WITH families spending more time out in the garden, it’s time to grow your knowledge.
This is National Gardening Week, and an attractive outside area is a welcome boost to your health and wellbeing in these tough times.
Here are some items to help you blossom in your great outdoors . . .
Mr Fothergill’s Seeds Grobox Easy Herb Garden, £6.95, Morrisons
Garden Time Strawberry Garden windowsill kit, £7.95, Morrisons
SAVE: £1 on same elsewhere
Chad Valley wheelbarrow set, £12, Argos
Patterned Weed & Seed gardening gloves £3, homebase.co.uk
Or two for £4
SAVE: £2 on two pairs
Morrisons mosaic solar lights four-pack, £10
SAVE: £2 on similar elsewhere
15m heavy duty hose, £8, Wilko
SAVE: £4 on similar elsewhere
Ten-pack of 10cm plant pots, £1, poundland.co.uk
Garden hand fork, £3, Morrissons
Strata 6.5-litre watering can, £2.47, Asda
Why it's best to buy British
DO YOUR Brit to help UK farmers and food producers. Growers around the country are working long hours through the Covid-19 crisis, to ensure our supermarket shelves stay stacked with nutritious food. So show your appreciation by switching a few items to British in your weekly shop.
David Potts, chief executive of Morrisons, said: “It’s a difficult time for farmers and fishermen.
“We’re the biggest supermarket customer for British farmers. We want to show our thanks for all their hard work and encourage our customers to buy British food.”
Here are the top initiatives to Buy British around the UK and what your favourite stores are doing to support our farmers and growers.
- Morrisons: FROM today, the supermarket chain has opened summer “BBQ and steak bars” plus “BBQ and seafood bars” in stores across the UK. They offer customers a wide range of UK-produced fresh meat and fish which would normally go to posh restaurants. Morrisons is also giving the 2,700 farmers who supply the stores a five per cent discount on their Morrisons shop.
- M&S: THE store is showing “farmer cam” footage on its website and social channels, featuring interviews with farmers and growers across the country. By June, all of the lamb sold in Marks & Spencer stores will be British.
- Wasteknot.org.uk: THE online company redistributes surplus UK fruit and veg that would have gone to restaurants to food charities including Fare Share.
- Aldi: THE budget supermarket has reduced payment terms so that any small supplier with a turnover of less than £1million will now be paid immediately, benefiting more than 1,000 of its suppliers.
Deals of the week
HERE’S a smart buy.
This LED Polaroid UHD 4K HDR 50in TV normally sells for £329 but is just £259 at Asda stores, while stocks last.
SAVE: £70
IS your kettle worn out from all those extra cuppas at home?
This stylish BEKO Cosmopolis WKM8307B jug kettle was £79.99, now £34.99, at currys.co.uk.
SAVE: £45
LIVEN up your living room for under £200.
This Cornwall three-piece package including oak effect TV unit, coffee table and lamp table, was £399, now £199 at very.co.uk.
SAVE: £200
Discount codes
NEED more speed?
Switch your broadband through hoppy.co.uk and get a free £20 Amazon gift voucher. Offer ends May 10.
SAVE: £20
GROW your money.
Get eight per cent cashback at Gardening Direct when you buy at mymoneypocket.co.uk/cashback/gardening-direct.
SAVE: Average of £4
LOOK fantastic during lockdown.
Snip 20 per cent off orders more than £65 at lookfantastic.com with code 20XVCUK. Use by Monday.
SAVE: Minimum of £13
Going Up…Going Down
T-Time
Show your support for the NHS with an All In This Together T-shirt.
The men’s, women’s and kids’ ones, from £8 to £9.50, are available at marksandspencer.com with profits going to NHS Charities Together.
Hues artistic
Share snaps of your kids’ rainbow drawings via social media and the top 22 will be displayed outside more than 800 Lidl stores to raise awareness of the NSPCC’s Childline service.
Hey, little spender
Kids’ online spending has jumped two thirds in the last three weeks, says banking app gohenry. Chidren are also earning more via chores.
Lockdown lunching
We are eating 333 extra calories, watching four-and-a-half hours of TV and necking three alcoholic drinks a day during lockdown according to savings site Raisin.co.uk.
