After sitting down to enjoy Christmas dinner, many of us head straight to the sofa to spend the remainder of Christmas Day watching TV, playing board games, snacking or taking a nap.
It is estimated that the average person in the UK consumes two to three times their recommended calorie intake on Christmas day, so why not get off the sofa, get moving and burn off some extra calories this Christmas?
Get on your bike In 2020, there was an increase in bicycle sales. If you own a bike, why not get out for a Christmas Day cycle and make the most of the roads being quieter than usual. If your kids got bikes for Christmas, why not join them for a cycle around your local area.
Walk the dog Dog ownership increased in 2020. If you own a dog, try not to miss out on your usual walk on Christmas Day. If you normally do two walks, try to stick to the plan and don’t skip one of them. You could increase the distance of your walk to burn off a few extra calories on Christmas Day.
Dance the day away Dance floors may have been out of bounds in 2020, due to COVID-19, but don’t let this stop you from getting your groove on! Why not put on your favourite tunes and dance around the kitchen as you prepare Christmas dinner. You could put your favourite 2020 music videos on and get your household dancing in the living room after dinner.
Five ways to celebrate remotely with loved ones this year
Amid the current health crisis, Furniture And Choice shares five tips to keep up with your Christmas traditions remotely
Cooking together, craft competitions and online games among the best ways to stay connected to loved ones
While Christmas rules may allow some family members to get together, this won’t be the case for everyone and certainly not for those with large families or friendship groups.
However, there are many ways to have an amazing Christmas with friends and family even while social distancing or living on Zoom, without letting those all-important traditions fall by the wayside. Interior Style Advisor at Furniture And Choice, Rebecca Snowden, offers her top tips on how to celebrate the festive season with loved ones even if you can’t be physically together:
Take time to cook (and eat) together
The highlight of many people’s Christmas is the big festive lunch and you don’t have to miss out just because you can’t leave your home. Share recipes for what you’re planning to cook with your friends and family beforehand, to make sure you all have the same ingredients on the day. You could even assign courses to different family members if you wanted to – although you won’t be able to eat everyone’s offering!
On the day, arrange a time to video call so you can virtually make the dishes together. This is a great way to chat and feel connected to loved ones as if you’re all cooking and making something special together. There are many apps you can use to do this, including Zoom, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and FaceTime (if you all have Apple devices).
Don’t forget to arrange a time for a video call at the dinner table too, so you can sit down, have a chat and eat your meal together as a family.
Take part in a Christmas craft competition
To really get into the festivities, you could arrange a table centrepiece competition with your friends and family. There are plenty of tutorials for centrepieces online that use things you’ll have lying around the house, and it’s a welcome bit of fun for everyone to enjoy.
One person should act as the judge and taskmaster, sharing the table centrepiece tutorial beforehand and judging everybody’s attempts via a video call or picture submissions to determine who is the most successful. You could even present the winner with a virtual prize, such as a gift card.
This is a great way to have some fun with your loved ones and make something perfect for your Christmas dining table.
Create a playlist to listen to music together
To really feel like you’re sitting down to have lunch with your loved ones, why not create a playlist for everyone to listen to at the same time? You can easily create a playlist on Spotify or Apple Music, and then share this with your family and friends so you can all listen together while you’re cooking or having lunch.
To make things a little more interesting, you could create a public playlist and assign each person certain letters of the alphabet to add artists beginning with that letter. Alternatively, create a playlist theme, such as Christmas number ones, and see who can add the most songs to the playlist that fit the theme you chose.
Play online games
After you’ve eaten your lunch, what could be better than playing a game? Although you won’t be able to sit down and play a board game together as you would usually, there are lots of virtual game apps that allow you to still enjoy fun and games with your loved ones.
Try Kahoot! for a virtual quiz suitable for all the family. Each person can select a quiz category that they want everyone to play, or you can make it extra personal by creating a round specifically about your friends and family.
For something with more of a competitive edge, download Mario Kart Tour on iOs or Android to race as your favourite Mario characters with your friends and family. Fancy something more grown-up? The online version of Cards against Humanity is now available to download – just make sure there are no children present!
