Prosciutto di San Daniele and Grana Padano Review

One of our favourite meals has to be cheese, meats and wine. When we have a date night at home this is our go to treat. The kids in bed, a movie and quality cheese, meat and wine. Perfect.

So when I was asked if I would like to try some Prosciutto di San Daniele and Grana Padano cheese direct from Italy. I simply could not resist. Italian cuisine is one of our most favourite foods and trying different produce is all part of the fun.

Prosciutto di San Daniele and Grana Padano Cheese have both been recognised by the European Union as Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) products since 1996. In order to achieve PDO status, products must respect the strict Production Specifications. The PDO logo guarantees that the products are of the highest quality, authenticity and traceability. 

San Daniele del Friuli is a perfect place for curing prosciutto. The breezes of the Adriatic Sea combined with the fresh air from the Alps, the morainic hills curb humidity and the Tagliamento river regulates the temperature. The climate and traditional processing, which has been perfected over the years, gives this prosciutto a delicate taste that literally melts in the mouth. Its aroma grows more persistent as maturing progresses. Prosciutto di San Daniele is natural, Italian and unique as it is made only with selected thighs from Italian pigs, sea salt and the special microclimate of San Daniele del Friuli. No types of additive or preservatives are used. 

Aldi Specially Selected Five Bird Roast

When we think of Christmas dinner we all immediately think about turkey. But there are so many other options for Christmas dinner. This year I will definitely be cooking a turkey but I am also planning on cooking a second meat. After sitting and looking through the meats that Aldi will have this season I was tempted by so many other meats. Unfortunately the fresh meats are not available until nearer the time but Aldi do have some frozen meat dishes in store that can even be cooked from frozen!

So far I have narrowed it down to the four delicious meats pictured.

• Goose - The fresh British goose from Aldi is free range and from the fields of East Anglia.
• Beef - This Specially Selected beef rib joint is from herds that have been reared in the great outdoors. They have been grass fed and slow grown to give the meat a high level of marbling.
• Venison - From 19th December Aldi will be stocking fresh venison haunch joints. Raised on open pastures of New Zealand this premium lean meat is complimented by a juniper berry jus.
• Lamb - Lamb is often associated with Easter but it is a versatile meat that can be enjoyed all year round including Christmas. This whole leg of lamb will be available from 19th December.

The Perfect Steak with Jamie Oliver's Barbecoa

We all love a good steak and cooking the perfect steak is definitely an art form Knowing when to turn the meat to knowing what to add to the dish. How you cook your steak can literally make or break a meal. 

Five years ago Jamie Oliver opened Barbecoa in central London. Barbecoa is a restaurant that I know we would love. They have combined various means of cooking into one kitchen so you know that however you like your meat cooking they will be certainly live up to the expectation. The kitchen contains robatas, Argentinian grills, wood fired ovens, Texas pit smokers and a tandoor oven. Unlike most restaurants, Barbecoa have their own, on site butchers so you are guaranteed the freshest, highest quality meat which is sourced from preferred organic suppliers.

Today I am sharing with you a fantastic infographic that any meat foodie will find extremely useful. I know that I will be referring to this next time I cook a steak.

Here is the experts guide to cooking steak...

Cheese and Meat Platter from Aldi

Every Friday the hubby and I enjoy our weekly date night. It is a night for just the two of us. Once the twinnies are in bed and J is upstairs playing or watching television the hubby and I tuck into some delicious food, paired with a glass of wine and watch a movie. One of our favourite foods to enjoy has to be cheese, cold meats and wine. Sometimes knowing which cheeses to choose can be difficult so today I thought that I would share with you my top cheese and cold meat selections from Aldi. Cheeses can sometimes be expensive, depending on the type of cheese you enjoy, but in true Aldi style, they offer the best cheeses at unbeatable prices.

Here are my top cheese and meat selections from Aldi...

Soy, Chilli and Ginger Pork Loin Steaks

At this time of year we all prefer lighter meals. Today I am sharing with you a great and easy way to marinade and add flavour to your pork loin steaks. These can either be grilled or placed on a barbecue and have a real summer feel to them.

Aldi have a great selection of summer dressings which are a quick and easy way to flavour salads but also meats and fish. Three of their Specially Selected sauces caught my eye:

• Bloody Mary Ketchup
• Blue Cheese Dressing
• Soy, Chilli and Ginger

This got me thinking about how I could incorporate the sauces into a meal and do something different with them. Now that it is summer we are enjoying being able to get in the garden, having barbecues and eating al fresco. Today's meal is perfect for that!

I decided to go for the spicy and fragrant Soy, Chilli and Ginger Dressing. This dressing is a warm combination of ginger and chilli in a dark soy sauce.

This is what I did...

