I started this year living – existing – on a £10 a week food budget topped up with five items of food from the Storehouse food bank once a week. I ended it with a recipe book deal, baking biscuits on Woman’s Hour, with a Guardian column, a debate in the House of Commons and regular political and campaign pieces […]
First published in The Telegraph, 26th December 2013. Twitter: @MsJackMonroe
I haven’t had a minute to blog every single one of the recipes, but I knew people would be curious about the individual costings for the Christmas dinner that I cooked for The One Show (Friday 19th December) so I’ve given them below. I cooked a roast chicken in place of the turkey, as it fits in the oven and […]
Brandy butter ice cream with white chocolate chunks. This is a delicious use for any leftover brandy butter (or swipe it from the reduced fridge!) and a perfect accompaniment to a warm mince pie crumble 🙂 I have given a method for those with and without an ice cream maker. I have an accidental one, but not for much longer! Ingredients, serves 6: 300ml double cream 200ml milk 100g white chocolate 50g sugar 50g brandy butter First pop the brandy butter into a heatproof dish in the microwave for 30 seconds to melt. Remove and allow it to cool. Chop the white chocolate into small pieces, either with a sharp knife, or pop it in a freezer bag, tie it up, and bash it with a rolling pin or mallet. Then pour the cream into a large mixing bowl, and add the milk, sugar and chocolate. Stir through. Add a little of the brandy butter and stir in quickly to stop the cream from splitting. Add it little by little until combined. Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and churn for 30 minutes clockwise, then 30 minutes anti clockwise. Repeat if necessary – it should be thick enough to not fall off a spoon but still soft enough to spoon into a tub. Line a loaf tin or other container with two layers of clingfilm, folding it over the edges. Pour the ice cream in, smooth the top […]
And the dessert from the One Show! Here’s my twist on a festive dessert – because everybody loves a crumble, don’t they? I served mine with brandy butter and white chocolate ice cream, recipe for THAT to follow… ‘Mince pie’ crumble, serves 6: Ingredients: 100g flour 100g oats 100g butter 100g sugar 400g apples 200g mixed fruit and peel 200g […]
In an effort to make an almost-traditional Christmas dinner for an episode of The One Show, here’s a seafood starter. Have more, if you want bigger portions – but save some room for dinner and dessert! Ingredients: serves 8 as a starter 220g Mackerel 100g cream cheese 100g butter 1 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp black pepper 200g fresh spinach 1 small loaf fresh baked bread – I used the ‘giraffe’ bread for a change, and it was delicious! First remove the skin from the mackerel, it should peel off easily with your fingers, and discard. Put the fish into a large mixing bowl, and break up into flakes with a fork or wooden spoon and some elbow grease. Pick out any bones you can see – but small pin-bones are usually fine. Melt the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds in a heatproof dish, and pour on top of the flaked mackerel. Add cream cheese, pepper and lemon juice and beat well to combine. I added a handful of chopped parsley from my window ledge for colour, it’s not essential. Press into a lightly greased tin (I find an old butter tub a good size for making pâté!) and chill in the fridge for at least an hour. To serve, cut up the bread (some like it toasted but I like mine soft and fresh) and pop in a bowl in the centre for people to help themselves. […]
What they said at the food bank debate, excerpts from Hansard: Maria Eagle (Lab): Britain can do better than this. We need a long-term plan to tackle the cost of living crisis and reduce dependency on food banks, including a freeze on energy prices while we reset the market, a water affordability scheme and tough new powers for Ofwat to cut bills, measures to end the abuses of zero-hours contracts, Make Work Pay contracts that reduce company’s tax bills to incentivise Natascha Engel (Lab): The food bank in Chesterfield that opened six months ago has reported that 50% of people presenting to the food bank are there because of benefit changes and benefit sanctions and because the DWP has really messed up. In what way is that not the responsibility of the DWP and the Government, who are actively forcing people into food banks? Sir Gerald Kaufman (Lab): “It is disgraceful that the junior Minister, having made one of the nastiest Front-Bench speeches I have heard in my 43 years in this House, has now sloped off and not bothered to listen to the views of the House. Last Sunday I attended a carol service at New Covenant church in my constituency, where a leaflet of activities distributed to the congregation read, “Food bank to alleviate poverty among the unemployed and low income earners.” In my constituency we have widespread poverty and deprivation. Today’s unemployment figures show that we are […]
