So Chocolaty - so Good to Share

Don't miss the fun
on Facebook & Twitter & Instagram

Chocolate and Raspberries - what could possibly be better ... well, Chocolate & Raspberry Brownies of course. Watch the latest video from our kitchens as the chocolate builds in the blender, then cascades into the baking tray to be dotted lusciously with Stokes Raspberry Extra Jam.

You can almost smell it baking in the oven - delicious, thank you guys.

Enjoy the video - here

Fecebook & Twitter reminded us of just how good our Summer Dressings are - 'Summer in a Bottle'. Personally, I love this Mango & Orange Dressing though sometimes the fruity kick of our Raspberry & Balsamic Dressing comes out on top.

It also reminded Stokes friends and followers that there is currently a massive saving of 30% OFF our Summer Dressing Trilogy - here.

Summer Dressings Collection

Special Offer - SAVE 30% - HERE

Another Facebook & Twitter reminder was to share one of last week's Newsletter articles, bringing the Tapas of Barcelona home to our kitchens. Recipes for these simple bundles of amazing flavour and Spanish memories can be found - here - enjoy.

More foodie thoughts for the week:




Beer Marinades - 
chicken, beer & marinades. Love these sauces, flames and flavours - here.



 





Summer Lunches - 
these are simple lunches for simple Summers, all packed with deliciously tasty twists - here.






Simple Sensations- 
it's amazing how so little can achieve so much in the quest for Food Made Better - here.

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

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Boozy Chicken Marinades

Beer Marinades for Chicken

It's International Beer Day tomorrow, 2nd August, and an excellent excuse to introduce more marinades whose major ingredient is beer.

Doom Bar Chicken

Bone out chicken thighs but leave the skin on then leave them to soak up and enjoy this lovely marinade.

Into half a pint or so of Doom Bar ale (or similar rich amber ale) add the juice of 2 lemons and the zest of just one; 2 crushed cloves of garlic and 3 tbsp of olive oil; 2 tbsp of Stokes Brown Sauce and 2 tbsp of soft brown sugar; finally a couple of sprigs of rosemary having bruised the leaves to release their aromatics.

Once marinated, set the meat aside and boil the marinade to reduce it, making it easier to baste the thighs as they grill, indoors or outside on the BBQ.

Fiery Corona Wings

Using both a chilli marinade and a spicy grilling sauce, these wings come with a 'wow' warning.

For the marinade: combine 200 ml of Mexican-style beer such as Corona, 2 tbsp of olive oil, 4 tbsp of Stokes Chilli Ketchup, the juice of 3 limes and about 1 inch of grated ginger. Put this with your wings in a sealable plastic bag. Massage the marinade into the chicken and (ideally) leave them in the fridge overnight.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 6, put the wings on a roasting tray and the marinade into a pan. Bring the marinade to a rolling boil, add a good knob of butter and reduce it before adding 4 tbsp of Stokes Hot & Spicy BBQ Sauce. Use this lethal mixture to coat the chicken before roasting for 25 minutes.

You can now finish the meat off on the BBQ grill for 5 or 6 minutes each side, basting with the marinade as you turn them. This is quite a hot sauce so serve the fiery wings with slices of refreshing lime and bottles of chilled beer.

Stout Honey Chicken

Pour a bottle of Guinness into a bowl and whisk in 1 heaped tsp of cornflour, 3 tbsp of honey, 1 or 2 tbsp of Stokes Dijon or Classic English Mustard and the juice of 1 lemon.

Now pour this into a casserole dish with 4 (one each) chicken thigh joints, skin side down.

Give the chicken an hour or so to enjoy the beer then turn them skin side up (and showing) and pop them into an oven, pre-heated to 180°C/gas mark 6, lid on for 30 minutes and a further 15 minutes lid off for the skin to crisp.

Enjoy your delicious chicken with broccoli and new potatoes covered in this wonderful sauce.

Juicy Chuck Salad

Marinades don't always have to be fiery or smoky. Here, the intention is to enhance the natural flavours of the chicken, keeping it moist and juicy when sliced into a salad.

Make a marinade using 200 ml of good dry cider such as Aspall's Premier Crus, 4 tbsp of Stokes Mango & Orange Dressing and the juice of 1 lime. Skin your chicken breasts and sink them into the marinade for at least an hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 6. When  you are ready to cook the chicken, drain them then rub them with Stokes Real or Garlic Mayonnaise. Put them on an oiled roasting tin then cook them for 20 - 25 minutes until the juices run clear.

