Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Top Tipples for Christmas

It's the last payday before Christmas for most of us salaried people on Friday and I love to encourage people to support the retail economy.  It's also just over a week to go until the food and drink fest that is Christmas Day, so that means stocking up on lovely things to nibble on and some divine wines to accompany them.  Last month, Aldi asked me to taste their range of festive wines (reader, I was driving!) and I've compiled my list of favourites for you to browse through at your leisure.

Let's start with the happy stuff : fizz.  They've got a stunning Cremant de Jura which kicks Prosecco into the corner.  Although it's made from Chardonnay grapes, it doesn't have that oily oakiness usually associated with the dreaded C word.  It's fresh, light, crisp and my top choice at €10.79.

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Herby Chicken Casserole

Usually, I roast a chicken every Sunday for Ru's lunches during the week.  I cram it full of lemon, garlic and herbs and it's really fragrant and juicy.  But... I forgot that he was going out gallivanting and wouldn't be there for the tupperware box of deliciousness.  Time for a Plan B.  We've had some particularly shocking weather recently and I wanted to make a lovely stew with the chicken.  To make the very most of it, I poached it with some root vegetables, keeping the meat for the stew, and creating a really delicious stock with the bones for the base of the sauce.  This is the perfect food for freezing as it makes so much and guarantees delicious dinners throughout winter.