BBQ preparations to wow family and guests

BBQ - the bit in the middle

When you think about it, the actual grilling part of a BBQ is the hot smokey bit in the middle:

The lighting of the coals; waiting for the embers to become white and hot; oiling the grill and grilling the meat, fish, vegetables, cheese and fruit - this happens between the all important preparation and eventually serving  it with amazing salads, side dishes and dips.

Preparation is king and can be anything from a simple 'brushing on' with one of Stokes BBQ Sauces - Original, Sweet & Sticky or Hot & Spicy.

Or it could be a delightful soak in a sumptuous marinade followed by a long gentle roast in the oven.


Preparation is King

Cola Spare Ribs

The ribs here are effectively marinating in a bath of cola (you choose the brand) whilst gently steaming in a low oven. If you have never tried it, you must.

You'll need:

• 2 or 3 racks of pork ribs
• 1 large bottle of cola
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp of ground cloves
• 1 tsp of ground nutmeg
• 1 can of cola
• 6 tbsp of Stokes Original BBQ Sauce
• 1 tbsp of Stokes Dijon Mustard

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3. Mix the 3 spices with the olive oil to create a rub and massage this into the ribs.

Put the ribs, fat side down, in a roasting tin, drown them with the bottle of cola, seal with foil and pop them in the oven for 2 to 3 hours.

Mix the canned cola, BBQ sauce and mustard together to create the glaze. Remove and drain the ribs (you can discard the juices) and paint them (fat side up) with the glaze (keep some back to re-glaze during the grilling).

30 minutes on the BBQ should create delightfully sticky ribs with acres of flavour.

BBQ Tilapia with Paprika Mayonnaise

Most supermarkets have this Asian fish as fillets. Their firm texture makes them perfect for BBQ grilling.

You'll need:

• 5 tbsp of Stokes Garlic Mayonnaise
• 1 tsp of smoked paprika
• 1 lime, zest only
• 4 Tilapia fish fillets
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Chipotle Ketchup 

Here's how:

For the paprika mayonnaise simply mix the aioli mayonnaise, paprika and lemon zest together and set aside.

Paint the fish on both sides with the chipotle ketchup (not too much because we want the fish to come through the chipotle flavouring).

Oil the grill and cook the fish for no more than 2 minutes each side (depending on thickness and heat). Less is more with fish.

This is great served in an opened pitta bread with sliced red onion, tomato and a spoonful of the paprika mayonnaise. Cut each fillet in half to make it go round 8 as part of a BBQ feast. 

Smokey Chicken Thighs

This uses boneless, skin-on chicken thighs. You can part-cook the meat in the oven first to save space / time on the BBQ and to make sure it is cooked through. The BBQ finish intensifies the smokiness of these juicy little joints.

You'll need:

• 6 chicken thighs, bone out, skin on
• 2 cloves of garlic, grated
• 1 tbsp of grated ginger
• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 3 tbsp of runny honey
• 4 tbsp of Stokes Hot & Spicy BBQ Sauce

Here's how:

Mix the garlic, ginger, honey, oil and BBQ sauce well together in a large bowl. Add the chicken thighs to the marinade and coat them well. Cover and leave them to soak up the flavours for an hour.

To part cook them, place the meat on a baking tray in the oven at 220°C/gas mark 7 for 30 minutes. Glaze them with the marinade and transfer them to the BBQ for 10 to 15 minutes to intensify the flavours and crisp up the skin.

Check the juices are running clear and enjoy this sweet chilli kick of BBQ delight.

Special offer

This tasty bundle of Stokes BBQ Sauces tick all the boxes when it comes to making BBQs taste better. Click here (or the image above) and save 5% OFF the bundle - and receive a free gift as well.



More foodie thoughts for the week:







BBQ side dishes and delicious dips here.








Wimbledon and National Cream Teas Day here.










