Easter mains - for a flavour-filled change

Putting the 'EAT' 
in your EASTER

Easter is a time for families, friends and feasting.

There's something more positive about this time of year than our last excuse for eating too much - Christmas.

The daffodils are smiling, the weather is slowly warming and school rugby posts are replaced by finely mown squares for a brief season of 'barmy' leather on willow cricket.

We would like to think Stokes can contribute something towards the 'eat' in your Easter and certainly its 'T' for taste.

Here are a few flavoursome thoughts you might like to try over the Easter holidays.


BBQ Grilled Leg of Lamb

Whether it's outside on the barbecue or inside on the grill, this is a simple alternative to a standard roast or slow cooked lamb joint. The meat has a well rendered BBQ flavoured crust around a succulent pink middle. You will need to speak nicely to your butcher because this requires a boned and butterflied leg of lamb.

You'll need:

• About a 2 to 2.5 kg lamb joint, boned and butterflied
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 3 cm of fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp of rosemary leaves
• 1 tbsp thyme leaves
• 3 tbsp plain yogurt
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp Stokes Original BBQ Sauce
• 3 tbsp rapeseed oil

Here's how:

Peel and grate the ginger and the garlic; finely chop the herbs and mix with the BBQ sauce, yogurt, oil and lime juice to create a paste or marinade.

Coat the lamb well or put it and the marinade together in a large plastic food bag to marinate, ideally overnight.

Seal the meat all over under a hot grill or on a hot BBQ. Then reduce the heat and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes (according to your preferred 'pinkness'), turning every 3 or 4 minutes to cook through evenly.

Orange Chilli Chicken Marinade

This is simply delicious and tastes as though you've worked really hard ... if you try it though don't forget, we know you haven't.

You'll need:

• 1 Seville orange
• 1 lime
• 3 tbsp Stokes Bloody Mary Ketchup
• 1 x 250 ml glass of dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons of Stokes Chilli Jam 

This works well with chicken supreme so that when you grill it, the bone helps cook the meat through quickly whilst retaining its moisture and the skin crisps with all the flavours of the marinade.

Here's how:

In a bowl, mix the juice of the orange and the lime; 2 of the 3 spoonfuls of ketchup; the wine, herbs and chilli jam. Roughly slice the citrus peel and the chicken and maridate the meat, ideally overnight or for 2 or 3 hours at room temperature.

Take the chicken from the marinade, paint it with the remaining ketchup and cook it under a medium high grill until the skin crisps up and the juices run clear of blood. Reduce the remaining marinade to make a serving sauce.

Hot & Spicy Meatloaf - your 'bat out of hell'

Meatloaf is a great dish that you can make in advance, freeze and know you have filling slices of joy close to hand. There are so many meatloaf recipes and finishes using chicken, beef, veal, pork and vegetables. This is a simple base to which you can add just about anything.

You'll need:

• 700 g of beef mince (or half and half beef and lamb etc)
• 6 slices of bread
• 250 ml of milk
• 1 egg
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp of chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp of chopped coriander
• 1 tbsp of chopped tarragon
• 1 tbsp of Stokes Classic English Mustard
• 3 tbsp of Stokes Tomato Ketchup
• 3 tbsp of Stokes Hot & Spicy BBQ Sauce
• 1 tbsp of runny honey
• 1 x 250 ml glass of red wine.

Here's how:

First, soak the bread in the milk for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile combine the meat, egg, onion and herbs in a large bowl.

Take and wring out the bread then combine it evenly with the meat and herb mixture. In a small bowl, mix the mustard, honey, ketchup and BBQ sauce.

Force the meat into a deep bread tin and pour half of the sauce over the top. Bake on a medium, low heat for 1 hour.

Pour the wine into a pan and reduce the volume by half over a high heat, then add the remaining sauce mixture to cook through as a pouring sauce.

More foodie thoughts for the week:

 



Easter holidays - snacks and starters here.










BBQ treats - indoors or out here.










Meet and like our friends and other animals here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Easter Holiday - snacks and starters

Wet weather, great food

The forecast for Easter is pretty gloomy at best.

The egg hunt may have to move indoors; marathon Monopoly will be on the cards; and the barbecue'll be beers and brollies at the kitchen grill (don't forget Stokes BBQ Sauce).

The good news is, the lawns will have to wait and you'll have time to get creative in the kitchen.

The weather may be dull, but the tastes of Easter feasting will be amazing. And here are some tasty ideas to get you going.


