All That I'm Eating

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

Meatball Pasta Bake

By 18 Comments

Just look at that cheese. All melted and stringy just waiting for you to stick a fork in. My meatball pasta bake combines two of my favourite comfort foods: meatballs in a rich tomato sauce and cheesy pasta. It’s almost like pizza meets meatballs meets pasta bake; and it’s all the better for it if you ask me.

Frying the meatballs off first and then making the sauce in the same pan gives the tomato sauce a brilliant depth of flavour. I love the herb flecked meatballs, the richness and fragrance of the tomato sauce (thanks to the fresh basil) and the soft creaminess of the mozzarella. The family agreed; this meatball pasta bake was devoured in minutes. read more

My Favourite Summer Recipes

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My kitchen is very much an ‘open all the windows’ space in the late spring and summer months. I feel as if I am cooking half outside you see. My favourite summer recipes are those which are quick to make, involve minimal time standing over a hot hob and can be luxuriated over when it comes to eating. At this time of year I get to partake in one of my very favourite kitchen tasks: podding beans and peas. Is it just me who finds it incredibly satisfying?

The sorts of things that will be appearing on our plates often involve punchy dressings, lip smacking marinades, plenty of fresh leaves and any excuse for a potato salad. Below are some of my favourite recipes and ones which I will be turning to for delicious summer meals. read more

Mint, Orange and Raspberry Ice Lollies

By 9 Comments

orange and mint ice lolly

From time to time I get a real craving for something sweet after dinner. I could go and raid the biscuit tin; I have bourbons in there presently and they would go down a treat. But actually, I want something a little healthier and that’s where these mint, orange and raspberry ice lollies come in. They take moments to make and I can grab one from the freezer to cool down in this lovely summery weather we’re having and at the same time satisfy my sweet tooth. I have been growing some mint in the garden beautifully named ‘chocolate mint’ so I used some of that, you can use whatever mint you can get your hands on.

Ingredients

You will need (for 6 ice lollies):

  • 2 handfuls frozen raspberries
  • Orange juice, preferably one with bits that’s good quality
  • Few sprigs fresh mint, finely chopped

Method

Add the frozen raspberries to each of the lolly moulds. Sprinkle the mint between all the moulds too.

Top each lolly up with orange juice until almost at the top before adding the stick and popping in the freezer.

My lollies took about six hours to freeze solid.

You could definitely use fresh raspberries for this if you’d prefer. I liked using the frozen ones as the fruit gets stuck in the moulds meaning you have even distribution of raspberries throughout the lolly when it comes to eating them!

Other combinations of fruit, herbs and juice would be delicious. I’d like to try a strawberry, lemonade and mint combination and would really like to try one with blackcurrants too. The mint gives such a freshness to these lollies and it adds to the cooling too; I added a pretty generous helping so if you’re also a mint lover than add as much as you like! These lollies aren’t as sweet as ones you would buy; there’s no sugar other than that already contained in the fruit and juice so they pack a good amount of sharpness making them really refreshing.

Roasted Aubergine and Tomato Pasta

By 9 Comments

roasting the aubergine and tomatoes

There have been several aubergine themed recipes on the meal plan and blog recently, I just can’t seem to eat enough of them! The combination of aubergine and tomatoes is a hard one to beat, it’s one of my absolute favourites. Even better when the veggies are roasted to intensify the flavour and served with cheese. My roasted aubergine and tomato pasta is the culmination of many attempts to get it just right. Dicing the aubergine up like this not only means a quicker cooking time but more aubergine surface area to soak up all that olive oil.

Ingredients

You will need (for two):

  • 1 large aubergine, chopped into cubes around the same size as the cherry tomatoes
  • 2 handfuls cherry tomatoes
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed but skins left on
  • 150g pasta
  • 125g mozzarella, torn or chopped into small cubes
  • 3 sundried tomatoes, finely diced
  • Few sprigs fresh basil, roughly torn

Method

Tip the diced aubergine, tomatoes and garlic onto a non-stick baking tray. Add a good glug of olive oil along with some salt and pepper and mix everything together with your hands so that everything is well coated in oil and seasoning.

Roast everything in an oven at 190C for 25-30 minutes or until the tomatoes are just starting to split and the aubergine is turning golden brown.

While the aubergine is roasting cook the pasta according to packet instructions.

Drain the pasta well and tip in the roasted veg (discarding the garlic) along with the sundried tomatoes, basil and mozzarella.

Dig in!

