‘Eating In’ is the new ‘Eating Out’

Save money this summer with frozen food

If you’re looking to save money this Summer but don’t want to miss out on the weather then our new Gourmet 'fast food' meals are perfect for you.

After a long winter spent hibernating, getting together with friends and family is now at the top of everyone’s agenda and using frozen food can help in many ways. Not only does frozen have locked in nutrients and freshness but it is also portion controlled (meaning you only use what you need - minimising waste) making it great value for money. So if you’re in a party mood, sample and serve up these delicious and convenient meal ideas featuring frozen!

Pizza

Have some fun with this one. Buy frozen pizza bases – available from most supermarkets – and create your own pizza! For a simple magherita, buy some tomato sauce, basil and mozzarella and grill for 10 minutes – it’s simple and extremely tasty!

Children will love to create their own pizzas. Buy healthy ingredients like courgettes, tomatoes, mushrooms and sweet corn and give your child free rein to design their own pizza. Smiley faces are always popular!

If you are having a BBQ or garden party, pizzas are great as a vegetarian option or as an appetiser. Try ingredients like:

Goats cheese and frozen chorizo with coriander
Frozen tiger prawns with cockles and green Tabasco
Blue cheese and frozen stem artichokes

Remember you can use BBQ sauce as a base as well as tomato and pizzas left to cool are a great snack the next day or a healthy treat for the children’s lunchboxes.

Hamburgers/Cheeseburgers

For gourmet burgers made just the way you like them, try frozen cheeseburgers for a quick, filling meal the whole family will enjoy.

Defrost frozen burgers and pan-fry on a high heat for 2 minutes on each side and finish in the oven or on the BBQ for five minutes.

Meanwhile, take frozen part-baked ciabatta rolls and toast on one side under the grill. Add slices of fresh tomato, rocket and red onion. To make this extra-special add a blue cheese (i.e. Dolce latté, Roquefort, St Agur, Stilton) and slices of grilled smoked streaky bacon.

Lower fat option/veggie and fish

Try using frozen breaded turkey, chicken or cod steaks/breasts for a lower fat option. Vegetarians could use a frozen vegetarian nut or Quorn burger. Add onion, pickled and sliced jalapeno peppers, sun dried tomatoes and watercress.

Pho (fast noodles in broth)

Ingredients

Chicken or Beef stock
Frozen Noodles
Peanut/sesame oil
Frozen chopped red pepper
Red onion or shallot
Frozen chopped garlic
Frozen ginger
Strips of frozen beef or chicken

Defrost the noodles and cook them in enough stock to cover. In a separate hot pan, fry (in peanut or sesame oil) the chopped red pepper, some slices of red onion/shallot, chopped garlic, ginger and the strip of beef or chicken as a stir-fry.

Add this to the cooked noodles in broth and garnish with shredded onion, soft chopped herbs and soy.

Indian foods and curries from frozen

The easiest way to “eat out” in the comfort of your own home is to combine frozen ready meals with chilled items for a meal platter.

Frozen Examples:

Chicken Bhuna
Beef Madras
Prawn Vindaloo/Jalfrezi
Scented Rice
Frozen Naan breads (peshwari/garlic)

Chilled Examples:

Mango Chutney
Spring Onion and Green leek salad
Raita (Yogurt and Mint/Cucumber dip)
Poppadums

Cook all the frozen ingredients (as per their on-pack instructions), serve into separate dishes and tuck in! A great way to enjoy an exotic evening meal together.