Saturday 9 December 2023

Vegan Smoked Salmon for Christmas? Don’t mind if I do!

New from our friends at Squeaky Bean is their Beechwood Smoked Salmon Style Slices.

If you are hosting a Christmas or New Year party or want an interesting course added to your Christmas dinner table, then you should add Squeaky Bean Beechwood Smoked Salmon Style Slices to your shopping order.

New Squeaky Bean Beechwood Smoked Salmon Style Slices (80g) are available in Waitrose  and Sainsbury’s at a RRP £3.50.

Squeaky Bean Beechwood Smoked Salmon Style Slices are just  as sophisticated as smoked salmon; it has the same silky-smooth texture and smokiness of flavour, yet it's made with 100% vegan ingredients.

For the ultimate Christmastime breakfast or brunch, try Smoked Salmon Style Slices and scrambled tofu or smashed avocado on toast.

Top rye, brush with olive oil and enjoy with pickles for a Scandi-style open sandwich or serve with leafy greens, potato salad or grilled corn. Make a beetroot terrine and garnish with watercress for an eye-catching meat free starter; whatever the occasion, make this new plant-based food discovery the main event. 

Made with plant-based ingredients including root vegetables and smoked in Beechwood just like salmon, Squeaky Bean Beechwood Smoked Salmon Style Slices are also a good source of fibre, naturally low in saturated fat and only 68 kcals per 100g, perfect for meat eaters, meat reducers, flexitarians, vegans and vegetarians alike.

Rebecca Youseman, Brand Manager, Squeaky Bean, said: “20% of vegans and vegetarians revealed to us that they miss eating salmon, so we’ve been working on bringing vegan smoked salmon to the market. 

"It’s been a long time coming but it’s finally here; Squeaky Bean Smoked Salmon Style Slices are 100% plant based, smoked in beechwood for the same richness of flavour and naturally lower in fat, saturated fat and salt than smoked salmon.” 

Squeaky Bean’s Smoked Salmon Style Slices join an impressive line-up of products including the recently launched ready-to-eat Cooking Chorizo Style Sausage, Chargrilled Steak Style Strips, award-winning Applewood Smoked Ham Style Slices as well as Chicken Style Pieces, Chargrilled Mini Fillets and Sandwich Slices; NYC Deli Pastrami, Spanish Chorizo and Salami Style Slices. 

Squeaky Bean’s new incredibly authentic Smoked Salmon Style Slices are ready-to-eat and like the fish version, best enjoyed in a bagel or on toast, with a squeeze of lemon and sprig of fresh dill. This is a big-dill. 

Merchant Gourmet's Chestnut Range. Ideal for your Christmas feasting

Available on their own or incorporated into different recipes, Merchant Gourmet’s chestnuts range is stunning.

Here are three ways for using the range:-

Chestnut stuffing balls

Serves: 4, Time: 20 mins

INGREDIENTS

1 pouch of Merchant Gourmet Chestnut Stuffing

A splash of water

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 180C.

Tip the stuffing into a bowl and mix well, adding a splash of water if needed.

Shape into 8 balls and place on a lined baking tray.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

 

Chestnut wreath

Serves: 8-10, Time: 1hr 10

INGREDIENTS

1 onion, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1.5cm cubes

250g mushrooms, roughly chopped

180g Merchant Gourmet Whole Chestnuts, roughly chopped 

120g aalnuts, roughly chopped

30g pumpkin seeds

75g dried cranberries

80g breadcrumbs

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 tsp wholegrain mustard

3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped (including the stalks)

8 sage leaves, finely chopped (reserving 4-5 leaves for the end)

2 sprigs rosemary

1 orange, zest

Cranberries for decoration, if you like

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan and sweat the onion until soft, adding the garlic for the last 2 minutes. . 

Add the butternut squash to the pan and continue frying on a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Then add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes - again stirring regularly and gently mashing the squash with the back of a wooden spoon as it cooks. 

