Every once in a while I get very nostalgic for the types of food that I enjoyed when I was a child, and when my own children were growing up. Salmon Casserole was a favorite in our home. My mother often used tinned salmon, as did my MIL, and I also used it when bringing up my family. It is a great product to have in your store cupboard. This recipe today makes great use of that store-cupboard ingredient along with a few other ingredients that I always have in my larder, and have done for years, even before I moved over here to the UK. Potato Gratin mix and frozen petit pois!
Its very simple, quick to throw together, easy and delicious. All you need on the side is a salad and some crusty bread. Today's recipe is one that I put together after having received my June Degustabox!
I love these boxes. Opening each one is tiny a bit like opening a Christmas gift. Always a surprise, and always filled with things that pique my interest and desire to try. Degustabox is a monthly foodie subscription service that sends out a range of 10 to 15 specially selected foodie products. There's always a great mix of new products that I haven't tried before, as well as plenty of treats from more established brands. Quite often you will have the opportunity to try new products before they arrive in the shops, so it can be a bit of a sneak peak! Each Degustabox costs only £12.99, delivery costs are included in the price, and there is no fixed contract involved - you can cancel at any time. I love getting these boxes! They are great value for money spent.
Here is what was in the June Box, which had a BBQ theme!
PECKISH BBQ Rice Crackers Multi-Pack 1 X £1.79
Peckish is a thinner, lighter crispier snack made of rice and full of flavour! We are Baked not fried, gluten free and under 100 calories per portion.
Lovely and crisp. I enjoyed these and like that they are so low in calories and not fried.
ROSIE'S PIG Raspberry Roller 1 X £2.00
Raspberry and Cucumber flavor sparkling cloudy cider. A refreshing berry flavor with citrus notes creates a well-balanced easy drinking cider with a fresh finish.
I didn't actually taste this as I don't drink alcohol, but my neighbor really enjoyed.
NO & MORE Raspberry & Blueberry 1 X £1.29
Beautifully balanced spring water with a hint of raspberry & blueberry. No sugar, no sweeteners, no preservatives, no artificial ingredients and pH neutral; the perfect alternative to plain water that will help you reach the recommended quota of 2 litres of water a day. Find us in Boots and Waitrose and follow @noandmore
I like a nice sugar free drink in the evening that is also caffeine free. This is very lovely.
FRYLIGHT Avocado Oil Cooking Spray 1 X £2.99
Frylight Avocado Oil cooking spray is a great alternative to fatty oil for every day shallow frying, roasting and baking. It can be used at higher temperatures than most cooking sprays due to the more resilient nature of avocado oil, perfect for stir fries.
Frylight is a product I use regularly anyways. Both the normal one and the newer Avocado Oil one. It works great!
BRIOCHE PASQUIER Pains au Lait 1 X £1.75
Get creative with our delicious Pains au Lait! Free from preservatives, artificial flavours and hydrogenated fats, our soft and tasty milk brioche rolls can be enjoyed at any moment of the day. They are also ideal for BBQs with family and friends! Please visit our website for more recipes.
We love the Brioche Basquier products, and use them often.
FYRE fruit drinks 2 X £1.29
"With the mission to literally spice life up, we created FYRE, a refreshing sparkling fruit drink with an added kick of spices and sweetness from fruits to keep anyone wanting more ...
Available in two lively flavours! FYRE is a great-tasting drink with the perfect balance of sweetness and spice. *These products were included in the non-alcohol version of the Degustabox."
We enjoyed these while we were watching the World Cup last week!
ORANGINA 2 X £1.20
Orangina with its unmistakable orange flavour, soft sparkle and real citrus pulp makes the perfect summer drink. It is both delicious on it's own with ice and a slice of orange, or as a mixer in mocktails and cocktails.
I received one of the regular and one light, which meant that we could both enjoy an ice cold drink. As a diabetic I only drink low sugar drinks. Todd had the regular and I had the light and we both enjoyed our drinks.
CAPSICANA COOK SAUCES 2 X £1.99
Capsicana are changing the way we eat Mexican and Latin American food at home in the UK. Packed full of authentic flavours, our products help you to create tastier meals at home. This award winning range of cook sauces help you to make the best tasting fajitas at home!