Snacks & Starters:

Mackerel with Pickled Cucumber 
& Horseradish Cream

Mackerel is not just a tasty fish but a healthy fish too being rich in Omega 3 fatty acids - the good fat. This simple starter or light lunch uses Mackerel fillets which, if you don't want to do it yourself, are readily available on the packed fish counter, or your fishmonger will fillet them for you. You will need 1 fillet per person for a snack or light lunch.

This is lovely served on toasted slices of Irish soda bread with the pickle and horseradish accompanying the fish.

You'll need:

• 1 cucumber cut into ribbons with a peeler
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 tbsp of cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp of caster sugar
• Half a teaspoon of coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp of Stokes Mustard & Dill Sauce
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Creamed Horseradish
• 2 tbsp of crème fraîche
• 4 Mackerel fillets

Here's how:

For the pickled cucumber, put the cucumber ribbons in a sieve and salt well, setting aside to release the natural waters.

In the meantime mix the vinegar, sugar, seeds and dill sauce in a large bowl. After 10 minutes, gently squeeze the excess water out of the cucumber, pat dry with kitchen paper and soak them in the pickling liquid. The longer you leave them the more flavour they'll take on. 10 to 15 minutes will do nicely.

To make the horseradish cream, simply mix the horseradish with the crème fraîche and set aside.

Put the fillets, skin side down, in a pan of gently foaming butter, pressing them down to flatten them. Cook for 5 minutes skin side down and flip them for just a minute before serving.

 
Brie & Chilli Apple Tart

Hands up - I've never been confident with pastry, but really, trust me, this is easy. Once you have cracked this, there are all sorts of variations on the theme to play with.

You'll need:

• 1 sheet of ready made puff pastry
• 8 oz (approx.) of thinly sliced brie
• 1 sweet green eating apple, cored and sliced
• 1 tbsp of runny honey
• 1 tbsp of Stokes Sweet Chilli Sauce
• 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds, roughly ground in a pestle and mortar.
• Pomegranate seeds (optional)

Here's how:

Roll the pastry to a 12 inch square on a piece of baking parchment. Make a border by folding half an inch in on all sides and prick holes with a fork on the pastry base within this border. In a bowl, coat the apple slices well in the honey and sweet chilli sauce. 

Place the brie slices on  the pastry and cover evenly with the sticky apple slices. Sprinkle the fennel seed over the apples and brush the pastry border with egg yolk. Now bake for 30 minutes in a hot oven. If your teeth can handle them, a scattering of pomegranate seeds adds a decorative finish.

Smoked Trout Pâté

You'll need:

• 1 pack of smoked trout fillets (about 400 g)
• 100 g of soured cream
• 1 tbsp of Stokes Creamed Horseradish Sauce
• 1 tsp of Stokes Mustard & Dill Sauce
• 1 tbsp of chopped capers
• The zest of half a lemon

Here's how:

Simply mash all the ingredients together in a large bowl, chill, serve and enjoy.

More foodie thoughts for the week:





Putting the 'eat' in your Easter holidays here.









BBQ treats - indoors or out here.










Meet and like our friends and other animals here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

BBQ flavours - inside and out

Sensational barbecue flavours
outside and in

Whether you are cooking outdoors or in the kitchen, Stokes range of BBQ sauces and relishes add a spring to barbecued, grilled and oven-roast meats and vegetables. 

They combine a smoky background to foretastes of sweet molasses, sharp pickle, rich tomatoes, hearty horseradish and a kick of hot chilli. 

Whether you are using them in a marinade, spooning flavour into a gravy, or painting it onto a pork rib for grilling - there’s a sauce to suit all palates – smoky, sweet, sticky and hot.

These are five absolute favourites for the summer season.  

Stokes Original BBQ Sauce is a thick, smoky sauce with natural blossom honey and a molasses-style sweetness that can be used as an accompaniment, a marinade or a dipping sauce.

 

These are three tasty tips for using our Original BBQ sauce:

• Add a spoonful to pie fillings to give an added depth of flavour and a sweet spin on a classic recipe!
• Mix with grated cheddar cheese, stuff into a chicken breast and wrap in smoky bacon for a 'Hunters Chicken' style dish.
• Create a meat glaze by mixing with honey and a little oil before pasting over ribs, beef or chicken.

Stokes Hot & Spicy BBQ Sauce is just that.  

To balance the heat of the chillis, it has even more molasses and honey to sweeten the initial smoky BBQ flavours, letting the spicy heat develop as an after flavour. 

It does pack quite a punch.

• Mix it with a little oil to use as a marinade for pork chops or ribs.
• Add it to minced meat, onions and herbs to form spicy burgers with smoky flavours and chilli heat.
• Paint it onto the mushrooms in a vegetable kebab (left) before grilling to add a smoky kick that lifts the mushrooms against their fellow veg..

