Showing posts with label product reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label product reviews. Show all posts
I was recently sent some products from Orgran the Gluten Free people so that I could try them out before Pancake Day which is on Tuesday February 9th. I am still waiting to hear whether I am a coeliac or not, (I go on Monday, wish me luck!) so I was quite excited to be able to try these out. Having to give up wheat and products which contain gluten is not an easy prospect, especially when you think of how many things are on the market which contain wheat or gluten and so options like these are really quite exciting!
A big Sunday tradition over here in the UK is the roast dinner. People either cook one at home, or they go out to have one at a restaurant . . . roast meat (beef, gammon, turkey, lamb, pork), with roast potatoes, veg, gravy etc. Oh and Yorkshire puddings. They're a must. We never have a roast dinner on a Sunday. By the time we get home from church and I call my mom, etc., there just isn't the time and to be honest I am pretty tired by then. So, I save our roast dinners for other days. On Sundays, we usually have something which I have either remembered to put in the slow cooker before we left for church, or I whip up something quick like these Bacon & Cheese Omelettes.
After all the comforts of the Christmas period, the thought of a detox can be daunting. But what if you could still eat foods packed with flavour AND be healthier at the same time? The ‘Mediterranean diet’ is exactly this, having been at the forefront of the media in recent years due to its appealing balance of delicious food and enormous health benefits. The tomato is a key ingredient in many Mediterranean dishes and tinned tomatoes are used just as frequently as fresh produce, with Cirio’s authentic tinned tomatoes being the best loved in Italy!
Living here in Chester we are situated right on the border with Wales. In fact right now they are harvesting their leeks on the farms which surround the housing area where we live and the air smells just gorgeous. The Welsh are known for their leeks, but they are also known for a lot of other deliciousness as well! Today I want to tell you about a fabulous online Shop which delivers Welsh Food right to your door called the Bodnant Welsh Food Centre. I was asked if I would like to try some of their products and I was quite happy to do so!
Boy, its hard to believe but Christmas is in just a little under three weeks. If you are like me, I am sure you are in the middle of all of your Christmas preparations . . . baking, planning, cooking, etc. I try to be so organized each year, but every year it always catches up with me and I end up not being as organized as I thought!
That is when recipes such as these Easy Lemon Brownies come in really handy. Delicious and quick to make, they are as simple as stirring a couple of things together and banging them into the oven!
Don't get all judgmental on me now . . . I am as good a baker as the next person, but let me tell you . . . cake mixes and prepared icing will always come in handy, and I . . . for one (and I know I am not alone in this) . . . happen to enjoy the convenience of these products and I am really happy that we are getting a lot more varieties of them here in the UK now!!
When I first moved over here, there was very little of these types of things available! I happen to think that they produce some very tasty cakes all on their own, but I also love to use them to bake other things.
These Easy Lemon Brownies use a Betty Crocker Zesty Lemon Cake Mix and a can of Betty Crocker Zesty Lemon Icing. I was so excited to discover these newest flavours.
And they also have a Spice Cake Mix now and I saw Strawberry Frosting the other day in the shops as well! (The wheels are turning!)
You simply mix the Zesty Lemon Cake Mix together with some melted butter and some beaten eggs and spread the batter in a pan. It's as simple as that!
Nothing could be easier. They only take 15 minutes in the oven . . . and before you know it they are cooling on the side board.
Waiting for them to cool enough so that you can spread them with that delicious Betty Crocker Zesty Lemon Icing.
I sprinkled the top with some white chocolate chips and chopped toasted walnuts to dress them up a bit. Of course you could always stir them into the batter . . . but I liked the look of them scattered over the top.
I always toast my nuts. I just think that a light toasting really helps to enhance the flavour of nuts. Do let them cool before you use them though . . .
Just look at how dense and fudgy they are . . . and they have a full on lemon flavour too. I just ADORE Lemon anything, don't you?
Uh huh . . . I thought so!
*Easy Lemon Brownies*
Makes 16
These
are dense, delicious and zesty! You could stir the white chocolate
chips and walnuts into the batter before baking, but I prefer to
sprinkle them on top after the brownies are iced.
Once
cold, spread the top with the zesty lemon buttercream frosting. You
will not need it all. Scatter the chocolate chips and toasted walnuts
over top. Cut into 16 squares. Store any leftovers in an airtight
container. You can also freeze them.
These were really, really, REALLY good. So good that I (who shouldn't be really eating anything like this) ate two the day I baked them, then Todd ate two also, and then I divided up the rest into containers and gave them away, because I really don't NEED to have anything that deliciously irresitable in my house! Hot dang!
