These paprika and mozzarella sausage rolls are simply delicious. They are most definitely a special treat and not something we make regularly but they are an absolute delight. They can be used a snack, starter or even as a main dish with some lovely salad on the side.
Ingredients
1 x Whole Pepper (red or yellow) cut into small cubes
Place the olive oil into a pan and heat up gently. Add the cubes of whole fresh pepper and stir for a few minutes until tender.
Place peppers into a separate bowl for mixing with the other ingredients.
Cut the end of each sausage and squeeze out the sausage meat into the mixing bowl with the peppers.
Add the paprika and ground black pepper.
Add mozzarella and red pesto.
Mix all the ingredients together in the mixing bowl and set aside.
Take your pastry sheet and lay it on a flat service. Take your sausage mix and lay in the middle of your pastry sheet all the way along the length of the piece. You want to leave a equal distance on either side of the pastry mix.
Note: The sausage rolls made in the video above were pretty large and used the whole puff pastry sheet. You can opt to make more bite-size rolls by simply cutting the sheet in half and using half the meat mixture for each side.
Take your egg mix and spread some lightly along the edges of your puff pastry sheet.
Take on side of the puff pastry and roll it over the sausage mix to join the other. Make sure the two sides are properly sealed. You can take a fork and press into the two folds to make sure they are sealed.
Take the your egg mix and spread it over the puff pastry. Make sure you cover the whole surface.
Use a large knife to slice the puff pastry into 9 sections. Place each one onto an oven tray lined with baking paper.
Place in the oven for 45 minutes (they should come out a nice golden brown).
We’ve searched hard to bring you the leading contenders for the best budget fridge freezer under £300.
As you are interested in the best budget fridge freezer under £300 we also assume you’ll want to know which fridge freezers are the cheapest to run in terms of energy consumption so we have presented this information in our table below as well.
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Energy cost based on average cost of £15.40 per unit.
What Factors Should You Consider When Looking For The Best Budget Fridge Freezer Under £300?
Capacity/Space: The internal storage space of your fridge freezer is something to keep in mind when searching for a new model.
Bear in mind that you will often see both gross and net capacity stated; you want to focus on the net capacity.
The net capacity is the usable space you have once you take away what’s already occupied by shelving units etc.
Gross capacity is the total space you have in a given compartment or overall.
Size: The size of the fridge freezer is obviously critical as it needs to fit into your available kitchen space.
Always check the space where you intend to put the fridge to make sure it is suitable. It also will need space around the back and sides for air circulation.
Annual Running Cost: As well as the upfront cost you pay today for your fridge freezer, you may also want to think about how much it will cost you to run it. Remember that your fridge freezer will almost certainly be switched on 24 hours a day every day so the cost of running it is crucial to controlling your energy costs.
Other Features To Look Out For: Water dispensers can be useful especially for chilled water in the summer months; transparent glass and plastic draw and shelves for visibility and frost-free function for extra convenience.
You’d have to work very hard to find any obvious ones at this price!
We’ve put the excellent Beko CFG1582DW at the top of the list for best budget fridge freezer under £300 for the features you get for your money.
It combines an excellent 261 litre net capacity alongside a water dispenser, an A+ energy efficiency rating and frost free feature to keep your machine running as it should all year long.
At an estimated cost of £48.43 to run per year, it should also keep your wallet happy long after you have purchased it.
156 litre net capacity – great size for a small household
Available in multiple colours – white, black, red and silver
Metal backed (flame retardent)
Cons
Small capacity may not suit everyone
The Russell Hobbs RH50FF144 makes it on to the list for the best budget fridge freezer under £300 and also gets the nod for the best fridge freezer for a single person or small household.
It will cost you an estimated £31.72 per year to run which makes sense given its smaller size when you compare it to the other models on this list.
The Beko CRFG1582W makes the list of contenders for the best budget fridge freezer under £300 its simple yet effective design and the handy features it offers.
With a frost free system and 263 litre net capacity, this would make a welcomed addition to most kitchen especially for the price.
At £48.51 this model has the highest running cost on the list though this is marginal and overall still offers great value.
Key Benefits
Frost free system for easy maintenance
263 Litre Net Capacity
Reversible door allowing you to make full use of your space
A+ energy rating
Dimensions: H182 x W54.5 x D60cm
HOOVER HSC574W
Estimated Yearly Running Cost: £39.42
Pros
Reversible doors
Reasonable running cost
Twin crisper drawers
Cons
Difficult to read temperature control
The Hoover HSC574W makes it on to the list for the best budget fridge freezer for under £300 as it gives everything you would want in a new model and does it without fuss.
With an estimated consumption of 256KWh per year, it is estimated that it would cost you £39.42 per year in terms of running costs.
The fridge comes with 2 handy adjustable shelves along with twin crisper drawers which are great for storing your fruit and vegetables properly. The freezer is equipped with 4 drawers including one larger compartment at the bottom perfect for keeping larger sized items.
A slight oddity with the design is that the temperature control can sometimes be tricky to see clearly as it positioned near a bright light; certainly not a deal-breaker however.
