All That I'm Eating

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

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies - All That I'm Eating (1 of 3)

Some people bake bread when it rains. I bake whatever contains as much butter and sugar as possible to cheer myself up. I’m not a big fan of rain. I made cookies once before when I was much younger and they didn’t exactly work out like they were supposed to; I made one very large, thin cookie. With the recent bout of cold and rain I felt it was time I attempted cookies again; why not. Mint chocolate chip cookies are much more welcome than precipitation.This recipe makes around 16 cookies: read more

Lentil and Black Bean Chilli

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I’ve never much been a fan of chilli cone carne; I’ll eat it but usually it’s a bit harsh and acidic for me because of the tinned tomatoes and I’m not that keen on kidney beans. However, I love the principal of it; plenty of chilli, spice and flavour and I’ve been working on my own version for a while. I think I’ve cracked it. My Lentil and Black Bean Chilli has all the same flavour but none of the meat; I promise, you won’t miss the minced beef at all. I’ve said this is enough for four but actually it’s probably enough for six and it’s amazing with homemade guacamole and plenty of rice. read more

Quick Vegetable Box Recipes

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I regularly get a vegetable box delivered for a few reasons: I like that I have to use what I receive which means I get more variety than I probably would otherwise and there’s only so many times you can make mushroom risotto so I find myself trying out new recipes to use the vegetables. Grown With Love got in touch to see if I would like to try out some of their veg so I was looking forward to getting stuck in.

The vegetables that came from Grown With Love were very nice, they were all prepared which is something that I never buy normally. Considering they were prepared I was impressed with the shelf life of the veg and that the texture remained good. I received: butternut squash and sweet potato mix (chopped 50:50), butternut squash (peeled and deseeded), tenderstem broccoli (in bags and some that came with asparagus too), sweetcorn (some with garlic butter, some without) and sweet potato wedges. read more

Duck Lettuce Wraps with Gressingham Duck

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Gressingham Duck Lettuce Wraps - All That I'm Eating (1 of 4)
As it’s Mother’s Day soon there are many things to consider: will it be flowers, chocolates, something else or a simple card. My Mum isn’t picky or fussy and would be just as happy with a few daffodils as a full blown Mother’s Day themed weekend. So really, as our lives both revolve around feeding us and other people, I think the real decision is whether to eat out somewhere or eat in? Both have their merits. Having lunch at a restaurant means no washing up and someone else worries about what to cook but is much more costly than eating at home. Cooking at home is cheaper, you can make it your own and you can eat as much as you want. I think I’ve just answered my own question. However, I don’t want to be spending hours in the kitchen getting all of a fluster and make my Mum feel bad about the hours of work and mountains of washing up that have been created. Simplicity is key and so I give you my relaxed, Asian inspired Mother’s Day lunch: Duck Lettuce Wraps. You will need (this is for four but just keep adding more bits for more people): For the duck:
  • 2 Gressingham duck breasts
  • 1 pack of Gressingham Duck Mini Fillets
  • Oil for frying
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
To wrap:
  • Wraps
  • Whole lettuce leaves
Salad and crunch:
  • Cucumber
  • Carrot
  • Spring onions
  • Coriander
  • Chillies
  • Sesame seeds
Dips:
  • Chilli sauce(s)
  • Soy sauce
  • Hoisin sauce
  • Plum sauce
  • First of all, get the table laid and ready then as you get things prepped you can get them straight to the table.

  • Slice and chop the cucumber, carrot and spring onion however you like. I find sticks work well when you wrap up carrot or cucumber and slices of spring onion are more welcome than bigger pieces.
    • read more

    Keema Rice

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    Keema Rice - All That I'm Eating (2 of 2)

    I don’t know about you but during the week when it comes to cooking dinner I want something quick, easy and full of flavour. It’s also a winner if it’s cheap to make and uses up a few bits and bobs I have hanging around in the fridge too. Keema rice is one of my guilty pleasures; I love the heavily spiced lamb, golden onions and fragrant rice. I thought it was about time I attempted to make it at home.

