Did you know: long ago Shrove Tuesday was a day for fun and feasting
before the 40 days of Lent. Christians went to church to confess their sins and would be 'shriven' or
forgiven.As rich foods such as eggs were forbidden during Lent, one way of using them up would be to make pancakes on this day.
The ingredients for pancakes have been seen to symbolise four points of significance at this time of year: Eggs - Creation; Flour - The staff of life; Salt - Wholesomeness; Milk - Purity ... and now Stokes Sauces - Deliciousness.
Do you make your own or buy pre made ?
Either works with these tasty filling ideas, but here's a simple, foolproof recipe from Mary Berry to make the perfect pancake (just click on the image to enlarge it):
Enhance the simple lemon and sugar pancake by adding Stokes Lemon Curd to intensify the flavour with its velvety coat. Spread the curd with a little mascarpone cheese for a grown up twist.
Apples (eating) gently sautéed in butter with brown sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and a splash of dry cider. This browns into a treacly apple filling for pancakes. Add a couple of spoonfuls of Stokes Bramley Apple Sauce when the apples soften in the pan to focus the succulent apple flavour. Serve with ice cream or crème fraîche.
Try these savoury options
This is a great idea for a gorgeous savoury pancake that we found in 'Delicious Magazine'. The stilton melts into the spinach and mushrooms and the soft egg crowns the feast.
I personally prefer my eggs poached - either way though this is certainly worth trying (click on the image for the recipe).
The only decision now is whether to use Stokes Brown Sauce or Tomato Ketchup.
Ham, egg & cheese pancake - it's brunch in a crêpe. put the ham on a warm pancake and sprinkle grated cheese over it, pressing a well into the middle. Carefully break a small egg into the well, fold in the pancake edges to make an envelope for the egg. You may need to put a lid on it to help cook the yolk, then choose - Stokes Brown Sauce or our Award-Winning Tomato Ketchup (perhaps both!).
Chicken & chorizo, chilli pancakes - stir fry chicken pieces, red onion slices and slices of chorizo until cooked. Add natural Greek yoghurt to moisten (not drown) the mixture, then flavour it with two tbsp Stokes Chilli Jam (to taste). Now fold in a couple of good handfuls of baby spinach and spoon into a wrap of fresh pancakes.
Mediterranean Magic - a medley of colour and flavour. Simply take a tub of marinated antipasti from the supermarket including sun-dried tomatoes, roast peppers and olives.
A few anchovies and capers add a salty dimension. Mix in a couple of good spoonfuls of Stokes Chilli Jam and pop it in a pancake - it's truly delicious.
Poached salmon, horseradish and dill pancakes - poach a couple of salmon steaks and keep warm to one side. Combine 1 part Stokes Creamed Horseradish to 1 part Stokes Mustard & Dill Sauce and 1 part crème fraîche. Now flake the salmon into the mix and spoon into pancake envelopes.
Fresh ideas for after school treats
Try these Tuna Tarts for a fun teatime snack. To make the tart base 'nests', cut slices of bread into circles and press them into the buttered moulds of a tart tray and bake at gas 7, 200°C for about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Use your own ideas for the fillings, but I like this - tinned tuna, chopped spring onions, diced cucumber mixed in a bowl with Stokes Real Mayonnaise and a little crème fraîche. Delicious.
Puff Pastry Pinwheels - these stir the imagination in a creative
kitchen.On a rolled out sheet of puff pastry, spread Stokes Burger Relish and cover with torn ham, chopped red or spring onions and grated Red Leicester cheese. From one of the short ends roll into a tight log and chill.
Pre-heat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, retrieve the log and cut into equal pinwheel slices. Brush the pastry with a beaten egg, place on a baking tray, cover with grated Cheddar cheese and bake for 20 minutes.
Let us know what you think: tweet here, or post here.
Its too early for BBQs but it's never too early for Stokes Original BBQ Sauce. Here's a couple of simple ideas to turn the otherwise ordinary into the really quite yummy with smokiness and molasses-styled sweetness.
Sticky Chicken Butty
A tasty use for leftover roast chicken. Shred the cooked chicken into a bowl; grate a carrot, slice and chop a red onion and add them to the chicken; pour Stokes Original BBQ Sauce into the mix, sufficient to coat the chicken. It's delicious in a burger bun with Stokes Real Mayonnaise, lettuce and a slice or two of tomato.
A good family tea. Roast, grill or fry some butchers pork sausages, cut into mouth size pieces and set to one side. Cook torn kale to taste (tough stems removed). Now, simply put a tin (or two) of baked beans in a pan with a glug or three of Stokes Original BBQ Sauce to taste.
Simmer for a minute to infuse the smoky flavours. Add the sausage pieces and kale. Warm through and serve with a jacket potato. If the grown-ups are feeling braver, use Stokes Hot & Spicy BBQ Sauce instead - smokin.
Simple, honest, delicious
FOOD MADE BETTER
01394 462150