Key Benefits
242 Litre net capacity
Reversible door opening to maximise the space in your kitchen
10 year parts and 1 year labour guarantee for peace of mind
The Hotpoint HBD5517W fridge freezer is included on our list of best budget fridge freezer under £300 for its classic look and versatile storage. We particularly like the twin fruit and veg crisper drawers in the fridge allowing you to split your groceries for optimum storage.
It is estimated that this model will cost you around £39.27 per year to run, the lowest on this list.
As it is a manual defrost model, it will ideally need to be thawed out from time to time to keep it running at its best.
Key Benefits
A+ Energy Efficiency rating
2 Salad crisper drawers – handy for separating your fruit and veg
234 Litre net capacity
10 year parts and 1 year labour guarantee for peace of mind
Reversible doors allowing you to place it wherever you need to in the kitchen
Twin fruit and veg crisper drawers; 4 freezer drawers
We’ve all been there – you open up the fridge to grab some fresh tomatoes only to find they’re are half frozen over. And you think why is my refrigerator freezing my vegetables?. Here are a few possible reasons for why your vegetables are being frozen:
1 – Your Vegetables Are Too Close To the Cooling Vent
Most refrigerators have a air flow vent in the side or the back of the fridge for cooling.
Make sure that you are not placing sensitive items too close to this vent as they are likely to freeze over.
2 – Your Freezer Is Too Cold
The temperature of the freezer could be the reason your refrigerator is freezing your vegetables.
There are some side-by-side models that pass cold air from the freezer into the fridge via a vent. If the freezer temperature is too low, it will make your fridge colder too, especially by the vents.
3 – Your Fridge Temperature Is Too Low
You should also check that you have the temperature set to the appropriate level in the fridge. The level you set it to should be partly determined by the amount of food you typically store in there.
Ideally your fridge should be set to between 3°C (37°F) and 5°C (40°F) for optimum food storage.
If your fridge does not have easy to read temperature settings then you may want to consider grabbing yourself an appliance thermometer.
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If your fridge has a temperature dial (e.g. 1 to 5) then generally you want to make sure it is set to:
3 or 4 if it tends to remain quite full
1 or 2 if there’s typically not much food in there
The temperature dial lowers the temperature the higher up you go with 5 being the lowest temperature.
4 – Find The Cold Spots
Something to bear in mind is that the issue may be confined to one area of the fridge. The most common places where food is accidentally frozen in the fridge are the top-shelf, bottom of the fridge and door shelves.
If you have found that the problem only occurs in certain compartments then this should be easy to fix; only place food that can withstand the cold in those areas.
5 – Your Fridge Needs Be Defrosted
Sometimes your vents may become blocked which means the air cannot circulate as it should. Try defrosting your fridge and freezer to see if this will solve the problem. Empty the fridge of all its contents and leave it for 24 hours to settle. Give it a good clean and then plug it back in. With any luck this should solve the problem.
6 – The Fridge Is Not Full Enough
This might seem like an odd one but the fact your food may be freezing in because your fridge is not full enough.
Refrigerators work at their best when they are well packed. This is because fridges need to be adequately filled to absorb the cold air circulating inside. If they sit relatively empty then the cold air will sink to the bottom freezing any food there.
Doing this may also help to regulate the temperature in the freezer.
If these suggestions don’t solve the issue your fridge may have a problem that needs a bit more attention; be aware of some of the signs that could mean you need to call an engineer or consider a new fridge.
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What Goes In The Crisper Drawer In The Fridge?
The crisper drawer in the fridge is the best place to keep your fresh fruit and vegetables.
What Is The Crisper Drawer?
The crisper drawer is the compartment (sometimes two side by side) at the bottom of your fridge which is designed to prolong the life of your fruit and vegetables.
It has a different level of humidity to the rest of the fridge allowing you to optimise the conditions for fresh produce storage.
A lot of crispers will have a humidity slider at the back. This allows you to control the air flow into the drawer from a cooling vent;
Close the air flow for high humidity
Open the air flow for low humidity
Managing the crisper drawer correctly can significantly extend the life of your fruit and vegetables. This has a few noticeable benefits:
It will keep your food tasting fresher for longer
It will lower your grocery bill
How Do You Use The Humidity Control On Your Crisper Drawer?
Generally speaking you want to keep produce that rots easily in a low-humidity environment e.g. apples, avocados etc.
Whilst a high-humidity drawer is better for items that tend to wilt easily e.g. lettuce and spinach.
The high humidity section also works well for ethylene sensitive items.
What is ethylene gas and why does it matter?
One of the main reasons certain foods go bad quickly in the fridge is ethylene gas. Ethylene gas is naturally produced by foods such as bananas and apples. It is a plant hormone that is released as gas.
The ethylene hormone initiates cell degredation, turning fruits soft and sweeter.
There are some fruits and vegetables which produce high amounts of ethylene whilst others are more sensitive to it.
High Ethylene Producing Fruits and Vegetables
Apples
Bananas (ripe)
Apricots
Avocados
Grapes
Nectrines
Peaces
Potatoes
Plums
Ethylene Sensitive Fruits and Vegetables
Bananas (unripe)
Brocolli
Carrots
Cauliflower
Garlic
Kale
Onions
Strawberries
The above information should give you some help and guidance when it comes to storing your food. For example you may want to segregate your ripe bananas and your onions.