Slice the chicken, add the slices to a salad of your choice and drizzle with a little more Mango & Orange Dressing.

Summer Dressings Collection

Special Offer - SAVE 30% - HERE

Just add flavour - HERE

Flavour ... spoon it, shake it, squeeze it !

More foodie thoughts for the week:





Simple Sensations- 
it's amazing how so little can achieve so much in the quest for Food Made Better - here.


 



Summer Lunches - 
these are simple lunches for simple Summers, all packed with deliciously tasty twists - here.










So Chocolaty - 
try watching this video of Chocolate & Raspberry Brownies baking, without drooling - here.

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

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Simple Summer Lunches

Simple Lunches 
for Simple Summers

As we have seen from the weather so far, this summer is going to be anything but predictable.

Best Mac 'n' Cheese

You can use any pasta you like for what is essentially baked pasta and cheese. We're using 'ziti' pasta which is softer than macaroni but still bakes firmly absorbing the sauce and all its flavours.

Cook, drain and cool your pasta (about 350 g) to the pack instructions. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 6 while you make the sauce.

For the cheese sauce, make your roux (2 tbsp of butter, 3 tbsp of flour), add 1 tbsp of Stokes Classic English Mustard, a touch of nutmeg and gently stir in a splash of white wine (50 ml) and 450 ml of milk. Simmer to thicken and add at least 250 g of strong Cheddar cheese, stirring gently until it melts.

Spoon the cooked pasta into a casserole dish and stir through 2 or 3 tbsp of Stokes Garlic Mayonnaise and a good 'metric dollop' of our Tomato or Bloody Mary Ketchup. The mayonnaise helps separate the pasta whilst infusing its gentle garlic aioli. The ketchup lifts the cherry tomatoes, half a dozen or so of which you're going to halve and add to the pasta too.

Pour the sauce over the pasta, helping it to sink in with a wooden spoon. Now, grate 50 g (at least) of Parmesan cheese over the top and bake for 20 minutes until bubbling, golden and delicious.

Tuna Mayo Baked Spuds

Baking sweet potatoes makes this a super-yummy Summer lunch.

Drizzle a little oil over your potatoes, sprinkle with a finger twist of sea salt and pop them on a baking tray into the oven, pre-heated to 180°C/gas mark 6 for up to 45 minutes (according to their size).

Meanwhile make a smaller quantity of cheese sauce, as above (using a third to a half of the ingredients) and mix it in a bowl with a tin of tuna (in springwater, drained), a small tin of sweetcorn (drained) and 3 or 4 tbsp of Stokes Real Mayonnaise, then season.

When the potatoes are suitably baked (crisp on the outside, soft in the middle), remove them and let them cool to that 'ooch, ouch' finger touch temperature.

Slice them open and scoop out half of the insides, adding the fluffy sweet potato to the cheesy, tuna filling, then spoon this tasty mixture back into the spuds. Fold the juicy curly best bits of kale leaves into the top and finish with a good grating of Cheddar cheese. Now, back into the oven for 15 minutes and enjoy your lunch.

The Lighter Bite

Aka - shop bought with thought.

This is all about taste. Smoked Trout fillets are thick, rich and meaty and half a fillet is often enough. This is half a fillet served with cooked beetroot and chicory.

Slice the chicory and toss it in Stokes Mango & Orange Dressing. Its peppery summer fruits balance the sharp bites of chicory. Smoked trout loves Stokes Creamed Horseradish Sauce almost as much as I do.

Try tempering its gentle creamy heat by mixing it with Stokes Real Mayonnaise or the beautiful velvet smooth aioli of our Garlic Mayonnaise.

With a slice of sourdough bread and butter, it's a simple Summer winner.

Enjoy the Summer Tastes of Stokes

Get 30 % OFF our Summer Dressings Trio - HERE

More foodie thoughts for the week:





Beer Marinades - 
chicken, beer & marinades. Love these sauces, flames and flavours - here.

Simple Sensations- 
it's amazing how so little can achieve so much in the quest for Food Made Betters - here.








So Chocolaty - 
try watching this video of Chocolate & Raspberry Brownies baking, without drooling - here.

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

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Oh for the simple things in life

Hooray !
For the simple things in Life


Some of the simplest things in life are the finest.

Take these for instance - my personal top ten simple pleasures:

• Popping bubble wrap
• Holding hands with a loved one
• Enjoying a fine meal
• Watching a thunder storm
• The smell of rain after a heatwave
• That first cuppa of the day
• Making friends smile
• Watching children giggle 
• A simple 'thank you'
• The smell of fresh cut grass

Oh - and eleven (not in any specific order)...

