The Sign of Vegetarian Approval

Vegetarian Society 
- Approved

The Vegetarian Society - HERE - is the place to go for everything you want to know about the world of vegetarian food. Their mission is to inspire, inform and enable people to be vegetarian.

Vegetarians do not eat any form of meat or cooking ingredients and condiments that contain meat derivatives. Vegans take things a step further, rejecting eggs, dairy and honey also.

To get approval for so many of our products, Stokes ingredients have been tested by the Society for 'hidden ingredients', miniscule elements of ingredients used to deliver continuity and shelf life, so that customers can enjoy the same outstanding quality each time they / you spoon, shake and dollop Stokes taste and deliciousness. 

Deliciously Vegetarian. Wonderfully Tasty

Tomato Brochettes

Stokes Chipotle Ketchup brims full of real Italian tomatoes with a smoky, spicy kick of Chipotle Chillies which are Jalapenos left to ripen on the plant to a deep red, before being smoked dry. That's why the flavour is so yummily distinct.

Toast slices of French bread. Rub a garlic clove on one side then brush it with Stokes Chipotle Ketchup.

Add fresh, slices of tomato and tear mozzarella pieces over the top.

Now, under the kitchen grill with them to melt the cheese, finishing with a good twist of black pepper and basil leaf garnish.

 Mushrooms & Blue Cheese

Stokes Original BBQ Sauce adds smoky, sweet sophistication to any dish, bringing sunshine to the table - whatever the weather.

Use and slice a firm but not crumbly blue cheese such as Stilchelton, Harrogate Blue and Yorkshire Blue.

Hold this firmly between two Chestnut mushrooms, threaded with a couple of pieces of spring onion, then another cheesy mushroom sandwich. Brush the mushrooms with Stokes Original BBQ Sauce (for a smoky sweet contrast to the tangy blue cheese).

Grill quite quickly to soften but not lose the cheese. The mushrooms with have a full-flavoured bite around the distinctive cheese centre.

[TIP: These make wonderful finger food bites to impress your guests at a party.]

 Tofu Stir Fry

Stokes Hoisin Sauce is a complicated combination of Oriental sweet, tangy and sharp spicy flavours delivered in a delightfully thick sauce.

Get 400g of firm tofu as dry as possible by wrapping it in kitchen paper, leaving it under a heavy pot or pan while you prep the veg - peppers, broccoli, thin batons of carrot, spring onion etc. Cut the tofu into cubes and brush it lightly with Stokes Hoisin Sauce and a tiny dusting of Chinese 5 Spice (Vegan).

In a bowl, combine 3 tbsp of our Hoisin Sauce, 150ml of orange juice, 100ml of white wine, 75ml of water, a splash of soy sauce and about an inch of grated ginger. Whisk this together with 1 tsp of cornflour.

Parboil the broccoli so that it's not too crunchy, carrots too if you're using them. Start by frying the peppers to soften them, releasing their juices as they begin to caramelise, then add the rest of your vegetables and tofu, moving them over a very hot wok for 3 or 4 minutes.

When everything begins to colour, pour in the orange, hoisin mixture letting everything bubble together for 2 or 3 minutes before serving with rice or noodles.

  Spring Dressings

Stokes Olive & Balsamic Dressing is oozing with the classic essence of the Mediterranean. Bring tomato salads to life with the bright sunshine of balsamic, sparkling through the fine produce of distant olive groves.

Stokes Raspberry & Balsamic Dressing offers an exciting combination of sweet berries dripping through acidic balsamic. Drizzle onto ice cream and enjoy.

Stokes Mango & Orange Dressing is a beautifully fruity combination tempered with black pepper. Drizzle lavishly on a salad of avocado and chicory - if you eat cheese, a strong blue or creamy goat's cheese adds delicious depth to the dish.

 

 Deliciously Vegetarian. Wonderfully Tasty

More foodie thoughts for the week:

Fish Friday - 
We are cooking with Ray Wings today - delicious, versatile and easy to cook. They're easy to eat and with these sauces, so tasty too - here.







Spring Soups - 
Soup and a sandwich make a handsome light lunch. What sandwiches would best go with these great seasonal soups - here.








WIN a Cruise - 
Win an 8 day cruise to Bordeaux and Northern Spain with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines. Learn more and enter - here.

If we couldn't make it AMAZING...
we wouldn't make it at all.

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Fabulous Fish Friday

Wonderful Ray Wings

In culinary references we are more familiar with the term Skate Wings. For conservation reasons, we're now more likely to find Ray as opposed to Skate Wings. It's pretty much the same thing - delicious, versatile and easy to cook.

They're easy to eat too. Despite the fact they are on the bone, the meat scrapes off it easily and can be served on the bone or lifted off its solid fan-like structure before plating.

