All That I'm Eating

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

Honey Cake

By 24 Comments

There’s honey, and then there’s honey. I like all of it but my preference is for local honey. Delicious in so many recipes I wanted to make the honey the star of the dish; so I set about baking a honey cake.

At a market recently I tried some different honeys from a local producer. Not only were they different to each other, and commercial honeys, in colour and texture but the taste was out of this world. I chose the wildflower honey and remembered I had wanted to bake a honey cake for a while. The name ‘honey cake’ conjures up images of fine summer picnics in the garden, tall glasses of lemon barley water and sounds like you imagine it tastes. read more

BBQ Lamb Kebabs with Halloumi

By 14 Comments

Most people would take one look at our barbecue and wonder what on Earth we were thinking when we bought it. As non-seasoned barbecuers we didn’t want to splash the cash and bought pretty much the cheapest barbecue we could find. It’s cast iron, uses coal or wood and has just enough space for food for two or three people and it’s brilliant. Of course, the first ever barbecue was too hot, the second was too cold but we are pros now and not even a bit of rain will stop us.

I love mixing up my own marinades, sauces and spice mixtures to use and my latest invention are these BBQ lamb kebabs. We served them with halloumi and made a sort of Greek inspired pitta. I should point out that I am aware these are not really kebab shaped, they are most certainly burger shaped; but that makes it easier to move them on the grill! read more

Carrot Falafel and Quick Pickled Onions

By 13 Comments

carrot falafel, pickled onions, cucumber and all the sides

I’ve tried to make falafel a few times before without much success; it seems to fall apart when I cook it. Experimenting with this falafel recipe, a bit more of this and a bit less of that, means that I’ve now ended up with a pretty sturdy recipe. These carrot falafel are really easy to make; everything gets blended together, and I’ve served them with all my favourite sides. Quick pickled onions will be appearing on everything from now on!

Ingredients

You will need (for two):

  • 1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 100g carrots, grated
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
  • Zest 1 lemon
  • 1/4 tsp chilli powder
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • Sesame seeds
  • Oil for frying

For the Pickled Onions

  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 100ml white wine or cider vinegar

Sides

  • Yoghurt, dried mint, garlic, lemon juice – use a vegan yoghurt to make it vegan
  • Flatbreads
  • Chilli sauce
  • Hummus
  • Cucumber

    • read more

    Runner Bean and Tomato Stew

    By 14 Comments

    runner bean and tomato stew with crusty bread

    It’s bean season at the moment. There’s runner, French, broad and all manner of other beans popping up in the veg box, at the farmers’ markets and in friends’ gardens. I love a perfectly cooked and simply dressed bean salad; a little drizzle of oil, a squeeze of lemon and a little seasoning. However, from time to time it’s nice to do something different and this runner bean and tomato stew is a much slower way of cooking with green beans.

    Ingredients

    You will need (for four servings):

    • 1 onion, sliced
    • Olive oil for cooking
    • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 1 tsp smoked paprika
    • ½ tsp cumin
    • ½ tsp dried chilli
    • 8 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
    • Large handful runner beans, sliced into finger sized pieces (you can use other beans here, French beans would just need halving)
    • 2 tins borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
    • 150ml vegetable stock
    • Salt and pepper
    • Few sprigs fresh marjoram or oregano

    Method

    Get a large frying pan onto a low/medium heat, add a little oil and the onions and fry gently for 15-20 minutes until well softened and just starting to turn golden.

    Add the garlic and the spices and cook for a few more minutes.

    Tip the tomatoes into the pan, turn the heat up to medium and leave the tomatoes to break down and soften for around 15 minutes.

    Add the runner beans and vegetable stock to the pan and continue simmering for another 10 minutes.

    Stir the borlotti beans into the pan and cook for a further 10 minutes.

    Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Pick the leaves from the oregano and stir these through just before serving.

    Serve alongside some crusty bread.

    The lightly spiced tomato sauce works so well with the softened runner beans and hearty Borlotti beans. Using fresh oregano makes such a difference to this dish as you get such a wonderful punchy flavour. I ate most of this with a spoon and then tore off hunks of bread to mop up all the spiced juices from the bottom of the bowl. A fantastic stew, perfect for this time of year; a dish full of summer flavours.