Don't say I didn't warn you! Seriously the lemon flavours of both the mix and the icing were spot on. I am going to have to go to the shops and buy another of each so I can then just bake them as a cake, because I am thinking the cake will be exceptionally tasty also. I'll make sure to bake it when the missionaries will be about. Just to make sure I don't eat it all.
You know a couple of weeks ago I was just saying how much I wished that the Betty Crocker people would get a lemon flavoured cake mix here and there it was! My wish came true! Many thanks to the people at Betty Crocker for sending me this new cake mix and the icing to try! I am so thankful to have yet another delicious flavour to add to my larder!
Dare I wish for another flavour? Hmmm . . . they have strawberry icing . . . strawberry cake mix would be good! Take Note! And a nice vanilla cake mix would also be very nice.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
IF I am really on the ball on Sundays, I make good use of my slow cooker by popping dinner into it before we leave for church. This week I got lucky and got this lovely Merlot Beef Ragout on quite early in the morning, so it was cooked to perfection by the time we got home. Some rice and a couple of veg and dinner was served in short course! I love it when that happens. I am usually starving when we get home!
I made myself a promise when I was diagnosed as a Type 2 Diabetic that I was going to try to bake something diabetic friendly at least once a week that I could share with others, that we would all find delicious and appealing. I confess that some of my experiments have been pretty blah, but occasionally I have come up with something that is really pleasing and that I feel pretty excited to share with you! And that is the case with this delicious Berry and Apple Crumble!
I was recently sent samples from The Berry Company of three of their delicious range of juices.
Superberries: A blended juice drink made with Red Berry Juices from concentrate. The mix combines Pomegranate, Aronia, Cranberry and Grape juice concentrates.
Blueberry: A blueberry juice blend made with fruits from concentrates, sweetened with natural flavours and natural sugars.
Acai Berry: An Acai juice drink blend made with fruits from concentrates, sweetened with natural sugars and natural flavourings. This amazing berry is packed full of taste and goodness; proving that not everything that is good for you tastes like medicine.
I found all to be very delicious. They were very fruity with no aftertaste or artificial tastes. I would buy these.
All of the Berry Company drinks are Gluten and Dairy free, with no artificial colourings, sweeteners or additives and no GMO's. They come in both 330ml cartons for on the go, and 1 litre bottles for keeping the refrigerator stocked. They make the perfect breakfast drink.
To find out more about these and their other drinks do check out The Berry Company website.
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Charlie Bigham's, makers of delicious dishes for two, have launched brand new recipes for their signature Cottage Pie and Shepherd's Pie dishes as they look to serve up the most delicious versions possible of these two British Classics.
I have long been a fan of Charlie Bigham's meat pies, having first tried them when we lived down South, and so I have been keen to try these new dishes!
Charlie and his team have been busying themselves away over the stove to create some sumptuous flavours, including the richest red wine and thyme tomato ragu the chefs have ever made.
This is the ragu they use in the new Cottage pie, which features tender, slow-cooked British beef, topped with creamy mashed potato, breadcrumbs, Parmesan and Cheddar Cheese.
Charlie's Shepherds Pie now has an even more tomatoe-y ragu wih an extra sprinkling of thyme to give it that rich, deep flavour. Originally the Shepherds Pie was made with a beef and lamb combination, but following customer feedback, it is now all lamb based and is succulent and full of flavour.
I like the idea that at Charlie Bigham's they are not afraid to take customer feedback on board and make changes to enhance their existing recipes making them even more delicious!
One thing I love about the Charlie Bigham's products is that they can be ready in minutes and provide a homely supper which is just as good as homemade and from scratch. In fact they taste like homemade and that's not bad.
These new improved pies are now available to buy in stores nationwide via Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Booths, Budgens and Ocado, RRP £7.00
For more information do check out the Charlie Bigham's website.
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I confess I am a real pasta lover. Todd, not so much . . . but I adore pasta in any way shape or form. I do confess that more often than not I eat pasta shapes. I also really love Gnocchi, and I have used it alot. I was recently given the opportunity to try some pasta from a Company called Dell' UGO and I was sent three different types to test. Two filled and one gnocchi. I cooked them all at the weekend and here is what I thought!
There is nothing the Toddster enjoys more than a good British banger. They are not something we eat really often, but when we do we tend to opt for a quality banger . . . something which is meaty and well flavoured . . . without a lot of fillers and ingredients that are questionable, and if they are wheat, gluten and dairy free, so much the better! I like knowing exactly what is in my sausage!
I was recently sent some Serious Pig Charcuterie to review in the way of several snacking salami sticks, notably the Classic and the Chilli and Paprika.