Facebook followers, competitions and chat here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

BBQ Sides & Delicious Dips

Great weather, great food, 
great friends

We have been spoilt with the weather this week and it looks as though there's another one coming up.

To turn a BBQ into a feast, well at least something more than a 'meatfest', we need sensational side dishes, salads and dips to create a colourful extension on a table of taste.

These are a few ideas that you can enjoy with a BBQ, al fresco dining or indoors for supper.


Supper sides & dips

Spicy Warm Potato Salad

You'll need:

• 1 small bag of new potatoes, halved
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp of coriander seed, bashed in a pestle & mortar
• 1 tbsp of fennel seeds, bashed
• 1 tsp of caraway seeds, bashed
• 2 (or 3) tsp of Stokes Chilli Jam
• 4 rashers of streaky smoked bacon, crisp and chopped
• 2 tbsp of chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 3 tbsp of Stokes Olive & Balsamic Dressing

Here's how:

Boil the potatoes then allow them to cool to 'just warm'.

Fry the onions in a little olive oil with the 'bashed' spices and chilli jam. When the onion starts to take on a little colour tip everything into a large bowl.

Add the potatoes, bacon and coriander, drizzle over the dressing and coat the contents well before serving.

 Caesar Salad with Parmesan Roast Cauliflower


Here's how:

Prepare the basic ingredients for your favourite Caesar Salad - Romaine lettuce leaves, tomatoes, boiled eggs, anchovies, nice herby croutons etc.

Don't forget your bottle of Stokes Creamy Caesar Dressing.

For the Parmesan roast cauliflower, heat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7. Cut the head into florets then slice these into 'tree-like' tranches.

Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 20 minutes (until it just becomes tender). Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cauliflower tranches with finely grated Parmesan and return for a further 10 minutes until the cheese begins to brown.

Let the cauliflower cool down a little then add them (still warm) to the salad. Drizzle generously with Stokes Creamy Caesar Dressing and serve.

 
Chilli Tomato Garlic Bread

Here's how:

This takes garlic bread to new heights. To 100 g of softened butter add 1 tbsp of Stokes Chilli Jam, 3 tbsp of Stokes Burger Relish and 4 cloves of grated garlic, mixing well.

Slice a French baguette in half lengthways and spread the filling evenly on each half. Push the halves together and wrap the bread in kitchen foil. Place this in a pre-heated oven at 220°C/gas mark 7 for 8 to 10 minutes (this lets all the juicy flavour run into the bread).

Remove, unwrap the foil and separate the two halves of bread, returning them to the oven, yummy side up, for a further 10 minutes to crisp the tops.

Slice and prepare to be wowed.

TIP: Reduce the amount of Chilli jam to 1 tsp if you don't like it quite so wow.

Mayonnaise Dips - PLUS

For the following amayonnaising mayo dips ...

...just add the following to 4 tbsp of Stokes Real Mayonnaise:

Dill Mayonnaise : Just add 2 tsp of Stokes Mustard & Dill Sauce;

Chipotle Mayonnaise: Just add 2 to 3 tsp of Stokes Chipotle Ketchup;

Green Pepper Mayo: Add 2 tbsp of green peppercorns, drained and finely chopped;

Smokey Cheddar Mayonnaise: Add 3 tbsp of finely grated smoked Cheddar with a squeeze of lime juice and twist of pepper;

Dijon Mayo: Just add 1 tbsp of Stokes Dijon Mustard.

Special offer

This tasty bundle of Stokes BBQ Sauces tick all the boxes when it comes to making BBQs taste better. Click here (or the image above) and save 5% OFF the bundle - and receive a free gift as well.



More foodie thoughts for the week:







BBQ preparations to wow family and friends here.









Wimbledon and National Cream Teas Day here.











Facebook followers, competitions and chat here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Wimbledon Teas - the cheats way

How to cheat at Wimbledon

Not only is it National Cream Tea Day tomorrow (Friday 29th June) but Wimbledon Fortnight starts next week.