Lamb and Chive Bake

I love being able to go in the garden and pick fresh produce for our meals. Chives are one of the herbs which I love to add. Many people automatically add rosemary to lamb but in this wholesome bake I have added chives.

This meal is delicious all year round. Eating in the garden al fresco near the fresh herbs or in the winter as a warming, comfort meal.

This is what I did...

Steak Pie

Who doesn't love a good pie? Pie has to be one of the best comfort foods and it is one of my hubby's favourite meals. I know that pie is a perfect winter time meal but we also enjoy pies as an alternative to a Sunday roast. The recipe that I am sharing with you today is what I made on Father's Day.

The five ingredients, pictured above, combine together to make a truly delicious pie filling. I recently discovered that Aldi stock some fantastic mixed herb grinder pots from Stonemill. For this recipe I have used the garlic, herb and tomato seasoning grinder. These little, full of flavour, pots are an ideal way to add extra flavours to your dishes in a perfectly balanced way.

Slow cooking the pie filling in either a slow cooker or in the oven as I did leaves you with lovely tender meat and you can prepare it and leave it to cook while you spend time with your family.

This is what I did...

Foodieseeker Friday - Meatballs Carnival Style

This week we have enjoyed our first Foodieseeker meal. You may remember in previous Foodieseeker posts I have said that I am going to be recreating some of the dishes from the Carnival Vista dining menus. I started this feature by looking at the menu from Cucina del Capitano. We love Italian food and this is one of the restaurants (one of many!) that I am looking forward to visiting.

This is how Carnival describe Cucina del Capitano...

"Say arrivederci to ordinary and ciao to an exciting dining experience at the restaurant that pays homage to our unique heritage. Italian-American dishes inspired by the recipes from our Italian captains’ and officers’ childhoods are served up family-style in a comfy, eclectic environment decorated like an Italian country home. Vintage images of our captains and ships adorn the walls, and there’s even a Captain’s table where you just might see the man himself dine."

Doesn't it sounds fantastic!

After examining the menu and changing my mind on what to cook quite a few times I eventually decided to make my own interpretation of Nonna's Linguine and Meatballs. We all love meatballs, especially the children so I thought that this would be the ideal recipe to introduce them to some of the types of meals that we will be able to enjoy whilst on Carnival's newest vessel, Vista. Vista will be embarking on her maiden voyage in just over a week which I am so excited about and will no doubt have an exciting post to write about the event!

Anyway, back to today's recipe. This is how Nonna's Linguine and Meatballs is described on the menu...

"Handmade with olive oil sauteed garlic and onion, baked with fresh mozzarella, served over linguine al dente with the Captains tomato sauce."

Now that I had the idea of what to expect it was time to get cooking. This is what I did..

Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables and Beef Pasta - Family Favourites

If you are a regular reader you will know how pasta is a huge hit in our house. I love how easy pasta meals are to make and the family always enjoy eating them, especially the children! I find that a pasta sauce is idea for hiding vegetables in. The children always seem to eat it all when it is in a pasta sauce.

For this weeks Family Favourites I am sharing a pasta dish which uses roasted vegetables. When cooking with roasted vegetables I find that the dish always has a greater depth of flavour than when they have been pan fried.

This recipe is great for when the kids are at home as you simply prepare the vegetables and leave to roast for 45 minutes which gives you extra time to be with the kids!

This is what I did...

Minted Lamb Chops - Recipe and Meat Porter Review

I love meat, but it has to be good quality meat. So when I was asked if I would like to try a home meat delivery service I jumped at the chance.

In the past I have ordered from online meat suppliers and like that the meat has been sourced from British free range farms. I truly believe that the meat tastes so much better when it has come from a good farm. 

Meat Porter is a new up and coming company who does just that!

They source all of their meat and artisan products from British free range farms. The meat that you will get from Meat Porter is the same meat, from the same suppliers, that goes to some of the top restaurants. Therefore you can enjoy top quality meat at home for a fraction of the price.

Creamy Stroganoff Lasagne - Family Favourites

I love lasagne, it really is one of my favourite pasta dishes. However the hubby cannot eat the rich tomato sauce that is used in a traditional lasagne recipe. This is why I created this dish. I wanted to make a lasagne that we could all enjoy. This dish certainly did not disappoint. Hence why it is now a family favourite.

We can now, all enjoy lasagne again!

Here is this weeks Family Favourites recipe...

Pork Rib Eye Steaks and 3 Pepper Sauce - Family Favourites

Recently I have returned to getting my meat delivered. I have subscribed to a weekly family box which contains five different meats along with a few vegetables and fruits. All have been sourced from local farms and are of a high quality.