Watch a movie together
If you fancy something more chilled during your Christmas break, why not cosy up and watch a festive favourite with your loved ones? Thanks to apps such as Netflix Party, you can now sit and watch Netflix films together virtually – just download the extension on Google Chrome, invite your loved ones to watch a film and you’re good to go.
You can even talk via a chat box while watching the film so you can discuss and share your thoughts as you watch, so it’s a great way to stay connected to your friends and family.
Rebecca continues: “Christmas may be a huge struggle for some this year, as for many it’s a time to be around loved ones to eat, drink and be merry. While rules are allowing some people to get together, there will be many who won’t be able to see everyone they usually would, like extended family or groups of friends.
“But we shouldn’t let this spoil the Christmas spirit, we should try to adapt our plans to make sure we still feel connected with our loved ones.
“Setting up collaborative challenges, sharing recipes and engaging in a family quiz are great ways to keep spirits high and create memories you won’t forget. Why not use this time to start new traditions from the comfort of your own homes and celebrate the Christmas season in style?”
Another quarter in lockdown but I am very hopeful that it will be over soon enough. I think most of us have learnt and adapted to the situation well, but I also know it has been even hard for many. But I want to just remind us all that we are in this together and will get through it together and end up better and even more resilient than before.
As you already know many organisations, businesses and our usual way of life is still on hold in some ways however that does not mean we stop altogether. Online has become the new ‘norm’ although we can still video chat and see family online, its not the same as meeting them face to face.
ELREC has been very busy during this time with the current projects, Communities for Conservation, True Colours, Open Arms and Equalities Engagement. We have been doing much of our work online however our services continue to be open and operating in a socially distanced way.
Our Covid projects, equally informed and Food support has been very busy and well established in the communities. The first provides translated information to various communities on Covid and the lockdown to ensure everyone has equal access to the information we all need to follow. We also offer food support every Friday to around 25-30 families who are in need during these difficult times.
Finally, I want to thank the staff and all the ELREC team and volunteers for their work and efforts especially with organising our online events and delivering the food support service.
Wishing you a happy festive season and best wishes for 2021.
Children and young people at Edinburgh’s Sick Kids hospital were treated to a Christmas surprise from some famous faces when players from Hibs, Hearts and Edinburgh Rugby joined them on a video call.
Players including Christoph Berra, Craig Gordon, Ryan Porteous, Martin Boyle and Grant Gilchrist took time out from their busy training schedules to Zoom with some of their biggest fans, tell festive jokes and answer all their Christmas questions.
The Zoom calls brought lots of smiles and laughter to the wards, thanks to revelations including Christoph Berra confessing that he is receiving a mop from his mum this Christmas and Ryan Porteous and Martin Boyle treating one young fan to a rendition of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
The footballers and rugby players would usually visit the Sick Kids to meet children and their families in person in December, which is unfortunately unable to happen this year due to Covid restrictions.
The Zoom calls were organised by Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), which supports the Sick Kids and works hard to make Christmas magical for those visiting the hospital every year.
Fiona O’Sullivan, Arts Programme Manager at ECHC, said: “The hospital visits from Hibs, Hearts and Edinburgh Rugby are always a huge hit with the children and young people so it’s a real shame these weren’t able to go ahead this year.
“However, we would like to say an enormous thank you to the players for taking time out of their day to chat with some of the children and young people via Zoom. Some of the kids are massive football and rugby fans so it really made their day to meet their favourite players.
“Christmas is a very special time of year and we work hard to ensure no child or young person misses out on the magic of the festive season. This year has been harder than ever for those at the hospital, so we are incredibly grateful to Hibs, Hearts and Edinburgh Rugby for continuing to support us and for spreading so much joy and Christmas cheer with the calls.”
ECHC runs a living advent calendar throughout December, which sees a different door in the hospital opened each day to reveal a surprise visitor or activity.
The advent calendar activities are limited this year by restricted visiting; however, the charity is determined to make this Christmas as magical as possible for children and young people, with everything from a silent disco, a festive cinema experience and a visit from a real ballerina.
