Whether you love to cook from scratch, prefer easy-to-prepare meals or take the easy way out and opt for ready meals, we’ve got you covered this month … a trio of meals guaranteed to win over family and friends … and beat the Winter chill! PLUS … it’s SPAR MasterChef deal time, and you don’t want to miss out on this one.
A bag crammed with deliciousness … and with the SPAR stamp of approval!
The latest SPAR MasterChef deal is one you don’t want to miss. An exceptional 24cm cast iron casserole with lid, a hand blender and a choice of silver or gold starter cutlery sets. Collect the stamps, save, and then show off your new buys at your next dinner party.
Dinner party steak
You’ve got guests you want to impress. When they arrive, serve them a glass of wine, a bowl of crisps and some SPAR green olives (we fancy the olives stuffed with hot chilli paste). That’ll keep them happy while you cook. You don’t need us to tell you how to cook steak. Oil the steak not the pan, season well and pan fry on high heat. But you knew that, yes? Obviously, start off with an excellent piece of meat … we bought The SPAR Steak Co. fillet medallions, and cooked them rare (each to his own, but rare or medium rare really is the most delicious). Once you’ve taken the steak out of the pan, let it rest for 10 minutes. Turn down the heat and drop in a good knob of butter and a shake of Worstershire sauce or a tot of sherry into the pan, bubble away until reduced by half. Plate your steak, pour over the butter-sherry sauce, and then pile generously with wild rocket and shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve this with some oven-roasted tomatoes or potato wedges … delish!
Can’t cook, won’t cook. The SPAR Quick Cuisine range really is brilliant. We fancy this Meatballs Marinara … perfect for a quick dinner-for-one on a cold evening. Just add a glass of red wine and godere (that’s enjoy in Italian!).
Peas please
On a chilly evening, not much beats a warming bowl of soup, and this month we’re thinking pea.
Now, you can take it easy and heat up a tin of SPAR Pea Soup …. then fancy it up by adding a swirl of cream, a scattering of microwave heated petit pois, even some crispy bacon. You could also make this pea and ham soup … a really quick and easy version. In your new MasterChef 24cm cast iron casserole. Heat a tablespoon each of olive oil and butter. Add one cup of finely chopped carrots and one chopped onion. Stir until the onions are cooked but not browned – five minutes should do it. Add a large clove of garlic, peeled and minced, cook for two minutes, and then add three cups of chicken stock. Cook a small packet of SPAR frozen Petit Pois in the microwave or in water on the stove until hot, then drain and add them to the pot. Season with salt, black pepper and dried or fresh thyme leaves. Bring to the boil, reduce to simmer and leave for five minutes, or until carrots are completely cooked. Using a hand blender (bought at discount with your SPAR MasterChef offer), blend the soup until the peas are mushy. Add a cup of finely chopped ham or gammon. Ladle into warmed dishes, add a swirl of cream if you like, and serve piping hot with a SPAR Bakery roll filled with grated cheese.