This was the product of the month. We have enjoyed chicken marinated in it (the Brazillian chilli & coconut) and grilled along with some salmon (Cuban Chilli & Lime) and thought they were both fabulous, although a bit spicy for me! Todd loves him some spice though, so he thoroughly enjoyed them both.
MIGHTY FINE Salted Caramel Honeycomb Bar 1 X £1.00
The finest handcrafted honeycomb made with our signature light, crisp and lightly salted honeycomb covered in a creamy, caramel Belgian milk chocolate. Our bars really are the bees knees, so indulge and enjoy. Available in Sainsbury's Local and up and down the country.
Can you say MOREISH?
GREAT BRITISH BISCOTTI CO 1 X £1.30
A heavenly huddle of Belgian White Chocolate, zingy Cranberries and sublime Pistachios, entwined deep within our classically buttery crumbly Biscotti. All 20 flavours of our Biscotti are hand made with the best ingredients in our Artisan Bakery in Dorset. Soon to be available on Ocado and Amazon.
Let me just say that Todd didn't even get a look-in at these. I gobbled them up like the greedy person I am and thoroughly enjoyed. They were fabulously tasty and beautifully crunchy!
THE JELLY BEAN FACTORY Fairtrade Box 1 X £1.25
Filled with 36 delicious flavours and made using fairtrade sugar, they are the perfect on the go snack.
Already a huge fan of these. I think the popcorn and the watermelon are my favourites!
IDAHOAN Gratin Bake 1 X £2.30
Idahoan's super easy Gratin Bake, with a preparation time of less than 3 minutes and a cook time of less than 30 minutes, it makes an impressive accompaniment to any meal. Add contents to a casserole dish, with hot water, milk and a knob of butter and let the oven do the rest!
I have been using Idahoan potato products for years and no surprise, this is the product I chose to highlight with a recipe! Because I am familiar with them, love them, and use them a regularly, I thought I could really do a great job with them, and I think that I have.
I was so excited last year when I saw the Idahoan products showing up in my local shops. I had been using their scalloped/gratin potato mixes for years when I lived in Canada. You can't really beat them for flavor and convenience when it comes to a side dish.
But as you can see today from this recipe, they are not only good for a side dish, but with a few additions you can turn any package of the potato mix into a really delicious main dish!
Today I added a tin of salmon flaked and some frozen peas. Instant Salmon Casserole. But you could also add diced cooked ham and corn . . . or diced cooked chicken and mixed vegetables . . . for a kind of pot pie kind of a dish.
Diced leftover cooked roast beef with a TBS of horseradish and some green beans and sliced mushrooms are another tasty combination! Diced cooked roast pork, with some sliced apples and celery . . .
Really the combinations for what you can do with these are pretty endless, and well . . . even on their own as a side dish, they go with just about everything from soup to nuts! We love them!
*Salmon & Potato Gratin*Serves 3Printable Recipe
This delicious gratin makes short work of dinner, using store cupboard ingredients. Quick, easy and very tasty!
1 package Idahoan Gratin Bake(Milk, water and butter required to make this, as per package directions)1 tin (170g/6 ounce) tin of wild pink salmon, boneless and skinless1 mug of frozen petit pois
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Spray a shallow casserole dish with some low-fat cooking spray. Set aside. Prepare the potato gratin as per the instruction on the package, right up to the point where you are ready to put it into the oven. Stir in the can of salmon, drained and flaked and a mug full of frozen petit pois. Bake as per package instructions for 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes and enjoy. Note - if desired you can sprinkle a handful of grated cheese on top of the finished dish and pop it back into the oven to melt the cheese.
Every box does include an information card, along with some other bits, recipes, etc. from the brands included. I find it really handy to have, to learn about the products a bit more and to also know how much the products would cost if I went on to buy them, and also for ideas on how to use some of them.
So, that was the June Degustabox - a nice selection of products as always. We loved it. The price of each Degustabox is £12.99 (including delivery). To order your box, visit www.degustabox.com Many thanks to Degustabox UK for sending me this box. I have to say I really look forward to getting my box each month. There are always lots of things in it to enjoy and new products to try out. I highly recommend. You can also tailor the boxes to your own likes and dislikes by filling in your own Taste Profile. Do you like the sound of this box? Why not sign up now! I find them to be really good value for money spent and I really enjoy trying out new products that I have not tried before.
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Note - Although I was sent a box free of charge any and all opinions are my own.Bon appetit!