Bill warning
Almost half a million households could see energy bills rise by an average of £103 as 90 fixed deals from 19 suppliers end this month says Uswitch.com.
Cash woes
A third of households are struggling to get by on reduced income, says GoCompare, as lockdown has boosted fears about jobs and meeting bill payments.
Website of the week
OVERLOADED with family responsibilities during lockdown? You’re not alone.
Two thirds of parents are feeling worried and stressed as quarantine continues, according to parenting community ChannelMum.com.
Now, top family bloggers have teamed up with web safety site Internet Matters for simple – and free – tips on how to cope.
A spokesman said: “Family life can be stressful at the best of times, but these are not the best of times for many of us in the UK.
“To reduce stress, try to include a little self-care in every stressful day.”
See bit.ly/2KGiV0K.
Internet Matters’ tips for families during lockdown
- TWIST AND SHOUT: Put on loud music and have a wacky ten minutes of dance madness with the kids every day. It’s a fun distraction, helping everyone forget the situation, and helps to burn off the anxiety adrenaline.
- INDULGE YOURSELF: Use up all the posh stuff you were saving for a rainy day. Light nice candles, soak in your expensive bubble bath and drink your special tea when you can squeeze in some time.
- HAVE A NATTER: Once a day, phone a friend for a good chat. It’s so vital to speak to someone who is not in your house. We all need connection with the outside world.
Try park life or build a beach
WORK your garden harder. With just an hour a day allowed for exercise outside under lockdown – and some parks and beaches shut – now’s the time to bring the fun to your family. Our ten easy tips will transform your green space into the great outdoors.
- Kids’ fun, Noughts & Crosses, £15, Morrisons
- Score a load of fun with this Football Training Set, £6.99 at therange.co.uk
- Go wild on a bug hunt adventure. Magnoidz Pocket Microscope/Telescope, £6 at Morrisons
- Bring the park toys to you. Two Unit Swing and Seesaw Set, £59.99 at smythstoys.com
- Get fit and build the kids’ balancing skills. Majigg Skipping Rope, £6 at Morrisons
- Let the children get creative on the patio – then wash it all away like the tide when you’re finished. Kids Create 15 jumbo chalks, 3yrs+, £2 at Morrisons
- Make a splash with this paddling pool and ball-catching combo. Little Tikes Fun Drop Zone, was £119.99 now £71.99 at littletikes.co.uk SAVE: £48
- Build a sandcastle from this play sand, which is easy to clear up. Kinetic Sand single container, £2.10 at Morrisons. SAVE: 75p on the same item elsewhere
- Catch some rays and a ball. Inflatable beach ball, £1 at poundland.co.uk
- Hold a “beach” picnic in your garden. Bring out the cooler box with chopped veg sticks and other chill-out treats. 22l coolbag, £7.99 at Argos
Plenty of fish in the sea…and lots on your plate
THERE’S no need to flounder when it comes to cooking fish. Morrisons is the plaice to be, with the supermarket opening Seafood Bars in 300 stores today to promote British fish.
In support of struggling fishermen, the seafood counters will give shoppers the chance to try some of the lesser known species caught off the British Isles.
Fans of cod can try coley or pollock, while those who favour hake will also love lemon sole. Whether you are grilling, battering, stewing or cooking up a curry or soup, there is a fish for you.
Check out my tasty deals and cooking tips, and the recipes below from Morrisons.com
The new breed
HERE are some of the best-value, but less commonly eaten, British fish. Find more details and recipes at fishisthedish.co.uk
COLEY: This can often be a good-value option as an alternative to cod, but needs to be as fresh as possible. The flesh is often a dull off-white colour when raw but lightens during cooking and has a fine flavour.
HADDOCK: Not quite as white as cod, or as flaky, but it has a slightly sweeter taste, which makes haddock the best whitefish for smoking. Use in the same recipes as cod.
HAKE: For a light, modern alternative to battered cod, try deep-frying hake fillets dipped in a light tempura batter.
LEMON SOLE: This has an oval body and is more rounded than the pricier Dover sole. Lemon sole from the South Coast is generally considered best.
MACKEREL: A great-value, underrated fish. One of the richest sources of marine Omega-3, it has greyish flesh with a rich flavour, which is best grilled or baked. As with most oily fish, it is good for smoking, and makes a great paté.
