Monday 23 May 2011

For National Barbecue Week. Stella Artois Cidre

Cider lovers will have a new tipple to look forward to this barbecue season as Stella Artois unveils its latest innovation - the new, mouth-watering Stella Artois Cidre.

Stella Artois Cidre is a premium-crafted, Belgian cider made from hand-picked apples which are bursting with flavour. They are fermented in Belgium and imported to the UK – giving Stella Artois Cidre a crisp and refreshing taste.

Available in ASDA and Tesco from now, before rolling out nationwide in May, Stella Artois Cidre will be served chilled over ice in its own, unique chalice glass in bars across the UK, providing the customer with a vibrant, medium-bodied drink which is clean and thirst-quenching on the palate.

Inspired by more than 600 years of brewing tradition and famous for delivering a premium and unique Belgian taste experience, Stella Artois is uniquely positioned to launch the refreshingly different Stella Artois Cidre, which reflects the brand’s premium nature, quality, craft and heritage.

James Watson, Marketing Director at Stella Artois points out: “Stella Artois Cidre will broaden the Stella Artois superior drinking experience and meet the different needs of our discerning clientele, yet retaining all the elegance and sophistication of Stella Artois. This is another demonstration of our commitment to innovation and investment in Stella Artois – including the launch of Stella Artois Black and Stella Artois 4 per cent – the most successful alcohol launch in the last ten years.”

For more information visit www.stellaartois.co.uk/cidre

Sunday 22 May 2011

Do not forget the barbecue deserts! Carnation shows us how!

With all the meat to cook, the salads, dips and savoury snacks to prepare, it is all too easy to forget that those with a sweet tooth might feel a bit marginalised and forgotten about at the barbecue. But there's no fear of that happening if you follow these recipes, very helpfully created in the kitchens of Carnation Milk!

Low Fat Strawberry Cheesecake Pots
Recipe

Serves 6
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour

Recipe
85g (3oz) light digestive biscuits
150g tub 0%fat Greek yogurt
150g (5½oz) extra light cream cheese
200g (7oz) Carnation Condensed Milk Light
Zest and juice 1 lemon                                                                                                                                                   
250g (9oz) fresh strawberries
3tbsp strawberry jam
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method
1.    Crumble 75g (3oz) light digestive biscuits into a bowl, not too fine.  Divide the crumbs between 6 wine glasses or small tumblers. 
2.    Place 200g (7oz) Carnation Condensed Milk Light (half a can) into a bowl and add the zest and juice of 1 lemon and 1tsp vanilla extract (optional).  Stir together until the mixture has thickened.
3.    Whisk 150g (5½oz) extra light cream cheese and 150g tub 0%fat Greek yogurt in a small bowl until smooth then fold into the thickened condensed milk, don’t over beat.  Spoon the creamy mixture over the biscuits.  Chill for at least 30minutes to 1 hour.
4.    Chop 250g (9oz) fresh strawberries, mix with 3tbsp strawberry jam and top the cheesecakes with the fruit to serve.

Or how about this gorgeous recipe?

Lime and Coconut Cake
Recipe:

Serves 12
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 55-65 minutes

Cake:
175g (6oz) butter, softened
3 large eggs, beaten
250g (7oz) Carnation Condensed Milk
55g (2oz) desiccated coconut
finely grated zest and juice 1 lime
175g (6oz) self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder

Icing:
100g (3½oz) icing sugar
Long strands lime zest and juice 1 lime

Method
1.    Preheat the oven to 170°C, (150°C for fan ovens), Gas Mark 3.
2.    Grease and base line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with baking parchment.
3.    Place all the cake ingredients into a large bowl and beat using an electric hand whisk until just smooth and pale. Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake for 55-65 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake.  If the top becomes too brown near the end of the cooking time, cover with a piece of parchment.  Leave the cake to cool slightly then remove from the tin and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
4.    For the icing – simply mix the lime juice into the icing sugar until you have a thick pouring consistency – drizzle over the cake and finish with strands of lime zest.

Cooks tip
Using Carnation Condensed Milk will help the creaming process, combining the eggs, flour and butter for a super smooth batter and a moist sponge finish.

Further tips
For a super fresh taste – microwave a slice of cake for 10 seconds to have that warm from the oven effect!

If you have any cake left over make an exotic simple trifle – lay pieces of the cake at the bottom of a dish and sprinkle over some orange juice or sherry, top with tropical fruits such as mango and pineapple, then top with Greek yogurt sweetened with condensed milk and finish with some toasted desiccated coconut.


Warburtons should be a part of your summer barbecues

Summer is on the doorstep so to speak and it’s time to get the barbecue equipment cleaned up and ready for use.

And what's better is that Warburtons has launched a new range of Burger Buns and Sliced Hot Dog Rolls that will make eating outside easier and tastier. And safer, too! No juggling hot meat and bread as you trying to cut the bap or roll open!

