Seasonal salads - dressed with love

Salads are for sharing


There are no rules when it comes to salads, though three vital ingredients to a successful salad are: looks, textures and taste.

If it looks attractive, has at least one contrasting texture and comes with a simple dressing that tastes delicious - you have a winner.

Sweet and savoury; cold and warm; juicy and crunchy; zesty and fiery. Almost anything goes.

Even the simplest bag of leaves can be dressed up to please with a scattering of pomegranate seeds, a few crunchy croutons, some dark juicy olives and a crumble of feta cheese - dressed lovingly with Stokes Olive & Balsamic Dressing.


When it comes to salads, 
             we dress them with love

Chicken Caesar Salad

This is an absolute classic that focuses on taste from start to finish. It's fit for an Emperor with nothing to concern himself with on the Ides of March.

You'll need:

• 4 chicken breasts, skin on
• 200 g of sourdough bread, torn into chunks
• 8 rashers of streaky bacon 
• 2 romaine lettuces
• Parmesan cheese for shaving

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Fry the chicken breasts skin side down in hot oil for 3 or 4 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Pour the cooking oil and juices into a large roasting tin with a little more oil, add the bread and coat it well. Put the chicken breast (skin side up) amongst the bread and lay the bacon over the bread.

Roast for 20 minutes, removing the chicken once cooked and give the croutons and bacon a further 10 minutes to crisp up.

The flavour of the bacon fat in the crunchy croutons combined with the chicken pieces and Stokes Creamy Caesar Dressing is amazing.

A really nice Niçoise

You'll need:

• 200 g of new potatoes, cooked and halved
• 2 medium eggs, hard boiled
• 100 g of green beans, cooked and cooled
• 1 romaine lettuce
• 2 tbsp of Kalamata olives, stoned
• 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 6 anchovies
• 1 x 197 g tin of tuna steak in spring water, drained
• (NOTE: if you don't like anchovies use 1 tbsp of drained capers)
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Garlic Mayonnaise.
• Stokes Orange & Mango Dressing.

Here's how:

Peel the eggs and cut them into quarters. Make a fan of lettuce leaves on the plate and dress them with a drizzle of Orange & Mango Dressing.

In a bowl, coat the potatoes in the Garlic Mayonnaise. Now artistically build the potatoes, beans, tomatoes, olives and anchovies on the dressed leaves.

The subtle flavours of the garlic aioli with the salty anchovies against the sweet fruity dressing is delightful.

Enjoy.

Cheats Chicken Couscous

Here's how:

Shred a pack of cooked chicken and mix it with a bag of salad leaves, a tub of pomegranate seeds  and a tub of fruity Moroccan couscous.

If you really want to make an effort, a few chopped mint leaves are a lovely addition.

Dress with Stokes Olive & Balsamic Dressing - and serve.

Who says you can't cheat - life's too short !

...and for dessert:

·

More foodie thoughts for the week:







National BBQ Week and competition news here.









Caption competition and other social news here.










Baking with tomatoes - some surprising recipes here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Baking with tomatoes

Tomatoes - so good, so versatile

They're not just delicious, they're good for you too.

Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamins A, C and E, the natural plant pigments known as carotenoids (both beta-carotene and lycopene) and flavonoids which are also found in red wine and tea.

They are considered to have helpful anti-carcinogenic properties also. Good news all round.

Here, we have a couple yummy ideas using tomatoes in one form or another which you wouldn't normally think of baking but are worth a try because they're delicious.


Tomato treats

Tomato & Ham bread'n'butter Bake

Yes, really !

You'll need:

• 25 g of butter, softened
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 4 slices of stale bread, cut thickly
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 50 g of ham, roughly chopped or torn
• 500 ml of milk
• 3 eggs
• 50 g of mature Cheddar, grated
• 1 tbsp of Stokes Dijon Mustard

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 5. Mix the butter and garlic together, then use a little to grease a shallow baking dish or tin. Use the rest to butter the bread slices, then cut them in half diagonally.

Overlap the bread slices in the baking dish, then tuck the tomatoes and ham in and around them. Whisk the milk and eggs together, season and pour over the bread. Let it stand for 5 minutes.

Dot the top with the mustard, scatter the cheese all over, then bake for 35-40 minutes until it's turned golden and just set.

It's really very nice served with a simple watercress and radish salad drizzled with olive oil.

