A Sneaky Peek

As temperatures drop, our bodies crave additional energy to deal with it. The seasonal changes naturally provide essential energy-dense food to fuel our needs – fats and carbs.

Bring on warming hearty meals, simply made, using the ingredients fresh for our seasonal needs.

A Sneaky PeekFruits, roots, squash, legumes; pasta, slow-cooks, bangers & mash – bring it on.

Fill yourselves up with the hearty: sweet potatoes, squash, apples, leafy greens, beetroots for comfort foods such as homemade soups and stews.

These will help counter your cravings for instant-fix energy … something from the naughty shelf !Helping your Autumn FLAVOURS.

Autumn flavours can be a little ‘samey’. Wonderful, yes, deep and rich, yes, but they often need some complementary help.

By ‘complementary‘ we mean adding the naturally flavours of Stokes, intended to complement rather than compete with your favourite Autumn feasts.

Visit our Traditional Condiments sauces HERE.

DID YOU KNOW

Dehydration is something to watch out for more so in cooler months than the Summer. The heat makes you feel thirsty, a sign you don’t get naturally in winter months.So, drink plenty of water even though there’s no trigger to make you want it – you need it.

One-Pot Wonders

One-pots give you the time you deserve in a fuss-free kitchen, yet provide the fats and carbs to sate your Autumn craving.One-pot recipes are usually pretty straight forward, balancing ingredients, flavours and textures that gradually fill the house with wonderfully inviting aromas.

The ingredients simmer together, perhaps with our Horseradish, Mint Sauce, Redcurrant Jelly, creating a harmony of deep, often complex flavours.

Lamb Minted Hot PotThis combines a harmony of classic ingredients – carrots, onions, potatoes and mushrooms. Fry off the onions with herbs or spices.

A combination of fennel and cumin seeds dry fried before the onions and rapeseed oil gives a complimentary intensity that make a tasty change from herbs. Then, literally add the rest, just covering the ingredients with an appropriate stock.

We’ve opted for lamb mince in this recipe which can be easily rolled into meatballs and browned off before going into the stew. Mince as opposed to diced shoulder will reduce the cooking time.

But, you can’t beat slow-cooked shoulder – the real thing.

CHEF’S TIP:

Enrich the gravy with a good dollop of our Real Tomato Ketchup and a couple of teaspoons of garden sweet Mint Sauce. They add depth to the flavours already developing.

Hearty Sausage CassouletNot quite a ‘one-pot’ because this is best served with rice or mashed potatoes but, it is a simple way to make a great family supper. See Andy’s recipe – HERE.

Tray baking a supper is a simple culinary art, such as this:

Wholegrain Mustard Sausage Tray BakeCHEF’S TIP 

A tray bake does everything a one-pot does but without the gravy. Getting all the ingredients cooked within the same time-frame is the art.

Carrots, potatoes (waxy), swede, fennel, parsnips – whatever you fancy, cut to the same size for even cooking.

Scatter with thyme and rosemary, coat with our Cider & Horseradish Mustard, then drizzle of English rapeseed oil.

That’s another tasty supper in the pot!

For the love of eggs

The simple egg, free-range from cared-for hens.CRACK

…and the options are so many and varied:

OmeletteStrange, we talk about ‘the classic omelette’, but there is nothing classic about it, such is your choice of method, filling, and serving.

Butter, eggs, herbs in the pan, combined with a wooden spoon and left to form. Sliced, roast peppers (from the jar), layered on the open omelette with Stokes Chilli Jam. Fold and serve with a light salad of tomatoes and cucumber. Delicious.

Frittata or Spanish OmeletteA deep Spanish Omelette is combined and cooked in the pan and finished under the grill (or baked in the oven).

Tomatoes, potatoes, onion, chorizo – whatever you want. Try finishing it with a soft egg below the grill and serve with either our Real Tomato, Bloody Mary, or Chilli Ketchup.

Muy Bueno.

Breton GaletteA savoury pancake, traditional to the Breton / Normandy coast of France, washed down with wonderful local cider.

Breton pancakes are made from buckwheat flour, containing local ham, Dijon Mustard, cheese, a trademark egg, and a sprinkling of crumbly feta cheese.

Très bon goût

ShakshukaShakshuka is an Arabic dish from North Africa, combining a base of softly cooked onions, tomatoes and red peppers, spicy with harissa paste (and we add our Real Tomato Ketchup to lift the true tomato flavours).

Using the back of a spoon, make three or four ‘wells’ into which you crack eggs to bake in the oven.

If you like it spicier still, add our Habanero HOT Sauce to the tomato mix.

šahiyy

Get the Autumn Boost

1. Mix up the way you cook your seasonal fruit and veg. Try using coconut oil for stir-fry suppers; roast joints and vegetables with healthy herbs and spices; turn all vegetable leftovers into delicious soups; vary vegetable textures by spiralizing your roots.
2. Don’t get stuck in an Autumn rut.
3. Balance your carb cravings. For instance, a warming bowl of pasta and cheese can be made healthier by switching to a wholegrain pasta and adding a variety of roasted winter vegetables.
4. Our bodies were not made to hibernate, So, whilst a blanket, soup and binge-watch might seem like a good idea, balance it with activity. It’s important to get some movement into your day. Keep the steps up.
5. Those leaves won’t rake themselves, and we do mean rake – not wandering around with a blower.
6. Watch your mood and listen to your body. The winter can bring on weight gain; fighting flu and colds can challenge your immune system; shorter days and long, cold nights can cause low mood. All of these pile on top of each other to dull your wellbeing.
7. Eat well, sleep well, re-hydrate and listen to your body’s complaints. Turn negative thoughts into positive ones.