    Moussaka – without frying the aubergines

    By 14 Comments

    Moussaka is one of my favourite dishes to eat. It’s a bit of an involved one to make, you need four different cooking pans going to make all the component parts; that’s why I don’t make it very often! Frying the aubergines, I think, is one of the most laborious parts of making the moussaka so I’ve got a different way of doing it. My moussaka without frying the aubergines is every bit as good as the original and you use far less oil than if you fry them. Win win.

    Leaving the bay leaf in the sauce while it bakes really helps to impart a lovely flavour into the béchamel sauce. I’m not sure the potatoes on top are necessarily that traditional but I know so many people who add them to the top that I can’t imagine eating moussaka without them. This is a rich, full of flavour meal and cooking the moussaka without frying the aubergines does make things easier. The once or twice a year I make moussaka I try to make a double batch so that I can keep one in the freezer for a rainy day. read more

    Smoked Chicken Caesar Salad

    By 8 Comments

    caesar salad with green beans

    There’s something about an iceberg lettuce and I feel it is sometimes a little overlooked. When it’s properly crunchy it’s so refreshing and I think rather delicious. My Smoked Chicken Caesar Salad is a recipe which is perfect for the hot weather we are having at the moment. I didn’t make the dressing myself but a homemade dressing would be fantastic. Personally I didn’t fancy all that whisking, I much preferred the idea of sipping a well iced beverage outside. As green beans are in season at the moment it would have been rude not to add a handful.

    Ingredients

    You will need (for two):

    • 1 smoked chicken breast (or pack of smoked chicken)
    • Handful green beans
    • ¼ iceberg lettuce, washed and shredded
    • Large handful mixed salad leaves
    • Good quality Caesar dressing
    • Parmesan
    • Crusty bread

    Method

    If you can get your hands on some smoked chicken from your butcher I find it always has a great flavour and a delicious texture. I have seen it in supermarkets too which would be good to use. Dice or slice up the smoked chicken and put to one side.

    Tip the green beans into a pan of salted boiling water and cook for two minutes then drain. You want them to retain some bite.

    Layer all the ingredients up in a bowl, drizzle over the Caesar dressing (I am pretty liberal with mine!) and then add some shaved Parmesan over the top.

    Serve with a nice crusty bread.

    I made an extra serving of this and had it for leftovers for lunch the next day. A few of the salad leaves looked a little sad but as the flavours had had time to mingle together it had a great flavour.

    Where’s the bacon? Well, because I used smoked chicken in this recipe I don’t feel that bacon is really necessary but you could add some if you so wish. I also didn’t add any croutons as I prefer to share some warmed bread which you can rip in to and mop up those last bits of dressing in the bowl. Crisp leaves, flavourful chicken, savoury Parmesan and sweet green beans; all rounded off with rich Caesar dressing, this is simple food at its best. Using some hot smoked salmon would be delicious in this recipe, especially with a little sliced cucumber.

    Strawberry and Peanut Tart

    By 12 Comments

    Strawberry and Peanut Tart

    Minimum fuss and maximum results were the name of the game with my most recent dessert. Another hot day, the last thing I needed was to be baking pastry, so I didn’t, but made a tart nonetheless. My Strawberry and Peanut Tart makes use of a few sneaky kitchen shortcuts to make a delicious and impressive pudding. A chocolate and peanut base smothered with cream and stacked high with fresh fruit it almost seemed a shame to cut into it. But, you know, someone had to.

    Ingredients

    You will need (for 6-8 servings):

    • 180g dark chocolate digestives
    • 2 heaped tbsp peanut butter
    • 3 tbsp salted butter
    • 300ml double cream
    • 150ml low fat Greek yoghurt
    • Strawberries and cherries (or other berries)
    • 2 tbsp peanuts

    Method

    Start by heating the peanut butter and butter together in a small pan on a low heat. Stir from time to time until melted and mixed together.

    Add the digestive biscuits to a bowl and then smash them up with the end of a rolling pin until you have a breadcrumb texture. Pour over the melted peanut butter and butter and mix together well.