Wings with Caper & Dill Butter

A 225g wing per person is the ideal weight. They are so easy to divide, breaking a larger wing into two smaller servings simply by cutting it with scissors from the feathery tip to the thicker end where the bones join.

To poach the wings, bring a shallow pan of vegetable or chicken stock up to a rolling boil with slices of fennel and celery bathing in it. Pop the fish in and simmer for 10 minutes or so, until the meat turns white and easily flakes from the thicker end of the wing.

After 7 minutes, ladle 2 or 3 good spoonfuls of the stock into a pan adding 120g of butter (at least), a small glass of white wine, 2 tbsp of Stokes Mustard & Dill Sauce and 2 tbsp of rinsed, strained capers. Whisk this all together, reducing the volume as the butter melts and spoon it over the fish as you serve.

With Mushroom Sauce

This is so tasty served with buttery mashed potatoes that has the additional 'wow' of 2 tbsp of Stokes Creamed Horseradish Sauce stirred through it before serving.

Poach the Ray Wings as above and scrape the meat off the bone for serving (as pictured) or on the bone with the sauce spooned over it.

Fry an assortment of sliced mushrooms in butter with 2 grated cloves of garlic, a couple of glugs of our Brown Sauce and a wee sprinkle of thyme leaves for 3 or 4 minutes, then lift the 'rooms', setting them aside to keep warm.

Stir 2 tsp of Stokes Dijon Mustard into the cooking juices then deglaze the pan with a glass (150ml) of white wine. Stir in 150ml of crème fraîche, heating it through as the flavours marry before adding the mushrooms and their juices back. Season, mix well and serve the sauce with your fish.

Mediterranean Style

We make the flavour-packed background sauce first then bake the fish on top. There's a major taste bud alert with this one.

Start by making a rough tapenade (no blender) by chopping together the following tasty mixture: 200g of stoned Kalamata olives, 2 tbsp of rinsed, drained capers, 2 anchovy fillets, 1 grated garlic clove, 2 tbsp of Stokes smoky warm Chipotle Ketchup, 2 tsp of fresh thyme leaves, the juice of a lime and 5 tbsp of good olive oil.

For the tomato base, soften 1 diced onion in olive oil for 7 minutes then add 2 grated cloves of garlic for a further 3 minutes. Pour 1 tin of chopped tomatoes and a glass of red wine into the onions with 1 (or 2) tbsp of Stokes Chilli Jam and 1 beef stock bouillon. As this starts to reduce, add 5 or 6 sliced fresh tomatoes, 4 tbsp of Stokes Tomato or Bloody Mary Ketchup (at least) and half of the tapenade.

Let this reduce and the flavours intensify for 10 minutes than lay the Ray Wings on top. Brush the fish with the remaining tapenade and a couple of spoonfuls of the base sauce, then put the whole thing, uncovered, into a medium oven - 200°C/gas mark 6 -  for 15 minutes (if the sauce is too dry add water) or until the flesh flakes from the thicker part of the wing.

Served with rice, couscous or even a good thick slice of crusty bread - your taste buds will sing for joy.

Fabulous Sauces for Fabulous Sauces

More foodie thoughts for the week:

Vegetarian Society Approved - 
The Vegetarian Society has been through Stokes products with the proverbial fine tooth comb, with exciting results and recipes - here.








Spring Soups - 
Soup and a sandwich make a handsome light lunch. What sandwiches would best go with these great seasonal soups - here.








WIN a Cruise - 
Win an 8 day cruise to Bordeaux and Northern Spain with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines. Learn more and enter - here.

If we couldn't make it AMAZING...
we wouldn't make it at all.

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Soup & a Sandwich

The Perfect Light Lunch

As you have probably learned by now, we like to keep things simple.

These soups are no different - simple ingredients, a simple hand blender, super Stokes sauces for added 'wow' and a hunk of good bread or simple sandwich.

Smoky Tomato Soup

Very simply, dice and gently fry 1 onion for 6 or 7 minutes to soften it. Add 4 tbsp of Stokes Tomato Ketchup, 2 tbsp of our Chipotle Ketchup and 1 tsp of our grownup Brown Sauce. Stir this into the onions then add 1 can of chopped tomatoes and 750ml of vegetable stock.

Boil the combined ingredients, tasting to season - black pepper and 1 tsp of brown sugar should balance the acidity (I like a splash of orange juice too). Blend everything together with a hand blender, taste and adjust the flavours if you need too (more ketchup perhaps).

[TIP: If you want your soup a little thicker, add 1 small can of rinsed, drained cannellini beans, blending them into the soup for creamy body.]