So it's away with the lager, down with the footie - and out with the scones and Earl Grey.

Since Mary Berry criticised a nation of budding bakers for having soggy bottoms, we've upped our game and gone baking bonkers.

If you're a baker then you will know exactly what to do to furnish a cream tea to die for.

But if you're a beginner like me or simply think life's too short, these tasty shortcuts might be just what you need.


Deuce - advantage Stokes

Scones - the long way
...and the short way


Scones are the quintessential essence of an English tea. How do you fill yours ... jam first or cream first?


You'll need:

• 225 g of self raising flour
• a pinch of salt
• 55 g of butter
• 25 g of caster sugar
• 150 ml of milk
• 1 egg

Here's how:

Twist a pinch of salt into the flour and rub in the butter. Beat the sugar in with a wooden spoon, then the milk until you have a soft dough.

Knead it gently on a floured work surface and work it until it's about 2 cm thick. Cut out 5 cm rounds and place them on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Brush the tops with a beaten egg and bake for up to 15 minutes on a medium high heat until they have risen and the tops have a golden sheen.

 ...to cheat

There are three key elements to a cream scone:

1, the jam - well as you know Stokes Extra Jam is a little more 'extra' than most with more Strawberries, Raspberries and Blackcurrants crammed into each. In the Old Stables at Rendlesham, knowing eyes watch over slow cooking blackcurrants, as they simmer, waiting for that very fine line between ‘perfect’ and ‘oops’. 

2, the scone itself - nip to the supermarket and buy them.

3, the cream - as you haven't made the jam (we have) and you've bought the scones ... 
try this with the cream:

Earl Grey Cream

Put two Earl Grey tea bags (good ones) in a cup and just cover them with hot water. Let them sit until they cool while you whip your cream until good and firm. Now squeeze the tea bags out in the cream and beat it further. Add 1 tsp of Stokes Lemon Curd, beat again and spoon it onto the jam in your scones. Hey presto, Earl Grey Tea cream scones with lemon - it really is sensational.

Lemon Cream Sponge Slice

 The sponge on the left - I bought from my local shop for just £1. Now, play 'doubles your money'.

Here's how:

Whip some fresh cream until it's nice and firm. Add Stokes Lemon Curd to taste and beat well. Cut the cake in half lengthways and layer oodles of lemon cream onto the base. Zest a lemon over the top, put it's lid back on and head off for SW19 for tea.

Lemon Brandy Snaps

You'll need:

• 50 g of dark brown sugar
• 50 g of golden syrup
• 50 g of butter
• 50 g of plain flour (plus extra to dust)
• 1 tsp of ground ginger
• 150 g of Stokes Lemon Curd
• 100 ml of double cream.

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 6 and line 2 baking trays with baking parchment. Melt the sugar, syrup and butter in a pan and remove it from the heat when the sugar has dissolved. Add the flour and ginger and beat the mixture to a thick paste.

Roll the paste into a ball, cling film it and chill it for 30 minutes or so. Divide the paste and roll to create 6 round disks roughly 2mm thick and bake for 7 minutes until crispy golden brown.

Whilst still warm, form each disk into a basket shape on the back of a ladle and leave to cool.

For the filling, whip the cream to soft peaks and fold in the lemon curd. Chill for 30 minutes then fill the baskets - yummy!

Or - buy some Askey's Brandy Snap Baskets at your supermarket, fill them and enjoy (without the washing up!).

 Enjoy your tea

More foodie thoughts for the week:







BBQ preparations to wow family and friends here.





 





BBQ side and delicious dips here.












Facebook followers, competitions and chat here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Facebook followers - and all that chat

Our BBQ competition is really sizzling


The First Prize is an amazing Grillstream BBQ whose unique double grill means no flare-up, burn-free cooking and easier cleaning. 

The lucky winner also gets a full dinner set from Cornishware - a splendid collection of plates, bowls, cups & saucers to grace an elegant evening outdoors.