· Royal Bank of Scotland’s Winter Sparkle festive campaign aims to bring cheer to 10,000 people and families this Christmas
· Bank’s charity partner BaxterStorey is distributing 100,000 meals to the country’s most vulnerable as part of the drive
· Businesses and organisations including The Scottish Book Trust, Tesco and Amazon back the drive
· Social Bite, Cyrenians, The Felix Project and Edinburgh Food Project help take the programme to Scotland’s neediest communities
Royal Bank of Scotland has partnered with hospitality provider BaxterStorey and security company G4S, to distribute more than 10,000 shoeboxes full of toys, books, games, food and items of clothing for vulnerable people and families across Scotland, as part of the bank’s Winter Sparkle initiative.
The shoeboxes – which have been packed in a socially distant setting at the bank’s Gogarburn HQ in Edinburgh – are being given to charity partners Social Bite, Cyrenians, The Felix Project and Edinburgh Food Project, to distribute amongst thousands of individuals and families they support across the country.
Catering company BaxterStorey will also prepare and deliver an additional 100,000 cooked meals for vulnerable families in Scotland, thanks to generous donations of fresh produce from a number of the Royal Bank’s agricultural customers.
Other supporters of the project include the Scottish Book Trust, Tesco and Business in the Community, while employees and customers of the bank have been able to purchase items via a bespoke Amazon wish list.
The shoebox initiative is the latest project from the team behind the foodbank distribution centre at Gogarburn. It was set up in March by bank employee, Sheena Hales, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, to offer charities a space to store large food deliveries. In October, Sheena was awarded a British Empire Medal in recognition of her efforts.
Since opening, the foodbank centre has distributed around 6,000 meals per week, taken in huge donations including 220,000 items of new clothing, and welcomed truckloads of potatoes and carrots – all to be issued by charities to those in need.
Along with donations of food and clothing, the foodbank has also helped furnish a homeless shelter in Glasgow and through a partnership with the Scottish Book Trust, has provided families with learning packs, storybooks and even tablets and Wi-Fi access to support with remote learning.
Sheena Hales, Programme Capability Manager at Royal Bank of Scotland and Manager of the Gogarburn distribution centre, said:“Christmas can always be a challenging time but the events and added pressures of 2020 have undoubtedly created extra stress and anxiety for many families.
“The foodbank has been committed to supporting those in need since the onset of the pandemic and while the food parcels will be essential, it’s also our hope that the little extra treats in the boxes will put a few smiles on faces this festive season.
“Crucially, this has been a team effort and none of it would be possible without the hard work and dedication of our volunteers or the generosity of our staff, customers and strategic partners who have worked tirelessly to make the foodbank what it is”
Caroline Bacigalupo, Operations Manager at BaxterStorey, said: “We are delighted to have been working with local community councils and local charities, supplying a variety of sweet treats and hearty meals.
“This Christmas, we plan to fill over 10,000 boxes for Christmas gifts and food packages to help those in need across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
“With the ongoing support of our team at BaxterStorey, G4S and of course Royal Bank of Scotland, we will be out delivering the packages in the run-up to Christmas.”
Malcolm Buchanan, Chair, Scotland Board, Royal Bank of Scotland said: “The work that our foodbank team has delivered throughout 2020 has been truly admirable and the results achieved reflect the unwavering commitment of our staff, customers and partners, who have all gone above and beyond to support those in their local communities.
“Under Sheena’s leadership, the team have been working behind the scenes to coordinate, manage and store huge deliveries and have all been busy packing up the shoeboxes ready for distribution. Our charity partners will then take the wheel, allocating the boxes to the incredibly deserving individuals and families within their support networks.”
Admiral teams up with professional home economist to help people plan the perfect Christmas dinner –
More than one in 10 (12%) only keep Christmas leftovers for one day
One in 20 throw away excess food rather than turning it into other meals at Christmas
12% of Brits splashed out more than £100 per person for Christmas dinner last year
One in five have first alcoholic drink before 11am on Christmas Day
53% of claims involving food and drink in December relate to red wine spillages
A new investigation by Admiral home insurance has revealed that two thirds (65%) of households in the UK end up with more food than they need at Christmas, and one in 20 people throw excess ingredients in the bin, rather than turning them into other meals.