Spring Minestrone

Soften half a finely diced onion in a little butter then add a can of chopped tomatoes, half a grated carrot, 750ml of vegetable stock and 2 grated cloves of garlic.

Let this cook for 5 minutes than add 1 pack of mixed frozen vegetables and 1 can of rinsed, drained 5 bean salad combination (add more stock if you need it).

As this simmers, season the soup and add Stokes Bloody Mary Ketchup to taste - 3 or 4 tbsp should raise the taste bar to the perfect height.

When you're happy with the flavours, serve your simple minestrone with shavings of Parmesan cheese.

Beautiful Beetroot

Soften 1 diced onion and 1 stick of finely chopped celery in butter for 5 minutes then add 2 grated cloves of garlic. Pour in 750ml of vegetable stock and simmer for 10 minutes.

Now add 3 tbsp of Stokes Beetroot Relish, 2 tbsp of our Tomato Ketchup and 1 vacuum pack of cooked beetroots (diced). Cover and cook for 12 minutes then blend and pass through a strainer for a smooth liquor.

Cube the contents of another pack of cooked beetroot and finely slice (use a mandolin) 1 peeled, cored apple adding both to the soup. Warm this through for 5 minutes or so, check the seasoning and serve with soured cream and a few fresh herbs - chopped chives and fennel fronds.

Vegetable Soup

Soften 1 diced onion and 1 or 2 chopped celery stalks in butter or oil for several minutes before stirring in 2 tsp of Stokes Classic English Mustard then 750ml (add more later if it's needed) of vegetable stock (use 2 stock bouillons for a richer flavour).

As this starts to simmer, ribbon (using a peeler) 2 carrots and 2 courgettes. Add the carrots to the simmering stock for 8 minutes before adding the courgette and a pack of frozen broad beans, simmering for 5 minutes more.

Season well, adding fresh basil and mint leaves with 2 tsp of Stokes delightfully sweet Mint Sauce. Take the pot off the heat, lid on and let the flavours marry for a couple of minutes before serving.

Super Sauces ... Great Soups

More foodie thoughts for the week:

Vegetarian Society Approved - 
The Vegetarian Society has been through Stokes products with the proverbial fine tooth comb, with exciting results and recipes - here.








Fish Friday - 
We are cooking with Ray Wings today - delicious, versatile and easy to cook. They're easy to eat and with these sauces, so tasty too - here.








WIN a Cruise - 
Win an 8 day cruise to Bordeaux and Northern Spain with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines. Learn more and enter - here.

If we couldn't make it AMAZING...
we wouldn't make it at all.

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Win a Cruise

Don't miss the fun
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Win a Cruise

You could win an eight-night cruise for two to Bordeaux and northern Spain. Also included is an overnight stay in a luxury hotel in Suffolk for two adults; including breakfast, a three-course dinner and an exclusive private tour of Stokes Sauces' Suffolk Saucery. 

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is giving away an eight-night ‘Into the Heart of Spain & Bordeaux’ cruise for two; departing from Southampton on May 16. The package includes all meals and an all-inclusive drinks package, plus a spa treatment each, while you cruise to four culture-rich cities in Spain and France, where your explorations will begin at the end of the gangway. 

You will also enjoy a stay at a luxury hotel in Suffolk and an exclusive tour of the ‘Stokes Saucery’, the home of Stokes Sauces. Set in the beautiful Suffolk countryside, you will discover how each product is expertly prepared and will also visit the on-site private rescue animal sanctuary.

Closes 19th April 2020.

Learn more, see Terms & Conditions and Enter - HERE.

It's almost impossible to follow that ! But I'll try with this succulent joint of Welsh Lamb, lovingly roasted and minted saucily with our sweet Mint Sauce.

If you missed last week's article on St. David's Day, you can catch up - HERE.

With an 'Ahhh' factor almost as good as winning an 8 day cruise, meet Trixie at 5 months. She is the latest addition to the ever increasing menagerie of rescued animals so lovingly cared for in the grounds here at Stokes. Cute.

Learn more about the animals living safe healthy lives at Stokes and about our amazing relationship with Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines by watching the video - HERE.

Enjoy the video - HERE.

More foodie thoughts for the week:

Vegetarian Society Approved - 
The Vegetarian Society has been through Stokes products with the proverbial fine tooth comb, with exciting results and recipes - here.







Fish Friday - 
We are cooking with Ray Wings today - delicious, versatile and easy to cook. They're easy to eat and with these sauces, so tasty too - here.







Spring Soups - 
Soup and a sandwich make a handsome light lunch. What sandwiches would best go with these great seasonal soups - here.

If we couldn't make it AMAZING...
we wouldn't make it at all.

FOOD MADE BETTER 
www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150