What's happening 
on Facebook & Twitter


Caption Competition

The Stokes menagerie is growing rapidly. These three deer are clearly enjoying their tucker. But what is the dinnertime chatter about. Let us know in the caption competition - learn more and enter here or by clicking on the image.

Gosh. We don't even have our milk delivered these days. This really is forward thinking. Double for the weekend please Stokesman, we're having a barbie.

Of course Jason, we're delighted that your customers are enjoying Stokes Brown Sauce and Stokes Tomato Ketchup. Now all you have to do is see their happy smiling faces when you introduce Stokes Real Mayonnaise.

More foodie thoughts for the week:







BBQ preparations to wow family and friends here.






 




BBQ side and delicious dips here.










Wimbledon and National Cream Tea Day here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

BBQ Pleasures - taste sensations on a skewer

Rich pickings on a skewer

Apart from the fact that it's easy peasy, the joy of skewering mini kebabs for the BBQ is the amazing variety and choice you can bring to the table for sharing.

There are delicious vegetarian options as well as fish, meat and vegetable combinations, colourfully presenting flavours galore.

Everything cooks at the same time so you avoid raw corners at one end and cremated 'whatever it was' at the other.

Metal skewers are my personal favourite - but don't forget how hot they become. The disposable bamboo skewers are just as good. Remember to give them a good soaking first though. 2 or 3 hours stops them cooking with their content and makes them less brittle when skewering something like a tougher cube of lamb.

TOP TIP: Try soaking them in white wine or fruit juice to flavour the centre of the meat.


Time to chop, marinate and skewer

 BBQ Tofu Kebabs

What, no meat? Correct. This is a yummy vegetarian BBQ treat. Even the heartiest carnivores are going to like this.

You'll need:

• 500 g of firm tofu, cut to 2 cm chunks
• 1 small courgette, cut to similar size discs
• 1 red pepper, similarly cut
• 3 or 4 shallots, ditto
• 6 or 8 button mushrooms (optional)
• 4 tbsp of Stokes Original BBQ Sauce
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Chipotle Ketchup
• 1 tbsp of runny honey
• 2 tbsp of olive oil

Here's how:

Mix the BBQ sauce, ketchup, oil and honey together in a bowl and add all the ingredients, prepared as listed above.

The marinade and ingredients should be set aside for half an hour. Now the messy business of threading the pre-soaked skewers - this should make 6.

Then on to the BBQ for 10 minutes, turning often until lush and brown - enjoy!

 BBQ Chilli Prawns

You'll need:

• 900 g of raw prawns
• 3 tbsp of Stokes Chipotle Ketchup
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Hot & Spicy BBQ Sauce
• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tbsp of chopped coriander

Here's how:

Mix the ketchup, sauce, oil and coriander together in a large bowl. Remove the legs and body shell from the prawns, de-vein them but leave the tails on - they make a handy finger hold.

Add the prawns to the marinade, coat them well and leave them to marinate for at least half an hour, covered and in the fridge.

Thread your prepared skewers with 4 or 5 prawns per skewer. Don't add anything else so that you get a quick and even cook.

Now grill them for 2 minutes each side until they turn pink. Quick, simple, delicious.

BBQ Chicken Satay

You'll need:

• 4 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless
• 3 tbsp of smooth peanut butter
• 1 inch of ginger, grated
• 1 lime, zest and juice of
• 1 tbsp of soy sauce
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Sweet & Sticky BBQ Sauce
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tsp of Tabasco (optional)

Here's how:

Mix the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. You'll find the out of date Tabasco at the back of a cupboard or next to the vodka bottle.

Carefully cut the chicken breasts into large goujons and coat them thoroughly in the marinade, then into the fridge overnight ideally.

Gently thread the goujons on to prepared skewers and grill for 5 minutes each side.

Spicy Lamb Skewers

In case you missed it last week...