The new Hot Dog Rolls are easy to hold and fill, as they are uniquely sliced from the top rather than down the side. As no barbecue is complete without burgers, please do not forget to buy some Warburtons new Burger Buns. Topped with delicious sesame seeds they are perfect for the summer barbecue.

Richard Hayes, the marketing director at Warburtons, says: “Whether you’re having friends over for a barbecue or a family picnic, Warburtons new Hot Dog Rolls and Burger Buns are the perfect accompaniment for al fresco eating, with the quality, freshness and taste you would expect from Britain’s favourite baker!’

Both products will be available in Asda, Co-op, Sainsburys and Tesco stores across the country from April, priced at £1.15 for a six pack. 

And Warbourtons have asked That's Food and Drink to share this recipe with you!

The Red, White and Blue Burger

Try this great British twist on the classic American burger this summer:

Serves six
Ingredients

1kg lean beef mince
1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
100g (3½oz) blue cheese, crumbled
Mayonnaise and tomato ketchup
Olive oil, to drizzle
Warburtons Sesame Seeded Burger Buns

Method
To prepare the burgers, put the mince, red onion and blue cheese into a large bowl

Mix until well combined, using your hands. Break off 1/6 of the mixture, shape into a ball and fry in an oiled pan until cooked.
Cover the bowl with clingfilm and chill for a few hours. Preheat a griddle pan or heat up the barbecue. Wet your hands and shape the burgers into 6 neat patties. Brush or drizzle the patties with a little olive oil and cook for approximately 7-10 minutes or until cooked, turning them over halfway through cooking.
To serve, sandwich the burger patties between the Warburtons Sesame Seeded Burger Buns with some salad leaves and sliced tomato, and add a dollop of mayonnaise and ketchup to complete your red, white and blue Burger.

FACTFILE

Warburtons is the UK's top independent baker and was established in a grocery shop in Bolton in 1876 by Thomas and Ellen Warburton. Today the business is actively run by the fifth generation of the Warburton family – Brett, Jonathan and Ross
Warburtons is the second biggest grocery brand in the UK. Source: The Grocer Magazine, Nielson Britain's 100 Biggest Grocery Brands, March 2011
With fourteen bakeries and thirteen depots around the UK, the company serves customers from the Scottish Islands & Highlands in the North to Southampton in the South
 Warburtons produces over two million loaves, rolls and crumpets every day and in the UK we eat the equivalent of nine million large loaves of bread on a daily basis Statistics provided by the Federation of Bakers
For local stockists please call the Warburtons Freephone Customer Careline on 0800 243 684.


bottlegreen creates ideal drinks for a summer's barbecue

The salad is ready, the meat is sizzling on the barbecue and the drinks... now, there's another subject, right there! Lager and some nice real ales, of course, there will be some wines and perhaps some colas too, but why not add something a little different to your drinks selection at your next barbecue? How about making it a bottlegreen barbecue?

And there's even more reasons for getting some bottlegreen in, now! Because bottlegreen's newest floavour, their green tea and elderflower presse, is the perfect accompaniment to a summer BBQ, with its unusual yet eminently refreshing flavour and their strawberry and elderflower cordial with its quintessentially British flavours are great for creating cool, long drinks in the garden.

And please do not forget, bottlegreen drinks cordials and presses are also great ingredients' for cocktails and BBQ recipes, too!

Make it the best barbecue ever!

That's Food and Drink have some recommendations for you:-

unearthed® have three new olive selections including Almond Stuffed Olives with Smoked Paprika. These Spanish olives are stuffed with a whole almond for a satisfying crunch, then dressed in smoked paprika to add a touch of heat.  These olives are a perfect accompaniment to a barbeque. Unearthed® have also brought out aFrench Olive Mix and Green Olives with Pesto and Pine Nuts.

Unearthed® also have two new cheeses, Greek Goat’s Milk Balls with Mint (£2.39, 100g), based on Labneh, a staple of the Middle Eastern diet, but with a Greek twist. With a mild flavour, the cheese is made from goat’s yoghurt, then subtly flavoured with mint, delicious mixed in a tomato salad. Unearthed®’s new Diced Greek Feta with Herbs (£2.49,150g) has a burst of fresh flavours  and fragrant additions of oregano, coriander, rosemary, thyme and cloves and goes really well mixed with olives or in a salad.

And Donald Russell, the gourmet online Butcher, have also come up with some sizzling treats for summer. www.donaldrussell.com

BBQ Mini Selection
Donald's mini-steaks cook in a flash, but stay tender and juicy - even on the bbq.