The tool helps people work out how much of each key ingredient they’ll need to cook the perfect Christmas dinner for their guests, and guides them on how many sweet treats and desserts to buy to make sure they’re properly stocked up for guests this festive season.
The investigation found that two fifths of Brits (42%) buy their ingredients for Christmas dinner a week before the big day. But while some are more organised, buying at the start of December (25%) or two weeks before Christmas Day (25%), others are less organised, opting to buy their food on 23rd December (17%) and even as last-minute as Christmas Eve (5%).
With many people yet to buy their ingredients, Admiral is encouraging people to plan ahead to make their Christmas feasts memorable for all the right reasons this year.
Stocking up for Christmas
The study found that some people are storing traditional Christmas foods in the wrong places, meaning food could potentially be going to waste.
To help make people’s Christmas go without a hitch, professional home economist, Becky Wilkinson, has shared her tips with Admiral on where ingredients should be stored.
One in ten (11%) believe that a Christmas pudding should be kept in the fridge, but Becky says that is not necessarily the right thing to do. “Where you store Christmas pudding or Christmas cake is often dependent on the recipe followed, but, as a rule, this should never be kept in the fridge.”
And with many a sweet tooth being catered to over the festive period, making sure the chocolates are in top condition for guests will be high on the priority list. Almost a quarter (23%) of people believe chocolate should be kept in the fridge, but Becky warns this can have an impact on the taste: “If you must store chocolate in the fridge, it should be sealed in an airtight container because the fat content in chocolate causes it to take on other flavours if not sealed properly.”
Before filling your fridge and stocking up, Becky recommends carrying out the four following checks to ensure your food is perfect for Christmas :
Make sure your fridge and freezer are running at the correct temperature before filling with Christmas treats. The recommended temperature is 5°C or below for the fridge and -18°C or below for the freezer. Fridge freezer thermometers are cheap and a very helpful tool to have if you don’t already!
Before the Christmas buying starts, check that all the items in your fridge and freezer are in date, remove any that are not. Overfilling your fridge and freezer will make it difficult for them to stay at the correct temperature
It’s important to store meat safely to stop bacteria from spreading and to avoid food poisoning. You should store raw meat and poultry in clean, sealed containers on the bottom shelf of the fridge, so they can not touch or drip onto other foods
Check your oven is working and has had a service if required. Also, give it a good clean to ensure for more accurate cooking times and optimum hygiene
What to do with leftovers
For those who do keep their Christmas dinner leftovers and excess ingredients, more than one in ten (12%) only keep it for one day, which means lots of leftover Christmas food gets wasted unnecessarily each year.
To avoid unwanted food waste, Becky Wilkinson has shared some simple top tips with Admiral on what to do with leftover Christmas ingredients:
Roast potatoes and Brussel sprouts: Break up the cold potatoes and mash together with the Brussel sprouts, place into a pan and fry. Add any leftover herbs or chestnuts to make extra tasty bubble and squeak.
Carrots: Heat the ready roasted sliced carrots in a pan and add caraway seeds and vegetable stock. Blend together to make a warming soup.
Pigs in blankets: Make your own mini toad in the hole’s by using an oiled muffin tin to heat the sausages and then pour over Yorkshire pudding batter. Bake until well risen.
Ham, turkey and gravy: Mix together, place into a pie dish and top with ready rolled puff pastry for a quick and effortless pie.
Turkey: For an oriental take on leftovers, try a turkey ramen or turkey stir fry.
Christmas pudding: Break up the Christmas pudding and mix with a drizzle of festive liquor, spread the mixture over some ready rolled puff pastry and roll up into a large swirl. Slice into 2cm rounds and place into a lined spring form cake tin. Glaze with egg and bake until pastry is cooked through for a festive Chelsea bun.
Cost of Christmas this year
Last Christmas, more than one in ten households (12%) splashed out over £100 for each person joining them for the festive feast. On average, homeowners spent £41.30 per person to feed their dinner guests in 2019.
Meanwhile, 22% of people said they are planning to spend even more money on food this Christmas.
With many restrictions still in place across the UK,17% of households said they would be spending less because they weren’t expecting as many guests around their Christmas table this year, and 12% want to cut down because they either ate too much or bought too much food last year.
