All That I'm Eating

Recipe ideas for budget meals, everyday cooking and a little indulgence. Travel inspiration and restaurant reviews too.

Greek Salad, Hummus and Pitta Bread

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Greek Salad, Hummus and Pitta Bread
I don’t know about you but I find it difficult to know what to cook when it’s hot. I don’t want to be hanging around the oven or hob making unnecessary heat but I also don’t want to eat cold food all the time. The worst thing about it is having to do the washing up (no dishwasher in my house!) when all you really want to do is sit outside. I think this meal of Greek salad, hummus and pitta bread is a great compromise; there isn’t too much clearing up afterwards and the toasted pitta bread means that it’s not an entirely cold meal.

Ingredients

You will need (for four):

  • Pitta breads  £0.50

For the hummus:

  • 1 can chickpeas  £0.65
  • 1 garlic clove  £0.03
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil  £0.10
  • 1 tsp peanut butter  £0.10
  • Salt and pepper  £0.10

For the Greek salad:

  • 1/2 cucumber, sliced  £0.30
  • 3-4 tomatoes, sliced  £0.50
  • 1 small onion, sliced  £0.10
  • 1 small lettuce, chopped  £0.40
  • 1 pack mixed olives and feta  £2.20
  • 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil  £0.10
  • 1 tsp dried oregano  £0.05

    Total £5.13

Method

Start by adding all the ingredients for the hummus to a food processor and blending until smooth. If the hummus is a little thick you can add a little extra oil or a small amount of hot water.

Mix all the ingredients for the salad together, except the olives, then top with the olive and feta mix.

Heat up the pitta breads according to packet instructions.

Pour a little extra virgin olive oil over the salad and sprinkle over the chopped oregano and a little salt and pepper. read more

Smörgåsbord with Swedish Salad

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Smörgåsbord with Swedish Salad

Scandinavian food interests me; cured salmon, pickles and dark rye are the things that immediately spring to mind. By coincidence I was sent two different crispbreads to try; some from Finn Crisp and some from Plain Tasty so it seemed the perfect opportunity to try and make a Smörgåsbord with a Swedish salad; Swedish style anyway! Something very different for dinner in the ATIE household.

Ingredients

You will need (make as many as you need): 

  • Pickles
  • Cheese and cream cheese
  • Crispbreads


For the salad:

  • 1/2 cucumber, diced
  • 1 small fennel, sliced
  • 1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
  • Handful fresh dill and parsley, chopped
  • 3-4 spring onions, sliced
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper

Method

I took inspiration for the salad from the Jamie Does book. Put all the prepared salad vegetables into a bowl and mix it together. Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper together then dress the salad. read more

Barber’s Cheese Toastie Off and Pastichio

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Last year I went to the BBC Good Food Show courtesy of Barber’s Cheese and got to try their lovely cheese for the first time. This year, things got a bit more serious and I was invited to The Bath and West Show to take part in a cheese toastie off (as well as having a good nose around the show). For my toastie recipe I wanted to keep it simple so I went for a sort of croque-monsieur; smoked ham, Barber’s Cheese, English mustard and plenty of butter on both sides of the bread. You can’t go wrong with butter. read more

Pea, Carrot and Paneer Pilaf

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Pilaf with peas, carrots and paneer

I hadn’t done a vegetarian option for my Feed 4 for £6 series for a little while so I thought it was about time I did. I am a big fan of recipes which involve putting ingredients into a pan, putting a lid on and leaving it to its own devices and this is one of those. If you can’t find paneer for this recipe you can use halloumi but it’s saltier. All you need otherwise is onions, carrots, peas, curry powder and rice. Sorted.