Grass-fed naturally reared beef and lamb

Freedom Food accredited pork

Convenient sized portions

Box contains:
4 Beef Mini Steaks, in pack of 4 (minimum pack weight 200g)
4 Lamb Mini Steaks, in pack of 4 (minimum pack weight 140g)
4 Pork Mini Steaks, in pack of 4 (minimum pack weight 200g)
8 Mini Gourmet Steak Burgers, in packs of 4 (pack weight 180g)
8 Mini Lamb Burgers, in packs of 4 (pack weight 180g)
8 Mini Pork Burgers, in packs of 4 (pack weight 180g)
8 Premium Pork Sausages, in packs of 4 (ave. pack weight 280g
Servings:  8-10

Or why not try

Classic BBQ Selection
The perfect mix for entertaining indoors or out.
They have paired up their succulent Sirloin Steaks, matured on the bone in the traditional way, with our popular Classic and Mini 100% Steak Burgers, perfect cooked medium rare to ensure the flavoursome juices don’t dry out. And to celebrate the change of season, they’ve added some of their delicious Pork Sausages. They do not add any seasoning to our burgers, but they’ve included a jar of their new THE Perfect Seasoning, the perfect partner for all of their steaks, sausages and burgers.

Top quality grass-fed, fully matured beef

Freedom Food accredited pork

Unique seasoning mix which is exclusive to their customers

Box contains:
2 Sirloin Steaks (individually packed, pack weight 210g)
8 Mini Steak Burgers (in packs of 4, min weight 180g)
8 Classic Steak Burgers (in packs of 4, min pack weight 480g)
8 Pork Sausages (in packs of 4, min pack weight 280g)
1 Jar THE Perfect Seasoning, 110g
Servings:  16-18

We would like to recommend a selection of products from Tracklements, an award winning chutney and relish making company.

Firstly, their trio of fresh salsas make the perfect accompaniment to a barbecue.

Secondly, their classic range of barbecue condiments, including Fruity Brown Sauce (Great Taste Awards-Silver) and their Ketchup, (Taste of the West Awards- Silver) made with the best, ripe Italian tomatoes, make a great addition to any barbecue.

Baked Salmon for your barbecue with Loseley Summer Meadow Butter

Whilst meat is a treat for the barbecue, it might be time to try some fish, instead, as a tasty alternative. And with the help of Loseley butter and this simple yet great recipe, you could well find it much easier than you might have thought possible!

Baked Salmon is a lovely barbecue alternative on a Summer’s day.  Loseley have created an easy recipe using their Loseley Summer Meadow Butter.

This delicious Loseley Butter is spreadable straight from the fridge and yet has all the creamy taste of traditional butter making it incredibly versatile.

So as it spreads straight from the fridge it is great for making garlic butter for delicious garlic bread or herb butters to smear inside fish parcels. If not using Salmon simply mix the butter with plenty of fresh, chopped herbs (fennel, dill, mint and oregano - make some shallow slashes on the sides of whole fish such as bream, trout or bass- and then fill the fish cavity and slashes with the butter. Pop the fish into an 'envelope' of tightly sealed silver foil and put on a really hot barbecue. Cook each side for a few minutes and viola, one perfectly prepared, delicious fish -- and no smelly pans to clean up afterwards!

Ingredients for Baked Salmon

4 salmon fillets
1 carrot
1 lemon
1 leek
50g Loseley Summer Meadow Butter
Salt and ground black pepper

Method for Baked Salmon

Cut leek and carrot into thin strips.
Put half of the Loseley butter into a bowl and stir until soft. Grate half a teaspoon of lemon rind and add to a teaspoon of squeezed lemon juice and mix with salt, pepper and butter. Rinse fillets under cold water and cover each with a square of kitchen foil. Put a teaspoon of lemon juice and carrot and leek strips over each fillet. Put some of the lemon butter on top. Wrap each fillet in its foil parcel. Put the parcels on the BBQ for 15-20mins. Set each fillet on a warm plate and spoon the vegetables and juices over them. Serve with Northern Irish baby potatoes or a fresh salad.

Loseley Summer Meadow Butter is packed in a 250grm tub and costs £1.29p.

Loseley Chilled Foods are available from the chilled cabinet of local independent grocers, Morrisons, Waitrose and Iceland. (EDITOR: And often, our fridge at home!)

Visit www.loseley.com  for more information.

Blue Diamond. You and your guests will go nuts for these

Blue Diamond are the Rolls Royce of the almond world. Blue Diamond is the California-based nut producer which is the world’s largest almond company.

They have been creating great tasting almonds for well in excess of 100 years. Their nuts are perfect for enjoying with a drink at a BBQ in the sun, as they are perfect for sharing with friends and family as everyone waits for the food to be barbecued.

But Blue Diamond almonds are even more suitable for your barbecue as Blue Diamond is a company that, even after over 100 years, refuses to rest on its laurels! For the clever chefs at their research kitchens have come up with a new and very tasty flavour, Blue Diaomn Spicy BBQ flavour almonds!

This exciting new recipe is already proving to be a hit and are described as “really delicious.”

So for a nutty and nutritious addition to your next barbecue and all subsequent barbecues, add Blue Diamond to your shopping list.