There's no shortage of supermarket TV adverts and there's no doubt that some are more memorable than others.
Tesco's latest Food Love Stories one - featuring a woman with a rather disastrous fake tan - has been a particular hit, not least because the dish itself looks amazing.
Brightly coloured Sam's 'saviour steak' salad - rib eye steak with green beans, carrots, orange and goat's cheese - shouts summer on a plate, so it's no surprise that shoppers want to give it a go.
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But while many supermarkets have been shouting about their money-saving '£1.50 per head' meals amid the cost of living crisis - Tesco included - the price of this is nowhere to be seen. Or if it is, it's in the small print that's barely visible.
And when you add up the price of all the ingredients, I'm not surprised it's being hidden.
I bought the stuff to make the meal for two and it came to a whopping £19.75 - and that's without the optional horseradish sauce to serve. Tesco says it's £7.50 per head when you work out the amounts actually used.
I don't know about you but that's way more than I'd typically spend on one meal.
Admittedly some people would already have some of the ingredients in, like the vinegar or olive oil, but these things aren't part of my typical shop and I wouldn't think sumac is a one of the most popular spices to have in the cupboard, nor the cheapest at £1.85.
The meal was delicious and I'm all for supermarkets sharing recipe ideas.
Maybe I'm the wrong audience for this one, with a family to feed, or maybe Tesco just needs to be a bit more realistic when so many people are cooking on a budget.
My shopping list
- Steak - 2 x £4.60 (Clubcard price) £9.20
- Goat's cheese £2.40
- Oranges 70p
- Carrots 48p
- Green beans 85p
- Mint 52p
- Red wine vinegar £1.30
- Olive oil £2.45
- Sumac £1.85
Total £19.75
Sam's 'saviour' steak salad recipe
Serves 2
10 mins to prepare and 30 mins to cook
694 calories per serving
Gluten free
Ingredients
- 150g carrots, peeled or scrubbed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp sumac, plus extra to serve
- 220g green beans
- Tesco Finest ribeye steak
- 2 oranges, 1 zested, both peeled and sliced
- 60g soft goat’s cheese
- horseradish sauce, to serve (optional)
For the dressing
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 5 mint leaves, roughly shredded
Method
- Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Toss the carrots in 1 tbsp olive oil and the sumac on a large baking tray. Season and roast in the oven for 15 mins until almost cooked through. Add the green beans to the tray, toss and cook for a further 5-8 mins until just cooked with a bite. Remove and set aside.
- Mix the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl and stir in the orange zest.
- Heat a griddle pan over a medium-high heat. Season the steak well, then sear each side for 2 mins for medium, 3 mins for medium-well done, and 4 mins for well done. Set aside to rest for 5 mins.
- Lay the carrots and orange slices on a serving plate, then drizzle with the dressing and dollop over the goat’s cheese. Sprinkle over a little extra sumac.
- Slice the steak thinly, then serve with the carrot salad and green beans on the side.
Tesco says the Tesco Finest steaks featured in the recipe are 'great solution' for people seeking a restaurant quality experience at home for a fraction of the price, and that customers can find budget-friendly recipes here.
A spokesperson added: "Tesco Food Love Stories is all about how great food brings people together. Every campaign focuses on individual stories and amplifies the feeling of creating delicious dishes at home. We offer our customers products and recipe ideas whatever the occasion or budget.
"So whether you want to treat yourself to help forget life’s mishaps with Sam's 'saviour' steak salad, or need some simple great value comfort food like Cathy’s ‘it gets easier’ mushroom stew, our Food Love Stories recipe ideas have something for everyone.”
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