    Line a 20cm spring form cake tin then tip the biscuit mix into the tin, spread out over the base and flatten the top using the back of a spoon.

    Refrigerate for an hour minimum, longer if you have it.

    Prepare the fruit; chop the green bits off the strawberries, stone the cherries if you like, and put to one side.

    Add the peanuts to a small, dry frying pan and heat on medium to toast the peanuts. Remove from the heat when lightly golden and smelling marvellous then crush in a pestle and mortar or in a bag with a rolling pin.

    Whip the double cream until you have firm peaks. Gently fold the yoghurt through the cream.

    Remove the base from the fridge and put onto a large plate. Pile the cream on top of the base and then top with the fruit. Sprinkle over the crushed peanuts.

    This was one of those desserts that was so satisfying to cut through with a knife. Firstly you have to move it through the heavy fruit into the fluffy cream, then you meet a little resistance at the base with a very satisfying chink when knife meets plate. The dark chocolate in the digestives gives a hint of chocolate throughout the tart without being too overwhelming and the peanut taste in the base mirrored by the peanuts over the top brings a great taste and texture. Adding the yoghurt to the cream not only makes the cream go further without adding any extra fat but also gives a nice tang and freshness to the whole dessert. Juicy strawberries and cherries made a fantastic topping for this but any berries would work well too.

    Beef and Chard Ramen

    By 13 Comments

    beef ramen with chard and onions

    Cooking for one somehow seems more complicated than it should be. Even though it’s just a case of halving a recipe designed for two if I’m ever cooking for myself I often find myself opting for a slice of toast rather than anything more involved. But toast isn’t really that filling for dinner and no matter how much jam you spread on I’m not sure it’ll count as one of your five a day. That’s where this simple beef and chard ramen comes in. It is easy to scale up or down, you can use almost anything that you have in your kitchen and it doesn’t take much time to put together.

    Ingredients

    You will need (for one):

    • 250ml vegetable stock
    • 1 tbsp white miso paste
    • 1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
    • 1 noodle nest
    • 3-4 stalks rainbow chard, woody ends removed (if there are any)
    • 1 small sirloin or rump steak
    • Salt and pepper
    • Oil for cooking
    • 1 small red onion, sliced

    Method

    Start by making the broth. Bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a saucepan then stir in the miso paste and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer then pour into the bowl that you will serve the finished dish in.

    Return the pan to the heat and fill with water. Bring the pan to the boil.

    While you wait for the water to boil season the steak on both sides. Get a frying pan on a high heat and add a little oil, fry the steak on both sides until cooked to your liking. Remove the steak and put to one side.

    Return the steak pan to a medium heat then add the onion. Cook, stirring regularly until the onion is brown at the edges.

    Put the chard into a steamer that will fit above the saucepan of boiling water. Add the noodles to the water and steam the chard over the top. Leave to cook/steam for 2-3 minutes.

    Drain the noodles then add to the broth with the chard and fried onions. Slice up the steak and add this to finish the dish.

    I love how colourful this dish is and it’s so full of flavour; a deep saltiness from the broth, comforting carbs from the noodles, richness from the meat, a fresh earthiness from the chard and sweet caramelised flavours from the onion. Cooking the onion in the steak pan really adds to the flavour of the finished dish as the onion picks up any delicious caramelised meat juices from the pan. You could easily use chicken or tofu instead of the beef and swap the chard for kale or pak choi. A sprinkle of fresh chopped chillies or coriander over the top of the dish would add another level of freshness. A bowl of vibrancy and comfort and if you make it just for yourself you can slurp away to your heart’s content.

    Sesame Chicken with Miso Dressing and Roasted Vegetables

    By 15 Comments

    sesame chicken with miso dressing

    Meals which are healthy, filling, full of colour and flavour and balanced are what I try to aim for with my cooking…most of the time. I always seem to come back to the same combination of chicken with some sort of grain; it’s always a winner and none more so with my latest recipe. This sesame sesame chicken with miso dressing is wholesome, flavourful and just the ticket for some quick weeknight cooking.

