I received one each of the mixes in December 2011 but with the whole Christmas chaos going on we didn't really do much eating of proper food. My diet consisted mainly of party food and gin. Lovely, but it takes its toll! So in early January, on a very grey, damp and cold Scottish day, it seemed the perfect time to make a Warm & Sultry beef casserole. This is what is in the pack...
I love their packaging! The first packet contains the spice mix, the 2nd contains lots of lovely sticky dates. The cooking instructions are all on the back of the packet but it's pretty much a case of bung it in a pot, stick it in the oven and leave for a couple of hours. All the ingredients are of a very high quality. Yes, they could probably make the product cheaper but I think it's worth the price of £4.49 (website price, only £3.32 on Facebook, hooray!) for the excellent quality of the ingredients.
This is the end result...
Sorry I didn't make it look prettier by presenting it on a plate, but really, what's more welcoming and warming than a big casserole full of beef stew?? Loooovely! The dates melt into the sauce to give it a sticky sweetness and wonderful depth, the spices are subtle and warming and fragrant. We had it with mash one night and a huge baked potato with butter another night. If you like comfort food, this is for you! My son is almost 9 and he ranks this as one of his favourite dinners ever. WIN!!
A few nights later I thought I should try another mix to make sure the success of the Warm & Sultry wasn't a one off. Ahem... So I popped to the butcher, bought some pork ribs which, judging by the size of them, I'm not entirely sure didn't come from some mutant dinosaur pig, and tore into the Sticky & Sweet mix...
Again, fabulous packaging!! The first packet in this mix contains a mix of sugar and spices including star anise and cinnamon, the second packet is soy sauce. Once again I was struck by the really good quality of the ingredients. The star anise were all large and chunky, the cinnamon was thick and coarse and held together rather than disintegrating into dust like cheaper variations are inclined to do, and the soy sauce was thick and rich and obviously excellent quality. Again, it's a case of bung it all together and stick it in the oven to cook low and slow. Here's our mutant ribs all tossed in the mix and ready to go into the oven...
Phwoar!!! The smell even from the raw spices was amazing! After a couple of hours in a low oven they became...
Not the prettiest presentation again! I just threw some veg into a wok and did a quick stir fry to serve with the ribs, this picture was taken as my lad was on his way to munch on it. Another success!
The quality of the ingredients really made this dish shine. You can't go far wrong with good quality ingredients cooked simply.
I have yet to try the Fragrant & Fiery mix but I'm pretty confident it will become another favourite in our house. So go on, treat yourself and stock up on a few Foodles mixes. And if you try them, please leave a comment below to let me know what you thought.
Also, if you like the idea of easy peasy mixes to throw in a pot and end up with a delicious dish, then watch out for my upcoming blog on one of my favourite Fife companies, Chillipapas. (www.chillipapas.com)
Happy eating!
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