Simple Pleasures

Cooking without a recipe is a bit like dancing without choreography. It is occasionally chaotic, often improvised, but it reflects your true personality and passions.

A knob of butter added on instinct, sprinkle of herbs, dollop of Real Tomato Ketchup, a squeeze of lemon because it ‘just feels … right’. No precise measures, quantities or methods; just a handful of this or that; a knob, shake, squeeze, twist, drizzle or splash.The simplest ideas often carry the most flavour. A ripe tomato with a twist of Maldon salt can outshine a complicated sauce; a piece of bread torn and dipped in good extra virgin olive oil can feel like an event.

Childhood memories of eggy bread……can recreate those happy smiles, today served with fresh fruits or a simple coulis made with one of our EXTRA Fruit Jams.When we let intuition lead, cooking becomes less about following instructions and more about following appetite, memory, and mood.

It’s the difference between assembling a dish and composing one.In the end, the meals we remember aren’t always the most elaborate, they’re the ones that make us smile.

An omelette is a simple sensation, especially with a dollop of Bloody Mary Ketchup on the side.Or this ‘deconstructed’ omelette (very cheffy) dunked with soldiers of toasted ciabatta and Chilli Jam.Shakshuka is a simple dish of baked eggs in a spicy tomato sauce, believed to have originated in North Africa. Peppers, tomatoes, spices and chilli create an intense sauce on which eggs are cracked to finish off baking in the oven.

Chef, Andy has a wonderful recipe for his Baked Eggs, which you can enjoy – HERE.

I like it a little hotter than Andy, so add Habanero HOT Sauce to the Bloody Mary Ketchup – it’s the perfect brunch.A Croque Madame needs no specific recipe, everyone has their own take, but Andy has created one … inspired by fond memories of a holiday in France – HERE.

Pytt i Panna (Swedish Hash Brunch).

The ultimate ‘waste-not’ best meal of the day.

This dish translates as ‘small pieces in a pan’ and that’s exactly what it is, lots of leftovers or bits and pieces from the fridge, fried up in a pan.

We are going to use the Pytt i Panna theme to use up some leftover roast lamb. It’s fun to cook, and so so good to share for brunch with family and friends, friends who’ve ‘somehow‘ managed to stay over after the foodie fun the day before.Our Swedish friends particularly like to include mushrooms, and dress the dish with pickled beetroot, lingonberries and an egg yolk.

Follow the pattern and, don’t forget the fried egg to finish…

Get and enjoy the FULL RECIPE – HERE.

Ready-meals have quietly transformed from budget convenience to premium-priced staples, but too often, they’re still treated as nothing more than a quick fix in a microwave.

For Stokes Food Lovers, that’s a missed opportunity.

With just a handful of simple, affordable ingredients, these ready-meals can become something far more satisfying – bigger, bolder, and genuinely delicious meals that feel closer to home cooking than convenience food.

In a time when every single grocery bill matters, getting more value isn’t just about spending less, it’s about making what you buy work harder for you.

By rethinking ready-meals as a starting point rather than a finished product, anyone can elevate flavour, boost portions, and turn everyday convenience into a more rewarding dining experience.

‘Ping’ Curry WITHOUT the ‘ping’.Fry off sliced onion and peppers in a pan, then add an inexpensive ready-curry (scrape it out of its little plastic tray) Add a splash or two of water, shake of garam masala and another of curry powder, and now a few shakes of Stokes Chilli Ketchup (if you really like it HOT, use our Habanero HOT Sauce).

Stir is a tablespoon of creamed cheese, and simmer for 7 or 8 minutes. OK, so a little longer than the ‘ping’, but twice the quantity and three times tastier.

And for the rice:Take a sachet of ‘ping’ rice – but don’t ‘ping’ it. Re-heat a combination of leftover veg with some frozen peas and pinch of cumin seeds.

Use a fork to separate the rice and combine it with the veg for just 2 minutes (same as the ‘ping’ time). Serve the very special rice with the curry.

Your ‘ping’ for one is now a speedy great meal for two.

Making basic, better; make the ordinary, extraordnary.

Take a basic Margareta pizza. Shake our Bloody Mary Ketchup over it with a few dots of Red Onion Marmalade and Chilli Jam.

Grate a good helping of Cheddar cheese over the refreshed topping with mushrooms, broccoli florets, mini-mozzarella, tomatoes etc etc – whatever you fancy (or have to hand).

Pop it in the oven as originally directed and serve your special Pizza di Cassa.Leftover Beef, as a rich Ragu

Make a simple tomato / ragu sauce with onions, celery, tomatoes, Real Tomato Ketchup, a dash of Chilli Ketchup. Simmer to create and reduce the sauce before adding shredded leftover roast beef (works with leftover pork or chicken too).

Add cooked, drained pasts, grated cheese (lots) and bake for 12 minutes to melt and brown the bubbling cheese.Hearty Sausage Cassoulet

It amazes me just how much further a few sausages go by splitting the skin open and squeezing the sausage meat out. Roll slices into balls, and – boom baby!

This is a healthy, simple example where inspiration and a few basic bangers become a heart-warming, generous cassoulet.

Get the RECIPE – HERE.