One of the reasons which I like to get the boxes delivered is because we get a greater variety of meats to try than if I were to buy from the shops or the market. When I buy meat I tend to stick to the meats I know that we like and do not tend to look at what else there is. This is often due to time and wanting to get the shopping finished and to be home in time to collect the twins. With the boxes I get sent different meats which make me think a bit more about how to prepare, cook and serve the weeks meals.

In a recent box I received some Pork Rib Eye steaks. This was the first time that I had seen, let alone eaten pork rib eye. So this really was a new meat for the family. I decided to serve the pork steaks on a base of pepper sauce which complimented the steaks perfectly.

This is what I did...

Venison Cottage Pie - Family Favourites

Venison has to be one of my favourite game meats. The rich flavours of the meat go perfectly with the sweetness of root vegetables.

This week I am sharing my Venison Cottage Pie which the whole family will enjoy. I like the children to try a wide variety of foods and always feed them the same as what we have. Even though venison is a rich meat they all thoroughly loved the flavours in this dish. That is why I am sharing it this week as one of my Family Favourite meals.

This is what I did...

Leftover Roast Beef Pasta - Family Favourites

If you are a regular reader you will know that I love creating new meals with leftovers. Last week I bought a large piece of beef just so that we would have plenty of leftovers for extra meals.

For this weeks Family Favourites I thought that I would share a delicious leftover pasta dish. If you do not have any left overs it can also be made with streak strips.

This is what I did..

Leftover Roast Beef Pasta

Ingredients - serves 4 - 5

400g leftover roast beef, cut into strips
1 red onion, chopped
1 sweet red pepper, chopped
1 sweet orange pepper, chopped
6 medium mushrooms, chopped
1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
Cayenne pepper
1 beef stock cube
1/2 tsp oregano

Method

1 - Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and gently fry the onion, red pepper, orange pepper, mushroom, celery and garlic together until starting to soften

2 - Add the strips of cooked leftover roast beef and cook for a further 10 minutes

3 - Pour over the chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil

4 - Sprinkle over as much or as little cayenne pepper as you wish, I normally add about 1/4 tsp and find that it hot enough for the family

5 - Add the oregano and the beef stock cube and simmer for 5 minutes and serve on a bed of pasta

This is not only a tasty meal but is quick to make. Serve with just pasta or add some garlic bread to make it go even further.

I am sharing this weeks Family Favourites recipe with A Mummy Too - Recipe of the Week and Supergolden Bakes - Cook, Blog, Share

Easy Paella

When I lived in Gran Canaria I fell in love with the Spanish/Canarian cuisine. There was always plenty of fresh fish available, having churros and coffee for breakfast, eating bocadillos (mini french sticks) with ham and cheese for lunch, tapas for a mid afternoon snack and eating late at night. I fully embraced the lifestyle and loved their meals.

There was nothing better than a get together with a fresh paella cooking in the sun whilst sipping Rioja. Just writing this I am longing for summer to arrive, investing in a paellera (paella pan) and cooking one al fresco.

Last week I finally got round to cooking this much loved dish. However as I am the only one who eats shell fish I had to leave out the clams, squid and mussels. But I did include king prawns and chorizo.

This is how to cook my easy paella...

Easy Paella

Ingredients

350g arborio rice

1 red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

4 mini yellow peppers, chopped

1 courgette, quartered and sliced

200g cooked chorizo, chopped

100g fine beans

50g florets of tenderstem broccoli

1/2 tsp saffron, dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

160g cooked king prawns

6 spears of asparagus

1.3 lt vegetable stock

Method

1 - Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a deep saute pan or paellera and gently cook the onions and garlic over a low/medium heat for about 10 minutes or until starting to soften.

2 - Add the peppers, courgette and chorizo and cook for a further 10 minutes stirring regularly. As the chorizo heats it will add colour and flavours of garlic and paprika to the vegetables.

3 - Add the arborio rice and heat for 2 minutes then pour over the saffron infused water and stir thoroughly before pouring over 750mls of vegetable stock. 

4 - Sprinkle over the smoked paprika, stir and bring to the boil.

5 - Reduce the heat to a low/medium heat, add the green beans, tenderstem broccoli and king prawns.  Cover and allow the flavours to combine together and the rice to soften

6 -Regularly check the paella and add extra water when needed. The rice should be cooked to al dente.

7 - Finally lay the spears of asparagus over the paella, re cover and cook for a further 3 minutes.

8 - Remove the pan from the heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

This paella is full of authentic flavour and really does take me back to hot sunny days with Joseph's late God mother Anita at her house in the mountains of Gran Canaria. These were some of the best times that I had there and they are deeply missed as is Anita.

Paella may seem a daunting dish to cook but this really is an easy recipe. The beauty of paella is that you can add or remove ingredients depending on taste but as long as you have the basic flavours you can create a delicious meal.

