The Orchard (Tesco), Healthy Living and Frozen Veg

I very much enjoy being part of Tesco's Orchard  programme. It is a great opportunity to feel closer to the supermarket in which I do the bulk of my food shopping.  The programme invites you to try specific products and ranges, most commonly new launches.  You write reviews of the products and share these views, coupons and products with friends and family.   A lover of discovering new products and writing reviews it suits me very well.   I also  like that, one is sent discount coupons for money off which can be passed onto friends and family.

The campaign that is currently running is one for the healthy living, newly introduced frozen food products, frozen vegetables and herbs.   There was such a wide selection to choose from, I really was spoilt for choice.

Tesco Healthy Living Oriental Whole Food Mix

A great frozen ready meal style veg and grain mix.  It is packed full of veg including carrots, broccoli, pepper, baby-corn and soya beans.  So highly flavoured, there was no need to add extra spicing.  Slight warmth from chilli with soy and sesame being the key flavours.  Texture was provided by the whole cashews.  First way used, was to make sweet and sour- added a handful of bulgar wheat to the grain mix to bulk it out and served it as a side instead of the usual rice/noodles.  Mum and sister whom I was cooking for really enjoyed it.  The mix has a high ratio of veg to grains which is a positive. 

Tesco Petit Pois

Peas are peas, but these are very tasty and fresh.  They just pop and are sweeter than standard peas.  Tiny, they are such a versatile veg to add into dishes the favourite being veg curry.  Very much liked the zip lock style bag they come in, very convenient.  Found their £1.50 price to be excellent value for money

Tesco Baby Broad Beans

Again, another useful freezer standby.   These broad beans are so fresh, they have none of the bitterness that can sometimes be associated with the broad beans outer shell.  Great on the side of a dish, most often use them in stir fry's, salads, curries and chilli/bean stews. 

Tesco Healthy Living Lentil and Vegetable Soup

A thick and warming soup that is full of flavour and reminiscent of homemade.  Think this is due to there being a mix in the size of the chunky veg.  Plenty of it too.  Subtly spiced which allows the flavour of the veg to come through. 

Tesco Healthy Living Three Bean Soup

A light tomatoey soup, full of beans and veg- enjoy the addition of sweetcorn.  It is a highly flavoursome soup, with a bit of a Mexican edge.   It is  not too salty which is a nice change.  Find tinned soups generally err on the too salty side.

Tesco Healthy Lifestyle Balsamic Dressing

A delicious and tangy salad dressing, very low in calories and not at all oily.  Attracted by the packaging.  Athough it is a dressing it is a lovely dip for warm bread alongside olive oil.

Spice Mixes and Fancy Salt

Santa Maria Season All (Home Bargains)

A spice mix that can be used for an array of cuisines including Mexican, Indian, Spanish and Moroccan.  It is a good blend, the predominant flavour is that of paprika.  Also included is black pepper, celery seed, onion, garlic, coriander, ginger, cumin and cayenne.  It is not too hot, well balanced and full of flavour.

Santa Maria Rock and Sea Salt

I do not eat very much salt in my diet but it is very important for bringing out flavour in food.  This blend of two salts,was attractive as there was a mix in the size of flakes.  The addition of sea salt meant that it was a more intense salty flavour, therefore less was needed it and it is lasting well.

Pink Himalayan Salt (Aldi)

Seek out and like natural products.  This is attractive to look at and a very interesting product.  It has a mill on the top too which makes it great to have on the table for guests to use.   Vaguely aware of the benefits,. that it is packed full of minerals and elements.  That can only be a good thing.  It is certainly the aesthetics, origin and story behind it which encouraged the purchase.

 

Santa Maria Teriyaki (Home Bargains)

This Japanese inspired spice blend contains a hint soy.  It contains roasted black and ordinary sesame seeds and it looks very good.  Have used it in stir fry's for the most part but also as a coating for chicken when cooking for family.  There is a pleasant warmth from ginger and the blend is quite aromatic.

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. 

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.

Fabulous Fresh Soups

In supermarket chillers are an array of fresh soups flavours, brands and varieties to chose from.  Soup is one of my very favourite things and would rather have a mug of it than a chocolate bar as a snack more often than not!  Do make homemade soups often but store bought soups are so handy.  Thought I'd do a post to share some of my favourites.



Marks and Spencer Spicy Lentil Soup

A lovely thick soup, packed full of flavour, chunky veg and of course lentils.  Pleasantly spiced, it is very warming with a nice tomatoey base.  It is a very thick soup and found it needed to be watered down just a little.  It is spicy without being hot, the spices used are warming ones such as cumin and they come through well.  You always know that you will get quality from M&S and this certainly did not disappoint.

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.

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.

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!