This is another of the Vegetarian things Aldi have in each December for Christmas. 'Melting Centre Nut Roasts'. I've looked back in the posts labelled 'Vegetarian Taste Test' and can't find that these have been tried before but last year they had one called 'Root Vegetable and Brie Nut Roast' which sounds similar, just different veg this year.
I tried one last Monday and I've still got a few of the potatoes left from the pre-Christmas 5p pack so cut one into wedges and popped in with the nut roast to roast.
The nut roast looked OK but had a very weird dry texture - when I eat the second in the pack I'll make some gravy to go with it............or maybe cheese sauce - not sure either sounds appealing to make it better but I'll persevere! It's nowhere near as nice as the homemade nut roast I made (after buying these frozen things - yes I'm an idiot!). I know I've said before that potatoes are my least favourite vegetables and Never eat mashed- ugh. These cheap potatoes weren't very good either - very floury texture (variety was Electra and will be avoided in future)
On Wednesday I finally got around to cooking the red cabbage which was the last of the 5p things from Aldi before Christmas, I meant to do it boxing day but forgot and we had plenty of other veg anyway. Then kept putting it off as it needs a long time in the oven to braise nicely (I add onion and red wine vinegar and a bit of brown sugar) it's delicious done like that, I can't eat it raw. Good thing red cabbage keeps for ages.
The fruit and veg. bought New Years Day from Tesco on the way to Son's had all gone, as had several other bits of store-cupboard stuff and my list was bigger than usual....I don't like to get too short of store-cupboard food in January/February as you never know what the weather will be.......... so I popped to Aldi on Thursday early and detoured via Tesco on the way home for a couple of other things before the weather turned nasty again.........much rain was forecast.
I know everyone loves looking at other peoples shopping so here you go, a HUGE (for me) shop.
Although I'm not enthusiastic enough to go through it one by one!
Not in the photo as they went straight into the freezer were 2 x 4 pints milk, frozen peas and 2 UPF things - mini vegetable spring rolls and Proactive cholesterol reducing spread (although the latter is classed as a useful UPF). 2 other UPF's are the Aldi Cheese and Onion rolls and the tub of Bisto cheese sauce. Vegetables are mini potatoes, celery, leeks, carrots, onions and Cavolo Nero kale. Fruit is a dozen apples and 3 packs of Aldi dried prunes. Store cupboard items are 2 tins salmon, rapeseed cooking oil, brown sugar, plain flour, spaghetti, decaf ground coffee and tomato sauce. Things that go in the fridge were 2 packs of extra mature cheddar, Shropshire blue cheese and butter.
Total spend was £58.69 (total food spend to date for January £66.94) and now I don't need to buy anything for ages as I have plenty of things for the main part of a meal in the freezer.
There was no snow or gales in this part of Suffolk on Friday just plenty of heavy rain.......all day . Really nasty dismal day, I went nowhere.
Have a good weekend - I'll be back Monday
I don't know that I've ever found a vegetarian frozen ready meal that I actually like, they all seem to be tasteless or a weird texture. I do like Linda McCartney mozzarella burgers though.
ReplyDeleteI do like the Linda McCartney mozzarella burger but haven't bought any lately
DeleteIs the Bistro cheese sauce palatable? I usually make my own but sometimes tiredness takes over and it might be worth a try?
ReplyDeletePenny
Bisto!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to let you know as I usually buy Colmans sachets from Asda but Tesco don't stock them and had Swartz which were crazy expensive so thought I'd try the tub instead.
DeleteI used to always make from scratch but for one person it's a bit of a faff.
I love plain mozzarella burgers; however, I don’t eat them every day only a few times a year. The price of this kind of burger here in Indonesia is about 80,000 rupiahs, or less than 5 USD. Happy weekend, my friend!
