All That I'm Eating

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

Strawberry, Mint and Elderflower Mini Crumbles

By 18 Comments

strawberry and elderflower crumble
A crumble to me has a whiff of autumn about it. Apple crumble is a classic pudding but a while ago I tried a strawberry crumble and it was so good I couldn’t wait to give it a try myself. This is a pudding form of my previous cocktail post; a mixture of strawberries, mint and elderflower syrup but under a biscuity crust. The ingredients in this crumble scream of summer and the smell of cooking strawberries and buttery crumble is irresistible.

Ingredients

You will need (for two mini crumbles):

  • 200g strawberries
  • A few sprigs of mint
  • Elderflower syrup
  • 75g butter
  • 175g flour
  • 50g golden caster sugar and a little extra

Method

Start by chopping the strawberries up into halves, quarters, slices and all sizes so that you have a varied texture when the crumble is cooked. Put the strawberries into a little dish or ramekin, until it’s just over three quarters full, then sprinkle over a few chopped mint leaves. Drizzle over a little elderflower syrup; I used around a tablespoon for each ramekin. 

In another bowl mix together the flour and butter with your hands until you have a mix that resembles breadcrumbs. Then stir in the sugar. Top each little strawberry filled dish with the crumble and then sprinkle over a little extra sugar on top.
Put the dishes onto a baking tray and then into a preheat oven at 180C for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown on top. read more

Elderflower and Yoghurt Ice Cream

By 13 Comments

elderflower yoghurt ice cream
I like making ice cream. I don’t do it that often but when I do I try to make something a bit special. My grandparents bought me my ice cream maker for my graduation present a few years ago; it’s one of those where the bowl inside the machine is frozen before use and I love it. Having the elderflower syrup hanging around means every time I walk past the bottle I think of another way to use or cook with it. I’ve always wanted to make yoghurt ice cream (richer than frozen yoghurt) and here was an opportunity to do so.

Ingredients

To make around 600ml finished ice cream you will need:

Method

Whisk together the yoghurt, cream and around a tablespoon of elderflower syrup in a bowl. Give it a taste to see if it needs more syrup; it depends how strong your syrup is and how you like it. Chill the mixture in the fridge for around 30 minutes.

If you have an ice cream maker put the mixture into your machine and churn until it’s all frozen then put into a container and into the freezer until you’re ready to eat.
If you don’t have an ice cream maker put the mixture into a container in the freezer and leave until almost solid. Remove, blitz in a food processor then put back into the container and back into the freezer until you’re ready to eat. read more

Summer Berry and Elderflower Pavlova

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elderflower berry pavlova
There is a guilt associated with serving up a berry laden pudding. Someone is always going to end up with more fruit or more of one kind of fruit than everyone else. You could of course try making a coulis to atop your dessert of choice but sometimes it’s not the most attractive option; or the most sensible, no one wants a soggy shortbread stack. To counteract any unfair fruit distribution I scatter a few fruits onto the pudding and then serve the rest up on the side so everyone gets their fair share. This berry and elderflower pavlova is the epitome of summer and a great way to use some elderflower syrup.

Ingredients

You will need (for one pavlova, to serve 6-8 people):

  • 3 egg whites
  • 180g caster sugar
  • 150ml whipping cream
  • Elderflower syrup
  • Berries of your choice, I used strawberries, raspberries and blueberries
This was my first ever attempt at a pavlova; indeed my first attempt of any form of egg white whipping since the unfortunate incident about ten years ago. I shan’t go in to details but the finished meringue was far from white and the baking tray ended up in the bin. Anyway, it turns out that meringue is a doddle if you are just brave. Put the egg whites into a mixer or use an electric hand whisk; whisk them until soft peaks form. Then add the sugar a spoon at a time until shiny firm peaks appear. Honestly, it’s that easy. I was most surprised.

Spoon, smear or pipe the egg white onto some greaseproof paper and then bake at 140C for one hour. Turn the oven off and then leave the meringue in the oven for another half an hour before removing and leaving to cool.
While the meringue is cooling whip the cream with a tbsp of the elderflower syrup. I ended up putting about three tbsp of syrup in but it depends on the strength of your syrup. Whip it all together until you’ve got firm peaks. Spoon the cream onto the meringue and top with berries. read more

Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread

By 25 Comments

chocolate and coffee shortbread
I have been meaning to make some shortbread for a while but things just seem to get in the way and before I know it I’m tucked up in bed thinking, “Tomorrow. Tomorrow will be shortbread day”, it seemed to be a never ending cycle. However many things happen I always try to make time to bake a biscuit; there’s nothing else that can fill the void like making a homemade treat. To bring about my biscuit making I set about creating a coffee chocolate shortbread.