• Knowing I've sufficient Stokes goodies in the cupboard.

FOOD MADE BETTER 

Oh how the family has grown

We can enjoy the simple taste of Stokes thanks to the complexities, efforts and passion that go into creating the ketchup, mayonnaise, condiments, pickles and preserves that add so much to the meals we prepare and enjoy.

Stokes has evolved from the instinctive drive to achieve ... FOOD MADE BETTER.

First came Stokes Tomato Ketchup - which now wins awards. This was quickly followed by our Real Mayonnaise - which now wins awards.

Then Pete said "...we need a Brown Sauce that's truly amazing" and - yes ... it too now wins awards.

Stokes Tomato Ketchup

Our award-winning ketchup is packed with plump, sweet tomatoes that have ripened on the slopes in southern Italy.

Ripening in the Mediterranean sunshine guarantees a long growing season and continuity of quality and taste.

We gently simmer 200g of these beautiful tomatoes, reduced into every 100g of ketchup.

That's why our Award-Winning Tomato Ketchup is sumptuously thick as you shake it or squeeze it and tastes naturally of delicious tomatoes.

And now we have a squeezable version with 30 % LESS sugar.

Same taste, less waist.

 
Stokes Real Mayonnaise

We are so proud of our Mayonnaise, it really is very special.

We use only whole eggs from British free range Welfare Assured hens, into which very fine rapeseed oil is drizzled to create the product's core.

Then, to make this real mayonnaise stand out from the rest, extra virgin Cretan Koroneiki olive oil is added too.

There has to be salt in any mayo, but because we use only the finest, natural sea salt from the Dead Sea, we get all the flavour using far less.

Stokes Brown Sauce

Every time someone new discovers our exceptional Brown Sauce, they send us a photo, like this, to celebrate their new found joy.

Ours is a truly 'grown up' brown sauce. You can smell the exquisite difference the moment you twist off or flip open the lid and squeeze.

It is a lush sauce, rich with extra date puree, sweet with black treacle and heady with a unique blend of Persian spices.

Add it to a sausage casserole for a Persian twist - simply delicious.

Meet the family - taste the joy

Order your spoon, shake, squeeze - here

More foodie thoughts for the week:



Beer Marinades - 
chicken, beer & marinades. Love these sauces, flames and flavours - here.



 





Summer Lunches - 
these are simple lunches for simple Summers, all packed with deliciously tasty twists - here.







So Chocolaty - 
try watching this video of Chocolate & Raspberry Brownies baking, without drooling - here.

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

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Little Plates - Tapas

The Ultimate Sharing Food

Whilst you still can't beat the tapas main stay of Patatas Bravas, tapas selections have become more like visual cameos of gastronomic creativity over the years.

Originally a complementary slice of ham served on a small plate on top of your glass of wine, tapas offer extraordinary sensations of colours, textures and flavours, hot or cold.

Components, size and presentation vary hugely even within Spain and their global derivatives vary further still around  the world.

We'll take a look at just a few that are simple to make and share at home.

We hope you get a chance to try them and enjoy them too.


Re-fried Beans & Egg

These are basically teeny Huevos Rancheros canapés and they're wonderful.

Fry a few skinned, de-seeded cherry tomatoes with grated garlic in a little olive oil and add rinsed and drained butter beans with 2 or 3 tbsp of Stokes Chilli Ketchup and a little dried oregano.

Reduce the juicy mixture and squash the beans with the back of a fork to allow them to soak up the intense flavours. Toast some French bread whilst frying a few quails eggs, then spoon, place and serve with a slice of roasted red pepper on top (from a jar will do) as the final flourish.

Now, offer them round with a deservedly wide smile on your face.

Patatas Bravas

Patatas bravas are originally from Madrid, where the dish was created and also patented.

Peel and cut your potatoes into irregular chunks of approximately 2 cm. Put  them in a large bowl and add 3 tbsp of Stokes Raspberry & Balsamic Dressing, 2 tbsp of olive oil, 2 or 3 glugs of Stokes Tomato Ketchup and 2 tsp of paprika.

Coat the potato chunks well, then tip them into a hot roasting tin and into a hot oven for 25 to 30 minutes until crisp on the outside and soft inside.

Serve them dressed in a spicy, smoky tomato sauce made with a mixture of Stokes Real Mayonnaise (3 parts) and our Chipotle Ketchup (1 part).