You'll need:

• 900 g leg of lamb, boned and cut into cubes
• 85 g of yogurt
• 1 tbsp of grated ginger
• 3 cloves of garlic, grated
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Chilli Jam
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Chipotle Ketchup
• 2 tsp of red wine vinegar

Here's how:

Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl and season, then add the cubed lamb and cover it well.

Seal the bowl with cling film and marinate the meat overnight in the fridge. Soak wooden skewers in water.

Thread the meat onto the skewers, about 4 or 5 on each then oil the grill and cook the lamb for about 15 minutes turning regularly.  

Special offer

This tasty bundle of Stokes BBQ Sauces tick all the boxes when it comes to making BBQs taste better. Click here (or the image above) and save 5% OFF the bundle - and receive a free gift as well.



More foodie thoughts for the week:







Celebrating a world of great food and taste here.






 



BBQ side dishes - colourful food for sharing here.










Sharing Suffolk Day - with prizes for your comments here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Sharing food for 'The Great Get Together'

Sharing food & BBQ sides

You may be attending an event or hosting a BBQ as part of 'The Great Get Together' (22 - 24 June) or you might just have family and friends over for an afternoon.

Whatever your plans, these BBQ side dishes will hopefully be the only thing that - goes down a storm.

The 'Get Together' is a national charity in honour of the late MP, Jo Cox. There are events all over the country about which you can learn more here.

She said 'We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us'.

Food is a wonderful uniting factor that both defines and bonds all cultures - deliciously.


We're cooking to share

BBQ'd Courgette Salad

You'll need:

• 3 or 4 courgettes, according to size
• 1 red onion, roughly chopped
• assorted crispy salad leaves
• 120 g of mozzarella, torn
• 1 tsp of caraway seeds, roughly ground
• 100 g of black olives, pitted
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Olive & Balsamic Dressing
• 1 lemon, for long strands of zest
• 8 or 9 small basil leaves 

Here's how:

Cut the courgettes lengthways into thin strips and grill them for 4 minutes each side.

Toss the onion, salad leaves and olives in the dressing for a minute or so. Then remove and arrange them with the grilled courgette on a large plate.

Dot the salad with pieces of cheese, then add the basil leaves, lemon zest and finish with a dusting of ground caraway.

Tangy Potato Salad

You'll need:

• New Potatoes - about 600 g, halved
• 4 tbsp of Stokes Real Mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp of Stokes Dijon Mustard
• 1 tbsp of Stokes Creamed Horseradish Sauce (more if you want more kick)
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 4 tbsp of large caper berries

Here's how:

Boil the potatoes, drain and leave to cool down so that they are just warm but not hot.

In the meantime, mix the mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish sauce and lemon zest together in a large bowl.

Combine the dressing into the warm potatoes, coating them well. Randomly scatter the onions and capers onto the potatoes, season and serve. 

Apple Slaw

You can slice absolutely anything into a coleslaw, but we thought this was particularly worth sharing.

You'll need:

• 2 or 3 apples, cored and sliced
• 2 tbsp of lemon juice
• 6 tbsp of Stokes Real Mayonnaise
• 4 tbsp of Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp of Stokes Cider & Horseradish Mustard
• 1 white cabbage head, sliced
• 2 carrots, feathered with a grater
• 1 red onion, finely sliced

Here's how:

To enhance the zestiness of the apples, soak the slices in the lemon juice for half an hour or so.

Mix the mayonnaise, yogurt and mustard. The yogurt thins the mayonnaise without losing its 'deliciousness' (a Stokes technical term!) and the grains in the mustard add little bursts of flavour and texture.

Drain the apple, discard the juice and fold everything into the dressing.

More foodie thoughts for the week:







Tasty BBQ kebab recipes - great food on a skewer here.







 


BBQ side dishes - colourful food for sharing here.











Sharing Suffolk Day - with prizes for your comments here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150