Kopi sent me some coffee and instead of making a mug of coffee and telling you about it I wanted to mix it up in something tasty! I like the idea of Kopi coffee; you sign up and get a different coffee sent to you each month. I was sent Sumatra Aceh Organic and it was deep and smooth with a little hint of bitterness but not too much. It formed a distinct crema layer on top with no effort on my part; I’ve been told a good crema is the sign of a good coffee. 

Ingredients

You will need (for 12 fingers):
  • 180g plain flour
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 150g softened butter
  • 40g dark chocolate, finely chopped
  • 10g ground coffee

Method

Preheat your oven to 160C and grease a baking dish; I’ve used round, square and rectangular for this mixture before and all work well. read more

Rhubarb, Honeycomb and Hazelnut Fool

By 21 Comments

rhubarb honeycomb and hazelnut fool
It’s that rhubarb time of year. A little later than last year but it’s finally arrived and I am exceptionally pleased as it’s one of my absolute favourite ingredients. I love the smell, texture, flavour and sourness and the fact that it can be pink, white, stripy, green, tall or stumpy. To me it’s also a sign of changing seasons; its appearance in the garden and on market stalls tells me that there’s plenty more to look forward to in the coming months.

Ingredients

You will need (for two fools):

  • 2 sticks rhubarb
  • 1 tsp honey (runny or set)
  • 1 tsp water
  • 150ml double cream
  • 1 tbsp runny honey
  • Small handful chopped hazelnuts
  • A few pieces of honeycomb 

Method

Chop the rhubarb into inch sized chunks and put into a saucepan with the tsp honey and water. Cook on a medium heat until the rhubarb is soft and most of the water has gone. You do need to make sure it’s quite thick otherwise your fool will be more like a soup. Set the rhubarb aside to cool.

Put a small dry pan over a medium heat and toast the hazelnuts, watching that they don’t catch, then set aside.

In a large bowl whip together the double cream and runny honey until firm. Fold in two thirds of the rhubarb with the hazelnuts and crush in a few bits of honeycomb. Divide the fool into glasses and top with the remaining rhubarb and a few more hazelnuts and honeycomb. read more

Beetroot Gratin with Roasted Garlic and Goat’s Cheese Giant Crostini

By 22 Comments

beetroot gratin
I was first introduced to beetroot in its pickled form. This was many years ago and I still enjoy a well vinegared beetroot very much. The first time I tried fresh beetroot I didn’t like it; it was too earthy and nowhere near as acidic enough as I was used to. However my feelings towards this most purple of roots have changed over time and now it’s one of my favourite vegetables. I like to think of this beetroot gratin as a celebration of beetroot; an impressive purple plate of pleasure.

Ingredients

You will need (for two):

  • 500g beetroot
  • Butter, for greasing
  • 150ml double cream
  • 150ml milk
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 head garlic
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Ciabatta
  • 150g soft goat’s cheese
  • Salt and pepper

Method

Start by peeling and thinly slicing the beetroot. In my experience it’s not a good idea to wear anything that you don’t want turning pink. Preheat an oven to 180C.

Lightly grease an ovenproof dish and layer up the beetroot adding a little chopped garlic, salt and pepper between each layer. Finish with a layer of beetroot. 

Mix together the cream and the milk, pour this over the beetroot then place in the oven for 45-50 minutes.

While the gratin is cooking take the head of garlic and slice off about the top fifth so that the inside cloves are exposed. Peel off any excess papery skin but leave enough to hold the head together. Place the head on some foil and drizzle over a little olive oil and some salt and pepper. Wrap the head up in the foil and roast for around 30 minutes in the oven. Check that the garlic is cooked by trying to squeeze the cloves out of their skins; they should pop out easily. Wait for the garlic to cool down a little before squeezing out all of the cloves and mashing with some more olive oil and salt and pepper to form a paste. read more

Caramelised Rhubarb Galette des Rois

By 25 Comments

rhubarb galette
Oh rhubarb. Not only the choice swear word for the less potty mouthed among us but also a rather delectable vegetable. I know it’s sort of a fruit but as it doesn’t have any seeds I will class it as a vegetable. I acquired my most recent handful of stalks after spending a lovely morning at a local farm shop (more about that in a separate post). I was even allowed to pull this straight out of the ground myself which was a rewarding, if somewhat exhausting, activity.

I have wanted to attempt this classic French ‘King of Tarts’ for so long; the rhubarb seemed like a perfect addition. I have made many frangipanes in the past so just halved what I would normally put in my large fluted tart tin for this recipe.

