Who’s staying in tonight? I have become a little bit of a hermit. It might be to do with my 30-day detox. Or just the plain and simple fact that it’s FREAKING FREEZING OUTDOORS. And, I have a cold.
It’s also the height of Autumn, approaching Winter. So for me, this is ‘staying in’ season.
For a single girl, cooking for one is often a bit of a faff. Even when you are a foodie. Freelancing from home means I often work 9+ hour days to fit everything in, so sometimes I just want an excellent meal, made for me, that I can eat in the comfort of my own home. In my favourite PJs. Is that too much to ask? Am I being unreasonable?
So M&S invited me to the launch of their new store in Crewe, which is very pretty indeed (just look at all the cake)…
And they also kindly asked me to sample some food from their new Autumn range…
I tried a lot, but these three are my absolute highlights. Here goes…
First and foremost, this Taste Japan Chicken Katsu Curry (£4.50), is legit an epic katsu curry. To be fair, I’ve not been to Japan, but I asked my Instagram friends who’d been and they confirmed it does look legit.
For a ‘ready meal,’ it’s nothing short of fantastic. You know when you wanna eat gourmet AF food but you can’t be bothered to go out, and you’d rather not spend an arm and a leg on takeaway food? Well, this has you covered.
The chicken is so crispy and the Katsu sauce? Well just look at it. An amazing shine on it, fruity and slightly spicy. Ready in 20 minutes flat. Absolute minimal effort so more time to spend on ‘you’ or whatever else it is you do on a Friday night. This really is highly recommended pj-scran🇯🇵.
And this next one is an absolute belter.
On my travels, I didn’t venture to Sri Lanka, but it is well and truly on my list. I met other travellers in India and Southeast Asia who’d told me about it, and most (if not all) of them listed food as a highlight.
So when the M&S Taste Sri Lanka King Prawn Curry (£4.50) was included in my little bundle, I was excited to dig in.
This beauty is hands-down the best ‘microwave meal’ I’ve ever tasted. It tasted as good as it looks and didn’t in any way feel like a microwave dinner (if that’s possible?!).
It’s so fragrant and indulgent and there’s no need for rice as it’s a complete meal in a bowl with potatoes inside too. It’s Sri Lanka’s answer to the Thai Massaman, with it’s coconutty, creamy, nutty spice that kind of slowly creeps up on you, but that’s not overpowering at all. When instructions are followed, the prawns are cooked to perfection too (still plump and juicy) which is a pet hate of mine if they’re not.
And for afters…
No dining-in feast would be complete without pudding. Well, either pudding or a massive bar of Galaxy or some Malteser bunnies, but I digress.
These little beauties come in a packet of two, but that doesn’t mean you have to share. (Although I did, for the record.)
I’d go as far to say these have converted me to be a fan of macaroons. Fellow foodie blogger @emily_etc is always making the most stunning looking macarons (like these amazing unicorn ones!), but I just don’t enjoy them that much. I’d rather have a light and spongy madeleine any day.
But these, these! They’re just as delicious as they look. And warming them through gives them a softer texture which I really like. Well played, M&S. Well, played.
Well, there you have it. My top three dining in meals from M&S that are perfectly acceptable to eat in your PJs. Which ones are your favourite? Do you think you’ll give any of these a go? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear from you!