Tomato & Feta Loaf

You'll need:

• 3 eggs
• 160 g of plain white flour
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 150 ml of milk
• 50 ml of olive oil
• 100 g of mature Cheddar
• 200 g of crumbly feta cheese
• 100 g of sundried tomatoes
• 6 or 7 basil leaves, torn
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Bloody Mary Tomato Ketchup 

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 5. Chop the sundried tomatoes and marinate them in the Bloody Mary Ketchup for 15 minutes.

Mix the eggs and flour together in a large bowl then add the baking powder, milk, oil, cheese and marinated tomatoes, beating the ingredients together.

Season and add the basil leaves then beat on to form a dough. Pour the dough into a buttered loaf tin and bake for 50 minutes.

The Bloody Mary'd tomatoes punch their flavours through the light cheesy loaf.

 Tomato Ketchup Cake

Here's how:

• 65 g of softened butter, unsalted
• 210 g of granulated sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 225 g of Stokes Tomato Ketchup
• 2 fl oz of water
• 190 g of plain flour
• 1/2 tsp of baking powder
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• A pinch of ground cloves
• 1 tsp of cinnamon

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 5. Mix the tomato ketchup with the water, add the baking soda and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together, and beat the egg in well. Add the ketchup mixture and blend it in well. In a separate bowl, combine the spices, baking powder and flour.

Whisk this well, add the tomato mixture and blend well. Pour this into a greased, lined 23 cm cake tin and bake for 35 minutes.

The cake looks and tastes great iced as desired.

More foodie thoughts for the week:







National BBQ Week and competition news here.










Caption competition and other social news here.











Summer salads - dressed with love here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

Caption competition and other social fun

Caption competition



Have a go at this week's caption competition:

Not what you'd expect in a walled garden. These crazy chooks are getting fruity in the orchard  - but what are they clucking about up there?

 

You can submit your caption here. 

 What's happening 
on Facebook & Twitter

Don't forget that if you're out and about this weekend and planning to go to the Suffolk Show, come along to our exhibition stand and taste something special. The Suffolk Show is on 30th and 31st May.

Here's a tasty summer dip worth trying and sharing with your friends.Stir apricot chutney into the mayonnaise with freshly chopped coriander and dip deliciously.

Another tip from Stokes HQ - the kitchen! If you're making a summery lemon cake, add a couple of spoonfuls of Stokes Lemon Curd for a smooth lemony finish.

 Summer picnic dips to go - what a fantastically practical way of recycling your Stokes jars.

Stokes Summer Sauces Competition

We are going to celebrate the start of National BBQ Week by launching a massive Stokes Summer Sauces Competition with your chance to win BBQ goodies.

Because we love them so much, it will be all things barbie throughout the summer. Watch this space and enjoy.

The competition launches on Monday 28th May. 

Watch your inbox for details.

  
More foodie thoughts for the week:







National BBQ Week and competition news here.










Baking with tomatoes - some surprising recipes here.











Summer salads - dressed with love here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

British Sandwich Week - open, closed and club

The Great British Sandwich

British Sandwich Week runs from 20th to 26th May. It is a celebration of the greatest 'food to go' and quite possibly the most iconic British foodie invention. Gone are the dreadful days of meat paste, in favour of more extravagant cosmopolitan culinary creations.

Scandinavian open sandwiches, British closed, and American triple stacked clubs. Fillings are limited only by our imagination and experimental bravery. And the range of breads, wraps and pitta pouches offer endless opportunities for gastronomic creativity.

Lord John Montague, the 4^th Earl of Sandwich, it's said, was a 'dedicated gambler' refusing to take time out from the game to have a meal. He'd ask the casino waiters to bring him slices of meat between two pieces of bread. The idea caught on and others began to order "the same as Sandwich!" – aka: the sandwich.


It's sandwich time !
You'll need:  bread, butter and imagination...

The ultimate egg mayonnaise

You'll need:

• Eggs, hard boiled
• 2 tbsp of pickled silverskin onions
• 2 tbsp of gherkins, finely chopped
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp of pickled walnuts, finely chopped
• Salad cress
• 2 packets of salt and vinegar crisps
• Stokes Real Mayonnaise

Here's how:

We are simply making a fantastic mayonnaise just a teeny bit more exciting by adding in the chopped pickles and shallot.

The crisps add a delightful crunch, so you can't eat them in the dark without someone knowing. And the cress makes them healthy. 

Smoked Mackerel with Horseradish Cream

You'll need:

• 5 radishes, sliced
• 2 tbsp of white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp of caster sugar
• 2 tbsp of soured cream
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Creamed Horseradish Sauce 
• 1 tbsp of Stokes Mustard & Dill Sauce
• Rye bread
• 2 smoked mackerel fillets

Here's how:

Again, this Scandinavian style open sandwich is all about the dressing.

