Category Archives: Food

Christmas Wine Review

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Banrock Station Shiraz Rosé

 The complaint I have from people who don’t like Rosé is that it is too sweet. This Rosé solves that problem. It is good, refreshing and crisp Rosé . Although it has a touch of sweetness it is not overbearing. It’s a good bright colour too.
This Rosé has delicious flavours of strawberry and cherry. It has a lot of flavour and is sparkling. Top Notch.

 Waitrose £8.99        

   
 
Stone’s Ginger Wine Special Reserve is a blend of the finest quality raisins and pure ground ginger which produces a delicious, mellow warming flavour that pairs perfectly with Christmas pudding and mince pies.
 
 Stone’s Ginger Wine is not for lightweights. It is 18%, but it really is beautiful. A delicious, full-bodied ginger wine. It’s strong, a bit like a brandy. You can feel it going down. It tastes delicious alone or as a cocktail ingredient. One of my friends I tried it out on now drinks it with cola. It would also be brilliant as an ingredient in a hot toddy.

It tastes expensive but it is reasonably priced. Try it, it is one of my favourite wines. Good quality and original. Perfect for winter as it’s warming and perfect for Christmas too.
 
 Waitrose £6.99
 

Cooking With Spice

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Add Spice To Your Life

Winter is well and truly here, and it’s cold outside. To warm yourself up why not start cooking with spices. To keep costs down, and to support your local shops, buy spices from an ethnic grocer rather than a supermarket. Good brands of spices will have a strong aroma. Many experts insist that you should toast and grind whole spices yourself as the flavour will be better, the aroma and colour of ready-ground spices can quickly fade.

After you have located your spices should invest in a spice rack. Spices are best used within three months of purchase (not kept for years!) They should be kept in airtight containers and away from direct sunlight and heat.

Fill up your spice racks as you go, if you are low on space get a wall spice rack.

It’s a good idea to have a clear out and replace any old packages of spices with new ones. It’s also better to buy small amounts frequently than to buy bulk amounts that will take you a long time to get through. Spices don’t last for forever, even if people do seem to keep them for years.

Here is a basic spice list to start with: Bay leaves, Black peppercorn, cayenne pepper, chilli powder, cinnamon ground, Cloves, Cream of tartar, Cumin, Curry powder, Ginger, Kosher salt, Nutmeg, Oregano, Paprika, Crushed red pepper, Rosemary, Sesame seeds, Thyme, Vanilla extract.

Happy cooking!

Oddbins is back on a High Street near you…

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Oddbins is back on a High Street near you…

– Unique initiative allows Oddbins’ customers to choose the price of wine –

Oddbins is relaunching in the UK this week with a revolutionary approach that will see customers decide the price of some of its wine range.

From 20-23 October, consumers will be able to blind-taste wines in-store and then provide a price that they would be happy to pay for that bottle.

The wines will then go on shelves at the Customer Recommended Price (CRP).

Ayo Akintola, Managing Director of Oddbins says: “We’re taking the old cliché of ‘the customer is always right’ and actually demonstrating our belief that this is the case. The new Oddbins will put the consumer at the heart of everything we do, so it makes sense that we have a conversation about our pricing with our customers to explain our value based pricing model, while at the same time taking their opinions on board.

“For a long time the noise around wine has been about discounting and price cuts. It is time we have a mature conversation about price and what constitutes value.

“Oddbins has a proud history of innovating in the market place and this is just another example of that. No matter what the occasion, Oddbins is here to provide our customers with the perfect choice of great value wine.”

The unique initiative celebrates Oddbins’ relaunch on the 19th October, which will see 37 stores across the UK reinvigorated with a new look and feel.

The new stores will build on Oddbins’ heritage as an innovative and adventurous selector of wines, and see the retailer continue to offer a carefully considered and great value range.

Staffed by an enthusiastic team of wine buffs – ready to share as much (or as little) advice as customers want – Oddbins aims to bring the pleasure back to wine buying with a personal touch that cruising the supermarket aisle just fails to deliver.

The Inept Girl's Guide To Cooking: Eton Mess

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I love Eton Mess, it is easy to make, healthy and just that bit different.