Add the chestnuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, mustard, chopped thyme and sage to the pan, season well with salt and pepper and mix everything together well.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F. Tip the mixture into a greased bundt tin pushing down firmly into the tin, and bake for 45-50 minutes until golden and crisp on top.

Allow to cool briefly and then tip onto a flat plate. Fry the reserved sage leaves and rosemary sprigs  in 1 tbsp oil until crispy and use these to garnish the wreath along with the orange zest and cranberries, if using. 

Ultimate (Christmas) leftover sandwich

Serves: 2, Time: 25 mins

INGREDIENTS

1 x 250g pouch of Merchant Gourmet Spiced Grains & Chestnuts

1 tsp cornflour

Leftover roasted vegetables (i.e carrots, parsnips)

Leftover braised red cabbage

Kale/ spinach / winter greens

Pickled red onion slices

Thick sliced white bread

Vegan mayonnaise 

INSTRUCTIONS

Tip the Spiced Grains & Chestnuts into a pan with approx. 50ml water and heat gently.

Sprinkle over the cornflour and mix well to combine, stirring over the heat for 3 minutes.

Take off the heat, put into a food processor and blitz the mixture until the grains break down slightly

Shape into small patties and put on an oiled tray and bake for 15 minutes.

Layer up your ultimate leftover sandwich as follows and make sure you pack in plenty of each: bread, cranberry sauce, kale, roasted root veg, Spiced Grains & Chestnuts patties, braised red cabbage, spinach, pickled onions, mayo, bread.

You can learn more about the range here https://www.merchant-gourmet.com

That's Food and Drink: That's Nice News! Nice to Launch Canned Sparkling ...

That's Food and Drink: That's Nice News! Nice to Launch Canned Sparkling ...: London-based wine startup, NICE ( www.nice-drinks.co.uk ), makes great tasting wine from wineries they love.  The female-led team is innovat...

Lanique Spirit of Rose. The perfect Christmas gift

Raise a toast this Christmas with Lanique Spirit of Rose, which is a completely natural spirit with aromas of delicate rose, fresh raspberry and cherry, and hints of Turkish delight. 

Just pair it with your favourite champagne for a sophisticated twist on a classic tipple or opt for an elegant cocktail to get into the festive spirit.

For cocktail connoisseurs, the Lanique Rose Negroni is a real party starter and party pleaser:

25ml Lanique, 25ml gin, 25ml Campari, served over cubed ice and garnished with a cinnamon stick for a super seasonal serve. Available now for £25.99 per 50cl bottle and £32.99 per 70cl bottle.

www.lanique.co.uk

The Whisky World Unveils Exclusive Single Cask Christmas Malt from Bimber Distillery

The Whisky World, an online retailer which focuses on retailing only the best in fine spirits, is thrilled to announce the release of its exclusive limited edition Christmas single malt from the renowned Bimber Distillery. 

This exceptional whisky, distilled at Bimber's London home and bottled from a single cask, is being exclusively sold at www.thewhiskyworld.com

Bimber Distillery, which is situated in North Acton, is well known for its unwavering commitment to producing top-quality, single malt whisky. 

This limited edition Christmas whisky is no exception and has been bottled after careful maturation in a single Pedro Ximénez cask. The resulting single malt is one that’s perfect to leave out for Father Christmas on Christmas Eve, as it features a sleigh-load of raisins, sultanas and liquorice alongside with rich yule logs and spiced fruits. 

These festive flavours are enhanced by the bottling strength of 56.7% and reflected in the striking label featuring Father Christmas. Only 265 bottles are available and were put on sale at the beginning of December; and this surprise release is expected to sell very quickly, so do get your orders in quickly.

The Whisky World's commitment to offering premium and unique whiskies aligns perfectly with Bimber’s ethos of producing exceptional single malts, starting with the grain grown on their own farm and ending with their direct-fire stills and hand-selected casks. 

Says Abe Lubelsky of The Whisky World: "This exclusive limited edition Christmas single malt is a true gem and a testament to the exceptional craftsmanship of Bimber Distillery. We are thrilled to present this extraordinary and very festive whisky to whisky connoisseurs for Christmas 2023" 

What does it taste like?