However, younger households are looking to splurge this year, as 30% of those aged between 18 and 34 are planning to spend more on their dinner in a bid to treat themselves and their family this Christmas, in comparison to just 7% of people aged over 65.
Kitchen chaos at Christmas
In a bid to help make sure Christmas goes without a hitch this year, Admiral is urging people to watch out for some common culinary mishaps as these can be costly.
Analysis of Admiral claims data, relating to damage involving fridge freezers over the last five years, reveals that 7% happened during the month of December alone, with the average cost of each claim coming in at around £7001.
According to Admiral data, the most common causes of fridge or freezer failures in December were where the fridge freezer has broken and stopped working by itself (30%), or power cuts and power surges (23%) that either damaged the fridge freezer wiring or the prolonged loss of power caused the food to defrost.
‘tis the season to be Merry
Admiral found that one in five (20%) adults like to crack open the bubbly before 11.00am on Christmas day, and just less than one in ten (9%) open the alcohol before 10.00am.
Accidents can and do happen, and analysis of Admiral claims data relating to wine, gravy and sauce in the months of December found that 53% of claims, related to red wine being spilt on sofas, carpet, soft furnishings and even on laptops. To avoid any accidents spoiling the Christmas spirit, Admiral suggests standing glasses and bottles on a table and well away from small hands and pets if you can
David Fowkes, Head of Household Underwriting at Admiral, said: “Christmas is always a special period but this year will be even more important to households who, after a tough year, are looking to make the best of it with their close friends or family.
“Our study shows that people can easily go overboard and buy too much food for their Christmas dinner, leading to unnecessary food waste and people are also spending more money than they need to. As food plays such a big part of the festivities for many people, we want to help make sure the day goes as smoothly as possible – regardless of how many people you have around the dinner table.
“Unfortunately, not only are leftover ingredients being thrown away, but just a small percentage of people are giving excess food to food banks who would welcome the donations.
“We’d recommend carrying out a few simple checks around the kitchen a few weeks before Christmas. At Admiral we’ve seen examples where fridge freezers and cookers have been damaged in the build up to Christmas – some even on the big day itself – causing havoc and unnecessary stress for many households.
“Make sure you don’t over stock your fridge freezer so it keeps all of your Christmas food chilled at the perfect temperature, and it doesn’t spoil the festivities.”
Morrisons has extended its 10% ‘Thank you’ discount until further notice meaning key workers can use it throughout the festive season and into the new year.
The discount is available to NHS staff, teachers and Blue Light Card holders to recognise and thank them for the care and support they have offered to the British public throughout the Coronavirus pandemic.
Morrisons has also made it easier and quicker for NHS staff and teachers to redeem the discount after listening to feedback from key workers. They can now join the More For NHS Club or More For Teachers Club and use the Morrisons More Card app at the till.
Blue Light Card holders still need to present their card at the till of any of Morrisons 498 stores in order to receive their discount.
David Potts, Morrisons Chief Executive, said: “As we approach the Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations, we want to continue to support those that have gone above and beyond their usual roles this year, often in exceptionally difficult circumstances. This discount is a thank you for all that they have done and continue to do for us all.”
Morrisons introduced the first ‘Thank you’ discount in April to NHS staff alongside a dedicated shopping hour from 6am – 7am (Mon – Sat). The service has since been extended to include teachers and their support staff as well as emergency service workers via the Blue Light Card.
Additionally, Morrisons is also continuing to offer a 5% discount to its 2,700 farmers to thank them for feeding the nation through the Covid-19 pandemic.
The discount is not valid on fuel, spirits (England), all alcohol (Scotland and Wales), tobacco, lottery products, gift vouchers & cards, infant/formula milk, cash-back, dry cleaning, fireworks, online games & instant tickets, photo printing, saver stamps, postage stamps, ‘Top-Up’ mobile phone cards, garden centre & pharmacy. Full terms and conditions are available here: https://my.morrisons.com/discounts/
To spread Christmas joy across the local community, Murrayfield Nursery has donated care packages to two Edinburgh care homes.
Parents, children and team members at Murrayfield Nursery gathered food and monetary donations to help create the care packages for Manor Grange and Struan Lodge care homes.