Here is what you need.

Strawberries (about 500g)
4 meringue nests
1 pint double cream
1 tbsp soft demerara sugar
You could make your own meringue, but this is called the Inept girl’s guide, and, really, who has the time.

Next….

1 Wash and quarter your strawberries.
2 Take about 1/3 of the fruit and place in a blender with 1 tbsp sugar to make a puree.
3 Whip the cream until it stiffens
4 Place it all into a bowl, crush the meringue and add that too.
5 Spoon the mix into sundae glasses or a bowl, add the puree and a cluster of delicious ripe strawberries.

You can also add blackberries or raspberries. All summer fruits are great with Eton Mess, enjoy!

Banrock Station Creates The World’s First Living Billboard

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Blooming Lovely!

Shoppers in London were treated to quite a sight today, as a billboard made entirely of living flowers in support of Natural England was revealed outside the Westfield Shopping Centre.

The interactive board has been created by environmentally- focused wine brand Banrock Station to mark the launch of their new special edition wines, proceeds of which will help Banrock Station work with Natural England to preserve 2,100 acres of British wildflower meadows. The billboard, made up of over 800 native British plants and from 14 different species took over two months to grow and more than 12 hours to install.

Depicting a bottle of wine pouring out a fountain of flora, the sun, butterflies and bees have all been intricately detailed using a variety of beautiful blooms. An interactive pump features as part of the installation, allowing passers-by to adopt the brand’s ethos of ‘giving nature a helping hand’ by watering the flowers to help them grow.

The hope is that the board will highlight the crucial role wildflowers play in the eco-system, providing the nectar and pollen needed by vital wildlife to prosper and in turn pollinate up to one third of the food we eat.

The brand specifically supports causes that give something back to the earth and has backed almost 100 environmental projects since 1994. Through these special edition wines, Banrock Station is giving £30,000 to Natural England who will use the funds on their National Nature Reserves to help protect and enhance wildflower meadows across Britain.

Simon Huguet, Principal Adviser for National Nature Reserves at Natural England said: “We are delighted to work with Banrock Station and thrilled at their support for wildflower meadows on our National Nature Reserves. Home to many rare plants, traditional meadows provide vital habitat for birds, bees and small animals and are wonderful places to visit. In recent years they have become a rare sight across our countryside and it is great to see these special places getting a helping hand.”

Kate Thorn, Environment Manager at Banrock Station added: “We are always keen to support projects that share our philosophy of enhancing the natural environment and giving something back to nature. ‘Good Earth, Fine Wine’ is key to our philosophy so taking care of the environment is crucial to making our great wine. We understand how small changes to our land can have a big impact upon our environment and there seemed no better way to showcase the plight of the humble wildflower than by displaying these beautiful plants directly as part of our glorious living billboard.”

The billboard will remain on display for two weeks and, once removed, all the wildflowers will be replanted in local communities to ensure they continue to grow and flourish long after the activity is completed. The billboard structure is made of 80% recycled material and will also be reused for future projects, while the printed elements are all fully bio-degradable.

Sophie Mitchell Tweet Yourself Thin: Sunday

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Frost hopes you have enjoyed the week of ‘tweet yourself thin’. Lots of healthy eating, and hopefully you lost a few pounds.

Best Breakfast Burritos
Prep time 10 minutes
Cooking time 5 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

Small handful of fresh coriander leaves
3 spring onions
1 tbsp of pickled jalapenos
2 tomatoes
100g tinned beans (like pinto or borlotti)
8 eggs
100g grated cheddar
4 wholemeal or seeded tortillas

Chilli sauce to serve with chicken

1. First add the coriander leaves, jalapenos and spring onions to a blender and blitz until fine. Then
transfer the mix to a bowl.

2. Lay the tortillas on a clean work surface and spread a spoonful of the coriander mix on each one.
Then sprinkle over the cheese.

3. Whisk the eggs together and season. Dice the tomatoes, then heat up a frying pan and add the
tomatoes and beans, cook for 5 minutes in a little olive oil, then add the eggs, stirring occasionally
cook the eggs for about 5 minutes, do not overcook them.

