Self-catering holidays - tasty treats on holiday

Holiday Essentials

Self-catering holidays give you the freedom to eat when you want, where you want and what you want.

Whether you are glamping, caravanning, staying in a country cottage or a coastal villa. It's fun to get back after a fun day out and settle down to a hearty feast.

Travel gives us the chance to try something new - the kitchen apparatus, local ingredients or trying our own take on a local delicacy (below).

Packing for 'a strange' kitchen is worth considering. I take my favourite sharp knife and we pack dried herbs, ground cumin, sea salt and pepper and a tin opener. We also take other essentials goodies from Stokes to make local ingredients - taste better.

With these basics in the bag, we can take on anything.


Seat belts on - and off we go

Galette forestière

If you are staying in or near Normandy, you must try their national dish based on pancakes but raised to a whole new gastronomic level. These buckwheat beauties start with a savoury course followed by amazing combinations of sweet dessert. Wash these down with local cider, finish with a Calvados and you'll not want to leave.

To make about 12 pancakes...
You'll need:

• 250 g of buckwheat flour
• 2 tsp of plain flour
• 1 egg
• 20 cl of cold water
• 1/2 a cup of milk
• 1 tsp of olive oil
• A pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp Calvados
• 300g mushrooms, chopped
• 30g butter, melted
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbsp of Stokes Brown Sauce 
• 1 tbsp of chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp of cream 

Here's how:

Sieve the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add eggs and salt. Mix well. Beat in the milk and water. Add oil and leave to stand, at room temperature, for at least an hour.

For the filling: In a little butter, soften the onion for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, brown sauce, garlic and cook through, adding the cream and parsley at the last minute.

Spread the rest of melted butter on the galettes, top with the mushrooms and fold the corners in.

To make it really special, add a fried egg and serve with a simple salad and Stokes Real Mayonnaise on the side.

Soupe de Poisson

Drive on down the coast to Bordeaux where you'll find an exciting combination of seafood fresh from the estuary and sea to the west and big meaty flavours from the Dordogne to the east - all washed down with classic wines from historic cellars right on your doorstep. Locals call Bordeaux 'le petit Paris' - sensationally chic in every way.

For this fish soup have a browse in the local market...
You'll need:

• Equal amounts of white fish fillets (any you can find) 
• and shellfish (prawns, mussels etc) totalling about 400 g
• 1 onion. diced
• 1 stick of celery, chopped
• 3 or 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, grated
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 red chilli, chopped
• 3 tbsp of Stokes Tomato Ketchup
• 4 tbsp of Stokes Real Mayonnaise
• Saffron or turmeric - just a little
• A baguette, sliced and toasted

Here's how:

First we make a 'rouille', which is mayonnaise, grated garlic and the saffron just to colour it if possible (this will go on the toasted baguette before serving). Mix well and rest in the fridge.

Put half of the shellfish and three or four fish fillets to one side and finely chop the rest with the onion, celery, and tomatoes.

Soften the onion, celery and chopped garlic for 5 or 6 minutes then add the chopped fish, shellfish, chilli, tomatoes and ketchup. Add about half to three quarters of a litre of water, season well and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the remaining fish and shellfish, simmering for a further 5 minutes. Meanwhile, slice and toast the bread, rub it with a clove of garlic and top with the rouille. Serve the soup with the toast and rouille floating on the top.

Bon Appétit. 

 Cassoulet

Inland now towards Agen and Toulouse, deeper into the simmering tastelands of southern France. The cassoulet is a family one pot meal of beans, sausages, bacon and often chicken. This is a simplified version to share in the evening with a glass of local wine.

You'll need:

• Olive oil
• A good few pieces of local smoky bacon, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 large cloves of garlic, grated
• 6 or so varied sausages
• 1 x 400 g can of butter beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 x 400 can of cannelloni beans, ditto
• 250 ml chicken stock
• 4 tbsp of Stokes Tomato Ketchup
• 1 tbsp of Stokes Brown Sauce
• 4 or 5 large tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tsp dried mixed herbs

 
Here's How:

In a large pan, gently fry the onion, garlic and bacon.

Halve, quarter or slice the sausages according to size, add them to the pan and cook for 15 minutes, stirring them round from time to time.

Now add the tomatoes, herbs, ketchup, brown sauce and stock, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the sausage meat is cooked.

Add the beans, simmer for 10 minutes and enjoy with hunks of local bread. Oh yes - don't forget the local wine.

And for breakfast

Simple...

And finally, we're asking for your support again:

More foodie thoughts for the week:







Fish Fridays - simply fishy here.











Simple ideas for the weekend BBQ here.








  
Meet Theo and Flash in the caption competition here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Fish Fridays - fabulous

Think fish, it's Friday !