It’s taken me almost 24 hours to write this post, as if I had written it after the debate last night it would have probably been a big rant about what a nasty piece of work Esther McVey is – and the work that has gone into the debate and the efforts of 142,000 people who signed and shared that […]
Published in the Guardian, 18th December 2013. For the full recipe, click here. Jack Monroe. Twitter: @MsJackMonroe
Taken from Hansard, 18th December 2013. Adams, Nigel Afriyie, Adam Aldous, Peter Amess, Mr David Andrew, Stuart Bacon, Mr Richard Baker, Steve Baldry, rh Sir Tony Baldwin, Harriett Barker, rh Gregory Baron, Mr John Barwell, Gavin Bebb, Guto Beith, rh Sir Alan Benyon, Richard Beresford, Sir Paul Bingham, Andrew Blackman, Bob Blackwood, Nicola Blunt, Mr Crispin Bone, Mr Peter Bradley, Karen Brady, Mr Graham Brake, rh Tom Bray, Angie Brazier, Mr Julian Bridgen, Andrew Brine, Steve Brooke, Annette Browne, Mr Jeremy Bruce, Fiona Bruce, rh Sir Malcolm Buckland, Mr Robert Burley, Mr Aidan Burns, Conor Burns, rh Mr Simon Burstow, rh Paul Burt, Lorely Byles, Dan Cable, rh Vince Cairns, Alun Carmichael, rh Mr Alistair Carmichael, Neil Carswell, Mr Douglas Cash, Mr William Chishti, Rehman Chope, Mr Christopher Clappison, Mr James Clark, rh Greg Clarke, rh Mr Kenneth Clifton-Brown, Geoffrey Coffey, Dr Thérèse Collins, Damian Colvile, Oliver Cox, Mr Geoffrey Crabb, Stephen Crockart, Mike Crouch, Tracey Davies, David T. C. (Monmouth) Davies, Glyn Davies, Philip Davis, rh Mr David de Bois, Nick Djanogly, Mr Jonathan Dorrell, rh Mr Stephen Doyle-Price, Jackie Drax, Richard Duddridge, James Duncan, rh Mr Alan Duncan Smith, rh Mr Iain Dunne, Mr Philip Ellis, Michael Ellison, Jane Ellwood, Mr Tobias Elphicke, Charlie Eustice, George Evans, Graham Evans, Jonathan Evans, Mr Nigel Evennett, Mr David Fabricant, Michael Fallon, rh Michael Farron, Tim Featherstone, Lynne Foster, rh Mr Don Fox, rh Dr Liam Freeman, George Freer, Mike Fuller, […]
Originally published in the Daily Mirror, 18th December. For the full article click here. Jack Monroe. Twitter: @MsJackMonroe
First published in the Daily Mirror, 18th December. For the full article click here. Jack Monroe. Twitter: @MsJackMonroe
Jack Monroe The Guardian, Wednesday 18 December 2013 Jump to comments (…) ‘Food banks are not a negative thing – they are evidence of communities getting together to try to help their neighbours, but they should not be needed in one of the richest countries in the world.’ Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian Two weeks ago, along with the […]
Since the news of my six-week collaboration with Sainsbury’s has emerged, I feel I should have gone into hiding in a rather large 13p can of tinned potatoes, refashioned as a tin hat, to avoid the hate mail and expressions of disappointment that are littering my inbox and Twitter feed. When I wrote my first recipe blog post – a […]
To listen to the programme on BBC iPlayer, click here: BBC Woman’s Hour, 17th December 2013 Jack Monroe. Twitter: @MsJackMonroe
I can finally let this enormous orange cat out of the bag now that the Guardian have run it – from January, I will be fronting a new ad campaign for Sainsburys. I’m sure people have a LOT of questions and I will blog about it in more detail later on, but for now here’s the article from the Guardian […]
I sent the following to editorial@dailymailonline.co.uk, news@dailymail.co.uk, letters@dailymail.co.uk, news@mailonsunday.co.uk and letters@mailonsunday.co.uk. I’m not holding my breath for it being printed, nor any retractions, corrections or clarifications, but I can ask. Dear Editor, In response to the article by your columnist Liz Jones in this weeks Mail On Sunday: Leaving aside the false implications that I use and endorse battery meat – illustrated and exaggerated with the photos of £1.99 chicken and the pigs in cages – I notice she failed to include in the article her own endorsements of ‘buttery soft leather’ goods, nor did she mention the Marks and Spencer prawns she claims to buy for her 17 cats. In the tiny world of Liz Jones, killing animals for arm candy or cat food is something to gleefully boast about, but choosing to eat a little free range meat here and there is apparently akin to apartheid. For the record, and for the umpteenth time, I only use free range meat and eggs, and not very often come to that. I don’t think that’s worth a half page hatchet job in a national newspaper, and definitely not worth the vulgar comparison to racial segregation, and thousands of deaths under the brutal apartheid regime. Perhaps Ms Jones should stick to her sperm-stealing confessionals and buttery soft leather handbags, and leave the commentary about real issues to people with an ounce of comprehension and the ability to communicate without drivelling nonsense. […]