Pickle the radish slices by covering them in a bowl with the vinegar and sugar and let them stand for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the cream, horseradish and dill sauce - this makes a creamy gravadlax with a gentle kick of horseradish.

Load a slice of rye bread with the sauce, torn pieces of mackerel and a scattering of drained pickled radishes.

Cucumber cool

This takes cucumber sandwiches with the Vicar through a sublime renaissance. No thin wispy slices of cucumber here - peal the cucumber, slice it into thick circles then again into halves.

The delicious dressing is: 1 part Stokes Mustard & Dill Sauce; 3 parts Stokes Real Mayonnaise and 2 parts creamed cheese.

Combine it well, spread it thickly on the bread, then arrange the cucumber slices on top and close.

Each bite offers a cool crunch of cucumber wrapped in a fragrant dressing.

Cheesy pimento filling

You'll need:

• 250 g of strong Cheddar cheese, finely grated
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp of Stokes Creamed Horseradish Sauce
• 1 tsp of Stokes Classic English Mustard
• 5 tbsp of Stokes Real Mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp of roasted red peppers (jar of), diced.

Here's how:

In a large bowl mix the cheese, cayenne, horseradish, mustard and mayonnaise, blending them really well together.

Now stir in the chopped peppers so that they punctuate the creamy filling with red dots.

Fill your sandwich base and pop it under the grill until the cheese starts to melt. Cover and enjoy.

This sits really well of smoked ham and is also great with the crunch of chicory.

 

Whatever your sandwich - fill it with Stokes

More foodie thoughts for the week:







Meet the latest Facebook friends - enter the competition here.












British Tomato Week - juicy seasonal recipes here.










Putting the tea in Royalty for the wedding here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

British Tomato Week - fruit or vegetable

Tomatoes, fruit or vegetable ?

British Tomato Week, 21 to 27 May, celebrates the start of the British tomato season and recognises the growers who produce them.

Botanically speaking, tomatoes are the fruit of the vine, just as are cucumbers, squashes, beans and peas. Common language suggests they are vegetables though, eaten with a savoury course rather than a dessert.

The growing season is shorter in Britain than southern Europe with most of the crop being grown under glass. The largest UK tomato glasshouse covers 26.5 acres, but is currently being extended to 44.5 acres - that’s the size of 25 international football pitches !

It's only because of the volume of tomatoes we use at Stokes that we need the long season of Mediterranean sunshine that ripens our little beauties on the hillsides of southern Italy.

Tasty tomatoes

Of course, there's nothing tastier than a ripe cherry tomato plucked from its stalk and popped into your mouth. My father used to keep a salt cellar in the greenhouse for such occasions. Or make up a bowl of halved tomatoes (as above) with a twist or two of sea salt, a few torn leaves of basil and a delicious soaking of Stokes Olive & Balsamic Dressing.


Mustard & mint dressing

You'll need:

• 1 tbsp of Stokes Dijon Mustard
• 2 tbsp of cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tsp of brown sugar
• 1 tbsp of finely chopped mint
• a pinch of sea salt.

Here's how:

Simply mix it all together well until the sugar has dissolved.

Spoon it over the tomatoes and enjoy.

Aromatic baked tomatoes

You'll need:

• 8 rashers of smoked back bacon
• 6 large tomatoes
• 2 tbsp of red pepper, finely diced
• 4 tbsp of Parmesan, grated
• 20 g of Panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Chipotle Ketchup 

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 5. Dice and fry the bacon. Slice the top off the tomatoes (stem end) and carefully scoop out the pulp.

Chop the pulp and put one third of it in a bowl (you don't need the rest). Add the bacon, pepper, cheese, ketchup and breadcrumbs to the chopped pulp, combine and season.

Now divide the mixture evenly into the tomatoes, place them onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

They make a lovely starter or a deliciously juicy accompaniment on a steak night.

Seafood pasta

You'll need:

• 4 large tomatoes, skinned and chopped
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Bloody Mary Ketchup
• 200 g (approx) spaghetti
• 1 x 200 g bag of frozen scallops
• 1 x 225 g bag of large frozen prawns
• 6 cherry vine tomatoes
• 2 tbsp of chopped parsley

Here's how:

Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the chopped tomatoes and onion for 10 minutes while the spaghetti is boiling as instructed on the pack.