“Serious Pig” is a British company, a London based craft meat business, whose idea for snacking salami was thought up over a couple of pints and a few less-than-mediocre snacks eaten down at their local. Since then, the pair have created arguably some of the best snacks in the country in the shape of two snacking salamis and a sliced lean offering, which they call snakingham. All products have been expertly crafted using the finest British pork available and seasoned to perfection. They are now leading a crusade to inspire food brands to be more transparent about their ingredients.
The Peckham based charcuterie business has launched a "craft not crap" campaign to stop brands from misleading customers about unhealthy, overly processed junk foods and get the country snacking on more authentic products.
This campaign comes after leading scientists, writing in the British Medical Journal recently called for a pan on artificial trans fats from processed food which they claim (the BMJ) could save 7,000 lives. As it stands at the present, there are no laws specifically designed to ensure food manufacturers label trans fats associated with processed foods. Serious Pig founder George Rice claims that Producers hold the power to do this.
As a part of its initiative, Serious Pig is pledging to be fully honest with it's customers by adfding images, tasting notes and descriptions of two breeds of pigs to its website. They are then hoping to encourage people to vote, via social media, for the pig they think would taste best in it's next batch of snacks. The campaign aims to educate larger food manufacturers about the benefits of being transparent with it's customers and give consumers a rare glimpse into an honest, and open product creation process.
My thoughts - The Chilli and Paprika had a bit of a kick, but not in any way which I found to be overpowering. I quite likes. The Classic was gorgeous with a delicious combination of spices and herbs, and a mix of black peppercorns which really enhanced the flavours. In all, the classic was my favourite. Both were meaty and I can see where they would be a popular nibble for with drinks. I like that they are a 100% British product and I like the company's ethos in wanting transparency and honesty when dealing with the consumer. That really strikes a positive note with me! Many thanks to them for sending me these to try. As always any and all opinions are my own.
Available at Boroughbox and Ocado.
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There is one ingredient that I am never without in my store cupboard and that is tinned tomatoes. I just adore tinned tomatoes.
They are an
ingredient that I use often in my recipes and I confess . . . on a hot
summer's day nothing is nicer than to sit down to a bowl of chilled
tinned tomatoes and a slice of bread and butter! Nirvana! To me this
is bliss.
Tomatoes picked right at their peak of freshness and then
preserved for us to use at will. This is one ingredient you will never find lacking in my kitchen, end of . . .
I was recently sent some Tarantella Organic Tomato products to use in my cooking and I was just thrilled, especially as I use tomato products often in my cooking.
I was recently sent some Tarantella Organic Tomato products to use in my cooking and I was just thrilled, especially as I use tomato products often in my cooking.
I had purchased a tin of these tomatoes just recently while they were on special at the shops, but had resisted buying more because they were not a tomato brand that I had ever really used before.
After having used them, and learning more about them, I now wish I had stocked up.
The Tarantella brand demonstrates real Italian passion for food and takes pride in bringing you the best tasting tinned tomatoes, passata and paste. Tarantella tomatoes are raised by Mother Nature with help from the rich Italian soil and hot Mediterranean sun and harvested at their optimum so that they are ripe and juice, which is why they taste so delicious.
Tarantella's tomato range is recognised for its characteristic rich, thick, high brix tomato juice; a great base for Italian inspired recipes including soups and sauces.
Canned tomatoes, passata and paste:
Organic Passata
Organic Tomato Paste
Organic Chopped Tomatoes
Organic Peeled Plum Tomatoes
Tarantella canned tomato products have been around since 1892. Authentically Italian, they are
sourced from the heart of Italy, naturally produced with no additives or fertilisers and no pesticides. They are also GM free
I used the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree/paste to make my delicious Macaroni, Cheese and Tomato Bake which is a real favourite in this house.
The Tarantella brand demonstrates real Italian passion for food and takes pride in bringing you the best tasting tinned tomatoes, passata and paste. Tarantella tomatoes are raised by Mother Nature with help from the rich Italian soil and hot Mediterranean sun and harvested at their optimum so that they are ripe and juice, which is why they taste so delicious.
Tarantella's tomato range is recognised for its characteristic rich, thick, high brix tomato juice; a great base for Italian inspired recipes including soups and sauces.
Canned tomatoes, passata and paste:
Organic Passata
Organic Tomato Paste
Organic Chopped Tomatoes
Organic Peeled Plum Tomatoes
Tarantella canned tomato products have been around since 1892. Authentically Italian, they are
sourced from the heart of Italy, naturally produced with no additives or fertilisers and no pesticides. They are also GM free
I used the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree/paste to make my delicious Macaroni, Cheese and Tomato Bake which is a real favourite in this house.
