single serve packet in the form of a small cardboard box, the size pictured-100g in size and are available in a larger 360g pack.  I also remember them being sold in tubes but haven't seen any this year.  They are often on offer at £1 for a 100g bag which is very good, Morrisons have an offer of 2 for £2 at the moment.

Veggie Fruity Sweet Review

Have not posted for a little while.  I am in the process of making some changes to this blog and adding a new one.  Decided to create a blog dedicated entirely to the football side of things, whilst on this keeping with the themes of reviews, books, films, food and that sort of thing.  The process is a bit of a pain in the arse, how I wish that the posts could be moved individually via the dashboard as I have so many drafts.  Alas!  Been seeking out some new sweeties recently and thought that I would share my thoughts.

Veggie Friendly Jelly Sweet Reviews

I am more of a chocolate person but an occasional fruity sweet is always good.  It isn't  easy to find veggie friendly options due to the addition of gelatine.  Always on the lookout for new and exciting looking products.

M&S Veggie Percy Pigs

How often had I heard how wonderful Percy Pigs were?!  Family and friends would harp on about them and admit how tasty and addictive these were.  Last year (or perhaps a bit longer ago), I was delighted to see that M&S launched Percy Pigs that were gelatine free.  At last  I was able to see what all the fuss was about, or should I say taste!  My sister also tried them and said that they were a bit harder than the standard ones and that actually made them nicer.  Really like the grape, cherry and raspberry flavour of the sweets, it is quite a unique taste- good though!  They are softish gums, refreshing with a fairly light texture.  The pack size is very generous.  They are priced at £1.89 per bag and are often on at 2 packs for £2.50 (mix and match).  As well as the Percy Pigs a sweet called Colin Caterpillars also come in veggie versions.

Rowntrees Jelly Tots

These were always a childhood favourite and this love has followed into my adult life.  Very surprising that they are indeed veggie.  The tiny little drops are sugar coated and oh so fruity.  Lovely flavour, the citrus ones- lemon, lime and orange are particularly mouth-watering and tangy.  Other flavours include strawberry and blackcurrant.  These are very refreshing and quite addictive.  They also make a nice decoration for a plain iced sponge or fairy cakes.  Found that the sharing bags vary in price from shop to shop, when I bought them they were on special offer at £1 in Morrisons.

Homemade Pitta Bread and Cauli Falafel

A Little Bit Busy In The Kitchen....

Was delighted to get the afternoon off work.  Decided that I'd take advantage of the time and get down to some cooking and baking (of the bread variety).  Pitta breads have always been a staple on my shopping list, handy for a quick lunch and my favourite thing to dip into a mug of soup.  How hard could they be to make?  Along with having a go at ptita's, I also made a variety of different salads- a cous-cous with roasted pepper, a raw cauliflower, lemon and dill as well as a grated carrot and lime salad (Summer Salad Recipes).  Made fairly decent sized batches of each to have alongside leaves, pita/baked tatty for easy meals over the next few days.  As there was a bit of a Middle Eastern theme developing,g also made a small batch of mini cauliflower and pink peppercorn falafels.  With cauliflower on offer at Lidl it is a veg I really enjoy but rarely buy.  Most often have it in a curry or raw but it is about time I thought outside of the box!  As well as the recipes today; Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has a recipe for a cauliflower snack that I suppose eats as a kind of crisp- intrigued to try those out (Hugh's Cauliflower Recipe Ideas). 

As there was a 100g bar of white chocolate in the back of the cupboard, leftover from the chocolate barks I made at Christmas.  With this I had a go at  making some white chocolate peanut butter cups.  Melting the choc, mixed up the peanut butter with some vanilla in separate bowl and used paper cake cases.  Encased the whipped peanut butter in chocolate by spooning the choc into the cups distributing thinly and added a spoon of peanut butter then sealed with more choc.  Allowed these to set in fridge.  Provided pictures but are poor quality as they were taken via laptops webcam. 

Christmas Food & Drinks Review

Festive Fancies

Apple Glühwein Aldi


Best served warm and the ideal tonic when jack frost starts nipping!   This was a one of released in November.  It is a shame, as I would have liked to buy some for the family.   The Perth store is not due to get more in but other regions are said to have it in stock. It is a light fruity mulled drink with the festive flavours of clove and cinnamon.  The drink was very pleasant and drinkable, the flavour of cinnamon especially strong.  It also had a lemony and apple flavour to it too.  A great price at £2.99 per 1ltr bottle.  Interestingly, read online that we are absolutely robbed in this country by both  Aldi and Lidl who charge us a great deal more for their standard Mulled Wine than it costs in Germany.  The bottles of these are beautiful, have tried the traditional mulled wine from Lidl and it too is very nice.  As is the label of the bottle it comes in.