    You will need (for 4):

    • 250g easy cook, long grain rice  £0.35
    • 2 cloves  £0.02
    • 2 cardamom pods  £0.02
    • 1 bay leaf  £0.02
    • 300g lamb mince  £2.40
    • 1 small tin peas, drained  £0.30
    • 1 onion, finely chopped  £0.10
    • 2 garlic cloves, crushed  £0.10
    • Handful mushrooms, chopped  £0.35
    • Oil for cooking  £0.02
    • 2 tsp garam masala  £0.02
    • 1 tsp ground cumin  £0.02
    • Salt and pepper  £0.02
    • Fresh coriander £0.15

    Total £3.89

    Gently fry the cloves, cardamom and bay in a saucepan with a little oil. Add the rice and stir well to coat in the oil and spices. read more

    Green Clementine Fruit Salad with Mint and Vanilla Syrup

    By 13 Comments

    You know when the nights start to get dark earlier, it’s a bit colder than it was before and people start sneezing (not due to hayfever) that you just want to be on holiday? I have a significant desire to be on a beach from November to February; unfortunately it’s not a practical option. So, to make the best of it I surround myself with fruit. The more tropical and bright the better but there’s only so many pineapples one person can eat. I was delivered some beautiful green clementines with my recent veg box and they deserved to have a bit of a fuss made of them: a lovely bright green clementine fruit salad with a mint and vanilla syrup. read more

    Beetroot Tzatziki, Beef Koftas and Quick Flatbreads

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    Beetroot Tzatziki with Quick Flatbreads and Beef Koftas - All That I'm Eating (2 of 2)

    Beetroot can be a bit of a pain in my house, other than putting it in a salad or putting it on the side with something I am sometimes at a loss for what to do with it. When I get a bunch I find the easiest thing to do is to cook it all at the same time then peel it and keep it in the fridge for when I need it. Using the beetroot for a beetroot tzatziki was a great discovery and was so good with the beef koftas and super quick homemade flatbreads.

    Ingredients

    You will need (for two):

    For the koftas:

    • 200g beef mince
    • 1 clove garlic
    • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
    • Salt and pepper

    For the beetroot tzatziki: read more

    Pulled Duck Ramen with Gressingham Duck

    By 17 Comments

    I really like duck; usually in a pancake with plenty of spring onion, cucumber and hoisin sauce. If it’s on a menu in a restaurant I will normally order it because I love the flavour. Gressingham (the remarkable duck people) got in touch to see if I’d like to come up with a recipe with some of their duck and I thought it was a great opportunity to have a go at cooking something I enjoy eating but don’t cook that often. Ramen is something that I find both cleansing and filling and love that you can add whatever you like to it. This pulled duck ramen is a great way to use leftover duck and is really quick and easy to make. read more

    Sweetcorn Chowder

    By 4 Comments

    Sweetcorn chowder - close up
    I always like seeing sweetcorn growing in the fields near where I live; it’s one of my absolute favourite vegetables. The only thing that is a little irritating is the inevitable corn-stuck-in-the-teeth situation which ensues after consuming corn from the cob. Particularly irksome if surrounded by unfamiliar company. Worth it though; especially if you’re lucky enough to have a 50:50 butter to corn ratio. If you’re looking for something different to try with your cobs, this sweetcorn chowder is my most favourite soup ever.

    Ingredients

    You will need (for two bowls of soup):

    1 medium onion, finely chopped  £ 0.10
    100g smoked bacon lardons  £  0.65
    Large knob of butter  £  0.15
    2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped  £  0.50
    250ml vegetable stock  £  0.10
    400ml milk  £  0.35
    1 cob sweetcorn, kernels removed  £  0.25
    Small handful chives, chopped  £  0.25
    1 bay leaf  £  0.05
    Salt and pepper  £  0.02
    Total  £  2.42

    Method

    Melt the butter in a large saucepan and fry the bacon and onion together until the onion is soft and the bacon turning brown at the edges.

    Add the potatoes, bay leaf, stock, milk and salt and pepper and simmer until the potatoes are almost soft, around 10 minutes. Add the sweetcorn and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

    Check the seasoning, remove the bay leaf and stir in the chives before serving in warmed bowls.

    This soup has chunky bits, soft bits, crunchy bits and a full flavoured liquid bit. It’s got sweet, smoky, savoury, salty and soupy. Earthy, fresh, homely and new. What I’m trying to say is that as a bowl of food goes it’s got it all. Not only that but it’s inexpensive too. What more do you need? I think I could eat this for lunch every day and never tire of it. And that’s pretty much what I do as long as the cobs keep coming. Happy days. 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

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