The perfect drinks and picnic pairing with ASDA

Now that summer is supposed to be well on its way, it brings with it lazy weekend days in the park surrounded by good food and even better drinks. With so much choice in the shops, it can be overwhelming choosing what to pack for a picnic. Luckily ASDA have come to the rescue and offers some suggestions for some brilliant food and drink pairings. And I was lucky enough to spend an evening trying them all out!

We tried a variety of different tipples ranging from tasty wine, refreshing g+ts and tangy pale ales. All the perfect drinks to take in a picnic basket and have alongside a few cheeky nibbles.

First up was the Mainbrace Indian Pale Ale paired with a hearty pork pie. I feel something so meaty needs a refreshing drink so the ale was a great choice. As an ale avoider I actually didn't mind this at all, which means it must be pretty good!

Next was the Extra Special Pinot Noir with spicy sweet chilli hummus. With hints of cherry and raspberry, the light fruity wine was surprisingly a great contrast to the fiery hummus, helping to balance out the intense flavour. I bypassed the Espartero Rioja Joven as I'm not a fan of red wine but I heard it on good authority that it was a corker. Judging by all the appreciative noises!

Now the Le Grand Clauzy Sauvignon Blanc was definitely something I could get on board with. Especially when it's paired with a delicious butternut squash and cous cous salad. The crisp, zingy wine complimented the fresh taste of the salad. A good choice ASDA!

Nothing screams summer than a ice cold gin and tonic, these handy cans couldn't be perfect for a picnic. Pop on your fancy pants and pair it with lashings of smoked salmon. If you're going to indulge, indulge to the max. Am I right?

Wine and cheese were born to be together. Soulmates if you will. So it's no wonder that the bubbly sweet Calafia Muscatel white wine is a fantastic partner for creamy roquefort. Both the intense flavours are like fireworks when paired together.

Finally no picnic is complete with a few glasses of fizz. It would be criminal to not pack some in that basket. The grand finale was Nicolas Feuillate Champagne with chocolate sponge cake filled with oodles of tiny sweets. Definitely worth a splurge if you're planning for a special al-fresco event. A perfect end to a lovely evening.

Are there any drink and food pairings that you would recommend?

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The £3.50 ASDA wonky veg box - what can you make?

ASDA got in touch and challenged me to rustle up three recipes using their new Wonky Veg box. Priced at just £3.50, the cardboard box is full off seasonal vegetables. With the only snag being the fact they're all a little bit misshapen. But they taste perfectly fine! It's to encourage the public to waste less food and trying the imperfect vegetables that usually get thrown away.

So what did I make? Well I put together three different recipes and still have so much left over! The below menu fed five people comfortable. The only vegetables pictured below that were bought separate was the radishes and the spring onions and I didn't have many salad items. 

Prawn cocktail

Ingredients:
Half a cucumber
3 peppers
1 bag of radishes
1 pack of cooked king prawns
8 spring onions
5 heaped tbsp light mayo
4 tbsp tomato and chilli chutney
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp creamed horseradish
A splash of lemon juice

Method:
1. Mix the mayo, chutney, Worcester sauce, horseradish and lemon juice together to make the seafood sauce.

2. If you have one, used a spiralizer to create cucumber ribbons. Place the chopped salad nicely in a small glass bowl.

3. Place 5-6 prawns in the middle before pouring a couple of tablespoons of the sauce over the top.

Cottage Pie - taken from Hairy Bikers Dieters cookbook with a few weeks

Ingredients:
800g potatoes
3 leeks
150g low fat creme fraiche
500g extra lean mince
1 can of chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp of tomato puree
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 parsnip
2 carrots
3 small onions
500ml of beef stock made with one stock cube
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Cook the mince, parsnip, carrots and onions in a large dish for around ten minutes - until the meat has browned.

2. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock. Bring to the boil and then let it shimmer for around 40 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

3. Once the meat has been shimmering for around 20 minutes, peel the potatoes. Chopped into small chunks and cook them until they are soft.

4. Once the potatoes are nearly done, sautéed the chopped leeks for five minutes. They must be softened but not coloured.

5. Drain the potatoes, tip back into the pan and add the creme fraiche and leeks. Mash everything together until it is smooth. Preheat the oven to 200 - adjust accordingly.

6. Pour the beef mixture into an ovenproof dish and layer with the mashed potato.

7. Bake for 30 minutes in the oven or until the topping is lovely and golden. Serve with savoy cabbage or a veg of your choice!

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

I've actually made this before and posted the recipe on the blog.

Overall I was so impressed with the box and really couldn't believe just how many different types vegetables were in it. It's fantastic value for money and a great way to encourage people to eat healthier.

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OOTD: Chunky roll neck jumper

Outfit:

Khaki trench coat: Primark (similar)

Two tone chunky knit roll neck jumper: New Look

Navy soft touch skinny jeans: ASDA* (similar)

Two tone brown and black heeled leather boots: TK Maxx (similar)

Poppy red medium lily: Mulberry

I took fashion advice from Hannah Gale and went on the hunt before Christmas for some long-line chunky knit roll neck jumpers. The girl has a cracking collection. I eventually came across some on New Look that tickled my fancy - this two tone jumper was one of two that I ordered. Now I want to order all the chunky knits in the world. They're cosy, easy to throw on and allow you to still feel put together yet as comfortable as wearing your jammies outdoors. Win win situation all round. Now when is payday so I can buy more?

Ah Neals Yard - an Instagram wet dream eh? I met up with Lily and Sarah whilst dragging along my RL friend for a brunch date at Dishoom and a bit of Shakespeare culture with Dame Judi Dench in A Winter's Tale. You should have seen my best friends gobsmacked face when we all whipped out our cameras to photograph our breakfast. The girl didn't know what had hit her! A Winter's Tale was fun. I didn't really have a clue what was going on for the first 20 minutes and really should have done prior research. But by the second act I was laughing at the jokes and it was a pleasure to see Dame Judi in action. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday I tell thee. 