Tasting notes from The Whisky World

Nose: Candied orange peel, Terry's chocolate orange, vanilla-iced gingerbread men, glacé cherries, dates, sultanas, a malty, toasted oak undertone. Notes of Christmas brandy, apricot jam and elvas plums follow on. 

Palate: Rich hot chocolate - the kind made from proper chocolate flakes - with cream on top. Sherry-soaked Christmas cake that's bursting with cherries, raisins, ginger, almond flakes and cinnamon. 

Finish: Baking spice, sherry oak and rich, juicy chocolate-covered cherries linger in a very festive finale. 

Celebrate Christmas with Highland Nectar

What is Highland Nectar? It’s an absolutely delicious and utterly sumptuous Scotch whisky liqueur that celebrates the flavours of drams from the heart of the Scottish Highlands. 

Crafted by the expert at Elixir Distillers, it marries five-year-old Scotch whisky with interesting botanicals including ginger, cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, vanilla, and bitter orange, for a golden liquid that’s rich, aromatic and fruity. Delicious neat as an after-dinner sipper, or in a Hot Highlander:

What, you may ask, is a Hot Highlander? We have the very special recipe here for you to try:-

Ingredients:

50ml Highland Nectar Liqueur

150ml peach tea

A slice of fresh ginger

5ml Scottish honey

Cinnamon stick and dried orange wheel to garnish

Mixing instructions:

Steep a peach tea bag in 150ml of water for 3-5 minutes with the slice of ginger. Remove the teabag and the ginger slice before adding Highland Nectar and a spoonful of Scottish honey. Stir, garnish, and enjoy!

Learn more here:- https://elixirdistillers.com 

Mixologist's Garden launches range of fruit garnishes to boost your Christmas home bartending

An innovative new range of exciting ready-to-use fruit garnishes, which is designed to help create eye-catching drinks infused with natural fruit flavours and colours at home, has been launched by Mixologist’s Garden.  

The five delicious fruity options, Lemon, Lime, and Strawberry slices, plus whole Raspberries and Blueberries, act as bar-ready condiments, instantly transforming the appearance and taste of any drink, without having to buy, store, prepare and potentially waste, fresh fruit ingredients.  

Hand selected for their superior quality and freeze-dried to capture 100% of the fruits’ flavour and appearance, Mixologist’s Garden garnishes are convenient and easy to use. The fruits quickly rehydrate on contact with liquid, providing the ultimate at-home bar hack for creating classic and experimental cocktails, plus enhancing fizz, spirits and soft drinks.  

And there's no need to refrigerate as the fruit garnishes have a long shelf life and are available in handy 10g resealable pouches, each one containing the equivalent of approximately 100g of fresh fruit, meaning the perfect serve is always at hand with no slicing or prep needed.  (So no need to keep plasters handy as there are no sharp knives required!)

When faced with a party full of thirsty guests or you simply fancy a tasty aperitif, Mixologist’s Garden provides an effortlessly quick and inexpensive way to elevate any drink at hand. 

Even more versatile than fresh fruit, the garnishes can also be used as a sweet and sour swizzle, a powder for stencilling and a crunch for the glass rim, meaning Instagrammable pours are only a shake or stir away. They can also be mixed with spirits to create bespoke liqueurs. 

For those looking for ways to make their drinks a little ‘extra’, Mixologist’s Garden has a range of serve suggestions to enjoy at home, including a cosmo updated for Autumn/Winter 2023, a party punch perfect for entertaining and even luxury winter truffles.   

Mixologist’s Garden Lemon, Lime and Strawberry slices and whole Raspberries are now available in selected Asda stores nationwide. RRP £2.75 per 10g pouch.  

Mixologist’s Garden Strawberry slices, whole Raspberries and Blueberries are now available in East of England Co-op stores. RRP £2.75 per 10g pouch.  

For more information, please visit them at www.mixologistsgarden.com