PLAICE: A whole one is easily identified by its distinctive orange spots, which also give an indication of the freshness (the brighter the spots, the fresher the plaice). It takes sauces very well, and is great for battering.
Recipe: Fish de estofado
Serves two
YOU NEED:
220g white fish
390g chopped tomato, chilli and garlic
250g new potatoes
2 red peppers
1 lemon
1 vegetable stock cube
10g paprika
30g parsley
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp olive oil 30g balsamic vinegar 1 tsp sugar
METHOD: Put a pan of water on to boil. Cube the potatoes into 2cm squares (no need to peel). Roughly chop the garlic, slice the pepper into strips and roughly chop the parsley, including the stalks. Zest the entire lemon, squeeze half, and add to the fish. Season to taste and set aside.
Add the potatoes to the boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes or until softened. Heat a medium-sized pan with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute then add the chopped tomatoes. Once the tomatoes are simmering add the paprika, vegetable stock, cooked potatoes, half the parsley, 200ml of water and season to taste. Stir the pan regularly as it simmers.
Place the fish on top of the stew, put a lid on the pan and cook on a low heat for eight to ten minutes. Slice the remaining lemon into wedges. Once the fish has cooked (it should be white all the way through) carefully spoon the stew into large bowls, but keep the fish to place on top. Sprinkle the remaining parsley over and add a lemon wedge to serve.
How to cook it
THESE tips from Morrisons’ fishmongers will make cooking fish flipping easy.
- Look for the “C” when cooking prawns. Straight prawns are undercooked, prawns that have just curled into a C-shape are perfectly cooked, and prawns that have twisted into an O-shape are overcooked.
- Lay your fish on some lemon slices. When grilling or barbecuing fish, adding a lemony layer between the fish and the grill. This prevents fish from sticking, and also adds a delicious citrus zest to your dish.
- Try a flavouring with your fillets. Ask a Morrisons fishmonger for a free butter with your fish, and bake it in the bag.
- To minimise the smell of fish in your home, bake it in a tinfoil or a parchment paper parcel, season the fish well with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Cooking in the parcel will keep all the flavour inside and will keep the fish succulent.
- If you’re frying fish, try cooking in half and half butter and oil – the oil will stop the butter from burning and the butter will add flavour. Always finish cooking fish with a squeeze of lemon.
- Market Street tip: COVER frozen fish with milk when thawing in fridge to keep it tasting fresh.
Bargain buys
AT Morrisons, get half-price offers on monkfish tails, now £12.50 per kilo, Dover sole, now £10 per kilo, whole mackerel or plaice, now £3.50 per kilo.
At Sainbury’s British boneless mackerel is down to £18 per kilo from £20.
Waitrose has two frozen British hake fillet portions for £4.50.
Lightly dusted lemon sole, 270g is £5 at Waitrose.
Recipe: Grilled mackerel salad
Serves four
YOU NEED:
180g green lentils
4 mackerel, filleted
2 tbsp sunflower oil
½ tsp smoked paprika
150g radishes, sliced
2 carrots, coarsely grated
70g wild rocket
1 orange, juice and zest only
1 tsp horseradish sauce
METHOD: Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the lentils for 25 minutes until tender. Drain well. Place the eight mackerel fillets on to a baking tray, skin side up, and cut three slashes into the skin of each.
Mix 1 tbsp oil and paprika and brush over the top of each fillet. Grill for six to seven minutes until cooked through.
Toss together the radishes, carrots and rocket, fold in the cooked lentils and divide between four serving plates. Top each with two mackerel fillets.
Whisk together the orange and horseradish sauce with 1 tbsp of the oil and drizzle over to serve.
Make no misteak …it’s the tastiest of meats
BY enjoying a juicy steak night at home you can give meaty support to British farmers.
With restaurants and pubs closed, farmers are struggling to sell some of their tastiest cuts.
That is one of the reasons why Morrisons is today opening a summer BBQ & Steak Bar in 300 stores.
So get your summer off to a sizzling start with these great deals on beef . . . plus tips and recipes from morrisons.com.
Beefing up your meat knowledge has never been so tasty.