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Taste of London Festival with ASDA

A few weeks ago ASDA got in touch to see if I wanted a couple of tickets to enjoy the Taste of London Festival. They were showing off the UK's first ever edible Christmas house as the official supermarket sponsor of the event. Pretty cool eh? If you scroll down you'll spot the incredible house.  Cabbage and broccoli made up the garden, a sausage roll wreath hung on the door, giant pies made up the bricks alongside a staggering 1000 potatoes. There was even a prosecco wishing well next door - definitely something I could get on board with!

So what was the rest of the festival like? Blooming good! Set in the cool, industrial venue of Tobacco Dock - useless trivia, my darling dad actually did the roof when he was younger! - it was a maze of delicious food stalls. After we purchased our crowns - the official currency - we set off to feed our fat faces.

First off we made a beeline for Gordon Ramsey's Maze Grill. Promising juicy beef brisket topped with pickles and cabbage slaw, it seem worth waiting in line for. And it most certainly was! Washed down with a potent Pogues whisky cocktail, we set off in search of some prosecco. Obviously taking advantage of the free samples along the way!

It was such a brilliant day and my mum and I returned home with bursting at the seams and a little bit merry. It may have resulted in having to go to bed at 8pm... We came home with lots of the above fudge for Christmas presents and some delicious pink prosecco to open on the special festive day. Job well done I say.

Thanks so much for the tickets ASDA!

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Introducing the new ASDA Italian ready meal range

Ready meals have such a bad reputation. They're billed as tasteless, unhealthy and quite frankly, a little bit rubbish. However, ASDA were having none of this and took themselves to explore the many regions of Italy to ensure an authentic taste. Pretty cool eh? Each one features truly local ingredients and they've really work hard to ensure they're packed full of intense and gorgeous flavour.

I luckily got to try four different dishes - it's a hard job but someone had to do it. I was very impressed with the quality and the rich flavour of each meal.They didn't have any of the blandness you come to expect from a ready meal. I'm usually a bit of a snob but I had to eat my words - and pasta! - when it came to these dishes. My personal favourite were the chunky succulent pork meatballs in a fresh tomato sauce served with thick bucatini pasta. ASDA have tried really hard to use a variety of pastas to help their customers experiment. Non-pasta dishes have also been introduced such as gnocchi and potatoes. 

Not content with bringing 18 brand new ready meals to the shelves, they've introduced a new chilled fresh-baked breads to the equation. Keep an eye out for the incredible sweet caramelised onion bread topped with gooey cheese. Perfection!

The ready meal range starts at just £2.18 making them great if you're on a tight budget one week yet don't want to compromise on taste. They're three for £6 at the minute too - catch them while you can!

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Recipe: Pulled Pork Burrito Bowl

I was contacted by ASDA and asked to make up my own recipe to take part in the Pork Belly challenge. I eagerly accepted and decided to make my own version of a burrito bowl. This is a dish which I have when I'm feeling on a bit of a health kick. It feels indulgent but is full of veggies. It's really up to you what you pop in, the world is your oyster! The pork belly tasted delicious in it!

Serves 2
Takes around 40 minutes

Burrito:
ASDA Butcher's Selection Sweet BBQ Crispy Pork Belly
1 pack of microwavable brown rice
1 can of kidney beans
1 small can of sweetcorn
4 tablespoons of 0% fat Greek yogurt
1 avocado
2 teaspoons of paprika

Salsa:
Half a lime
15 cherry tomatoes, diced
A small handful of fresh coriander
1 small green chilli

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (slightly lower if you have a non-fan assisted oven).

2. Chop the coriander and chilli before mixing together with the diced tomatoes and lime juice to make the salsa.

3. Pop the pork belly in the oven for around 25-30 minutes. Keep an eye on it as it does cook fast! It says 45 minutes on the packet but this was too long for my oven.

3. Once the pork belly has been in the oven for 25 minutes, take it out and sprinkle the sachet of toffee crumble on top. Cook for a further 2 minutes before taking it out of the oven. Let it rest for around 3-4 minutes before shredding.

4. Drain the kidney beans and pop in a saucepan on a medium heat with the paprika. After 2/3 minutes add the sweetcorn and carry on stirring for 3 more minutes. Peal and chop the avocado.

5. Pop the rice in the microwave for the allocated time.

6. Serve between two bowls before tucking in.

I'd love to know if you rustle this up. Just tweet me and let me know!

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Stop making the eyes at me, I'll stop making the eyes at you

Outfit:
Orange lace midi dress: Asda
Denim jacket: Primark
Nude ballet pumps: New Look
Oversize faux-pearl necklace: gift from friend

This an example of an outfit that I wear to work. My office is fairly casual - lots wear jeans and converse. But I like to make the effort to dress up a bit more as I have so many clothes it'd be a crime not to wear them! This denim jacket is one of the best investments i've worn in a long time - it's perfect for the 'summer' we seem to be having! I brought this dress in the sale and it's the perfect length for work to wear with bare legs. It's also pretty handy to take on holiday with me as I guess i'll only wear it a handful of times thanks to this brilliant weather.

I've been getting into the Olympic spirit this week having attended the mens road race and womens hockey today. Attending these sorts of events make me realise just how much I love london. The city really has done so well even if London Transport did make me an hour late for the hockey this morning. Suppose a deflective train can't really be helped... I'm off to see the football quarter final on Saturday, I need GB to come second in their group to see them. I'm also going to attend the womens marathon on Sunday so it's a jam-packed week!

Has anyone else been religiously watching the Olympics? Or been to see some action themselves?

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