Food donations included sweet treats and Christmas decorations to lift the spirits of residents.
The team and children from Murrayfield then safely visited each care home to deliver their packages.
Murrayfield Nursery’s generous donation is part of an ongoing relationship between the care home residents and the nursery, who were involved in regular activities together prior to the pandemic as part of the nursery’s commitment to supporting their local community.
Rhonda Houston, Nursery Manager said: “We already have a relationship with our local care homes and wanted to bring some festive joy to them this Christmas, after what has been a challenging year for us all.
‘‘We were overwhelmed by the donations from our generous families, and the children enjoyed taking the gifts over to the residents. It’s so important to us to nurture this connection between generations.”
Murrayfield Nursery is part of the independent CC Nurseries group, which provides inspirational Early Childhood Learning and Care for over 500 families in settings across England and Scotland.
Aldi has teamed up with three renowned Scottish chefs to inspire people to try an exceptional range of Scotch Galloway Beef joints this Christmas.
Tender and full of flavour, Galloway beef is rarely available in supermarkets and Aldi’s trio of joints offer incredible value for money.
Aldi’s Scotch Galloway Beef Sirloin Joint (£14.99 per kg), Scotch Galloway Beef Rump Joint (£8.99 per kg), and Scotch Galloway Beef Joint wrapped in Ayrshire bacon (950g, £10.99) will make the perfect centrepiece for your festive meal.
The supermarket has partnered with chefs from across Scotland to show customers how to re-create restaurant quality festive feasts using each of the joints from the comfort of their own home.
Each joint will be showcased in three video recipe guides created by renowned chefs Chris Walker, owner of the Selkirk Arms Hotel in Kirkcudbright, 2019 Masterchef finalist, Jilly McCord, and Craig Wilson, owner of Eat on the Green in Aberdeenshire, that will premiere on Aldi Scotland’s Facebook page this weekend.
Based in Dumfries & Galloway – the home of the Galloway breed – chef Chris Walker has developed a recipe using the Scotch Galloway Beef Sirloin Joint, which he serves with a hazelnut, mushroom and mustard crust and a mushroom and Port wine jus.
He commented:“Galloway Beef is the ancient native breed of my local area, so it was very exciting to be asked to help promote these fantastic quality Scotch Galloway Beef joints.
“One of the things that makes Galloway Beef stand out is its depth of flavour and tenderness. So I’ve developed a recipe that locks all those juices and flavour inside the joint, coating it in a stuffing-style crust that creates a mellow, festive accompaniment to the dish.
“Galloway has a reputation for being one of Scotland’s best kept secrets, and the beautiful flavour of Galloway Beef is also a hidden gem. I’m delighted that we can now share that local secret with the rest of Scotland, in the hope that everyone will appreciate the texture, the taste and the very special nature of Galloway Beef this Christmas.”
Travelling north, Masterchef finalist Jilly McCord has created a winter warming dish with the flavours of a classic Boeuf Bourguignon paired with the delicious Scotch Galloway Beef Joint wrapped in Ayrshire bacon – a real Auld Alliance. Served whole and beautifully pink in the middle, this dish is enjoyed with creamy mashed potatoes and lashings of the beautifully rich sauce.
Finally, the trio is rounded off with Aberdeenshire’s Craig Wilson, aka The Kilted Chef. Craig has developed a recipe using Aldi’s Scotch Galloway Beef Rump Joint, which he roasts with rapeseed oil, fresh thyme, sea salt, cracked black pepper and Orkney Brewery’s Clootie Dumpling Ale (or any Innes & Gunn beer) for a scrumptious festive centre piece.
Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland said:“We’re thrilled to be able to offer our customers these three fantastic cuts of one of the finest types of beef Scotland has to offer at our everyday amazing prices.
“Scotch Galloway Beef is of the highest quality and enjoyed in restaurants around the world, and we wanted to show our customers exactly how some of Scotland’s top chefs would cook it this Christmas.
“Chris, Jilly and Craig have created three deliciously indulgent recipes that our customers can easily follow at home using quality produce stocked in our 96 Scottish stores.”
Aldi is the biggest retailer of Scottish origin beef* and regularly tops NFU Scotland’s ‘shelf watch’ surveys, which means customers are guaranteed to find the highest quality, locally sourced meat all year round at Aldi stores in Scotland.
