Swedish meatballs, smashed avocado and stuffed peppers - simple suppers.

Food for the family

We've pretty much made it through January now and the nights are already shortening. Food can become fun again. But why should frugal be a fruitless feast? Why can't simple suppers taste sensational?

That was, remains and will always be the basic premise of Stokes - food made better!

Here are three delicious tugs at the apron strings for something that couldn't be simpler and something that would seriously struggle to be tastier.

We hope you have a go and enjoy.


Quinoa stuffed peppers

• 4 pointed sweet peppers
• 1 courgette finely diced
• 1 aubergine flesh diced
• 250 gms ready cooked quinoa
• 100 gms crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• 2 tbsp Stokes Red Onion Marmalade
• 1tbsp Stokes Chilli Jam

Halve and de-seed the peppers, drizzle with rapeseed oil and roast on a medium heat for 15 minutes.

During this time soften the diced courgettes and aubergine. Then mix the cooked vegetables with the quinoa, feta, Red Onion Marmalade, Chilli Jam and chives. Stuff the peppers equally with the nix and return to the over to heat through for 5 to 7 minutes.


Swedish Meatballs

This is even easier that going to Ikea !

• 450 gms skinless pork sausage
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 1/2 tbsp Stokes Dijon Mustard
• 300 ml tub of half fat crème fraîch
• 1 tbsp Stokes Mustard & Dill Sauce
•  Mashed potato with Stokes Creamed Horseradish Sauce

 Roll the sausage meat into 2 cm balls and brown in some rapeseed oil for 7 minutes or so.

Add, stirring in the garlic, mustard, dill & mustard sauce and crème fraîch, bubbling gently to thicken the sauce for 10 minutes or so. Now for the mash, add a tbsp of Stokes Creamed Horseradish Sauce to buttery mashed potato to serve with the meatballs.

You won't even have to explain the hangers, vases and storage boxes you really didn't need.

Smashed Avocado

As Australian as a billabong or boomerang, but you don't swim in it and it won't come back.

This has become something of a phenomena down under where something quick, tasty and healthy is the order of the day for anyone enjoying their outdoor lifestyle.

The ingredients are really what you want them to be but the core is clearly ripe avocado(s). You literally crush them (they say smash, hmm) - don't slice them or blend them and layer as much as you like onto toasted bread of your choice.

Then it really is up to you.

We've tried it a couple of ways and enjoy folding some crumbled feta cheese and a good tablespoon of Stokes Real Mayonnaise into the 'smashed' avocado and spreading it thickly of toasted grainy wholemeal bread. Then add a couple of slices of crispy smoked streaky bacon topped with a beautifully runny poached egg.

Without the egg, try making a salsa of tomatoes, peppers, olives and Stokes Chilli Jam all tossed in oil to serve on the side. Also, try running a little Stokes Hoisin Sauce through the assembled 'smash'.

For Burns Night celebrations and a Tomato & Whisky sauce, click here.

For the healing powers of turmeric and amazing Piccalilli, please click here.

If good food makes you happy
...adding Stokes will make you smile ;)

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150