Enjoy x

I am sharing my recipe with Supergolden Bakes - Cook, Blog, Share and A Mummy Too - Recipe of the Week

Turkey Curry with Added Goodness - Family Favourites

This is the first Family Favourites recipe of 2015 and what better way to start the year than with leftover turkey!

Using leftovers are a great way of reducing waste and ultimately saving money. If you are not going to use them straight away simply place them in a freezer bag and freeze!

For this week's Family Favourite recipe I am sharing with you my turkey curry that has added goodness. Chicken can also be used, but I used turkey as I had a lot left over from Christmas and New Year.

This dish is a great way to get some added greens into the children.

This is what I did...

Turkey Curry with Added Goodness

Ingredients

500g leftover turkey or chicken, diced
1 red onion, chopped
3 stems of kale, stalks removed and chopped
2 carrots, grated
6 mushrooms, chopped
1ltr - 1.5ltr chicken stock
2tbsp cream
2tbsp mild/medium curry powder
2tbsp plain flour
2tbsp butter
2tbsp oil
3tbsp mango chutney

Method

1 -  Melt the butter and oil together in a saute pan over a medium heat

2 - Add the onions and grated carrots and gently cook for 5 minutes

3 - Add the grated carrots and the chopped kale and cook for a further 5 minutes

4 - Stir in the curry powder and flour to create a roux

5 - Gradually pour in the stock until you have the desired consistency and bring to the boil stirring continuously

6 - Mix in the mango chutney and the turkey then simmer for 10 minutes

7 - Once the turkey has heated through stir in the cream and serve with wholegrain rice and naan bread

This is a dish which can be easily adapted to whichever leftover meat you may have or even a vegetable curry.

Enjoy and here's to a great 2015 full of delicious meals x

Slow Cooked Game in Cider

This time of year is perfect for game, a meat which we love! With pheasant in season we make the most of this foodie treat.

This dish is a meal that has evolved over time. My hubby originally cooked a pheasant dish for me when we first became a couple and this was my first taste of pheasant. You can see the original recipe on the Good Food website. Over time it has changed to our tastes.

This is what I did...

Slow Cooked Game in Cider

Ingredients

2 pheasant breasts
250g wood pigeon breasts (approx 4 - 6)
180g smoked pancetta rashers
1 red onion
300mls dry cider
2tbsp butter/margarine
2tbsp plain flour
250mls single cream or soya cream

Method

1 - Take the pheasant and pigeon breasts and wrap the pancetta rashers around them

2 - Gently saute the onions in 1tbsp of olive oil until starting to soften

3 - Place the onions and remaining oil into the slow cooker

4 - Put the pheasant and pigeon breast in the slow cooker and cook on high for 1 hour

5 - Pour over the cider and heat on high for a further hour

6 - Reduce the cooker to a low heat and cook for a further 3 hours

7 - When the breasts are cooked remove from the slow cooker and place on a hot dinner plate and cover with foil leaving to rest for 20 minutes

8 - In a pan melt the butter/margarine and add the flour to make a roux

9 - Add the cream to the cider juices in the slow cooker and gradually add the liquid to the roux, until you have the desired consistency to make a sauce stirring continuously to prevent lumps

Serve with sweet potato and black pepper mash and vegetables with the sauce over the meat.

The rich flavours from the meat and cider go together perfectly. Keep any remaining sauce for another meal, I used our leftover sauce as a substitute for gravy with our Sunday beef dinner and it was delicious.

Enjoy x

I am sharing my recipe with A Mummy Too - Recipe of the Week

Cheap Budget Meal - Barbecue Leftovers Pasta

This week my recipe is more of a leftovers recipe than a priced recipe.

I hate waste and am always looking for new ways to use any leftovers.

We all love this meaty pasta dish which is a great way to use up any leftover meat. I always tend to cook more than we need when we barbecue so always have something left over.

This meal is a great way to save wasting any leftovers, is a super quick meal to cook and the whole family will love it!

This is what I do...

Barbecue Leftovers Pasta

Ingredients

Leftover barbecue meat, chopped (for example beef/venison burgers, sausages, chicken)
1 red pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
2 courgettes, halved and sliced
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp oregano
Pasta

Method

1 - Cook the pasta as per instructions

2 - Heat a little olive oil in a pan and gently fry the onions, red pepper and courgettes until softened

3 - Add the meat and cook for five minutes

4 - Pour in the tin of tomatoes and mix in the cayenne pepper and oregano

5 - Bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes and serve

This meal is so quick and easy. The flavours from the barbecue leave a lovely meaty flavour in the sauce. This pasta dish will become any meat lovers favourite!

Enjoy x