Recipe: Beef fajitas with sweetcorn salsa
YOU NEED:380g beef sizzle steak
Half red pepper, deseeded, cored and cut into thin strips
Half yellow pepper, deseeded, cored and cut into thin strips
Half green pepper, deseeded, cored and cut into thin strips
1 small onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp fajita seasoning
1½ limes, juiced
5 tsp oil
4 tortilla wraps
1 small handful fresh coriander leaves, to garnish
1 tub soured cream
4 large handfuls grated cheese
For the sweetcorn salsa
165g sweetcorn, drained
2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 red chilli, seeded and diced
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley
METHOD: Put the beef in a shallow bowl, add the peppers, onion, garlic, fajitas seasoning, half the lime juice and oil. Mix and set aside. To prepare the sweetcorn salsa, mix all the ingredients together. Season, if required.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan and cook the beef mixture for three to four minutes or until the beef and vegetables caramelise. Warm the tortillas in microwave.
To assemble the fajitas, put some salsa on the base of each tortilla, then top with the beef and vegetable mix. Add some soured cream and sprinkle over the coriander. Roll up and serve.
Price cuts on prime cuts
CREATE A RUMP-US: Grab great half-price deals on steak at the Morrisons BBQ and steak bar. Rump is now £7.50 per kilo, sirloin and rib eye are £10 per kilo, and fillet steak is £15.50 per kilo.
SANDWICH STEAKS: Asda Butcher’s Selection thin-cut beef steaks, 500g, are £5.47.
MEAL DEAL: Get your steak as part of a meal deal for two at Tesco. Choose Tesco Finest ranch steaks with garlic butter from the range, along with a side dish, dessert and wine or non-alcoholic drink, all for £10.
IT’S A WRAP: Buy three for £10 on selected steaks at Waitrose, including its own-brand venison frying steaks, 135g, £4.99, and Aberdeen Angus frying steaks, 300g, £4.50.
LEAN PRICE ON LAMB: Save 50p on Sainsbury’s lamb leg steaks, now £4.50.
Recipe: Rib-eye steak with sweet potato chip & five-peppercorn sauce
YOU NEED:
2 sweet potatoes, skin on, scrubbed and cut into eight wedges
1 drizzle olive oil
Five-peppercorn seasoning
10g butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tbsp Madeira wine
100ml double cream
100ml beef stock
½ lemon, juice only
2 rib-eye steaks
METHOD: Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Place the sweet potato wedges on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with the five peppercorn seasoning. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Melt the butter in a frying pan and sauté the shallot gently over a low heat until softened and golden. Add the Madeira wine, bring to the boil and simmer to reduce. Add the cream, stock and some of the five-peppercorn seasoning. Bring to the boil for three to four minutes, stirring occasionally until a sauce consistency is reached. Finish with the lemon juice. Taste, and season with extra five-peppercorn seasoning to your liking.
Heat a griddle pan or frying pan over a high heat. Drizzle a little olive oil over the steaks and season with five peppercorn seasoning and salt, then pan fry for three to four minutes each side for medium/rare. If you prefer your steak well done, increase the cooking time to suit.
Allow steaks to rest for five minutes before serving with the five peppercorn sauce and the sweet potato chips.
Serve with fine green beans.
COOK the perfect steak with tips from the expert chefs at Morrisons . . .
Ensure the steak is at room temperature so take it out of the fridge half an hour before you intend to cook it.
Brush the steak lightly with groundnut oil, season well with sea salt flakes and ground black pepper just before you cook.
Cooking steak depends on thickness and type of steak but for a “standard” 2-3cm thickness, cooking in a hot pan or grill, aim for two to three minutes each side for rare, four to five minutes for medium, and five to six minutes for well done.
Some cuts, like bavette and flat iron, don’t cook beyond medium, so don’t give them more than five minutes per side.
Rump, sirloin, fillet or T-bone can be cooked to any state.
To check the steak is done, do a touch test – a rare steak will be soft, a medium steak slightly more spongy, and well done even more so.
*Rest steak for five minutes after cooking to allow the heat to die down and let the steak settle and become juicier.
TOP TIP: Don’t try to cook too many steaks at once in a pan. For a medium-sized pan, cook a maximum of two steaks.
- Find these and other cooking hacks on the blog at morrisons.com
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