Scotland’s National Chef, Gary Maclean, has partnered with Aldi Scotland to create tasty winter warmer recipes for the whole family to enjoy this festive season, that are easy to make and won’t break the bank.
MasterChef: The Professionals winner and father-of-five, Gary’s inspiration for his three mouth-watering creations is to spotlight locally sourced produce from Aldi Scotland’s variety of Scottish suppliers while highlighting ways in which customers can be savvier with their shopping and make use of their seasonal leftovers.
Gary Maclean said: “Each recipe has been created entirely from Aldi produce, using lots of fresh ingredients that are typically top of the shopping list at this time of year. This means you don’t have to go out of your way to source any unusual or expensive items, and you can make the most out of your Christmas supermarket shop.
“The Smoked Salmon and Prawn Fishcakes with broccoli salad is a new take on some old Christmas favourites; prawn cocktail or smoked salmon bellinis, using these classic ingredients to create a quick, easy, and light dish in the air fryer.
“For those cold winter nights, the Scotch Beef Stew with Vegetables and Lentils is a one pot family favourite in my house, that uses budget-friendly and locally sourced ingredients.
“Finally, the Chocolate, Nut and Clementine Cake is the perfect dish to use up all of your leftover chocolate, nuts and fruit and it’s one the kids can get involved in.”
Last year Aldi Scotland reestablished National Leftover Day on 27 December to encourage Scottish households to make most of their festive scraps. This echoes Gary’s work with Zero Waste Scotland and so the partnership between the two hopes to shine a light on needless food waste and encourage families to be savvier with their shopping and love their leftovers.
Gary Maclean continued: “I’ve long admired the enthusiasm Aldi Scotland has for Scottish produce and the authenticity of their partnership with Scottish suppliers, which benefits both the wider local communities and offers their customers the chance to purchase high-quality products at low prices.
“I have always been a huge advocate of Scottish produce across the seasons and as a chef and lecturer, I know first-hand how important locally sourced food with strong provenance is to consumers.
“I’m really excited to be partnering with Aldi Scotland to inspire families to try something new in the kitchen this festive season. The focus on using up your leftovers in my recipes is not only good for the environment, but it also encourages people to think outside the box and create exciting new dishes, for no extra cost.”
Graham Nicolson, group buying director, Aldi Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Gary to encourage customers to get more out of their basket this festive season, having long admired his work and his commitment to supporting Scottish suppliers.
“Whether customers choose to follow any of Gary’s delicious recipes to a tee, or put their own personal spin on it, we hope this partnership inspires Scottish families to spend quality time cooking together this festive season.”
To recreate Gary’s dishes visit the Aldi Scotland social channels, @AldiScotland, to watch Gary and his children demonstrate just how easy they are to rustle up.