4. Divide the eggs between each tortilla and then roll up the tortilla. Heat a large frying pan up and
fry on each side, then serve.
Barbecued Lemon and Oregano Chicken Legs with Green Olive and Basil Salad
Serves 4
Prep time 20 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes

Ingredients

5 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons
100ml white wine
1 tsp dried oregano
8 chicken legs and thighs
Salad;
1 tin of artichoke hearts
100g pitted green olives
2 heads little gem lettuce
Small handful of shredded basil
Dressing;
75ml olive oil
25ml white wine vinegar
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp honey
Sea salt and pepper

1. Mix the white wine, garlic, oregano, olive oil and then mince the garlic and also add. Cut the
lemons in half, squeeze in the juice and chuck in the lemon skins as well. Mix then add the chicken
legs. Cover and leave for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220C or get the BBQ ready.

2. Pour the chicken marinade and the lemon pieces in a roasting tray, season and place in the oven.
If barbecuing, season the legs and thighs and then place on the barbecue, brush with some extra
marinade occasionally. They will take about 30 minutes in the oven (or basically just cook until
golden brown with clear juices). On the barbecue they should take about 20/30 minutes, just make
sure you turn them.

3. While they are cooking make the salad. Drain the artichokes off and pat dry with some kitchen
towel. Then cut in half and add to a large bowl, then cut the olive in half and add. Take the little gem
and trim the base, then break into the natural leaves. Mix together with the olives and artichokes.

4. To make the dressing simply whisk all of the dressing ingredients together, then drizzle to
personal taste over the salad.

5. When the chicken pieces are cooked, pile up on plates with some of the lovely salad on the side.

Spiced Pollock, Roasted Butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad
Prep time 15 minutes
Cooking 10 minutes
Ingredients

4 fillets of OCADO Pollock
1 tbsp tikka masala paste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 packet of Waitrose butternut squash peeled slices (350g)
250g rocket leaves
1 lemon
150g chickpeas
1 tsp mango chutney
100ml natural yoghurt
1 tsbp of chopped fresh mint

1. First place the fillets of Pollock into a bowl and spread in the spice mix, make sure it gets all over
the fish on both sides, then preheat the oven to 250C.

2. Pop the butternut squash on to a tray, drizzle with oil, season and roast for 20 minutes, until
golden round the edges.

3. While the squash is cooking mix the chickpeas, mango chutney, yoghurt and mint together and
season.

4. Heat the grill up and place the fillets on a baking tray, season and then grill for about 6/8 minutes,
depending on the thickness, until cooked throughout.

5. Pile up the squash, salad, and then fish, top with a big scoop of the chickpea mix and serve.

Sophie Mitchell Summer Recipes: Saturday

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Rye crepes with super fruit salsa and Greek yoghurt
Serves 4
Prep time 10 minutes + 30 minutes resting time
Cooking time 8 minutes each crepe
200g rye flour
50g plain flour
2 eggs
500ml milk
Pinch of salt
150g blueberries
100g raspberries
100g pomegranate seeds
½ grapefruit
250ml Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp of runny honey
1. Pour the flours in a bowl, add the salt and mix. Whisk the milk and eggs together and they mix
into the flours, stirring at the same time, to make a lump free batter. Then cover and leave in the
fridge. This can be made the night before too.
2. Segment the grapefruit and mix with the berries and pomegranate.
3. Heat up a large non-stick frying pan and add a little oil, then when hot enough add a ladle of the
batter bad spread thinly. Cook for 2 minutes then flip over, repeat with all the batter and then serve
with the fruit, yoghurt and honey.

Tuna Teriyaki burgers with red radish sprouts and cucumber
ribbon salad
Serves 4
Prep time 20 minutes
Cooking time 10 minutes
800g of fresh tuna steaks
4 spring onions
1 tbsp pink sushi ginger
2 tsp teriyaki sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
Sea salt and pepper
Splash of veggie or sunflower oil
For the salad;
2 cucumbers
1 red chilli
200g red radish sprouts
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp sesame seeds
1. Cube the tuna into medium sized cubes and place in a blender. Then slice the spring onion,
roughly chop the ginger and add with the rest of the burger ingredients. Blitz until fine, with a little
texture. Then take out and shape into 8 patties of equal size.
2. Finely chop the chilli and mix in a bowl with the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and sesame seeds.
Then using a peeler, peel the cucumber into strips into the bowl, finally add the radish sprouts and
mix well.
3. Heat a frying pan up and add a splash of oil, then cook the tuna burgers for 4 minutes on each
side, season as you are cooking.
4. Then serve the burgers and salad together. This is also great with steamed rice and for a more
indulgent dish mix some wasabi and mayonnaise together and serve on the side as well.