Setting a particular day of the week aside to eat fish rather than meat has many deep-rooted religious associations, particularly for the Catholic church.

It is widely held that the global fishing industry grew as a result of the increased demand for fish because of holy fasting from meat. When Christianity was banned, fish symbols were used as secret signs for Christians to identify each other.

Did you know: The McDonald’s Filet-o-Fish was invented by a franchise owner in Cincinnati, in a particularly Catholic area who struggled to sell his burgers every Friday. He created and offered Fillet-o-fish instead.

If you are going for an over-the-counter option on Friday, you can't beat good old fish & chips such as here in Aldeburgh. But if you want to try something different, you'll enjoy these tasty ideas below.


Gone fishing

Homemade Fish Fingers 

These healthy homemade fish fingers are not a tricky as you might think, but of course frozen options are famously available. Try serving them in pitta pockets like this.

You'll need:

• 1 egg
• 75 g of breadcrumbs
• A pinch of paprika
• 250 g of cod or haddock

Here's how:

Cut the fish into finger-sized slices. (If you've teeny hands make that two-finger slices.) In one bowl, beat the egg. In another, mix the paprika with the breadcrumbs and season.

Dip and coat the fingers of fish in the egg, then dip and coat them well in the seasoned breadcrumbs. Fry them gently for 2 minutes each side to crisp the breadcrumbs, leaving the fish cooked but still moist inside.

To serve: Pop them in a pitta with lettuce and a squeeze of lemon. These succulent little beauties were made to be eaten with Stokes Real Mayonnaise.

Or try them with a chipotle sauce by mixing 1 part Stokes Chipotle Ketchup with 4 parts Stokes Real Mayonnaise and a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.

Baked Cod

Really really simple and very very tasty.

You'll need:

• 2 red pepper, seeds out and thickly sliced
• 2 red onions, sliced
• Several stalks of fresh thyme
• A 200 g punnet of cherry tomatoes
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• Olive oil
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Cider & Horseradish Mustard
• A handful of black olives
• 4 fillets of skinless cod loin (2 large ones cut in half, about 550 g)

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7.

In a baking tray, spread out the onion, pepper, tomatoes, thyme and garlic and put them in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes or so. You are pre-roasting the vegetables to intensify the flavours before adding the fish.

Remove the tray. It should be juicy but if it's too dry add a little water. Now add the mustard and stir it around before adding the fish and the olives.

Put it back in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fish. Check it at 15 minutes, probing the flesh with a knife. You need to catch it when it's white right through and the flesh gives without falling apart.

A few buttery new potatoes with it and you're good to go.

Fish curry

This works well with salmon, cod, monkfish - any firm fish. The great thing about this simple dish it that you combine Fish Friday with curry night !

You'll need:

• 1 onion, chopper
• 2 cloves of garlic, grated
• 2 tbsp of Madras curry powder
• 3 tbsp of Stokes Curry Ketchup
• 1 x 400 g of chopped tomatoes
• 200 ml of vegetable stock 
• 300 g of firm fish, cubed

Here's how:

Soften the onions in a little oil for 10 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and curry powder for a couple of minutes then add the tomatoes, ketchup and stock.

Simmer for 10 minutes to combine the flavours and reduce the liquid a little. Now add the chunks of fish, simmering gently for 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes and serve with rice.

More foodie thoughts for the week:






Self-catering holidays - tasty treats on tour here.










Simple ideas for the weekend BBQ here.





 





 Meet Theo and Flash in the caption competition here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Simple ideas for the weekend BBQ

BBQ pleasures


The actual device doesn't need to be at all sophisticated to grill a simple feast outdoors, on the beach, in the countryside, campsite or holiday cottage. We bought a simple double grilled portable BBQ for £15 to take on holiday next week.

At the other end of the sophistication scale there are some splendid devices about, often with more gadgets and cooking capabilities than we have in the kitchen. You need a license to fly them.

Just a thought - because of the exceptionally dry weather please take extra care to make sure the coals have properly died and are cold before moving the grill and disposing of the coals.

Have fun on holiday, not fires.


Oh for the great outdoors

Mojito Chicken

This will make a delicious talking point at a BBQ with friends. Serve it with mojitos and it'll be smiles all round.

You'll need:

• A chicken piece each
• A good handful of fresh mint, chopped
• 4 tbsp of rum 
• 4 tbsp of Stokes Original BBQ Sauce
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• The juice of 1 lime

Here's how:

Put the marinade ingredients together in a sealable food bag, combining them thoroughly.

Add the chicken pieces massaging the marinade well into each piece and leave it to marinate for as long as you can.