The hot pasta will start to melt the mozzarella which in turn will get all tangled with any caramelised bits of tomato or aubergine that you scraped off the tray. The silky aubergine, sweet tomato, creamy mozzarella, fresh basil and intense sundried tomato are such fantastic flavours together. I am yet to try batch cooking this and freezing it and I think without the cheese it would freeze quite well. You can serve it over pasta or use it as a bruschetta topping; I would be the last person to judge you if you just ate it on its own. Another version with ricotta will be experimented with soon too. Any excuse for more aubergines in my kitchen.

Jerk Carrots with Rice and Beans

By 9 Comments

roasted jerk carrots

Jerk seasoning has to be one of my favourites. No matter what time of year it is there’s always room for something to be cooked up with it; sticky jerk chicken in the autumn, a fiery casserole in the winter or when the new season arrives, jerk carrots. This recipe came out of a need to use up a whole load of carrots and I certainly didn’t want to make soup. I can see it working really well on the BBQ as a spicy veggie side in the coming weeks too. If you can get hold of new season spring carrots they are sweeter and smaller than carrots available later in the year and are ideal for this recipe.

Ingredients

You will need (for two):

  • 6 small to medium carrots, peeled and halved lengthways
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 tbsp jerk seasoning
  • Salt and pepper

 

  • 125g easy cook rice, washed
  • Pinch allspice
  • 4 spring onions, sliced
  • 200g tinned black beans
  • 300ml hot vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp desiccated coconut

 

  • Salad
  • 1 lime

Method

Start by mixing the carrots, rapeseed oil, jerk seasoning and a little salt and pepper together until the carrots are nicely coated.

Put the carrots onto a baking tray and roast at 190C for 25-30 minutes or until starting to turn golden brown.

While the carrots are cooking wash the salad and leave to drain.

Get a medium lidded saucepan onto a medium heat and add a little rapeseed oil. Add the spring onions, allspice and coconut and fry together for five minutes or so. Tip in the rice and fry for another minute.

Pour in the hot vegetable stock and the black beans then bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and leave to cook for 10-15 minutes, depending on how long the rice takes. Stir from time to time. All the stock should be absorbed by the rice.

Serve the carrots, rice and beans up with a handful of salad and then squeeze a little lime juice over everything.

The rice and beans are so comforting and the flavour of the allspice and coconut running through is delicious. The jerk carrots are fantastically spicy and sweet as the roasting intensifies all the flavours. Adding a squeeze of lime over everything at the end freshens everything up nicely. There are plenty of other veg that this recipe would work so well for; aubergines I have tried in the past and I think butternut squash would be great too.

Spicy Sticky Chicken Skewers with Very Lazy

By 22 Comments

sticky chicken skewers

As you might already know I am a big fan of simple, straightforward cooking. I suffer from hangryness you see and when I get home on a busy weekday evening I want something full of flavour that can be rustled up in no time at all. So welcome my Sticky Chicken Skewers into your kitchen. They take just minutes to prepare and the whole meal (including potatoes and tomato salad) is on the table in well under 30 minutes. Just because it’s quick cooking doesn’t mean anything should be skimped on, it should still be full of quality ingredients and downright delicious. Word of warning though, you might walk round work all day with a very smug look on your face knowing you’ve got a great dinner to go home to when you get these on to marinate, do try and hide it.

Ingredients

You will need (for two):

  • 2 chicken breasts, diced (you could use scored drumsticks, thighs or wings but they’ll take longer to cook)
  • Juice 1 lime
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 25ml bourbon (don’t worry if you don’t have any, just leave it out)
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 ½ tsp Very Lazy Red Chillies
  • 2 tsp Very Lazy Smoked Chopped Garlic
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • Salt and pepper

Method

Mix together all the ingredients apart from the chicken to make the marinade. The joy of this marinade is that there is no chopping involved, just a spoon of this and a splash of that and it takes no time at all to prepare.

Add the chicken to the marinade and stir it all together to ensure the chicken is fully coated. Cover and put in the fridge for at least two hours, ideally overnight. I prepared mine the morning before I went to work.

Put the diced chicken onto skewers reserving any leftover marinade. Top tip – soak the skewers in water for a few hours before using them to prevent them burning when cooked.

Heat a pan on medium-high and add a little oil. Pop the chicken skewers in and fry, rotating the skewers until the chicken is cooked basting with the leftover marinade. Keep cooking until the marinade has all been added and has reduced down leaving everything lovely and sticky.

Serve with simple boiled new potatoes and a dressed tomato salad; both of which you can get ready before you fry the chicken.

