Matt's Food & Recipe Blog
I love cooking experimenting and trying out new idea's, I also love a good freebie or bargain {Don't we all}. On this blog you will find everything from delicious recipe Ideas to Supermarket offers and promotions and honest reviews of products that I have tried.
Please feel free to drop me a message with any comments or questions.
Join the Tesco Orchard program and get to try Food and Drink products for free or at a great discount. Share your opinions. The more you participate the more invites to programs you receive.
Tesco Christmas Show Stoppers
Tesco Finest Mature Stilton & Port Glaze
Tried this product for free as part of the Tesco Orchard Program.
Loved this Cheese, so Creamy and aromatic. Really aged well, Highly recommend this product for your Christmas table.
Recipe Idea.
Blanch Brussels Sprouts and set to one side
Dice 6 slices of streaky bacon and fry until crisp and brown (Do Not Discard the Fat) put the sprouts in with the bacon, add 2 table spoons of Tesco Finest Mature Blue Stilton and 2 table spoons of double cream, add a handful of chestnuts and warm through gently.
A Great accompaniment to any Christmas table
Cranberry Sauce from Tesco
Tried this product for free as part of the Tesco Orchard program.
I love Cranberry sauce and usually either make it myself or go for the more expensive brands. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of this product considering the cheap cost.
It was really fruity and full of good size chunks of cranberries.
Recipe Idea: Crumbed Brie with Cranberry Sauce
50g Flour seasoned with salt & pepper
2 Eggs Beaten
50g Breadcrumbs
200g Brie
Oil for Frying, enough to Deep fry and Submerge your Brie
Cut your Brie into wedges, First dip them into the flour, then into the egg and finally give a good coating of Breadcrumbs. Fry in hot oil for approx 3-4 mins until Golden Brown.
Serve on a bed of Rocket and Mixed Leaf Salad and Cranberry Sauce
Real Authentic Mongolian Lamb.
So easy to make and just as good as any from any Restaurant.
All ingredients are easy to buy from any good Asian shop
Ingredients
500 g lamb
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tbs dark soy sauce
1 small egg, beaten
1tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
5 tbs seseme oil
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tbs dark soy sauce
1 small egg, beaten
1tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
5 tbs seseme oil
1 Large onion cut into wedges
1 Spring onion thinly sliced
1 Tsp Finally Chopped garlic
Sauce
½ tsp five-spice powder
1 tbs hoi sin sauce
1 tbs ground bean sauce
1 tsp chilli bean sauce
1 tbs Chinese wine or dry sherry
½ tsp five-spice powder
1 tbs hoi sin sauce
1 tbs ground bean sauce
1 tsp chilli bean sauce
1 tbs Chinese wine or dry sherry
Directions
Combine sugar, salt, soy sauce, egg, bicarbonate of soda and cornflour. Add the meat and mix well. Add 1 tablespoon of the Sesame oil and mix again. Leave to marinate for at least 2 hours pref 6 hours.
Add 1 tablespoon of the Sesame oil to a pan or wok and, on medium-high heat, stir-fry the onion wedges and spring onion for 1 minute. Remove from the wok. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of Sesame oil to the wok, heat the oil and swirl to coat cooking surface. Fry the garlic for 5 seconds. Then add the lamb and stir- fry on high heat, tossing the meat constantly until it is brown. Add sauce ingredients except the Sherry, and toss again. Return the onion and spring onion to the wok. Add the wine, pouring it around the side of the wok so it sizzles. Mix, and serve at once with rice.
You can also add Broccoli, Sugar Snap Peas & carrots to this meal to bulk it out if you wish.
Trust me when I say, this dish is spectacular and one that will impress all your guests
Authentic Chicken Satay
This has to be one of my most favored Asian dishes, it is so easy to make.
Ingredients
2 Chicken Breasts cut into thin strips
1 Pkt Satay Seasoning Mix by Lobo (Available from Tesco or any good Asian food store)
1 Tbs of oil from jar of Jimmys Sate Sauce (Available in any good Asian food store)
1Tbs Paste from jar of Jimmys Sate Sauce
2 Tbs sesame oil
2 medium sized onions cut into thin wedges
1 Medium sized Red Pepper
1 medium sized Carrot thinly cut
1 Can of Baby Corn
100g mushrooms sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 Table Spoon of Madras Curry Powder (or mild curry powder if you don’t like it to hot)
140ml Coconut Milk
Directions
Cut chicken breasts into thin strips
In a container mix 1Tbs of the oil from the Jimmys Sate Sauce, Curry Powder and the packet of seasoning mix from Lobo. Leave to marinade in the fridge for at least 2 hours but preferably 6.
In a wok over a medium heat, heat 1tbs sesame oil, be careful as to not overheat as sesame oil burns extremely hot quickly. Add the onion and fry or 5 minutes being careful not to burn. Add the carrot, mushroom, red Pepper, Baby Corn and garlic and fry for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from Wok and set aside.
Heat the remaining sesame oil in the wok, fry the chicken until cooked.
Add the coconut milk, stirring continuously until you have a creamy sauce. Add the cooked vegetables and 1tbs of the paste from the Jimmy Sate Sauce, simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve with boiled or fried rice.
If you really love the taste of peanut butter as do I, you can add a Table Spoon of chunky peanut butter; this will also give you a thicker sauce.
This dish will certainly have your guests amazed at your culinary skills and it is so simple to make
Chinese BBQ Pork Balls in Batter
My twist on Chinese Sweet & Sour Pork Balls which will have you drooling for more and just as good as the ones you will buy from any Chinese takeaway.
Ingredients
500g Pork cut into small bite sized Cubes
½ Pkt Lobo Roast Red Pork Seasoning Mix (available in Tesco or in most Asian food stores)
Oil for deep frying
Corn flour for dusting
For the Batter
120g plain flour
60g Corn Flour
1 tsp Baking powder
Pinch of salt
Water
Directions
Cut the pork into small bite sized cubes, add the Lobo seasoning mix, coat well and marinade for at least 4 hours in the fridge. The longer you allow the meat to marinade the more tender your meat will be.
In a bowel mix the flours, salt and baking powder. Mix in cold water pouring slowly stirring constantly with a fork or chop sticks. You are looking for a consistency of double cream {Not thick, but not runny either}
Heat the oil to around 180c. You need to have enough oil in the pan to be able to totally submerge your balls. The way to check your oil is hot enough is to drizzle a little of your batter from your chop stick into the oil, the batter should form and rise instantly to the top of the oil.
Dust the pork in a coating of Corn flour and then dip into the batter to get a generous covering and place into hot oil. Only cook a few at a time to prevent sticking together. You want your balls to be nice and brown which will take about 6-7 minutes.
Take out of the oil and place onto Kitchen towel to soak up excess oil.
Serve Immediately with either Sweet and Sour Sauce or Soya Sauce.
These Pork balls are so light and fluffy, just as good as any you will buy from a Chinese takeaway. These are so easy to make, you must give them a try