 Summer Dressings Collection

Special Offer - SAVE 30% - HERE

Tapas Tortilla

Another classic served cold that also makes a tasty addition to a picnic feast.

Thinly slice 2 medium sized potatoes and 1 or 2 courgettes and fry them gently in oil for 20 minutes until they become tender, then set them aside to drain and cool.

When cool, put them in a large bowl and pour in 6 beaten eggs with 2 tsp of Stokes Classic English Mustard and 1 tsp of Stokes Chilli Jam.

Stir up the mixture as you pour it into a 20 cm square baking tin that has been heated in the oven and rubbed with oil.

Pop the tray into an oven, pre-heated to 200°C/gas mark 6 for 20 minutes, removing it when the egg firms. When it cools, turn it out onto a board and cut it into squares. They are delicious dipped in Stokes Bloody Mary Ketchup - yum !

Now, just add flavour - HERE

More foodie thoughts for the week:





Simply Sole - 
follow these deliciously simple recipes to balance the subtleties of Sole - here.








30% LESS Sugar - 
NEW to Stokes ... all taste, less waist. Learn more - here.








'Tasty' on Film - 
another yummy video from our kitchens and timely tips for the BBQ - here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Simply Sole

The Life & Sole of the Supper

Flounder and sole are in the flatfish family, fish prized for a very mild delicate flavour. 

It's super easy to cook, ready in only a few minutes and simple to enhance with tasty little additions creating a wonderfully healthy plate of food.


Stylishly Rolled

Slice the fillet into two strips of sole, roll each and secure with a tooth pick.

Brown the rolled fillets by rolling them gently in foaming butter, pop a lid on the pan and bake them for 5 to 7 minutes in a medium oven. Remove and serve with your sauce.

[TIP: You can bake the rolled fillets in the sauce to keep them moist and take on the gentle flavours.]

Basque Style (as pictured) creates a juicy sauce of tomatoes, onions, peppers and olives, sliced and softened in olive oil with 3 or 4 tbsp of Stokes Tomato Ketchup and a glass of red wine, then reduced, seasoned and served with the fish.

With Mussels & Mushrooms

This sauce combines the produce of the field and the sea. It's deliciously creamy - enjoy.

Soften a finely diced shallot in butter then add 200g of assorted, sliced mushrooms. You will need more butter and / or oil to help the mushrooms cook down for 5 minutes, then flambée them with a little brandy.

Add 1 tbsp of Stokes Dijon Mustard, a good shake of our Bloody Mary Ketchup and stir in 1 tbsp of flour. Now pour 250ml of white wine and 250ml of cream into the mushrooms.

As it gently simmers and begins to thicken, add 150g of cooked mussels (without their shells) and gently simmer the sauce for 5 minutes with the lid on.

[TIP: Try marinating the fillets of sole in one of our Dressings - Raspberry & Balsamic gives the fish a fruity sharpness and the Mango & Orange adds summery fruits with a peppery finish.]

Summer Dressings Collection

Special Offer - SAVE 30% - HERE

With Prawns, Grapes & Grolsch

Soften 2 finely diced shallots in butter. Add two good handfulls of halved seedless grapes and cook them down for 3 or 4 minutes before adding 2 tbsp of Stokes Cider & Horseradish Wholegrain Mustard and 1 tbsp of flour.

Stir everything together whilst adding the contents of a 500ml can of Grolsch beer and 2 or 3 tbsp of Philadelphia-style creamed cheese. As this bubbles and reduces, add the contents of a 250gm pack of frozen King Prawns, put the lid on and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

This is a good sauce to cook the rolled sole fillets in, so pour it into a gratin dish, sit the rolls in the sweet mustard sauce and finish in a medium oven for 6 or 7 minutes.

[TIP: Before adding the prawns, as  the sauce is simmering, add a good knob of butter. This helps thicken and smooth its texture.]  

[ALSO: If you find the sauce is too sweet, try adding Stokes Creamed Horseradish Sauce. The creamy gentle heat supports the wholegrain mustard as the seeds pop delightfully in your mouth.]

Just add flavour - HERE

More foodie thoughts for the week:





Tasty Tapas - 
bring the Tapas Bars of Barcelona home with these tasty tapas recipes and ideas - here.









30% LESS Sugar - 
NEW to Stokes ... all taste, less waist. Learn more - here.








'Tasty' on Film - 
another yummy video from our kitchens and timely tips for the BBQ - here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150