RESOLUTIONS – Something New

TOP 5 – New Year Resolutions:

…for Food Lovers, by Food lovers.Minimise waste: re-heat, re-use, re-cycle.

‘Fridge soup‘ – using the little bits and bobs often lurking in the fridge to create a wonderful hearty soup. Waste ye not!

A noble gesture and one endorsed wholeheartedly by Rick. Environmental considerations drive policy at Stokes in terms of sourcing, manufacture, packaging and distribution.Read more about this HERE.

Embrace new tastes: ‘try something new‘ or make something using different ingredients and / or new recipes.If you like it bland, try it hotter (simply add our Habanero HOT Sauce – drop by drop – to an oriental broth). If you like it dry, try it wetter (add our Hoisin Sauce to a little vegetable stock to give the sauce greater substance and depth).

Eat what’s in season: love it fresh? Love it more when we grow it in season. Take asparagus – not only does it taste better in season, but saves many thousands of air miles. We only grow it for harvest between mid May and late June. That’s when to eat it.Check where your food comes from. Follow the Red Tractor mark wherever you can. Support British growers.

Give ‘Meat-free’ a go: try meat-free versions of meaty favourites. It is not just a good idea, but really quite easy to achieve, and very tasty too.Fish ‘n’ Chips (without the fish) – an inspired recipe by Chef Andy and available – HERE.

We have a number of tasty recipes HERE and others following during Veganuary.Try simply switching meat and other ingredients for Vegan approved alternatives, such as ground beef for Quorn Mince in this Chilli sin Carne – HERE, or Spicy Taco Soup – HERE.

Practice ‘Mindful Eating’: from the Buddhist practise of mindfulness, it involves giving your full attention to your food. Notice the colours, textures, flavours and smells on your plate. Just as we do when creating new recipes.

Eating mindfully can feel a little strange at first, but over time, it’s a great way to train your body to get back in touch with its natural rhythms of appetite and digestion.

Land of Milk & Honey – ‘a rapturous novel about a young chef.’

“A chef escapes her dying career in a dreary city to take a job at a decadent mountain-top colony seemingly free of the world’s troubles…” .

The Guardian goes on to describe C Pam Zhang’s book as: “A startling prose hymn to food and sex, love and violence“.

For us, the phrase (originally drawn from a Biblical reference Exodus 3:17 describing Israel as ‘a land flowing with milk and honey’) and its utopian suggestions, is a purely culinary concept.

WHY? 

Because, when we look at the definition of a Vegetarian diet, and what must be sacrificed to become Vegan:

Vegetarians do not eat meat, poultry, fish, or seafood, but may eat eggs or dairy. To change to a Vegan diet … Vegans do not eat any animal products or by-products, including meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy, eggs, and honey…

…it is the enjoyment of milk, eggs and honey that must be foregone.

Belief is belief and we value one’s right to choose. In fact, we label our products to clearly indicate which are approved by the Vegan Society and the Vegetarian equivalent.

Take a look at our vast range of Vegan and Vegetarian approved products – HERE.

In balance, we endorse the amazing qualities of British Animal Husbandry, from the value and keeping of bees to help pollinate our incredible fruit farming heritage……to the care, attention and dedication (love) our dairy farms enjoy, such as at Fen Farm Dairies (see article on the family, Jonny & Dulcie Crickmore, – HERE.)…… and  the luxurious lifestyle of the poultry at Clarence Court Eggs that we covered – HERE.

Whatever your food lifestyle and passion, enjoy it and share your creativity in this New Year ahead.

Just for fun.

Time Magazine’s 10 most broken New Year Resolutions:

• Lose Weight and Get Fit
• Quit Smoking
• Learn a New Language
• Eat Healthier and Diet
• Get Out of Debt and Save Money
• Spend More Time with Family
• Travel to New Places
• Be Less Stressed
• Volunteer
• Drink Less

ring any bells?!?