I have to admit that I loved this sticky marinade so much that I have also tried it with aubergine slices (I mixed up the marinade and brushed it on when the aubergine was almost cooked) and tofu (ideally an overnight marination) both fried and barbecued and both were excellent. The marinade itself is actually vegan so you could use it on anything you liked.

It’s the sticky texture of the marinade that really makes it, the flavours get so intensified with all the marinating and reducing. I took time to make this taste just how I wanted it to and I think it has a bit of everything; the soy and maple combination bring savoury and sweet, the lime brings freshness and the bourbon a faint oakiness. The amount of Very Lazy Red Chillies I used gives the finished skewers a mild to medium heat so you can add more or less depending on how hot you like it; the smoked garlic gives a wonderful subtle smokiness to the whole marinade. Now, when can I put them onto the meal plan again?

This is a sponsored post and I was reimbursed by Very Lazy for my time and ingredients. All opinions and words are (as always) my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support me.

Tomato and Mascarpone Gnocchi Bake

By 13 Comments

Tomato and Mascarpone Gnocchi Bake in baking dish

I think this is a perfect meal in many ways: firstly, it’s just the right size for two people; secondly, it’s really simple to make; thirdly, it’s deliciously vegetarian and full of veg and lastly, it’s really versatile. My tomato and mascarpone gnocchi bake is made from a few ingredients which I often have in the kitchen anyway. Just the thing for a busy Monday night when you want something quick and tasty. You could add anything to it that you had hanging around in your cupboards, maybe some olives, sundried tomatoes, leftover chicken or roasted veg or you could pop some cheese on top.

Ingredients

You will need (for two*):

  • 1 small onion, finely diced £0.10
  • 1 small carrot, finely diced £0.08
  • Olive oil for frying £0.10
  • 1 large garlic clove, crushed £0.05
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes £0.75
  • 1 tbsp sundried tomato paste £0.15
  • Small handful basil, big leaves roughly chopped £0.30
  • 125g mascarpone cheese £0.75
  • 350g spinach gnocchi £2.29
  • Salt and pepper £0.02

Total £4.59

* This could easily stretch to feed four if you added a few additional ingredients, used extra gnocchi or served it with a big salad.

Method

The key to this dish is to get the onion and carrot lovely and soft and beautifully caramelised. Start by getting a saucepan on a low heat and add just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Add the carrot and onion and leave to cook gently for at least 15 minutes.

Add the crushed garlic and continue to cook for another five minutes.

Increase the heat to medium and add the tomatoes and sundried tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until reduced and slightly thickened. Remove from the heat.

Cook the gnocchi according to pack instructions, drain and leave to one side. Preheat the oven to 180C.

Stir the mascarpone through the tomato sauce then add the gnocchi and basil to the sauce and mix everything together well.

Tip into an ovenproof dish and bake for 10-15 minutes until bubbling and slightly golden in patches on top.

I managed to find some lovely spinach gnocchi to use for this but you could use any gnocchi, or indeed any pasta for this. Also, if you don’t have any mascarpone I have used cream in the past and it works really well. This is my kind of cooking; because you don’t have to tend to it, keep stirring it or fuss over it you can get on with all the other things that need to be done when you get in from work. Not only that but it is scrumptious. The onions and carrot give a natural sweetness, the tomatoes are slightly sharp, the mascarpone creamy and the basil rounds it all off nicely. I do like the texture the gnocchi bring to this but whatever pasta you have would be great too. I know there are lots of people who say you shouldn’t cook with leafy herbs like basil but I actually think it imparts a lovely flavour into the dish; it’s not as vibrant as fresh basil but I like it.

Squash and Chickpea Tagine

By 16 Comments

Squash and chickpea tagine ready to serve

This is actually surprisingly quick to make and I normally have some or most of these ingredients in the kitchen so it’s a great recipe to keep coming back to. My squash and chickpea tagine is a great way to use up some spices and a few tins from the cupboard. The fennel and paprika aren’t perhaps the most traditional tagine ingredients but I really think they add to the sweet squash and earthy chickpeas. If you roasted the squash before adding it I think it would be even tastier. Try and find apricots that aren’t completely dry, when they’re still a little soft they have a beautiful honeyed flavour. A few toasted flaked almonds on the top would give a lovely crunch to the dish.

Ingredients

You will need (for four):

  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 small piece fresh ginger, grated
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 small squash, peeled, seeds removed and chopped into chunks
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 200ml vegetable stock
  • 1 tin chickpeas, drained
  • oil for frying
  • salt and pepper
  • 10 dried apricots, halved
  • Juice 1/2 lemon

Method

Heat a little oil in a saucepan and add the onion. Fry for 10 minutes until starting to soften, then add the garlic and ginger and fry for a few minutes more.