    Ingredients

    You will need (for two):

    • 2 small chicken breasts
    • 1 tsp smoked paprika
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • 1 tsp ground cumin
    • Salt and pepper
    • Oil for cooking
    • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
    • 150g brown rice
    • 1 small red onion, sliced
    • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into small chunks
    • 2 tbsp white miso paste
    • Juice 1 lime
    • 125ml plain yoghurt

    Method

    Start by adding the onion and carrots to a roasting tray, drizzle over a little oil along with some salt and pepper and mix everything together well. Pop into the oven at 180C for 25-30 minutes or until soft and starting to brown at the edges.

    Bring a pan of water to the boil and then add the rice and cook according to packet instructions.

    Place the chicken in between two sheets of clingfilm and bash with a rolling pin to make them a little thinner. Sprinkle the paprika, garlic powder, cumin and salt and pepper over both sides of the chicken.

    Get a frying pan onto a medium/high heat and add a little oil. Add the chicken and fry, turning from time to time until the chicken has cooked through and the spices are lightly blackened. Add the sesame seeds to the chicken for the last few minutes of cooking to allow them to toast.

    Whisk the miso, lime and yoghurt together to make the dressing.

    Drain the rice when cooked and return to the pan, mix the roasted vegetables into the rice and serve up with the chicken and dressing.

    This recipe lends itself particularly well to using up Sunday roast leftovers. You could mix any leftover veg into the rice, top with leftover roast chicken and just mix up the quick dressing. The combination of spices with the earthy miso gives the whole dish a delicious undertone; the sharp lime and sweet roasted vegetables add flavour over the top. Red rice or wild rice would be great if you don’t have any brown, the nuttiness of the rice is great in this dish. All in all this is my new current favourite chicken and grain combination!

    Dark Chocolate Orange and Pistachio Biscuits

    By 16 Comments

    Decorating chocolate pistachio biscuits

    I do love the expression ‘fart-arsing around’. When it came to making and decorating these dark chocolate orange and pistachio biscuits I wasn’t going to be fart-arsing around with any of it. An all in one biscuit dough means it’s easy to mix and haphazard throwing around of melted chocolate makes the decoration a breeze. No dunking of biscuits in chocolate for the perfect edge, no placing of individual caramelised pistachios with tweezers and you know what? I think they taste all the better for it.

    Ingredients

    To make around 16 biscuits:

    For the biscuits:

    • 225g butter, softened
    • 50g dark chocolate with orange, grated
    • 275g plain flour
    • 75g light muscovado sugar

    To decorate:

    • 50g dark chocolate with orange
    • Small handful shelled pistachios

    Method

    Throw all the ingredients for the biscuits into a mixer and beat until you have a smooth dough. You can do this by hand if you don’t have a mixer. Whichever way you do it you need to make sure the butter is very soft.

    Preheat an oven to 200C. Lightly grease two baking trays.

    Flour your worktop and a rolling pin then tip the dough onto the floured surface and roll it out until it’s about half a centimetre thick.

    Using a seven inch biscuit cutter cut out as many biscuits as you can and place onto the prepared trays. Gather up and re-roll the dough to cut again and repeat until all the dough is used up.

    Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden.

    Leave to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack.

    Melt the chocolate; either in a bowl over simmering water (being careful not to let the bowl touch the water) or microwave, whichever is your preference.

    Blend the pistachios in a food processor or finely chop them.

    Spread, dunk, drizzle and brush the chocolate over the biscuits whichever way you wish and then while the chocolate is still melted sprinkle over the pistachio nuts so they stick.

    I really like how the biscuits have a speckled effect through them thanks to the grated chocolate. It also means that if you get a bit impatient with the grating, not naming any names *ahem*, then the larger chocolate chunks are a lovely little treat. The orange is really subtle in these but I like that as it lends a delicate rather than overpowering flavour, you could add a little grated orange zest if you wanted to. Green pistachios are always nice to look at; they stand out really nicely against the dark chocolate background and give a fantastic extra texture. These dark chocolate orange and pistachio biscuits are so simple to make and, I can only speak for three days so far, keep very well in an airtight container.

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