Personally, we part cook chicken in the oven then finish it off on the BBQ. It has its tasty treat on the smoking grill and you get the treat of properly cooked chicken.

15 minutes in the oven and 10 to 15 minutes on the grill will do it.

Before putting them on the grill, brush the meat with any remaining marinade, turn and brush again throughout.

Hawaiian Pork Kebabs

The sweet caramelised pineapple bursts through the hot and spicy BBQ sauce, which works superbly with the tender pork. The pineapple loves to soak in the gin and for once the skewered peppers will be sweet and soft for their pre-roasting.

You'll need:

• 500 g of pork tenderloin, cut to 3 cm cubes
• Pineapple chunks, sufficient to match the pork cubes
• 2 onions, cut into 3 cm pieces
• 2 red peppers, cut similarly and roasted for 10 minutes
• The zest and juice of 1 lime
• 4 shots of spiced gin, such as Peaky Blinders
• 6 tbsp of Stokes Hot & Spicy BBQ Sauce
• 4 tbsp of olive oil

Here's how:

Put the gin in a bowl and soak the pineapple chunks in it, stirring from time to time.

Combine the lime juice, zest, BBQ sauce and olive oil in a bowl, add the pork cubes, coat them well in the marinade, cover and set aside for an hour of so.

Onto pre-soaked wooden skewers or metal ones, thread the pork, pineapple, onion and pepper - about four of each to a skewer.

Grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every couple of minutes.

Unload it all into pitta pockets with yogurt and enjoy.

BBQ Ham Hock

You can BBQ ham hocks from start to finish but need a pretty special BBQ with good heat control and it takes up space for hours on end. Or, pre-cook the hock, let it cool and BBQ it before tearing it to shreds with Stokes Classic English Mustard and BBQ sauce in a bun - yum.

Here's how:

Take a couple of ham hocks and blanch them by covering them with cold water then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute, then carefully drain off the hot water.

Refresh the hams under cold running water for a minute or so and pat dry. Back in the pan now with an onion (quartered), 2 carrots (roughly chopped) and 2 sticks of celery (ditto).

Cover with cold water, bring to a simmer, cover and simmer for two and a half hours. Carefully remove the hocks and let them cool.

With a sharp knife score the skin, brush well with Stokes Sweet & Sticky BBQ Sauce and transfer them carefully to the BBQ turning regularly, brushing with more sauce each time for 30 minutes.

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.



And finally, we're asking for your support again:

More foodie thoughts for the week:






Self-catering holidays - tasty treats on tour here.











Fish Fridays  - simply fishy here.




 



Meet Theo and Flash in the caption competition here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Meet Theo and Flash in the Caption Competition

Caption Competition

In this week's Caption Competition we meet local heroes Theo and Flash resting after their morning run. Well actually they are two of the laziest animals to board the Stokes Ark. Between long sleeps and mud baths, its a hectic round of sleeping and mud baths - what a life.

Between naps though, what do you think the guys talk about. Let us know what you think and enter by clicking on the image and following us on Facebook.

 What's happening 
on Facebook & Twitter


Now there's an interesting idea posed this week on Facebook - if you were one of Stokes BBQ sauces ... which would you be?

 If you haven't tried them yet, you should but here's a clue:

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

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.

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.


And for some tasty tips to help you use them to create wonderful BBQ and al fresco dining experiences - you'll find lots of recipes here:

As well as those recipes, Sally Allsop has been testing the Stokes BBQ sauce range and offers her own delicious ideas published here:

And finally, we're asking for your support again:

More foodie thoughts for the week:








Self-catering holidays - tasty treats on tour here.










Fish Fridays  - simply fishy here.











Simple ideas for this weekend's BBQ here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Perfect pastas - weeknight suppers in a bowl

Knowing your gigli from your trofie

Pasta can be as simple as spaghetti coated in butter with parsley and a grating of Parmesan cheese, or more complicated combinations of meats, seafood, sauce and vegetables.

Whatever your choice of pasta and whatever your sauce, it doesn't take much to make a simple dish taste divine.

Each of Italy’s 20 regions has a distinctive cuisine driven by climate and tradition.

Rich truffles and creamy Gorgonzola dominate the mountainous northern region of Piedmont; cured meat and plump sweet tomatoes are everywhere in central Umbria; and artichokes and seafood preside in Sicily.

Such ingredients are often used in sauces, paired with pasta shapes specifically designed to hold the sauce in the best way possible.

Cuciniamo - let's cook

Homemade Tomato Sauce

You'll need:

• 6 cherry vine tomatoes, halved
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 stick of celery, finely sliced
• 2 tbsp of green olives, pitted and chopped
• 1 tbsp of grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 or 5 leaves of basil
• 1 beef stock bouillon
• 4 tbsp of Stokes Tomato Ketchup
• 1 tbsp of Stokes Dijon Mustard

Here's how:

In a deep narrow pan, melt some butter and a drop of olive oil. Add and fry the tomatoes, pepper, onion and celery. Stir the combination round for 5 or 6 minutes.