So the Mail have put up their latest smear article again, albeit with some ‘corrections’ as it was first uploaded around 11pm, swiftly removed, and put back up an hour or so ago. So I’ve just had the pleasure of reading an enormously unhinged attack piece in a national newspaper where they compare my eating meat to…apartheid. Yes, really. (I’ve […]
Another poorly-researched Daily Mail article I find myself defending – tonight it was Liz Jones claiming that I use ‘cheap chicken with a side order of misery’. She referenced my latest Guardian recipe, a chicken casserole, where I used 4 chicken drums and thighs for £2. I (erroneously) didn’t add to the ingredients list that the chicken was free range […]
On Tuesday morning, I handed the petition in to Parliament, along with the Daily Mirror, Unite and the Trussell Trust, with over 130,000 signatures on it – including yours. We got a debate! The debate will go ahead in a week’s time, on the Wednesday 18th of December, so the next week is crucial. Please take a moment to contact […]
For the full article, click here: Which local shops do MPs, ministers and broadcasters favour? The Guardian. Jack Monroe. Twitter: @msjackmonroe Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/agirlcalledjack
First published in the Guardian and G2 magazine: Jack Monroe’s budget Christmas. As always, all prices based on Sainsburys and Sainsburys Basics range where available. Similar products available at most leading supermarkets. Jack Monroe. Twitter: @MsJackMonroe Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/agirlcalledjack
First published in the Guardian and G2 magazine: Jack Monroe’s budget Christmas. As always, all prices based on Sainsburys and Sainsburys Basics range where available. Similar products available at most leading supermarkets. Jack Monroe. Twitter: @MsJackMonroe Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/agirlcalledjack
First published in the Guardian and G2 magazine: Jack Monroe’s budget Christmas. As always, all prices based on Sainsburys and Sainsburys Basics range where available. Similar products available at most leading supermarkets. Jack Monroe. Twitter: @MsJackMonroe Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/agirlcalledjack
First published in the Guardian and G2 magazine: Jack Monroe’s budget Christmas. As always, all prices based on Sainsburys and Sainsburys Basics range where available. Similar products available at most leading supermarkets. Jack Monroe. Twitter: @MsJackMonroe Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/agirlcalledjack
I’ve blogged each of the recipes individually – click the links below! Simple sprat starter: http://agirlcalledjack.com/2013/12/10/have-yourself-a-cheaper-little-christmas-simple-sprat-starter-37p/ Honey roasted ham with vegetables: http://agirlcalledjack.com/2013/12/10/have-yourself-a-cheaper-little-christmas-honey-roasted-ham-with-veg-1-53/ Liver and sultana casserole: http://agirlcalledjack.com/2013/12/10/have-yourself-a-cheaper-little-christmas-liver-and-sultana-casserole-30p/ Christmas pinwheels: http://agirlcalledjack.com/2013/12/10/have-yourself-a-cheaper-little-christmas-pinwheel-biscuits-8p/ First published in the Guardian and G2 magazine: Jack Monroe’s budget Christmas. As always, all prices based on Sainsburys and Sainsburys Basics range where available. Similar products available at most […]
To read the full article, click here: East London Lines: South London People’s Assembly rally against cuts. Jack Monroe. Twitter: @MsJackMonroe Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/agirlcalledjack
To read the full article, click here: The Hunger Names by Ros Wynne-Jones, Daily Mirror, Monday 9 December Jack Monroe. Twitter: @MxJackMonroe Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/agirlcalledjack This blog is free to those who need it, and always will be, but it does of course incur costs to run and keep it running. If you use it and benefit, enjoy it, and […]
For the full article, click here. Jack Monroe. Twitter: @MsJackMonroe Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/agirlcalledjack
Alongside the charity shop offerings this year, I’ve decided to do ‘foodie gifts’ for my friends as well – and where better to start than by equipping a certain fan of my Tagine with a pot of magic to make her own with… I haven’t given specific amounts as it depends on the size of the jar – so I […]
COOKING ON A BOOTSTRAP 