Stokes Sweet & Sticky BBQ Sauce is another flavoursome variation, deeply sweet with a sensational kick of British horseradish and Worcestershire sauce to balance the sticky maple syrup.

• Turn a chicken wrap or tortilla into a BBQ special.
• Drizzle over sausages during the last 5 minutes of cooking for bangers with real bang!
• Create a meat glaze by mixing with honey and a little oil before pasting over ribs, beef or chicken.

Stokes Burger Relish is a sweet red pepper, onion and tomato relish with subtle notes of chilli, made up in the style of a salsa. It promises to transform burgers into something really stylish. 

• Add a couple of spoonfuls to chopped tomatoes, cucumber and pepper for an instant salsa.
• Give a sweet salsa-style finish to cheese on toast.

Stokes Red Onion Marmalade is a delicious relish packed with red onions that have been simmered gently to caramelise and intensify their flavour.  These are sweetened further with molasses then balanced with the deep acidity of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.

• Add it to minced lamb and spices to give a sweet onion flavour to barbecued lamb koftas.
• Or simply serve it with cold meats and cheese as a ploughman’s lunch.

More foodie thoughts for the week:

 



Easter holidays - snacks and starters here.









Putting the 'eat' in your Easter holidays here.








Meet and like our friends and other animals here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Of competitions, wallabies, Baileys and hot chocolate

Facebook followers

Join the ever growing band of Stokes followers on Facebook and Twitter and keep up to date with our regular competitions, giveaways and random acts of kindness.

We mentioned last week about Rick @Stokessauces'  and his unique collection of friends and other animals. This week we introduced the growing family of rescued Bennetts Wallabies and welcomed suggestions in a caption competition. We'll announce the winner next week.

Following us on Facebook and Twitter introduces ideas for delicious foodie combinations such as adding a teaspoon of Stokes Chilli Jam to a hot Baileys chocolate drink - hot chocolate, Baileys and chilli jam ... who knew?!

But it's not all champagne and roses in the kitchen - everybody has their failures, but not all of us are as brave as Anna to share them ...

... oops indeed.

But there are successes to be introduced and shared too:

All you need to do is follow and 'like' us on Stokes Facebook page or Stokes Twitter and join in the fun.



More foodie thoughts for the week:

 



Easter holidays - snacks and starters here.









BBQ treats - indoors or out here.









Putting the 'eat' in your Easter holidays here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Follow the fun on Facebook

Facebook followers

Join the ever growing band of Stokes followers on Facebook and Twitter and keep up to date with our regular competitions, giveaways and random acts of kindness.

Meet Rick @Stokessauces' friends and other animals - like Hector here.

Share foodie thoughts like Alice (below) who heralds the start of Spring with the first of the season's egg mayonnaise sandwiches. What does springtime mean to you?

Make sure you hear about our regular competitions, like this one on the run up to Mother's Day...

... and you could be a winner like Steph ...

... or Sue here.

All you need to do is follow and 'like' us on Stokes Facebook page or Stokes Twitter and join in the fun.




More foodie thoughts for the week:

 



Easter feasting - some tasty treats here.










Fish - a springtime treat after a winter of meat here.









Comfort food - simple things that make us smile here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Fish - a springtime treat after a winter of meat

An alternative to cod

Try Hake. Hake are deep-sea members of the Cod family, found on the continental shelf and slope to depths over 1,000 metres.

According to the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, Hake are the most sustainable and plentiful fish around Britain. Most of it goes to Spain however, where 'La Merluza' is much loved.

They are a mild fish, having a more subtle flavour than cod and considered one of the best fish in the whiting family because of its firm, sweet, white meat and medium flake.

In France, Hake is called ‘saumon blanc’ ('white salmon') while in the United States it’s known as ling or whiting (what is known as whiting in Europe is a different, less tasty fish).


Try the hake (pictured above right) which is simply baked in a coating of honey mixed with Stokes Cider & Horseradish Mustard. Here, it is served with a salad of cooked new potatoes, radish, cucumber, celery and apple all cut small and combined in a mixture of Stokes Real Mayonnaise, a little Stokes Creamed Horseradish Sauce and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Simple Fish Stew

This is a simple fish stew that can be adapted in many ways. It's a great base to get started from. Try adding different Stokes condiments to ease the flavours this way or that. For instance, using Stokes Chipotle Ketchup instead of the Bloody Mary will take the stew down a smokier path with the additional warmth of chipotle chillies.