Ingredients

You will need (for one finished galette des rois):

  • 1 pack ready rolled puff pastry
  • 3 large sticks of rhubarb cut into inch sized pieces
  • 2 tbsp demerara sugar
  • 75g unsalted butter, very soft
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 75g ground almonds
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp milk and 1 egg beaten together (for glazing)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C and put the rhubarb onto a baking tray in a single layer. Sprinkle over the demerara sugar and then toss the rhubarb in the sugar so it all gets nicely coated. Put this in the oven for 15 minutes to roast. When it’s done the rhubarb should have softened but retained its shape and be gently caramelised. Put the rhubarb to one side to cool. Leave the oven on after you remove the rhubarb as you’ll need it at 180C to bake the tart. read more

Feta and Mint Potato Croquettes

By 16 Comments

feta and mint potato croquettes
A few days ago it really felt like spring had arrived. I got a bit excited and even opened a window to let some fresh spring air in. It was still pretty chilly but I didn’t care; there were daffodils, bumblebees and the smell of blossom in the air. When this seasonal change happens I find myself craving ripe tomato salads, ratatouille and barbecues. Sadly none of these were on offer but not to worry as I had some mint and feta cheese. There’s something about mint which makes me feel instantly happy.

Ingredients

You will need (for 4-6 croquettes):

  • 6 medium potatoes
  • Small knob of butter
  • 120g feta cheese
  • A few sprigs of mint
  • Salt and pepper
  • Seasoned flour
  • 1 egg
  • Breadcrumbs

Method

Start by peeling the potatoes and chopping them up to roughly same sized pieces. Put these on to boil in salted water until they are soft. Drain and then mash the potatoes with the butter and some salt and pepper. Crumble the feta and chop the mint then stir them both into the potato.

Roll the potato mixture into tubes, balls, squares or whatever takes your fancy. Put the seasoned flour in a bowl, the egg in another bowl (beaten) and the breadcrumbs in a different bowl. Put each croquette into the flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. When they are all well coated fry them in a little oil in a pan on a medium/high heat until golden brown all over then drain on some kitchen paper. read more

Creamy Mushrooms and Wild Garlic on Brioche Toast

By 27 Comments

wild garlic
Foraging for food is something I have started to do over the last few years. Hunting down blackberry bushes in the autumn is something I’ve always done but I’ve never considered it to be ‘foraging’. To me, proper foraging involves a wicker basket, curiously shaped knives and an innate ability to avoid thorns and nettles. Since I started to appreciate the other things that can be found outdoors I have added other wild foods to my repertoire: rosehips, sloes, plums, strawberries, elderflower and now, at last, wild garlic. Somehow this most pungent of wild foods has eluded me until a few days ago when I finally found an abundance of it not a ten minute walk from my house. Creamy mushrooms and wild garlic sounded just perfect for lunch and even better on brioche toast.

Ingredients

You will need (for two):

  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 250g mushrooms
  • 150ml single cream
  • 16 small leaves wild garlic, roughly chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • Butter
  • Brioche, two slices

Method

Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan on a medium heat and fry the onion for at least 15 minutes or until starting to turn golden at the edges. Increase the heat, you may need to add some extra butter, then add the mushrooms.

Fry the mushrooms until they are golden and sticky before turning down the heat to low and stirring in the cream. Simmer the cream, stirring occasionally, until it’s reduced then add the wild garlic and some salt and pepper.

Turn the heat off and let the garlic infuse with the cream while you slice and toast the brioche. Serve the mushrooms atop the brioche. read more

Veal, Pork, Serrano Ham and Porcini Cannelloni – Random Recipe Challenge

By 23 Comments

rick steins spanish cannelloni
I like to browse other people’s blogs and I particularly like the posts where there has been some sort of link or challenge and lots of bloggers take part. I like to think of them as online coffee mornings. I thought it was about time I got involved and had a go at one; enter Dom from Belleau Kitchen and his challenge called Random Recipes. I love the idea of opening a random cookery book and having to cook whatever is on the page that opens.

I know I’m guilty of flicking through all my recipe books and thinking how good the recipes sound but knowing full well it’s pretty unlikely I’ll ever give it a try because I’ll either forget or not have the time. This challenge suited me because I was forced not to turn the page to find something quicker, easier or less expensive. I stuck to the rules and ended up opening Rick Stein’s Spain to Canalons de ternera, cerdo, jamón y boletus or Veal, Pork, Serrano Ham and Porcini Cannelloni. read more

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