You start by making a delicious tomato sauce which is combined with cooked macaroni . . . a
very simple sauce using minced onions, tomatoes, basil, tomato puree
and seasoning.
This gets poured into the bottom of a buttered baking dish . . .
A rich cheese sauce is then poured over top . . . homemade of course . . . and the whole thing is then baked until it is bubbling and golden brown.
This gets poured into the bottom of a buttered baking dish . . .
A rich cheese sauce is then poured over top . . . homemade of course . . . and the whole thing is then baked until it is bubbling and golden brown.
I like to add a crushed cracker crumb topping.
I always think casseroles such as this just beg to be topped with something crunchy . . . but that is just me. It's not really necessary.
I always think casseroles such as this just beg to be topped with something crunchy . . . but that is just me. It's not really necessary.
In any case this was the perfect casserole in which to showcase those lovely Tarantella Organic tomatoes!
A delicious macaroni casserole with a fabulous tomato sauce and topped with a rich cheese sauce before baking. Can you say moreish?
225g dried macaroni (1/2 pound, 8 ounces)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 TBS olive oil
800g tinned tomatoes, drained (2 14 ounce tins)
4 tsp tomato puree (tomato paste
2 TBS freeze dried basil flakes
75g of butter (1/3 cup)
50g plain flour (1/3 cup)
1 tsp dry mustard powder
425ml of milk (about 14 1/2 fluid ounces) warmed
225g of strong cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
salt and pepper to taste
a handful of cracker crumbs
Heat
the oil and add the onion. Cook gently until softened. Add the
drained tomatoes and the tomato puree. Cook together for a few
minutes. Stir in the basil and break up the tomatoes with a wooden
spoon. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. Set aside.
To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and mustard powder. Cook, whisking for at least one minute, and then slowly whisk in the warm milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to the boil, making sure it doesn't catch on the bottom. Whisk in 175g (1 1/2 cups) of the cheese, stirring until it melts. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Cook the macaroni until al dente according to the package directions. Drain well. Stir the cooked macaroni into the tomato mixture. Pour into a large baking dish and smooth over. Pour the cheese sauce evenly over top. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining cheese. Sprinkle on a handful of cracker crumbs.
Bake in the heated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!
We have also enjoyed a delicious margherita style pizza which I used the passata to make the sauce. You can find that recipe here.
I confess it's really good. I think that the sauce makes the pizza, don't you?
Tarantella is now sold nationally through a network of wholesalers, supermarkets and online stockists.
A bit of trivia:
Tarantella Peeled Plum Tomatoes were favoured by Miners in the Midlands, post Second World War, as a drink that would help hydrate them and coat the backs of their throats to stop them getting dry and dusty gullets. The miners would drink the premium brix juice before eating the tomatoes; a true testament to the high quality.
Many Thanks to Tarantella for sending me these tomato products to try out. We really have enjoyed them and they are a product I will now actively seek out and buy for use in my home kitchen.
Note: Although I was provided with the tomatoes free of charge, I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are quite simply my own.
*Macaroni Cheese and Tomato Bake*
Serves 4salt and pepper to taste
a handful of cracker crumbs
To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and mustard powder. Cook, whisking for at least one minute, and then slowly whisk in the warm milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to the boil, making sure it doesn't catch on the bottom. Whisk in 175g (1 1/2 cups) of the cheese, stirring until it melts. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Cook the macaroni until al dente according to the package directions. Drain well. Stir the cooked macaroni into the tomato mixture. Pour into a large baking dish and smooth over. Pour the cheese sauce evenly over top. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining cheese. Sprinkle on a handful of cracker crumbs.
We have also enjoyed a delicious margherita style pizza which I used the passata to make the sauce. You can find that recipe here.
I confess it's really good. I think that the sauce makes the pizza, don't you?
Tarantella is now sold nationally through a network of wholesalers, supermarkets and online stockists.
A bit of trivia:
Tarantella Peeled Plum Tomatoes were favoured by Miners in the Midlands, post Second World War, as a drink that would help hydrate them and coat the backs of their throats to stop them getting dry and dusty gullets. The miners would drink the premium brix juice before eating the tomatoes; a true testament to the high quality.
Many Thanks to Tarantella for sending me these tomato products to try out. We really have enjoyed them and they are a product I will now actively seek out and buy for use in my home kitchen.
Note: Although I was provided with the tomatoes free of charge, I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are quite simply my own.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan@aol.com
I love popcorn and one of my favourite brands is Portlebay Popcorn, so when they recently asked me if I would like to try their new Cinnamon Swirl - crunchy sweet popcorn - I jumped at the chance!