Ingredients

You will need (for 4):
Rapeseed oil for frying  £0.02
1 medium onion, diced  £0.10
2 medium carrots, diced  £0.18
200g frozen peas  £0.25
250g basmati rice  £0.45
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped  £0.05
2 heaped tsp curry powder  £0.05
700ml hot vegetable stock  £0.10
Salt and pepper  £0.02
225g paneer, cubed  £1.54
Total  £2.76

 Method

Heat around 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat and add the onion, carrot and garlic. Fry for around 10 minutes or until softened.  Add the curry powder and rice and cook for a further minute. Add the frozen peas and pour in the hot stock. Bring the pan to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer, put on a loose fitting lid.  Simmer the rice for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender and the stock has been absorbed. Check on the level of stock while it’s cooking and top up a little if needed. While the pilaf cooks heat a pan up on a medium heat and add a little bit of oil. Season the paneer all over with salt and plenty of pepper before adding it to the pan. Fry the paneer until golden brown. Check the seasoning before dishing up the pilaf and divide the cheese between the plates.

Rice is always welcome on my table in whatever form it comes. In this it’s got a lovely curried flavour along with the sweet carrot, peas and onion and the peppery slightly salted cheese. My favourite bits are the golden edges of the paneer. I have to say that this has to be one of the most filling things I have ever made, I almost couldn’t eat it all (but I had just had some cake!). This costs less than £3 for four, is very satisfying and is easy to make. Ideal weeknight grub. read more

Wild Garlic Gnocchi with Mozzarella and Wild Garlic Oil

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wild garlic gnocchi with wild garlic oil
It all got a bit serious last weekend. I went all out for a foraging expedition; books, bags to carry what I picked and bigger bag to carry all my things, wellies, I was prepared for anything. While out I found a few new things I didn’t realise were edible but I headed straight to my favourite patch of wild garlic to get picking before the season is over. I did have to travel a little downstream to get to the good stuff and there was a wobbly moment where I thought I might have to go for an accidental swim but otherwise it was a very successful trip. I carried home my bounty and set to work on some Wild Garlic Gnocchi.

Ingredients

You will need (for two):

  • 300g waxy potatoes
  • Small handful (roughly 20-30 leaves) wild garlic, blended or very finely chopped
  • 100g plain flour
  • Salt and pepper
  • 25g Parmesan, grated
  • 125g mozzarella
  • 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

If you’re not sure where to find some take a look at this to find places where wild garlic grows near you.

Method

Peel and dice the potatoes to roughly the same size then boil them in salted water until tender.

Drain the potatoes then leave them to cool (take the lid off the pan to allow steam to escape). 

Mash the potatoes well then add the flour, most of the wild garlic, plenty of salt and pepper and the Parmesan. Mix together until you have a dough.

Knead the dough lightly then roll into sausage shapes and cut into roughly inch sized pieces. I pressed the top of each gnocchi with a fork, for looks more than anything. read more

Ultimate Cheese on Toast with Lea & Perrins

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Cheese on toast with caramelised onions

I can’t have cheese on toast without a dribble of Worcestershire Sauce. I’ve added it to countless different meals; cottage pie, risotto and spaghetti bolognese to name a few. Lea and Perrins are working with the guys from Sorted to show different dishes you can add your Worcestershire Sauce to and I was asked to see what I could come up with.

Ingredients

You will need (for two):

  • 3-4 medium onions, finely sliced
  • 3 tbsp Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
  • Salt and pepper
  • Oil for cooking
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 150g strong Cheddar cheese
  • 2 thick slices bread

Method

Make the caramelised onions by getting a heavy based frying pan on a low heat and adding a drizzle of oil. 

