All That I'm Eating

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

Fairtrade Coffee Shortbread

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It’s #befair fortnight until 12th October which is all about asking the question, “Are we really as fair as we think?”. The Fairtrade Foundation is working to make us aware of small acts of fairness that can make a big change; like switching your morning coffee to a fair trade coffee. The people at the Fairtrade Foundation sent me a variety of coffees to try and I set about making a fair bake. This recipe for chocolate and coffee shortbread uses fair trade chocolate, sugar and coffee. read more

Basil Lime and Lemonade

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Basil Lime and Lemonade mixed
If I had to choose I reckon I would choose a lime over a lemon anytime. They just seem a bit more special somehow. I’ve seen plenty of recipes for homemade lemonade but not that many for homemade limeade. My basil lemonade with lime is such a refreshing summer drink. I actually ended up using a mixture of lemon and lime juice to make this, mostly because I ran out of limes. If you give your limes a quick blast in the microwave before squeezing them you’ll get much more juice out than if you squeeze them cold. Who knew I gave out useful life tips? You’re welcome.

Ingredients

You will need (for a jug of basil lemonade):

  • Small handful basil leaves
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 750ml sparkling water
  • 125ml freshly squeezed lime and lemon juice (I used three limes and one lemon)
  • Ice to serve

Method

Put the basil and sugar into a jug and bash it together with a rolling pin or muddler until the basil is well bruised and it smells lovely. Add the lime and lemon juice and stir it all together until the sugar is dissolved.  Add some ice to the jug and top up with the sparkling water. Give everything one final mix then pour into glasses and serve.

Trust me on the basil for this, it gives the drink a really interesting flavour; sort of floral and quite earthy. I made this quite strong as I prefer a mouth puckering, not too sweet lemonade but you could add more or less sugar and juice to suit your taste. I have made this with flat water but I do think that the sparkling is slightly better. It’s really refreshing and ideal for a warm evening but I will definitely make it later on in the year as a citrus pick-me-up. read more

Elderflower and Blackcurrant Gin and Tonic

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Elderflower and Blackcurrant Gin and Tonic bird's eye
My idea of a perfect evening when it’s raining is to eat something filling then settle down to watch a film (preferably a funny one). On a sunny evening however I always try to be outside; we’ve been spoilt for sunny evenings recently. Sitting in the garden watching the world go by and the sun go down is improved if you accompany it with a refreshing home made drink. My homemade elderflower cordial has made plenty of appearances this year and this time it’s used to make an elderflower and blackcurrant gin and tonic.

Ingredients

You will need (per drink):

  • 50ml gin
  • 6-7 fresh ripe blackcurrants
  • 15ml elderflower cordial
  • Ice cubes
  • Slice of lemon
  • Tonic water (a good quality one)
    • read more

    Homemade Elderflower Cordial

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    picking wild elderflower
    If you’ve been reading my blog over the years you’ll know I love anything elderflower. This year I was invited to go foraging in the grounds at Audley Inglewood, home to restaurant The Walmesley, and to knock up a batch of homemade elderflower cordial with their head chef Gert Pienaar. It was great to go out to the fields, pick the elderflowers and have a good old chat about food at the same time. I’ve not made elderflower cordial before; syrup and sugar yes but this was my first cordial attempt.

    Ingredients

    The recipe we used was written down in Gert’s secret black book but it was very similar to this one on the BBC Good Food site. Apart from the added ingredients below.

    You will need (for around 1.5 litres of finished cordial):

    • 20 elderflower heads
    • Sugar – all the recipes I’ve seen vary so much in sugar quantity so it’s how sweet you like it
    • 1.5 litres boiling water
    • 2 lemons, zest and juice
    • 50g citric acid
    • 1 stalk lemongrass

    Method

    Tap the elderflower heads on the side of a bowl to get rid of any insects then put them into a bowl with the sugar, lemon zest and juice and citric acid. 

    Pour over the boiling water and whisk everything together well.

    Add everything to a sterilised jar, whack the lemongrass with a knife and add this to the jar too. read more

    An afternoon with Twinings

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    Stephen Twining
    As you know I quite like tea. As part of this tea appreciation I have become a fan of the more unusual teas and seek to try as many different types as I can. I was invited to spend some time with Twinings and meet Mr Stephen Twining himself. Their shop on The Strand is long and thin and you could spend a long time smelling the different teas on the shelves. We were sat at the back of the shop; it was great to see Fiona again (from the blog London Unattached) and to meet Choclette (from the Chocolate Log blog) and we settled ourselves in to sample and learn more about Twinings.