Portlebay Popcorn is all popped by hand in Devon with nothing more than a touch of rapeseed oil, a touch of raw cane sugar to give it a delicious crunch and their totally natural seasonings. They are gluten free and have both Savoury Krackle Corn ( Classic, Orchard Wood Smoked Cheddar, Wasabi and Sweet Ginger, Crispy Bacon and Maple Syrup, and Chilli and Lime) ad Sweet Flavours (Very Berry, Lemon Sherbet, Cappuccino and the new Cinnamon Swirl).
From classic Sweet and Salty Kracklecorn through to the kick of Chilli and Lime and the fizzy fun of Lemon Sherbet, all of their nine flavours are equally moreish. They come in small packs which are made for snacking, or big bags that are perfect for sharing with friends. Kracklecorn is a wholegrain and naturally high in fibre.
And just what do I think of this new Cinnamon Swirl? Why, it's fabulous of course. Completely different than what I was expecting. I was expecting it to taste like a cinnamon bun, but amazingly it tastes like spiced apple cider! It's just gorgeous and would be lovely put out in snacking bowls when you have your guests over for drinks during the holidays! I give it a nice 10 out of 10 and
and an English Kitchen Hearty Two Thumbs Up! I am in love! I think you will be too!
Available at Tesco's, Booths and Budgens across the country as well as a network of independant shops and stockists, including Soho Coffee, Thorntons as well as Sainsbury's regionally. Additionally Portlebay Popcorn donate 25 % of their online sales to their nomincated charity CHICKS.
To find out more check out http://www.portlebaypopcorn.com/
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Note - although I was sent several bags of popcorn to try at no charge, any and all opinions are my own.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of my Canadian family and friends! I hope you all have a wonderful weeend filled with lots of love, gratitude and plenty of good eats. Family dinners, they're the best! I've been working hard for the past few weeks to figure out a dessert recipe that I could eat that would be just as satisfying as Pumpkin Pie (traditional at Thanksgiving feasts!) and here I am down to the wire and guess what! I figured one out and it's fabulous!
I found a nice looking piece of Pork Tenderloin in the freezer yesterday and since we hadn't had any pork in a long time I decided to do something with it for our supper today. Todd loves pork and as he hasn't been feeling very well, I thought it would be a real treat for him. I love pork tenderloin. It's like the filet mignon of the pork world . . . so long as it isn't overcooked. It's tender and lean and quite adaptable to most flavours.
Hi there peoples! I wanted to tell you about some of the equipment I've been using in my kitchen over this past month. You know a cook is only as good as the tools she uses and I have been very blessed to have nice things that are really useful.
A few years when I was over in Canada, the Toddster wore out our tin opener and had to buy a new one. I have never been fond of the new one he bought. (Sorry Todd!) I recently got this new One-Touch Automatic Can Opener.
I've never had a battery operated can opener before. At first I wasn't quite sure how to use it. The handy instruction leaflet which came with it soon dispelled any mystery.
You simply place the can opener on top of the can with it's rim positioned in the groove between the cutter and the drive wheel. With the tin on a flat surface you press the button for about one second and release and then it goes to work, cutting the can all the way around. You then press the button again to reverse the cutter and it reverses and stops.
You then lift the cutter off the can, and the magnet on the can opener will pick up the lid for convenience. Easy Peasy, lemon squeezy! I tried to take a video of it in action, but I need a teenager around to show me how to use my camera. Sigh . . . all I got was the picture you can see at the top with the opener on top of the can and my finger going in to touch the button!
I've also been using these Colour Works Utensils. The Masher is made from Nylon and is dishwasher safe and suitable for nonstick surfaces. Heat resistant to 210*C/410*F., it carries a five year warantee.
The Silicone Spoon Spatula is also dishwasher safe, hygenic and very flexible. It's stain resistant and suitable for non-stick surfaces. It is heat resistant for up to 260*C/500*F and also comes with a five year warantee.
What can I say? They do their job and I love that they don't scratch my pans and are dishwasher safe.
All of these items can be purchases at Next Day Catering, a leading online catering supplier providing a range of high quality catering equipment and hotel supplies in in the UK. They have been the UK’s favourite catering suppliers for 20 years now, supplying quality products from top name brands including KitchenAid, Dualit, Panasonic, Samsung Victorinox and more. Their next day catering supplies are used across the UK by bars, hotels, restaurants, cafés, bed and breakfasts, schools, office canteens, bistros and other professional kitchens and hospitality businesses. With a quick delivery, great prices, and a full stock selection, they are my first port of call when it comes to finding the right tools to do what I love to do, and that is . . . cook.
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