Some fridge models have more than one crisper drawer which makes it easy as you can separate foods as you need to. If your fridge only has one crisper drawer then you could always look at small storage containers to isolate the items you need to.
How Full Should My Crisper Drawer Be?
Make sure that you do not overfill your crisper drawer. If you are having to cram the last red peppers into the top of the drawer before closing it then take some stuff out.
Given the ease in which you can set the relative humidity in the crisper drawer it could potentially be a good place to store meat.
However, generally raw meat should be isolated from everything else to avoid the risk of cross-contamination.
Therefore if you only have one crisper drawer which you tend to use for fruits and vegetables, avoid placing raw meat in there regardless of how tempting or convenient it might be.
If you have separate drawers and you use one of them for raw meat, make sure you do not use it for anything else.
In the case where your fridge does not have more than one crisper drawer, consider getting a reusable container with seal to if you need to store raw meat in your refrigerator.
What To Do If Your Fruits and Vegetables Are Still Not Staying Fresh?
These BBQ style hoisin roasted chicken wings are simply delicious. The hoisin sauce finish combined with a chargrilled-like look make them incredibly eye-pleasing but this is beaten by the mouth-watering flavours.
Great to go alongside a main dish or eaten as a starter, these wings will have you going back for more.
Your fridge freezer is possibly the most important appliance in your home but do you know its ideal temperature? Is 7 degrees Celsius cold enough for a fridge? Or is it 5 degrees Celsius?
Your fridge should be set to between 3°C (37°F) and 5°C (40°F)
Your freezer should be set to 0°C (-18°F).
It usually takes about 24 hours for any changes to take full effect.
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Here are a few other key questions you might have about your fridge…
Is 1 or 5 colder on a fridge?
What do the numbers on the temperature dial of your fridge mean? This is a tough one especially as a lot of fridge freezer models don’t always make it clear. You can try looking in the user manual but that’s not always helpful. So if the numbers go from 1 to 5 which is the coldest? Is it temperature or freezing power?
With pretty much all fridge freezers the numbers 1 to 5 indicate the refrigerant power with the higher the number, the colder the machine will be.
What is the ideal number between 1 to 5 for your fridge?
Generally speaking the more food you have in your fridge, the higher the number will need to be. If you have a lot of food 3 or 4 may be appropriate. If you don’t tend to store a much food then 1 or 2 may suffice.
Remember that a lower temperature doesn’t necessarily mean better food storage conditions. If the temperature is too low for the amount of food you have in the fridge you could frost burn your food. Although not harmful, the food may not necessarily have the same taste and texture.
In addition if the temperature is too high, ice may form in the fridge which could cause you problem with running it. When ice forms it could prevent air circulation.
How do I know what temperature my fridge is?
The easiest way to find out what the temperature of your fridge is, is to use a thermometer.
For the fridge you can – place a thermometer in a glass of water in the fridge, leave it overnight and then check the temperature.
Why is my fridge not cold enough?
If your fridge is not cold enough you may be finding that your food is going off well before its use by date.
It usually means that the unit struggling to keep the temperature low enough to chill your food sufficiently.
This may be due to issues with the condenser coils or perhaps an overworked motor.
There are a few options for places to defrost food; the fridge, kitchen counter, defrost setting on the microwave or even running it under cold water.
However, the best place to defrost your food is the fridge. This is because the whole time the food is being defrosted its temperature is being kept outside the “Danger Zone”. The UK Food Standards Agency states that “bacteria usually grow in the ‘Danger Zone’ between 8°C and 60°C. Below 8°C, growth is stopped or significantly slowed down. Above 60°C the bacteria start to die.”
Make sure you plan enough time for the food to thaw as it can typically take up to day. A good way to do it is to take food out of the freezer the night before you need it or in the morning if you’ll need it in the evening.
These 4 hour slow cooked pork ribs are fall off the bone delicious. The time spent preparing and slow cooking these tasty pork ribs will be well worth it!
By the time you’re done, the succulent meat will be falling off the bone and straight into your mouth!
Ingredients
Pork Ribs
Lemon x1
Oregano x1 Tablespoons
Black Ground Pepper x1 Tablespoon
Honey x1 Tablespoon
Ginger x10g (Grated)
Hoisin Sauce x 2 Tablespoons
Teriyaki Sauce x3 Tablespoons
Soy Sauce x2 Tablespoons
Method
Place pork ribs in hotpot dish and wash with water. Leave a small amount of water at the bottom of dish.
Squeeze lemon into the mix.
Add oregano, black pepper, honey and ginger. Place lid on hotpot dish and stir vigorously.
Add honey, hoisin sauce, teriyaki sauce and soy sauce.
Place dish into slow cooker and set timer for 4 hours on high heat.
Once completed, move ribs onto oven tray.
Move ribs into pre-heated oven tray. Leave in the oven at 180°C for 45 minutes or until golden brown/colour you like.
Serve with a side of roasted potatoes/sweet butter
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