bottlegreen green tea & elderflower sparkling Presse review

When you are in the wilds of Cornwall ( or any where) with the rolling hills, sheep and the cream teas you need a light refreshing drink. bottle green has selected the finest handpicked elder flowers and combined them with infused green tea and lightly sparkling water to create the prefect summertime drink. Made with only natural ingredients with no added preservatives or sweeteners, bottlegreen green tea & elderflower sparkling presse brings together two traditional summer flavours in an unusual but tasty combination that provides instant refreshment on lazy days in the sunshine or at alfresco parties or from me and my family in a cottage in Cornwall.

Green tea and elderflower have well known benefits such as improved metabolism,healthy skin and a stronger immune system. Pour bottlegreen  & elderflower sparkling presse over ice and it makes the prefect accompaniment to summer feasts such as barbeque's or when sharing tapas with your closest friends and family. Alertantively for something with a little more kick,add a few shots of gin to a jug,add freshly cut limes and top up with the presse to create a delicious refreshing drink.

bottlegreen uses traditional win making methods of production to ensure the new bottlegreen green tea  & elderflower sprakling presse, along with its popular range of cordials and sparkling presses, are clean crisp with the flavours of natural ingredients retained.

bottlegreen green tea & elderflower sprakling presse contains no artifical colours ,flavours  or sweetners and is  available from supermarkets priced from £2.30

This is a pleasant alertnative to wine and its looks as expensive as the £48 bottle of wine I had on holiday !

bottlegreen green tea & elderflower sparkling  presse 

Follow bottlegreen drinks on twitter @bottlegreen and become a fan on facebook http://www.facebook.com/bottlegreen

Good natured salad review

I was given the opportunity to review Good natured salad. I used to run a mile at the though of healthy living but with my weight gain I have to do something after all I want to be around for my son.

I washed the pepper and baby plum tomatoes.

I then chopped the pepper and add both the pepper and tomatoes to some rice and chicken to make a nice healthy crunchy salad.

The peppers and tomatoes cost around £1.60 from ASDA a bit pricey but as its Organic and pesticide free you pay for what you get. I don't grow my own vegetables though I really should start to my lovely friend Jane Willis over at her awe inspiring blog  and her  husband has the most amazing garden  blog.

Well Jane has provided me with a lovely recipe which I shall be using on the remaining vegetables I have left and adding a few myself Organic and pesticide free of course.

Sweet and Sour vegetable stir-fry serves 4

A  selection of  vegetables eg:

150 g sugar snap peas

150g baby sweetcorn, halved

1 bunch spring onions, sliced on the diagonal

1 tbs oil for frying

For the sauce:

2 tbs soy sauce

2 tbs white wine vinegar

2 rounded tbs tomato purée

Juice of 1 orange

1 rounded tsp cornflour

1 rounded tbs Canderel

100  ml water

Whisk together all the sauce ingredients except the water then gradually blend in the water.

Heat the wok and stir fry the veg until just tender. Add the sauce mixture at the end of cooking, stirring until it comes to the boil and thickens.

Serve with steamed rice as a light lunch. You can make it into a main meal by adding some chicken, tofu or prawns to the stir fry.

Photo Courtesy of Jane Willis

Disclosure (I was provided my vouchers to get The Good Natured Salad Items)

ProCook Glass Kitchen Scales a review

I was lucky enough to be sent some glass Kitchen Scales from ProCook.

Stylish and beautifully simple, these scales feature a clear, integral LED display and have an easy clean, hygienic glass surface. Touch sensitive ,they can weigh up to  5kg / 11 lb and a touch sensitive button selects either metric or imperial. Select 'on/ tare ' to set the scales to zero after each ingredient is added.

Finely tuned for accuracy, Procook Glass Digital Scales come complete with a battery so you can put them to work immediately. Available in white, black and red with rubber feet for stability, they measure 182mm x 203mm x 16mm tall.

Now I used to have a habit of just guessing quantities especially when it came to measuring rice. The rice instructions called for 50g per person. So I put the bowl on the scales press the button to zero and poured the rice in.

150g of brown rice =50g per person

The digital scales made it so easy to ensure that the I measured the correct amount out.

I was able to cook perfectly with no wastage.

ProCook Glass Digital Scales can be purchased from the Procook website at £14

My own fear is that you'll be wanting to style your kitchen around these stylish scales!.

Disclosure ( I was sent these scales for review ).

Tilda rice (Mummy and me) at the Waitrose Cookery School! #MummyandMe

I was invited to go along to the "Mummy and me" Tilda taste Panel event event and at the Waitrose Cookery School it was aimed at children between 5 and 12 .

This next quote is part of the press release :

"Get Cooking with the new TILDA TASTE PANEL

 Tilda aims to make family mealtimes less stressful

Tilda, the UK’s number one dry rice brand, known for its 100% Pure Basmati rice, is helping mums across the country to make mealtimes into true family occasions, by introducing the NEW Tilda Taste Panel.