Dorothy Goldie, Breed Secretary of Galloway Cattle Society, said: “By championing the Galloway breed over Christmas Aldi is providing people with an opportunity to experience the rich flavour of one of Scotland’s oldest and most environmentally sustainable native breeds.
“We are absolutely delighted to be working with Aldi and Scotbeef, and we’re looking forward to knowing that Galloway Beef will be the centrepiece of festive dinners across Scotland.”
The Scotch Galloway Beef Sirloin Joint, Scotch Galloway Beef Rump Joint and Scotch Galloway Beef Joint wrapped in Ayrshire bacon, which was recently commended at the Christmas Quality Food Awards 2020, will be available from Aldi stores in Scotland from 19th December.
In a small bowl, mix together crushed hazelnuts, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic, French mustard and olive oil to make a paste, add finely chopped mushrooms and blitz in a blender
In a large oven-proof skillet, sear the beef joint in a dry pan over high heat until golden all over. This does several things; it adds colour and flavour to the outside of the meat by crisping it up. Secondly it helps seal in the moisture.
Let it cool slightly and cover evenly all over with crust mixture using French mustard as a base to allow the crust to stick to the joint. Transfer back to the skillet. Leave whilst you prep the potatoes
PREP THE ROAST POTATOES – 10 MINUTES
Peel 1kg Maris Piper potatoes and cut each into 4 even-sized pieces if they are medium size, 2-3 if smaller (5cm pieces).
Drop the potatoes into a large pan and pour in enough water to barely cover them.
Add salt, then wait for the water to boil. As soon as the water reaches a full rolling boil, lower the heat, put your timer on and simmer the potatoes uncovered, reasonably vigorously, for 2 mins.
Meanwhile, put 100g duck or goose fat or 100ml olive oil into a roasting tray and place in the oven at 180
Drain the potatoes in a colander then shake back and forth a few times to fluff up the outsides.
Sprinkle with 2 tsp flour and give another shake or two so they are evenly and thinly coated.
BEEF & BLANCHED POTATOES INTO THE OVEN FOR ROASTING – 1 HR 10 MINS
Carefully put the Galloway Beef joint into a roasting tray and Bake in a 325°F (180°C) oven for 40 minutes covered in tin foil and then a further 10 minutes without the tin foil to crisp up the crust.
Roast the potatoes for 15 mins, then take them out of the oven and turn them over.
Roast for another 15 mins and turn them over again. Put them back in the oven for another 10-20 mins, or however long it takes to get them really crisp and golden. The colouring will be uneven, which is what you want.
Remove the beef joint from heat and transfer the roast to a cutting board cover with foil for at least 20 minutes while you make the sauce.
MAKE THE SAUCE – 15 MINUTES
Heat 20g butter over medium high heat with any pan juices, add the 100ml of port and reduce, add the button mushrooms and cook until softened and starting to colour, about 5 minutes then add 500ml of beef stock.
Add a bay leaf and let sauce reduce and thicken slightly, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Thicken with cornflour if needed. Leave in a saucepan until ready to serve
PREP THE CARROTS – 15 MINUTES
Peel the carrots and remove both ends. Slice the carrots diagonally into 2-inch-long batons or carrot sticks. Just remember to use the same cut for all the carrots, and keep them to about the same size so they cook evenly
Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
Add the carrots and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots start to soften, about 5 minutes
Stir in the orange juice and maple syrup. Cook until the liquid reduces to a glaze, about 15 minutes, while stirring occasionally to coat all the carrots.
Taste and season carrots with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve immediately.
PREP THE CABBAGE – 5 MINUTES
Remove all the tough outer leaves from the cabbage.
Cut the cabbage into four, remove the stalk and then cut each quarter into fine shreds, working across the grain.
Put 2 or 3 tablespoons of water into a wide saucepan, together with the butter and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, add the cabbage and toss over a high heat, then cover the saucepan and cook for a few minutes.
Toss again and add some salt, freshly ground pepper and the knob of butter.