Add all the spices and continue to fry for a few more minutes then tip in the squash. Stir the squash into the pan to ensure it gets a good covering in all the spices.

Tip in the tomatoes, tomato paste and vegetable stock, bring the pan to the boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Add the chickpeas and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes.

Check the squash is cooked and add some salt and pepper to the tagine. Stir in the apricots and lemon juice then leave on a low heat while you make your side.

Serve up in bowls.

You could have this on its own as a hearty soup, serve it with cous cous, brown rice or tabbouleh. I most recently served this with giant cous cous that I had added lemon zest, fresh coriander and mint to and it was a great combination. It’s full of veg, it’s hearty and just perfect at this time of year when the evenings can still be a little on the cool side. Give or take a few grams it’s got five of your five a day in and, I didn’t realise until afterwards, turned out to be accidentally vegan.

Harissa Lamb with Tabbouleh

By 13 Comments

Harissa Lamb with Tabbouleh

When it’s hot in the day but slightly cooler in the evenings, sometimes a salad doesn’t quite cut it; I’m after something with a little warmth and zing for those colder evenings. This Harissa Lamb with Tabbouleh came about for two reasons: firstly I had some harissa paste leftover from a previous chicken version and secondly I had two lamb steaks which were crying out for some Middle Eastern flavours. Also, this recipe is part of an upcoming post where I look at eating organic on a budget so it worked out really well to use up some lovely veg and herbs I had in the kitchen. Also, if you make double the amount of tabbouleh it’s great for lunch the next day, particularly with some toasted pitta bread and hummus.

Ingredients

You will need (for two):

  • 2 lamb steaks
  • 1 tbsp harissa paste
  • Oil for frying
  • Salt and pepper
  • 50g bulgur wheat
  • Large handful of parsley and mint, roughly chopped
  • 3 medium/large tomatoes, diced
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Method

Start by cooking the bulgur wheat according to packet instructions. If you don’t have bulgur wheat you can use cous cous or quinoa. I have made tabbouleh with all three and they’re all equally as good.

While the bulgur is cooking prepare all the vegetables and herbs and put into a bowl.

Once the bulgur is cooked, add this to the veg in the bowl then add the lemon juice, olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Mix well and put to one side.

Heat a frying pan to a medium heat and add a little oil. Season the lamb steaks on both sides then put into the pan. Cook the lamb, turning over to make sure both sides are lovely and brown until cooked through (or cooked to your liking). Just before they are cooked brush each side with the harissa paste while still in the pan so the paste catches the heat slightly and caramelises.

Serve the lamb with the tabbouleh.

Similar to lots of my posts recently, this meal is ready in around 30 minutes, is full of flavour and makes the most of what I have in the fridge and cupboards at the time. I think this would be fantastic with some lamb koftas or butterflied chicken cooked on the barbecue then brushed with the harissa for the last few minutes of cooking. The more parsley and mint you add, the more intense the flavour (and colour!) is. I prefer to keep the herbs roughly chopped as I like the texture with the crunchy onions and soft tomatoes. This is my kind of summer cooking.

Tikka Paneer and Pilaf

By 13 Comments

Tikka Paneer and Pilaf

I love paneer. If I see a menu and it has paneer on it, I will order it without a doubt, preferably alongside a thick, garlicky daal of some description. As the cheese itself is quite flavourless it lends itself to being mixed with punchy flavours and spices. This Tikka Paneer and Pilaf is one of those meals which you start in the morning before work (mixing the marinade) and then finish off in the evening. And, as usual, it’s ready in around 30 minutes and won’t break the bank; a perfect vegetarian midweek meal.

Ingredients

You will need (for four):

  • 225g paneer cheese, cut into cubes £1.50
  • 3-4 medium tomatoes, quartered £0.40
  • 2 tbsp tikka paste £0.15
  • 2 tbsp plain yoghurt £0.15
  • 250g basmati rice £0.50
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced £0.15
  • 1 onion, finely chopped £0.10
  • 1 tin peas, drained (use frozen if you can, I don’t have a freezer!) £0.40
  • 3 cardamom pods £0.05
  • 1 stick cinnamon £0.05
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric £0.05
  • Salt and pepper £0.05
  • 450ml water or vegetable stock £0.10
  • Oil for cooking £0.10

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