Breathe some fire into your St George's Day celebrations!
St George’s Day, 23 April, is the feast day of the Patron Saint of England. The Christian martyr is most commonly associated with the legendary defeat of the dragon, is also the Patron Saint for many other nations. The traditional English customs include flying the St George’s Cross flag or wearing a red rose, but Saint George’s Day is rarely celebrated in the same way as the Irish do, with big parades on Saint Patrick’s Day. So we say - why not throw your own St George’s day party and serve your guests good old English bangers and mash with Caramelised Red Onion gravy or comforting beef pies with Hot Horseradish and potato topping, and raise a glass to England’s Patron Saint.
Easter Feasts
Easter - four days of holiday, the chance to catch up with family and friends, the promise of spring around the corner and the biggest ever excuse to eat lots of chocolate!
With Easter falling early this year, a warming Sunday roast may be just the ticket for chilly March weather. Roast lamb is traditional - served with plenty of mint sauce of course! If you find the vinegar in some mint sauces too harsh, try our Mint Sauce with Balsamic Vinegar, which really complements the sweetnesss of new season lamb.
If there's any mint sauce left after your roast, don't wait until you have lambe again to finish the jar! Try spooning it over warm new salad potatoes, or mix with yoghurt to make an instant raita to serve with your favourite curry.
All that Easter egg hunting on Sunday afternoon is guaranteed to make everyone ready for tea! Fill a light sponge cake with a generous spreading of our Luxury Lemon Curd. Spoon a little whipped cream over the top and decorate with mini eggs for a perfect tea time treat.
If you need more inspiration for your Easter cooking, check out our website www.englishprovender.com/recipes/
A treat for mum
Mother’s Day, which falls this year on March 2nd, is when all mothers everywhere should sit back, relax and let the rest of the household take the strain. And you can’t give your mum a better treat than by offering to cook the Sunday lunch. A traditional roast is a good start - but it’s the finishing touches that make all the difference. Check out our condiments for beef, lamb, pork and chicken and she’ll be really impressed!
Mothering Sunday, which falls in mid Lent, was sometimes called Refreshment Sunday, because the strict fasting rules of Lent were relaxed. What better excuse to enjoy cake for tea! A home-made cake shows you care - try filling a simple Victoria sponge with a generous layer of our Luxury Lemon Curd and fresh whipped cream. She’ll be in heaven!
But if your little darlings are still young, you can both have a lot of fun by cooking together. A batch of fairy cakes, topped with pale pink icing flavoured with delicate rose water should keep all the family happy this Mother’s Day.
British Pie Week 1-7 March
The British are well known for their love of pies. So celebrate this national favourite by making a delicious pie during British Pie Week 1- 7 March. The English Provender Very Lazy range is just perfect for a packing in lots of flavour – no need to stand over the hob, stirring red onions for an age until they start to caramelise. And forget finely chopping lots of garlic – just add a spoon of Very Lazy Garlic to the browned beef cubes and red onions, then pour in some beef stock and ale and cook for about 2 hours until tender. Transfer to an pie dish, cover with ready-rolled puff pastry and cook until puffed up and golden. Serve with a man-sized portion of mash and a pint!
St David's Day 1 March
St David's Day is the feast day of the patron Saint of Wales. The recognised symbol of St David is the leek, so what better way to join in the festivities than to cook a delicious leek dish for your family? Try this idea for Leek and Potato Gratin - heat together a teaspoon of Very Lazy Garlic, vegetable stock, cream and a bayleaf. Pour over layers of sliced potatoes and leeks and season well. Top with grated cheese and bake for about an hour unitl tender and golden. You can add a layer of cooked ham to the dish if liked.
For something really special, traditional Welsh lamb is hard to beat. Check out the recipe for SlowCooked Lamb Shanks with Garlic and Herbs.
Roll up for Pancake Day delights!
Shrove Tuesday, which this year falls on February 5th, is the day when traditionally everyone rushed to eat up all the eggs and fats in the house before Lent began with its 40 long days of fasting.Today more commonly known as Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday is still a great excuse to …cook pancakes!
Paper thin pancakes served with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of caster sugar are the most popular way to enjoy this sweet treat. But for an extra dose of indulgence try these ideas with cooked pancakes:
· Spread English Provender Company Very Lazy Belgian Chocolate Sauce over the surface of the pancake, sprinkle with chopped nuts and roll up to serve
· Layer six pancakes with a generous spread of English Provender Company’s luscious Luxury Lemon Curd. Serve cut into wedges with a dollop of whipped cream for good measure
· Spoon over English Provender Company’s new Fairtrade Very Lazy Chocolate Sauce, then add a few slices of a Fairtrade banana before rolling up to eat. It’s also great with our other new Fairtrade dessert sauce, Very Lazy Coffee Sauce. Add a scoop of vanilla icecream if you are after perfection!
The boring bit: To make pancake batter, mix 110g of sifted plain flour, a pinch of salt, with two eggs and 275ml semi skimmed milk and whisk until smooth. Beat in a tablespoon of melted butter and you are ready to start cooking. Heat a little butter or lard in a non-stick pan, When sizzling pour in a small amount of batter and tilt the pan to spread it quickly and thinly. Flip over when giolden brown and cook the other side. (Our favourite Very Lazy tip: Buy ready made pancakes from your favourite supermarket)
The interesting bit: Open your preferred jar of English Provender Company dessert sauce or curd and enjoy your pancakes!
Bacon butty heaven
Celebrate Bacon Connoisseurs’ Week (February 16 – 23) by making yourself a delicious bacon butty! Scientists have actually created a mathematical formula of how to create the perfect bacon sandwich - but most of us already know the answer!
First start with the bread – cut two thick slices from a freshly baked crusty white loaf. Buy the best quality bacon you can find – look for the Quality Standard Mark on the pack – and pop under a hot grill. When the bacon is crispy round the edges, slap it between the slices of bread – butter is optional. And now comes the clever bit: for a slightly sticky, totally tomatoey taste with just a hint of fire, add a generous spoonful of English Provender Organic Sweet Tomato and Chilli Chutney. We can guarantee that once you’ve tasted this combo you’ll never want to reach for the ketchup or brown sauce again!
For more information on Bacon Connoisseurs Week click onto www.lovebacon.info.