Add the ketchup, scallops, prawns, parsley and cherry tomatoes (halved) to the tomato reduction and cook for 5 or 6 minutes.

Check the scallops and prawns are thawed and piping hot.  Serve combined with the pasta and top with grated Parmesan.

More foodie thoughts for the week:






Meet the latest Facebook friends - enter the competition here.












British Sandwich Week - sensational filling ideas here.










Putting the tea in Royalty for the wedding here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150

A right royal tea time

Putting the 'tea' in Royalty

Just in case you didn't receive your invitation to the wedding on Saturday, they look splendid, using American ink on English card printed in gold and black, then burnished to bring out the shine, and gilded around the edge - so we're given to understand.

But watch it we will and celebrate we shall. 

Up with the bunting and out with the best china. Crusts off, scones laden, serviettes starched, salmon smoked and little fingers crooked.

Other good news is that the wedding falls on the day before the start of British Sandwich Week, about which you can read more here.


It's tea party time ... !


Cheesy scones 
with a ploughman's twist

You'll need:

• 225 g of self raising flour
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 55 g of butter, cut into small cubes
• 100 g of strong Cheddar cheese, finely grated
• 2 tsp (heaped) of Stokes Cider & Horseradish Mustard
• 90 ml of milk, reserve 5 ml for glazing

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 7. Mix together the flour, salt and cayenne then rub in the butter until you have a breadcrumb consistency.

Add the cheese and mustard, combining them thoroughly with the flour mixture. Now add the milk, a little at a time to create a soft dough. Knead the dough gently on a floured surface, patting it out to 2 cm thick and cut into rounds.

Put them on a greased baking sheet, brush the tops with the remaining milk and bake for about 15 minutes.

For the ploughman's twist: cut the scones open and serve them filled with slices of sweet eating apple and a good spoonful of Stokes Real Ale Chutney.

Mini sausage rolls with mustard

You'll need:

• 600 g of really yummy sausage meat
• 1 tbsp of chopped thyme leaves
• 250 g of puff pastry, ready made
• 2 tbsp of Stokes Classic English Mustard
• 1 egg, beaten

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 7. Work the meat and thyme in a large bowl to combine the herbs.

Roll the pastry on a floured surface to a 32 cm x 15 cm rectangle and cut this in half lengthways. Spread the mustard on each strip of pastry.

Form the meat into two rolls the length of the pastry and place one on each of the edges. Brush the exposed edge with water (to help seal the roll). Roll each, seal neatly and cut into 10 smaller portions (20 in all).

Place them on a greased baking sheet, brush with the egg and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry puffs up and turns golden brown.  

Luscious lemon crumpets

You'll need:

• 6 crumpets
• 50 g of caster sugar
• The juice on 1 lemon
• 200g of Greek yogurt
• 4 tbsp of Stokes Lemon Curd

Here's how:

Toast your crumpets and sit them on a wire rack.

Whisk the lemon juice and sugar in a bowl to form a syrup which you spoon over the crumpets.

Let them rest for a couple of minutes to absorb the flavour. Serve with a good dollop of yogurt and lemon curd.

The WI's finest shortbread

You'll need:

• 200g of plain flour
• 100 g of butter
• 50 g of caster sugar 

Here's how:

Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 5. Sift the flour into a bowl, stir in the sugar and rub in the butter until the whole mixture comes together. 

Now press the mixture into a lightly greased 17 cm x 18 cm tin. Bake the shortbread for 15 minutes until it is golden, then cut it into fingers.

These are really very good dunked in a bowl of Stokes Lemon Curd and Greek yogurt (as above).

Triple layer sponge

You'll need:

• 225 g of caster sugar
• 225 g of unsalted butter, softened
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 225 g of self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp of baking powder
• 2 tbsp of whole milk
• Stokes Extra Jam - of your choice

Here's how:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 6. Grease and line three 18cm loose-bottomed sandwich cake tins. Beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, bit by bit, beating well after each addition and adding a little flour if it starts to curdle. Now add the flour, baking powder and milk and beat to combine them.

Divide the mixture evenly and smoothly between the tins and bake for 20 minutes until golden and the cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger. Turn them out on to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

Now assemble your cake with lashings of Stokes Extra Jam between each layer and a dusting of icing sugar to finish.

More foodie thoughts for the week:






Meet the latest Facebook friends - enter the competition here.











British Tomato Week - seasonal juice recipes here.











British Sandwich Week - sensational filling ideas here.

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

 FOOD MADE BETTER 

www.stokessauces.co.uk

01394 462150