BRING THE WHOLE DISH TOGETHER & PLATE – 5 MINUTES
Re heat your saucepan of gravy
Carve the Beef and plate
Add your roast potatoes, cabbage and carrots and ladle the gravy on top and serve immediately.
Pot Roast Beef a la Bourguignon with creamy mashed potatoes
by Jilly McCord
This is a great warming dish with the flavours of the French classic Boeuf Bourguignon paired with delicious Scottish Beef – a real Auld Alliance. The joint of Galloway Beef will remain whole and beautifully pink in the middle. Slice and serve with creamy mashed potatoes and lashings of the beautiful rich sauce. Add some green beans on the side for a bit of colour.
For the Pot Roasted Beef
Prep time – 15 minutes
Total cooking time (including resting) – 1hour 15minutes
Take a large cast iron pan and heat the oil until very hot. Sear the beef joint – browning on all sides. Remove from the pan and keep aside.
Now sauté the finely chopped onion and celery until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for around a minute before adding the tomato puree and herbs. Cook gently in the pan for 2 minutes, then up the heat and add the red wine and de-glaze the pan. Simmer the wine and reduce by around a third. The add the beef stock dissolved in around 500ml of water. Place the lid on the sauce and cook in the oven for around 30 minutes. At the same time, place the potatoes in the oven to bake.
Now chop the streaky bacon into lardons, peel the shallots and wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth to ensure they are clean. Take a frying pan and heat to a high temperature. Fry the bacon until the fat has rendered and it is becoming quite crispy. Add the shallots and the mushrooms to the pan and colour on all sides.
Remove the sauce from the oven and place the beef roasting joint and the fried shallot mixture around the side of the casserole. The liquid should come around half of the way up the roasting joint. Remove the lid from the cast iron dish and place back in the oven to cook the meat. This should, take around 45 minutes. If you have a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should reach 55C for medium. Once the beef is cooked, remove the joint from the sauce and wrap in foil to rest for around 15 minutes (keep the sauce warm on the hob or in the oven).
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Total cooking time – 1hour 15mins
1 kg Maris Piper potatoes
150g butter
150ml warm milk
Bake the potatoes in the oven for an hour until very soft. Scoop out the flesh and put through a potato ricer or mash with a masher until smooth. Place the mash in a pan and gradually add the butter and warm milk, whisking all the time until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
To Serve
Once the beef has rested, slice the whole joint into thin slices and place on top of the sauce. Finish with a little chopped parsley and serve with the creamy mashed potatoes and some green vegetables. I chose fine French green beans which are also available in Aldi stores.
Boozy beer beef with honey and chilli glazed root vegetables
by Craig Wilson, Eat on the Green
Ingredients:
300ml The Orkney Brewery Clootie Dumpling Ale (or any Innes & Gunn beer)
1 Galloway rump of beef
300 ml Beef stock (using Aldi Beef Stock melts)
5g Fresh thyme
1 clove of fresh garlic
3 tbsp Aldi Scottish rapeseed oil
600g Rainbow carrots
400g Parsnips
1 Red onion
1 Fresh chilli
1tsp Chilli flakes
1 tbsp Honey
Good grind of cracked black pepper
15g sea salt
Method
Get a large roasting tray, place the beef in the tray.
Crush the garlic and place in a bowl with the rapeseed oil, fresh thyme, sea salt, cracked black pepper and 3 tbsp of the beer. Mix together then rub all over the beef joint.
Place into the oven at 220 degrees Celsius fan for 15 mins
For the vegetables, roughly chop the parsnips, red onion and carrots.
Once the meat takes on a good colour, remove from the oven and scatter the vegetables around the meat, add the beef stock and the rest of the beer into the tray.
Cover with foil, reduce the heat of the oven to 200 degrees fan and put beef back in for around 1 hour.
Once ready, take out of the oven, remove the foil and take the vegetables out and put into another tray. Add the honey, the fresh chilli and the chilli flakes then put back into the oven at 200deg fan for 15 minutes.
Wrap the beef in foil and place onto a board and leave to rest. Pour the juices from the tray into a pan and reduce by 50% on a high heat, for a delicious, flavoursome gravy.
Carve the beef and serve with the vegetables, to finish pour over the lovely, flavoursome gravy.
