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Tesco Three Bean Salad
by Mama-Q
Being a vegan family we do eat a lot of beans and lentils so when I spotted this three bean salad in the bean aisle in Tesco I was quite pleased. I do enjoy cooking and so this bean mix seemed very versatile to me for cooking purposes; from adding it to a chilli, enchilada's or lasagne. I'd imagine that with a mustard and mint sauce ... that this bean mix would make a nice cold salad to go along with summer BBQ's (whenever we get the summer!).
So inside the tin are cannellini beans (small, white beans), flageolet beans (small, light green and kidney shaped) and adzuki beans (small, reddish black beans.) These three bean variations work really well together as the cannellini and adzuki beans have a similar texture but the flageolet beans give the whole mix a sharp and crisp texture. As you'd expect these are quite healthy and are kept in water and calcium chloride - which is a common ingredient and permitted food additive.
Half a drained can contains 100 calories, 9.6g protein, 13g of carbohydrates, a trace of salt and sugar, 0.7g of fat, 0.1g of which are sat fat and 10.6g of fibre. These are also suitable for vegans and vegetarians which probably seems obvious but it's always good to know, right? ;). If you don't manage to eat the whole tin of beans in one day then pop them into a container and keep in the fridge to be consumed within two days. Half a can is one of your five a day.
Price wise I do think this product is a bit on the pricey side but with Tesco's own brand of chickpeas being 77p then paying 99p for this THREE bean mix isn't that outrageous. You get a good mix of beans that can be added to almost any recipe or made into a nice, light salad. Overall I'd rate this 4/5.
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Crazy Jack Organic Red Split Lentils
by spiritwood
Being a bit of an old hippy I feel it only right that I acknowledge some cliches and review some lentils....
I eat a lot of them being vegetarian and red ones are probably my favourite. They are cheap, nutritious, versatile and store well. There are many different varieties each with their own attributes and flavours. Some ... require overnight soaking and some don't. All can be sprouted and eaten raw when fully sprouted. Asofetida or Hing can be used to reduce the slightly antisocial effects if needed....
I usually buy the Crazy Jack ones because I try to eat as much organic food as I can. They do cost more than supermarket brands but I am happy to pay that. Crazy jack red lentils usually retail for about £1.50 for 500g.
The humble lentil is an edible pulse from the legume family. These little seeds have been part of the human diet since neolithic times. Softer lentils without a husk or shell such as the red lentil eventually turn to mush when cooked, whereas the shelled lentils such as green or puy ones keep their shape and texture. I personally like them squishy as one of my favourite foods is Daal.
Lentils get approximately 30% of their calories from protein and these proteins include essential amino acids such as isoleucine and lysine. Excellent news for vegetarians then. They are also a high fibre food and contain a good amount of folate (iron), vitamin B1 and assorted mineral. When combined with rice, lentils form a complete protein dish.
The red lentil or masoor lentil is usually presented as a bright orange colour but the colour can vary from orange to a light yelllow. Reds are the nuttiest of the lentils and have a sweeter and mellow taste compared to most. They usually cook in about 30 minutes and can get very squishy if overcooked. The mush of course is perfect daal material but can also be used to thicken soups and curries.
My advice for cooking red lentils would be the following:
* cook without any salt initially - ie boil them alone or with only a pinch of hing for digestibility..
* when nearly cooked, season with salt if desired.
* Drain the lentils and put to one side while you prepare the onions and garlic etc.
My favourite way to use these would be in the form of a Tarka style daal. For this I sweat off onions and garlic and then add tumeric (haldi), cumin seeds, chilli, cardomon pods, fresh ginger, garam masala etc. I cook the spices down in a little ghee or oil and then add the lentils to the mix. I add veggie stock ( water can be used ) and then cook on a low heat for about 20 minutes. At the last minute I chuck in a generous handful of fresh coriander. The daal freezes well and can be used when a thinner consistency as a type of soup, or as a side dish with curry, rice, naan etc. This daal can be made as spicy as you want it to be by adding more chilli- fresh chilli is best.
For a soup I normally chuck them in with all of the other veggies after I have sweated down the onions and garlic. Red lentils pretty much go with every soup imaginable and add more nutrition to any soup that you cook without compromising on taste.
TIPS:
* Use hing if you need to! It honks but does work.