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteMy shop this week was a big one too - I seem to have run out of all my curry making stuff together (curry paste, curry powder, mango chutney), plus Tartare sauce, yet MORE tissues, a fresh Codeword book, meat, fresh fruit and veg which includes two large cucumbers each week - I could live on cucumber!, syrup, and a couple of half price things like a Pyrex oven to freezer bowl/lid and a new mattress cover. More cat food of course, because of the weather situation. Soon adds up.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think I'd need much in January but found store cupboard a bit low on some things so it seemed a good idea to restock. I'll need to batch make curry soon
DeleteI would love to try more vegan/veggie things but my allergy with nuts precludes me for so many items. We were in Lidl's yesterday their fruit was very low quality, normally it's much better, we passed on most of our normal selections.
ReplyDeleteThese bakes were too much nutty texture and not much veg. - must remember not to try anything similar again.
Deletemy Aunt and I agreed that bought potatoes are no longer what they used to be. Watery and flavourless! We wondered if the crops are watered to excess to bring them on bigger and quicker? I wonder what sort of deal the poor farmers get off these 5p bags of veg? Or do the supermarkets take the hit to bring customers in store?
ReplyDeleteLots of veg grown on the light sandy soil where we lived by the Suffolk coast and were watered all summer long now the water company want to cut back on how much farmers are allowed to take so they might have to stop growing there. The fens are drying out too so goodness knows where veg crops will be grown
DeleteThat is my sort of grocery shop, plenty of basic ingredients and real food, British where possible. Some fruit and lots of seasonal of vegetables. (I make a lot of soups this time of year, with beans or lentils for protein.) Something for the store cupboard. Cheese, butter, plain flour and milk for a good cheese sauce, and homemade cheese and onion pasties.
ReplyDeleteI used to always make cheese sauce from scratch but now only need a little so the dried mix is easy. Aldi are good for British veg.
DeleteI make just enough in a Pyrex jug in the microwave, easy peasy.
DeleteI enjoyed seeing your shop. I’m still buying a mix of healthy amd not so healthy foods every week and suspect I always will 😀
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
Same here - luckily I love all veg except potatoes
DeleteI love to look at people's grocery hauls. I would probably make a good grocery cashier. *haha* Looks like you got some wonderful items there. Those cheese & onion rolls particularly caught my eye. Love, Andrea xoxo
ReplyDeleteI used to like looking in peoples shopping trolleys while waiting in a queue at the checkout, doesn't happen so much now as the self service checkouts have speeded things up
DeleteMy daughter bought a vegan roast a couple times for holidays and I think she just grinned and bore it while eating. I knew we could do better so began the mushroom Wellingtons. These were so successful, the carnivores at the table almost didn't leave enough for her to get a full meal size portion! We just do not get great veg deals in the US before Christmas like your stores run. I'm sorry the potatoes were a disappointment though, but I love mash and with butter and cheese, they'd still work I would guess.
ReplyDeleteIt's just in the last few years that the supermarkets have begun their veg price wars in the week before Christmas - it's handy for some things
DeleteI made it to the store yesterday - my first day out since 12/28 - and just bought a few things as I was too tired for a big shop. You certainly stock up a lot more than I do.
ReplyDeleteMany years of living miles from a shop have made me wary of running short of anything
DeleteI did a big shop on Monday and much of it was non food items eg toilet rolls or stocking up on coffee when there was a deal on. I also needed fruit and veg , and we bought the Tesco dine in for £15 which did us two days with green veg added. Catriona
ReplyDeleteMy 14 months of loo rolls came in a big box last week! 'Who Gives a Crap' is where they come from - very handy delivery.
DeleteYou are well stocked in groceries which is important given the unpredictable weather. We are getting rain as the temperature is around 40 degrees F. At least our roads are clear of ice/snow for the moment.
ReplyDeleteWeather, car problems or health issues could all scupper shopping trips so I like to keep a good store in winter.
DeleteLots of flooding across small roads in places from Fridays all day rain - no snow forecast for a while now.