Convenience foodsConvenience foodsWhy do we need them?Why do we need them?

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Think – Pair – ShareThink – Pair – Share

Talk to your partner and Talk to your partner and ask them what they think ask them what they think about convenience foods!about convenience foods!

The rise and rise of convenience The rise and rise of convenience foodfood

• This was the gist of the news: baked beans on toast, Britain's most popular convenience food, was about to get even more convenient. "Instant" baked beans on toast, a frozen, fused sandwich that goes in the toaster, is to be tested by Heinz in New Zealand and if successful, launched in the UK. It's the subject that everyone is talking about, but you have to ask: why are they doing it?

What does the evidence What does the evidence suggest?suggest?

• Britain was meant to have turned a corner in terms of its attitude to food. Farmers' markets are springing up everywhere. A chastened Jamie Oliver has brought the woeful state of the nation's school dinners to public attention.

• Manufacturers have been pressured into reducing the salt content of processed foods, and everybody is meant to understand the importance of fresh, healthy, simply prepared meals. And yet Britain now spends £900m in a year on ready meals, with 31,000 more of them bought every month than a year ago.

30th October 200930th October 2009

• What goes into food and what is slapped on the outside dominated the headlines on just-food this week.

• Food manufacturers and retailers continued to fall over themselves to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable palm oil although, as our interview with the WWF revealed, there are those in the industry that have yet to take any action on the issue.

"Convenience foods are a fact of 21st century living and fill a need in today's busy hectic and demanding lifestyles. They help to create time," said Becky Laing, a scientist at the Medical Research Council's Human Nutrition Unit.

The average amount of time spent preparing food has slipped to 20 minutes a day compared with two hours a day in 1980, according to a Department of Health report.

Tesco Tesco • Yeah baby, it’s back! Tesco’s £9

Finest meal deal is back in your local stores and this time I picked up chunky chips, steak diane, a bottle of red and the amazing looking tarte au chocolate. This is a good deal but part of me is shouting “I wouldn’t have spent that much normally” and [...]

Making a high quality pastry Making a high quality pastry dishdish

• For the sweet shortcrust pastry:

• 175g (6oz) plain flour• 30g (1oz) ground almonds• 3 medium egg yolks• 90g (3oz) caster sugar• 90g (3oz) butter, softened• 23cm (9in) loose-bottomed fluted flan tin• For the filling:• 500g (1lb) ripe, even-sized strawberries• 15g (½oz) caster sugar• 2 large oranges• ½ level tsp powdered gelatine• 300ml carton double cream• 2 level tbsp icing sugar

Vegetable Strudel RecipeVegetable Strudel Recipe

• Julienne all vegetables into matchstick size pieces.

  2. Finely chop the tarragon and mix it with the heavy cream and Dijon mustard. Put into pan over medium heat and reduce by half, slowly simmering until sauce is thick.

  3. Heat the butter(1oz) in a large frying pan and sauté' the julienne vegetables for a couple of minutes. Add the sauce to the vegetables and season with salt and pepper and drain the moisture from the veggies through a colander while it's cooling.

  4. Lay out the phyllo pastry on the counter. always cover the pastry when not using, as it dries out quickly) Place one sheet on the counter and lightly brush with clarified butter. Place a second sheet phyllo over the top of the first sheet and repeat the process until you have four layers of phyllo.

  

  5. Brush the top of the fourth layer of filo with clarified butter. Place the cooled veggies into a log shape, keeping 2in of phyllo open to each end.

  6. Roll up the first turn on the log and carefully fold in each end. To form a complete closure, brush the exposed phyllo with butter and continue to roll until finished.

  7. Brush the finished log with butter and bake at 350oF for approximately 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

  8. When done remove from oven and rest for about 10 minutes. Cut both ends of the strudel and cut into 3 equal sized pieces. Cut each piece on bias (diagonal) Serve with remaining sauce.