Tip in the onions, Worcestershire Sauce, a little salt and plenty of black pepper. Leave to soften for around 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until sticky. read more

Creamy Pea and Bacon Pasta

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After my last £6 supper on BBC Radio Berkshire, Paul Ross was quite disappointed that the recipe included no frozen peas. It got me thinking that actually there’s plenty to celebrate in the humble frozen pea. They’re cheap, you can always keep some in the freezer and they are a welcome shot of greenness and sweetness at this time of year. This quick, easy and cheap meal is a little mid-week fanfare of the frozen pea. read more

Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Bacon and Cheese Pasta Bake

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It’s a bit weird here at the moment. The days are warm but the nights are surprisingly cold; light lunches but also still comfort food dinner season. The purple sprouting broccoli season is upon us and as much as I like it cooked simply, maybe with a butter sauce, I am craving carbohydrates and big warming meals at the moment. My bacon, purple sprouting and cheese pasta bake is ideal. read more

Leek, Cheese and Potato Pie

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cheese potato and leek pie ready to serve
I like pastry. I also like cheese and I would happily barge anyone out of the way to get my hands on a cheese, onion and potato pasty. The perfect combination of cheese, potato, onion and pastry can be hard to find and I like chunks of potato and onion not a mush; so I thought I’d best go about making my own version so I can make it just right. It’s also British Pie Week next week so the timing of my pie baking is ideal.

Ingredients

 You will need (for a pie for four):
1 medium potato, peeled and in small cubes
 £0.20
1 large leek, finely sliced
 £0.50
1 tbsp plain flour
 £0.02
75ml milk
 £0.05
125g strong cheddar cheese, grated
 £1.00
Small handful chopped chives
 £0.20
Salt and pepper
 £0.02
Small knob of butter plus extra for greasing
 £0.10
Milk for brushing
 £0.02
Readymade and rolled shortcrust pastry
 £1.50
Total
 £3.61

Method

Boil the potatoes and cook for 7-10 minutes or until tender then drain and put to one side. Fry the leeks on a medium heat in a little butter for around 10 minutes, until softened, then add the flour. Cook for a minute then add the milk and stir well while heating to make a thick sauce. Add the potato, cheese, chives and salt and pepper to the cooked leeks. Preheat oven to 180C and lightly grease a pie dish with butter. Take two thirds of the pastry and line the pie dish. Trim any excess pastry, prick the base with a fork, line with greaseproof paper then fill with baking beans or rice and bake for 12-15 minutes then remove the beans and greaseproof and return to the oven for 2 more minutes. Pour the filling into the pastry case. Brush the edge of the pastry base with milk and roll out the remaining pastry. Top the pie with the pastry and press the pastry well onto the pastry base. Trim any excess and brush the top with milk.

Cut a slit in the top of the pastry then put back into the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

The leeks and chives in this give a brilliant green colour to the pie so it’s not all beige. I liked that the filling wasn’t too wet and stodgy but you could clearly see and feel the potato and leek. Comfort food is always welcome, particularly when it’s mostly carbohydrate based and this was my perfect dinner on a rainy evening this week. Not only exactly what I wanted but also a bargain for four people. You could of course make your own pastry but when I’m as busy as I am now, readymade and rolled is my best friend. read more

A Belgian Croque

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belgian croque allthatimeating (1 of 2)
When I was in Bruges last year there were a few foods that cropped up on almost all of the menus: moules, frites, waffles and croques. There was one café which we went to more than once because their croques (monsieur, madame and various takes on these) were so good. It was something like €8 for one croque and salad but €10 for two croques and salad; a no brainer really. One of the croques they served was full of ham, cheese and tomato then served with a gargantuan amount of bolognaise on the top. Very handy when you want to be full for an afternoon of taking in the culture, or more accurately, beer tasting. Apparently.

ingredients

You will need (per croque):

  • 2 slices thick white bread
  • 2 slices Emmental cheese
  • 2 slices smoked ham (not wafer thin)
  • A few slices tomato
  • Cream cheese with herbs

method

Preheat a grill and toast the bread. Spread a nice thick layer of cream cheese on one slice.

Put the Emmental on the other slice. 

Top the cream cheese with the ham then the tomatoes and place both slices under the grill.

Keep the toast under the grill until the tomatoes are hot and the cheese has melted and started to bubble. 

Stick the slices together, cut up and serve.

If you have a sandwich toaster you can of course use that but sadly I don’t have one of these handy contraptions. A Corby trouser press would work equally well. read more

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