For over 40 years Tilda has been producing the finest quality rice for delicious cooking and now wants to make mealtimes even more enjoyable by showing mums how easy it can be to better incorporate rice into their daily family diet.



TIlda’s NEW Taste Panel is made up of three mothers, who are experts in food, nutrition and family life and aims to provide helpful ‘mother-to-mother’ advice on how to take the stress out of preparing healthy and delicious meals that the whole family will enjoy eating.



With the help of food experts Jo Pratt and Maunika Gowardhan you’ll be able to make quick, easy and convenient suppers in minutes!  Plus nutritionist Azmina Govindji will also be advising on how to make sure your loved ones eat a healthy, balanced diet.



With recent research showing that family mealtimes are becoming ever more difficult to manage on top of work life pressures, TV chef Jo Pratt has devised a delicious menu of quick ten-minute recipes featuring Tilda’s Steamed Basmati range.



What’s more you can even get your kids involved in the cooking and preparation, as each recipe has been designed to be as kiddy friendly as possible, giving mum an additional pair of hands in the kitchen! "

. When we got there J did say

"Make sure you get some cooking tips"

So how to cook with a child.....

You add a state of the art  kitchen ( any kitchen will really do....)

Study the wines very carefully....................

No I did not have any wine nor sadly was Tom Cruise ( aka Cocktail at the bar )

You need a snazzy apron...

J in his Tilda apron.

Me in my apron !!

Add in some rice !!!

We then moved onto the cooking arena , where we had various Tilda Rice recipes demonstrated to us.

This is Maunika Gowardhan.

Maunika Gowardhan  
Mother of a three-year old named Johann.

Maunika is the Indian cuisine expert for the Tilda Taste Panel. As a freelance food writer, blogger and private chef she is certainly a ‘foodie’.  Her well known blog Cookinacurry includes many authentic Indian recipes. Being born in Mumbai, India, has provided her with a wealth of knowledge about a variety of cuisine and different methods of cooking, which she hopes to pass on to other mums.

The demonstrations were out of this world and looked mouthwatering , they were so quick and easy, just what you need when you are a busy parent !

We then had to go and cook one of the recipes we had been shown by 'Jo Pratt' ourselves !

Jo Pratt 

Mother of two young children Oliver and Rosa aged four and two.

Jo is the Tilda Taste Panel expert ‘mummy chef’ and recipe creator (she has experience and understanding of the commercial and home kitchen). Having worked alongside Michelin starred chefs; she is able to combine this insight with creating easy to make everyday recipes that the kids can help to cook. Jo is also a food writer and was Food Editor at Glamour magazine for four years. 

J have fun cooing our meal which was the Fried Rice recipe shown below !

Jo Pratt’s Mummy and Me Recipes

PRAWN OR TUNA SPRING ROLLS
Makes 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 pack of Tilda Steamed Basmati Egg Fried Rice
• 100g small cooked prawns or 100g flaked tinned tuna
• 100g carrot, coarsely grated
• ½ red pepper, cut into small pieces
• 1-1 ½ tsp sweet chilli dipping sauce, plus extra to serve (or tomato ketchup if preferred)
• 12-16 square sheets of fresh filo pastry  
• Vegetable oil for brushing 

Pre-heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.



Line a baking tray with baking paper.



Lightly massage the pack of Tilda rice to separate the rice grains. Tear the top of the pack 2cm across and cook for 2 minutes in the microwave.



Meanwhile, place the prawns or tuna in a mixing bowl with the carrot, red pepper and sweet chilli dipping sauce, then add the rice. Mix well and set aside.



Lay a sheet of filo pastry on the work top or board and brush lightly with oil. Place another sheet of pastry on top and lightly brush with oil. Turn the square so that one corner of the pastry is pointing towards you. Spoon some filling onto the corner nearest you. Fold this corner towards the centre and tuck under the filling.



Fold the two outside corners to the middle so it looks like an envelope. Brush lightly with oil then roll up to look like a sausage shape. Brush once more and sit on the lined baking tray. Repeat until you have made the rest of the spring rolls.



Place in the oven for 15-18 minutes until lightly golden and crisp.



Cool slightly before eating, with extra sweet chilli dipping sauce to serve.







SPECIAL FRIED-RICE


Serves 4 small portions or 2 adults portions

 

• 1 pack of Tilda Steamed Basmati Egg Fried Rice
• 2 chicken breasts, skinless
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• 1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
• 4 spring onions
• 150g green beans, Tenderstem broccoli or asparagus
• 75g sweetcorn
• 100g pineapple, chopped (fresh or tinned in fruit juice and drained) 

Thinly slice the chicken breast, place in a bowl and stir in the soy sauce and honey. Leave to one side to marinade for a few minutes.



Finely slice the spring onions and chop the green beans, Tenderstem broccoli or asparagus into small pieces. Heat the oil in a wok then add the chopped vegetables. Stir fry for about minute before adding the chicken and marinade. Stir fry for a couple of minutes until the chicken is cooked through.