Add the olives, tinned tomatoes, cheese, basil and bouillon, stir then blitz to a thick sauce with a hand blender. Add the ketchup and mustard and blitz again then season to taste.

If the mixture is too thick, add some boiling water and blitz to the right consistency. If it's too thin, tear some bread adding and blitzing it until you're happy with the sauce.

Try this: Flavour a knob of melting butter with some fresh thyme leaves. Add cooked penne, and sufficient tomato sauce to coat it well. Served with some grated cheese (a strong Cheddar is perfect), this is a deliciously simple pasta lunch.

Pasta 'Puttanesca'

This is a 'molto diliziono' dish, hot and fiery, rich and powerful, which is possibly why it's called 'puttanesca' - Italian for a lady of the night.

You'll need:

• 350 g of tomatoes, skinned and diced
• 5 or 6 tbsp of homemade pasta sauce (above)
• 1 tbsp of Stokes Chilli Ketchup
• 2 tsp of Stokes Chilli Jam
• 2 cloves of garlic, grated
• 50 g of anchovies, drained
• 175 g of black olives, pitted and halved
• 1 tbsp of capers, drained
• 1 tbsp of basil, torn
• 1 tbsp of thyme leaves
• Olive oil

Here's how:

Gently cook the garlic in oil to infuse the flavour then add everything else.

Stir the ingredients together gently then on a low heat simmer the sauce for 40 minutes to reduce it. If it reduces too far, add some more home made pasta sauce. Cook your spaghetti as directed.

We always drain it, pop a knob of butter in the hot pan and return the pasta to coat it. This avoids it sticking and readies it for bathing in the puttanesca pasta sauce.

NOTE: Taste before seasoning the dish because of the anchovies. It will need a few twists of pepper but possibly no salt.

Sausage & Chestnut Pasta

You'll need:

• Olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 450 g of Cumberland Sausage, meat out of the skin
• 200 g of chestnuts (tinned or packed, chopped
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Chipotle Ketchup
• 2 cloves of garlic, grated
• 1 tsp of rosemary, chopped
• 1 tsp of fennel seeds, ground in a mortar
• 1 glass of red wine
• 500 ml of home made tomato sauce
• 500 g of pappardelle or penne
• Parsley and Parmesan to serve

Here's how:

Soften the onion in a little oil in a pan for 5 minutes.

Add the sausage meat, chopped chestnuts and garlic. Break up the sausage as it cooks for 15 minutes.

Add the rosemary, fennel seeds, wine and ketchup, stirring them in for 2 minutes. Add the pasta sauce and simmer for 15 minutes to reduce and intensify the sauce.

Cook the pasta as directed, drain and add to the sauce. Coat well in the sauce and serve with a sprinkling of parsley and grated Parmesan.

Pasta e Fagioli a la Minestra

This is a joy - it's pretty, the perfect summer lunch and seriously healthy too being a soup of cannelloni beans and pasta pieces - utterly yummy.

You'll need:

• 1 tin of cannelloni, rinsed and drained
• 1 tin of whole plum tomatoes
• Parmesan rind (yes, rind), about 2 tbsp
• 2 carrots, sliced lengthways
• 2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
• 1 vegetable stock bouillon
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, grated
• 2 tsp of Stokes Chilli Jam
• 1 tbsp of Stokes Chilli Ketchup
• 1 glass of dry white wine, a Soave
• 2 leaves of lasagna pasta, broken into 1 inch squares 
• 1 tbsp of thyme leaves
• 2 tsp of chopped parsley
• 2 endives, sliced lengthways

Here's how:

Make a vegetable stock by putting the rind, carrots and celery in a pan with a little olive oil and fry for 5 minutes.

Cover with 2 pints of boiling water, add the stock bouillon (for extra flavour) and simmer for 30 minutes, topping the water up if you need to. Drain off and discard the solids keeping the stock.

In a large pan, gently soften the onion and garlic in oil for 10 minutes. Add the stock and tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon and pour in the wine.

Now add the herbs, chilli jam and ketchup and simmer to reduce the liquid and intensify the flavours for 15 minutes of so. Pop the pasta in for 10 minutes then add the beans, herbs and endives for another couple of minutes.

Season, serve with grated Parmesan and enjoy.

More foodie thoughts for the week:








Al fresco entertaining - delicious party dips here.









Meat-free Mondays - Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays ... here.








 
 Caption Competition and other Facebook chatter here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150