Chicken, peanut and sugar snap and basil stir-fry
Serves 4
Prep time 15 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
1 tsp of natural oil (like veggie oil, but peanut oil is great here too)
4 chicken breasts (approx 180g per breast)
4 spring onions, roughly sliced
1 red pepper, cubed
1 tsbp un-salted peanuts
250g sugar snap peas
200g tender stem broccoli, cut into 2” pieces
Small handful of basil
Stir-fry sauce;
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp fruit sugar
Pinch of chilli powder
Juice of 1 lime
1. Cube the chicken and the peppers and then heat up the oil. Add the chicken and fry for 5 minutes
on a high heat, and then add the peppers, the peanuts, the sugar snap peas and the broccoli.
2. Cook on a high heat stirring occasionally for 8/10 minutes, it is fine to get a good colour on the
ingredients.
3. Mix all the sauce ingredients together and pour over the stir-fry, along with a tbsp of water.
Continue cooking till the sauce is thick (about 5 minutes) then add the basil and serve with some
steamed jasmine rice

Sophie Mitchell Summer Recipes; Tweet yourself thin: Friday

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Pancetta, cherry tomato and ricotta frittatas
Prep time 10 minutes
Cooking time 10 minutes
Makes 12 mini frittatas
12 slices of pancetta
6 cherry tomatoes
200g ricotta
25g watercress
10 eggs
100ml milk
Sea salt and black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Oil a 12 cup mini muffin tray or a 6 cup larger one.
2. Line each muffin cup with a slice of pancetta. Then halve the cherry tomatoes and add one half to
each cup. Divide the ricotta between the cups as well.
3. Whisk the eggs and milk together, then season. Roughly chop the watercress and mix in with the
eggs. Pour the mix between the muffin cup and pop in the oven 10 minutes, until just set.
4. Then cool slightly, remove from the tray and serve.

Wholemeal linguine with crab, chilli and white wine
Serves 4
Prep time 10 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
400g wholemeal linguine
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 dried chilli
2 lemon, zest and juice
Small handful of chopped flat leaf parsley
400g of white crab meat
1. Place a large pan of water on to boil, when at a rapid boil, add salt and then the pasta.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil up in a large frying pan. Add the garlic, then crumble in the
chilli, fry for a couple of minutes, but do not get any colour on the garlic.
3. Add the crab, lemon and parsley then season well.
4. When the pasta is done (this should take about 20 minutes, but read the individual packet
instructions and cook al’dente) Then drain off the pasta, retaining about 1 tsbp of pasta water and
add both to the frying pan. Cook for another 5 minutes and then serve with an extra drizzle of
olive oil.

Pan Fried Salmon with fennel shavings and saffron aioli
Serves 4
Prep time 15 minutes
Cooking time 10 minutes
4 skinless salmon steaks (about 200g each)
2 bulbs of fennel
1 tbsp capers
1 red onion, sliced
Juice of lemon
2 tsp olive oil
Saffron aioli;
1 clove of garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1 free range egg yolk
1 pinch of saffron
100ml olive oil
1. Firstly trim the fennel and then cut it as thinly as possible (I use a mandolin for this) then mix with
the lemon juice, capers and onions finally add the olive oil and season. Do this about 1 hour
beforehand if possible.
2. Then make the aioli, place the garlic in a blender with the egg yolk and saffron, then blitz for 2
minutes. Then very gradually pour the olive oil, while the machine is still on. It should become pale
and thicker. Season and add some lemon juice.
3. Heat griddle pan or a frying pan up hot and then add a little oil, season the salmon and cook for
about 4 minutes each side then serve up with the salad and a drizzle of aioli.