Banana Loaf Recipe

 

 

 

 

With snow falling outside and the winter chills biting, an afternoon in the kitchen was welcome.  I always like to have something homemade when families visiting.  This loaf makes a perfect snack, breakfast or just something to nibble on with a cup of tea.  Is a great way to use up over ripened bananas, the darker the better!  Recipe is very simple and is one I have adapted to taste, from the book "Farmhouse Kitchen".  It is a real family favourite and fondly remember coming home from school to find a freshly baked loaf.  Very lucky that my mum's such a fantastic baker.

 

Favourite Cookery Books Reviewed

 

 

 

 

 

This is the book to accompany the television series airing on Channel 4 last year.  A big break from form and his usual tradition, seen meat loving, self sufficient Hugh ditch meat entirely.   Have watched his previous programmes and he always comes across very well and has a good philosophy on food.  The column he writes for the Guardian is also worth a read.  It was a challenge for him to be veg only but it encouraged creativity and reinforced that all people should really think about making veg a bigger part of their meals.  As a vegetarian it was good to see a programme that focused entirely on veggie food.  Altogether there were seven episodes.  In the course of the programme he cooked for wild swimmers, ate at an Indian wedding, sampled some modern veggie cooking, collected and made a dish from monkey puzzle tree nuts, experienced the raw food craze, Buddhist temple cooking and plenty more besides.   

 

It is the best cookery book I have owned and has provided me with so many delicious meals.  It is all too easy to get stuck eating the same things and to make little effort.   But, this recipe book encouraged me to be far more creative when cooking for myself.  The recipe book has 325 pages of beautiful recipes from filling veg and bean stews, to fragrant Asian dishes, handmade breads, curries, salads and an epic soup section.  Now, soup is something I eat a-lot of and in this book there are quite a-lot recipes for this.  The book itself is well presented, bright pictures with rustic looking food that makes you hungry just leafing through.  Each section has a short introduction, words from Whittingstall on his experiences, likes and some tips.  There are some vegan recipes included and most of the dishes can be adapted to suit a strictly vegan diet.  Book would be a very good addition to any veggies book shelf but really anyone would like this, even the most ardent of meat eaters!

 

Recipe Highlights- 

 

Cauliflower and Chickpea curry, North African Squash and Chickpea Stew, DIY Pot Noodle, Leek Risotto with Chestnuts, Pistachio Dukka, Carrot Hummus, Mexican Tomato and Bean Soup, Beetroot with Walnuts and Cumin and Roast Parsnip, Lentil and Watercress Salad

 

Tasty Sauces, New and A-few Favourite Products

Such a great product and a regular in the shopping basket!  These cook quickly and make an excellent side dish.  Can also be used incorporated in a curry.  I often have the dahl with salad, a wedge of lemon and some pitta bread.  The mix is fine as itself but often add some garlic and/or spices.  Ainsley Harriot has a full range of meal kits and are often found 2 for £2 in Morrisons.  Others include Lime and Chilli Quinoa and rice, Creamy Vegetable Spelt and a Moroccan rice one.  Have tried all bar the spelt and have found them all to be delicious, handy and a versatile addition for meals.

 

A tomato and chilli paste with a distinct smoky flavour and Middle Eastern spicing.  It is very warming and instantly ups the flavour of sauces etc...  Very nice addition to cous-cous, tomato based soups and the perfect product if making a tagine.  A little bit goes a long way.

Veggie Mallow, Honey and Sesame Crispy Squares

Found some marshmallow fluff in the supermarket and decided to do some experimenting.  I don't like butter and never have it in the house.  I was intrigued to see whether these would work without a fat to stabilise them.  Also, without the addition thought they'd end up being too sticky.  Success, no stickiness, very easy so, thought I'd share. I'm on a budget and these are cheap to make with the few ingredients needed already being in the cupboard.  Recipe is fairly loose and done by eye.  Will definitely make these again perhaps with mixed fruits and nuts, oats, chocolate chips etc...  Could make them double chocolate by incorporating in some cocoa powder or melted chocolate.  Also be nice dipped into chocolate and then allowed to set.

Vice Versas Back & Other Nostalgic Discontinued Sweet Favourites

Whilst browsing supermarket websites to discover which had the best deals going, stumbled upon an old favourite.  Vice Versa's are back!!  A delicious sweet similar to a minstrel but rounder and a little chunkier.  These delights are white and black, the white shell contains a milk chocolate centre and the dark white.  Nestle re-released due to popular demand and are set for general release next month, currently only aware of Asda and strangely Toys R Us stocking them.

Crispy chocolate astros in a medley of colours.  A firm favourite due to a combined love of chocolate and interest in space.  They had a sugar shell and inside was a ball a bit like a malteser but more crispy- this was coated in chocolate.  Whilst on a primary school farm trip, won a box of these for correctly guessing the number of bales in the fileld.  Day equally memorable due to teacher who stupidly donned her inches high bright yellow wedges.  A hilarious sight it was for the whole class of ten yearolds to see her attempts at walking, dodging cowpats and to see her fall over- charming!