* Always wash lentils before cooking and wash them several times. You will be surprised how much dust comes off of them.
Nutritional value and health benefits:
Lentils, raw (dry weight) Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 1,477 kJ (353 kcal)
Carbohydrates 60 g
- Sugars 2 g
- Dietary fiber 31 g
Fat 1 g
Protein 26 g
Water 10.4 g
Thiamine (vit. B1) 0.87 mg (76%)
Folate (vit. B9) 479 μg (120%)
Calcium 56 mg (6%)
Iron 7.54 mg (58%)
Magnesium 122 mg (34%)
Phosphorus 451 mg (64%)
Potassium 955 mg (20%)
Sodium 6 mg (0%)
Zinc 4.78 mg (50%)
Source: USDA Nutrient Database
In conclusion: A cheap and easy to prepare protein fix. Neil from the " Young ones" was right you know....
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Morrison's Fresh Pizza
by paulshorse
I prefer to make pizza by hand but it does take a while to prepare - the dough has to be made, then left to rise which can take an hour or so, then rolled into shape (I cannot get the hang of twirling the pizza dough and throwing it into the air to stretch it and make it into a nice round shape), toppings added then cooked. Sometimes I ... don't have the time to do this and so resort to either having pizza delivered, which costs the earth as we live in a rural area, or popping into Morrisons on the way home.
Morrisons have a range of hand-made pizzas which they claim are prepared in store, but I must admit that I have never seen them being made in the store where I shop. However, they are always fresh and do look appetizing. All the take-away food used to be placed near the vegetable counters near the entrance so that you could just grab a pizza and go to the checkouts. Now, in my store at least, they are ensconced in the far corner of the store which is very clever marketing on the part of Morrisons as you have to walk past a lot of other tempting offers, including the always deliciously-smelling baking section where lots of tempting breads and buns are displayed.
When you eventually find the fresh pizzas, you are presented with an array of different toppings and sizes which you can buy in either deep pan or thin base. We usually prefer the deep pan varieties and for two people the 10 inch size is adequate. Morrisons do make three sizes, however, 10 inch, 12, inch and 14 inch to accommodate larger families, but the 10 inch size has more choice in deep pan than the larger ones.
They do seem to have some toppings only in certain sizes, with the least choice being the 14 inch range. The 10 inch size includes Barbecue Chicken, Ham and Pineapple, Double Pepperoni , Meat Feast, Spicy Chicken, Cheese Feast, Vegetable Supreme, American Hot pizza and Ham and Mushroom. These are all available in the deep pan and thin crust varieties.
The amount of toppings on the pizzas is quite acceptable - tonight we had the 10 inch meat feast on which there were 9 slices of small-sized pepperoni , a similar amount of meat balls which had been cut in half and were about half an inch in diameter, a scattering of small pieces of bacon, a generous amount of grated cheese and a tomato and herb sauce. The label on the pizzas advise that they contain antioxidants, flavourings and preservatives. The pizzas can be frozen provided that they are defrosted thoroughly before cooking and used within 1 month of freezing and I can vouch for the fact that they do freeze well.
Cooking is very easy - just preheat the oven to 200 deg, centigrade, gas mark 6, put the pizza on a baking tray (after having removed the plastic wrapper and cardboard base) and cook it for 8 to 12 minutes. I have found that you do need to keep an eye on the pizza because it can quickly start to get burnt if you leave it to its own devices, so I usually set the timer for 8 minutes and then check to see how it's doing. Then it's just a simple matter of slicing and enjoying.
In my opinion, Morrisons' pizzas are superior to those of other supermarkets, but that is my own personal taste. I have to admit that they don't taste as good as one of our local pizza takeaways but then again the Morrison ones are bigger and a third of the price of the takeaway ones. The price of Morrisons' fresh pizzas are £2.50 for 10 inch (as we only buy the 10" size I cannot be 100% sure of the cost of the larger ones, but I seem to recall that the 12 inch are around £3.00 whereas the 14 inch are £3.50). The 10 inch variety, however, are currently on offer at 2 for £4.00.
The pizzas do have quite a short shelf-life, so I would recommend checking the sell-by date, particularly if you are not going to eat the pizza for a few days.
If you want a meal that is quick to prepare and cheap then you can't go far wrong with one of these Morrisons' 'Prepared In Store' Pizzas.
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