You'll need:

• 2 leeks, 2 carrots and 2 sticks of celery all diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 6 medium new potatoes, halved
• 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 x 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 500 ml of fish stock
• 200 g (2 fillets) of skinless Pollock cut into chunks
• 85 g of raw king prawns, shelled
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Bloody Mary Ketchup
• 1 good teaspoon of Stokes Chilli Jam 

Here's how:

Fry the fennel seeds, carrot, celery, potatoes, pepper and garlic for 5 minutes or so. Add the  leeks, tomatoes and stock then simmer for 15 minutes until the vegetables have softened, keeping the lid off to reduce the sauce. Now add the fish and the prawns and simmer for just 2 minutes.

Chilli Crab Risotto and Sea Bass

This is a very exciting risotto, full of the flavours of fresh crab and the zing of chilli. It sits nicely alongside a pan fried sea bass but works equally well with a baked loin of cod - or hake of course.

You'll need:

• 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves
• 2 finely chopped shallots
• 1 finely chopped red chilli
• 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 200 g of Arborio rice
• 100 g of brown crab meat
• 100 g of white crab meat
• 500 ml of hot chicken stock
• 300 ml of dry white wine 
• The juice of half a lemon
• 1 tbsp of Stokes Dijon Mustard
• 1 full teaspoon of Stokes Chilli Jam

Here's how: 

Make the risotto as you would normally. In gently foaming butter fry the shallots and thyme for 5 minutes or so, then add the chilli and garlic for another 2 minutes. Add the rice, brown crab meat, mustard and chilli jam then stir in the wine.

Gradually incorporate the stock, stirring continuously, until sufficient liquid has been incorporated for the consistency you prefer. When it is wet (not too soggy) and the rice is soft on the outside with a crunch in the middle, add the white crab meat.

With the squeeze of lemon juice and a twist or two of black pepper, your rice will sit deliciously with your chosen fish.

 

More foodie thoughts for the week:

 



Easter feasting - some tasty treats here.










Comfort food - simple things that make us smile here.









Follow our competitions on Facebook and Twitter here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Easter feasting - try something different

Try something new this Easter

Never has an Easter break been more welcome or deserved.

With a quarter of the year gone already, much of it covered in snow or battered by freezing winds and the crocuses all but given up, it will be nice to relax and give the daffodils a chance to smile.


Delicious Rack of Lamb

This is a prime cut of succulent lamb. A whole rack will consist of eight ribs, which your butcher will french trim for you if you ask nicely. This cleans the flesh off the rib leaving about three inches clear above the tender meat. Unlike the long slow cooking of a shoulder joint, this is sealed and quickly roasted on a high heat and served pink.

Try this mustard and herb crusted rack:

You'll need:

• 1 rack of lamb, french trimmed
• 1 tbsp of Stokes Dijon Mustard
• 1 tbsp of chopped mint leaves
• 1 tbsp of chopped thyme leaves
• 60 gm of breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp of olive oil 

Here's how:

Score the fatty outside of the rack then, in an oven proof pan, seal the whole joint for 3 or 4 minutes. Mix the herbs, breadcrumbs and oil. Coat the scored outer side of the rack with the mustard then cover it with the herbed breadcrumbs. Put the rack in a medium high oven for 12 to 15 minutes for a medium rare finish.

Chilli Chicken Parcels

Here's a simple way to make something extra special from chicken breasts this Easter.

You'll Need:

• A skinless, boneless chicken breast each
• The segments of a large orange, halved
• 1 sweet red pepper, diced
• 3 tbsp of Stokes Original BBQ Sauce
• 1 tbsp od Stokes Chipotle Ketchup
• 1 tbsp Stokes Chilli Jam
• 3 cloves of crushed garlic
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
• The juice of a lemon
• A handful of fresh coriander, chopped.

Here's how:

Make a sauce by mixing the bbq sauce, chipotle ketchup and chilli jam with the garlic, oregano, coriander and lemon juice.

Lay out a 30 cm square piece of foil for each chicken breast. Divide all the ingredients equally into each parcel with a piece of chicken. Seal the foil parcels and place them on a tray in a medium oven for 25 minutes, opening up the parcels for the last 5 minutes to brown the meat. Check that the chicken is thoroughly cooked and serve - it's great with rice or couscous.

Whatever you're cooking...

Whatever you're cooking this Easter, make sure you have it covered ...

More foodie thoughts for the week:

 



Comfort food - simple things that make us smile here.










Fish - a springtime treat after a winter of meat here.











Follow our competitions on Facebook and Twitter here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150