Add the Tilda Steamed Basmati Egg Fried Rice, sweetcorn and pineapple. Stir fry everything together for about 2 minutes until the rice is completely heated through then serve in bowls or on plates.



CHOCOLATE AND BANANA RICE PUDDING 


Serves 6

 

• 1 pack Tilda Steamed Pure Basmati rice
• 500ml semi-skimmed milk, plus extra for serving (optional)
• 50g caster sugar
• 50g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 2 medium bananas, peeled and sliced 

Lightly massage the pack of rice to separate the rice grains. Tip into a non-stick saucepan and add the 50g of sugar and 500ml of milk. Bring to a simmer and gently simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Keeping the pan on the heat, add the chocolate and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and add any extra milk to loosen if needed.



The bananas can now be either stirred into the chocolate rice pudding or served on top. Serve hot or if preferred the chocolate rice pudding is just as tasty served chilled.



PS…As an alternative to bananas, why not try other fruits such as raspberries, strawberries, mango or pear with the chocolate rice pudding.




The last member of the Tilda taste panel is Azmina Govindji 

Mother of Shazia and Bizhan, aged 18 and 20.       

Azmina is the Tilda Taste Panel nutritional expert. As a consultant nutritionist and registered dietician, she is able to offer top healthy tips and advice for meal times. As a media spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association (BDA) and NHS Choices, Azmina specialises in taking health/food scientific research and translating it into information which all mums can understand and benefit from. 


 

Visit www.tilda.com <http://www.tilda.com>  for a selection of great-tasting recipes.
Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/TildaRice and follow us on Twitter @Tildabasmati

About TildaTilda Pure Basmati is the UK’s number one Basmati brand by volume and value.  With over 30 years of experience in buying, importing and selling the highest quality Pure Basmati Rice, it’s a name that you can trust.

Tilda has a wide range of products ranging from Pure Basmati Dry Rice, new Tilda Stir Fry, and Tilda Steamed Basmati, available in a wide variety of flavours.

Basmati remains at the heart of Tilda and the company is committed to preserving the authenticity of the grain.  It refuses to blend with inferior grains, carefully removes broken grains, DNA tests every batch, consistently ages the rice for at least 9 months and works hand-in-hand with the farming community to ensure the quality of the final product.

Tilda remains a family business, employing over 200 people in the UK, and is proud of its reputation for uncompromising quality and commitment to sustaining the legendary status of Basmati.

About the Tilda Steamed Basmati range
The two-minute Tilda Steamed Basmati range offers a quick and convenient meal and contains the finest Basmati rice and quality ingredients. The extensive Tilda Steamed Basmati range, includes Sweet Chilli and Lime, Wholegrain Pilau, Lime & Coriander, Mushroom, Butternut Squash and Roasted Peppers & Courgettes amongst others. The Tilda Steamed Basmati Sweet Chilli and Lime has been awarded Gold in the Great Taste Awards, which is part of The Guild of Fine Food. 




Thanks to Tilda Rice and Waitrose cookery school for a fabulous after noon and for encouraging J to eat new foods like green beans,spring onions and flaked salmon !



Disclosure (Myself and my  son got to see the demonstrations and cook for free, we also received four pouches of rice and the recipes shown above. We  will also be receiving our own little cookery booklet)

Meowgon Pawney the @verylazyfood chef ......

The celebrity chef surveyed his empire readying himself with a few select swear words. Seeming that  no one is eating cucumber , Rollie is now using one as a battering ram for the cat flap. I digress from the task in hand or paw for that matter. Rollie had to get into his chef's whites.

Rollie was of course taught by Jaimie Oliver and gets his swearing ability from Gordon Ramsey. 

Of course to save us from a trip to A & E I let my husband do the cooking.  I had been given Green Thai curry cooking concentrate from Very Lazy Food.

As you see from the top picture this comes in a neat glass jar with a a cardboard label surrounding this remove this to follow the very very easy instructions. The instructions told me to use chicken though you can substitute this for prawns etc Also suggested to add to it was green beans which husband did, husband also added those little sweetcorn things.

As the instructions say five minutes preparation fifteen minutes cooking !

The next step was siir frying the chicken for 3-4 minutes till cooked though husband gave it five.

The next step was for dutiful hubbie to add the Very lazy Green Thai Curry concentrate and cook for two minutes.

And of course don't forget the coconut milk........

And remembering to stir thoroughly, men are rather good at stirring aren't they.

The Coconut makes it quite fluid easily soaked up by the rice you can if you wish add a little less coconut milk than the 400ml suggested.

Whilst of course this is cooking out Rollie is preparing the boiling in the bag rice. Though the recipe suggested Jasmine rice . I would suddenly use my husband to cook again he is rather useful and worth keeping in the cupboard. Sorry the lazy Food concentrate is useful and definitely worth keeping in the cupboard there are so many variates to try. The chillies give it a bit of a kick but thats the way I like it.

When you have had a hard day cooking. ( NOTE cat is not DEAD its just tired.......)

Rollie is very much alive ( notice the wink ... again). I have a cat and yes it does cook..... Thank you @verylazyfood