    I thought I knew a bit (at least) about Twinings but I learnt so much! They have been operating out of the same shop in London since they started in 1706 and have a huge variety of tea available; all sorts of flavours and blends. It takes five years to become a master tea blender and, once qualified, you get a special teaspoon engraved with your name on (I really want one of those!). I also didn’t know that Twinings originally created Earl Grey; that’s why theirs is called The Earl Grey. read more

    Beef Braised in Beer with Onions and Carrots

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    As I rent a house I am in the unfortunate position of being lumbered with the oven and hob that I’m given. Don’t get me wrong; having a hob and an oven is certainly one up from having no heating implements at all but they definitely leave a lot to be desired.  read more

    Boozy Hot Chocolate with Nutmeg Marshmallows

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    homemade marshmallows on top of hot chocolate
    Marshmallows have always scared me a little; I thought they were terribly complicated to make and completely not worth the time. As it turns out they take nowhere near as much time or effort as I anticipated and they are so much better than any marshmallow I have had before. So to end my series of festive posts this makes a great winter evening drink. Add a little rum for the adults and a little extra milk for the children, a marshmallow in the mug and even better if you have some forks and an open fire to toast the rest. If you don’t fancy adding any alcohol then leave it out, or you could give these peanut butter hot chocolates a try instead!

    Ingredients

    You will need (for two hot chocolates):

    • 60g 70% dark chocolate
    • 50ml rum, whisky or Cointreau
    • 225ml whole milk
      You will need (for plenty of nutmeg marshmallows):  
    • 1 tbsp icing sugar
    • 1 tbsp cornflour
    • Vegetable oil
    • 8 sheets of gelatine
    • 2 egg whites
    • 450g unrefined caster sugar
    • Nutmeg

    Method

    Sift the icing sugar and cornflour together. Rub a tin lightly with the vegetable oil then dust with the cornflour sugar mix.

    Put the caster sugar in a pan with 200ml water and bring to the boil. Boil until it reaches 127C on a sugar thermometer.

    While you wait for the sugar to boil put the gelatine sheets into 150ml water.

    When the sugar syrup is ready add the gelatine with the soaking water and mix well. Grate around 1/2 tsp nutmeg into the syrup.

    Whisk the egg whites in an electric mixer until stiff then continue to whisk them while you pour in the hot sugar syrup. Keep whisking until the marshmallow is stiff. read more

    Christmas Trifle

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    Christmas Trifle
    I’m not one for Christmas pudding or Christmas cake. It’s a bit too intense for me. I think if I made my own my opinion may change but until then I’ll stick to alternatives. It doesn’t help that I despise marzipan. To make an equally lovely centrepiece I thought I’d try my hand at a festive trifle: mulled wine jelly, panettone and orange juice and softly whipped cream reminiscent of a snow scene. All it needs is some edible glitter; but they’d run out when I went to get some.

    Ingredients

    You will need (for 6-8 portions): 400ml mulled wine 5 sheets gelatine 100g sugar 160ml water

    Few slices panettone
    2 tbsp fresh orange juice

    150ml double cream

    Method

    Make the jelly by dissolving the sugar in the water on a low heat. Put the gelatine into some cold water. Bring the sugar syrup to a boil then remove from the heat, squeeze out the gelatine and then stir it in to the sugar syrup. Add the mulled wine and stir well. Pour into the dish you’ll be serving the trifle in then refrigerate until set.

    When set, lay the slices of panettone on top of the jelly and drizzle over the orange juice. Whip the cream until firm and then smooth over the top of the panettone. Decorate however you like. read more

    Stilton Scones with Sloe Port Jelly

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    stilton scones
    Is it just me or does everyone seem to open their fridge at some point in December and a wodge of Stilton has magically appeared? Cheese and biscuits is a must over the festive season but sometimes you can get left with an odd or and end of cheese that’s not only in the way but is also stinking the fridge out. Enter Stilton scones. They take minutes to make and around 10 minutes to bake so they are a quick and simple way to use up a bit of cheese. Delicious with any membrillo, redcurrant jelly or whatever else, I knocked up some sloe port jelly to accompany these powerful scones.

    Ingredients

    You will need (for 10-12 scones):
    240g self raising flour
    Pinch of salt
    Black pepper
    50g butter
    60g Stilton
    130ml milk plus extra for brushing

    For the sloe port jelly:
    100ml sloe port (any other port would be good too)
    60ml water
    30g sugar
    2 sheets gelatine

    Method

    Make the jelly first.

    Put the gelatine into some cold water to soften.

    Get a small saucepan on a low heat and add the sugar and water. Once the sugar has dissolved squeeze out any excess water from the gelatine and stir the gelatine into the hot sugar syrup. read more

    Damson Gin, Lychee and Champagne Cocktail

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    Damson Gin, Lychee and Champagne Cocktail
    As much as it’s lovely to have plenty of ideas for food to cook with a festive feel you can’t very well just make do with mulled wine for the month of December. No indeed. At some point in my life I went from having no spirits in the house to being on the verge of opening a drinks emporium. It seems to have crept up on me (I’m sure it has to everyone) and I have all sorts of odds and ends to do something with. The brandy is being used to make sloe or damson port but the four different gins I have going on need to be used up. It’s getting ridiculous.

    Ingredients

    You will need (per drink):

    37.5ml damson (or sloe) gin
    1 lychee from a can plus 3 tsp of the syrup
    Champagne to top up

    Method

    It’s not particularly complicated but who can be bothered with all that exuberant shaking when you’ve just eaten a disgraceful amount of roast potatoes?

    Pour the gin into a glass; over ice if you’d like. Plonk the lychee in with the syrup then top it up with Champagne.

    You might want to play around with this recipe a little; if your gin is particularly sweet or sharp you may need a little more or less lychee syrup. read more

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