All That I'm Eating

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

Wild Garlic Gnocchi with Mozzarella and Wild Garlic Oil

By 21 Comments

wild garlic gnocchi with wild garlic oil
It all got a bit serious last weekend. I went all out for a foraging expedition; books, bags to carry what I picked and bigger bag to carry all my things, wellies, I was prepared for anything. While out I found a few new things I didn’t realise were edible but I headed straight to my favourite patch of wild garlic to get picking before the season is over. I did have to travel a little downstream to get to the good stuff and there was a wobbly moment where I thought I might have to go for an accidental swim but otherwise it was a very successful trip. I carried home my bounty and set to work on some Wild Garlic Gnocchi.

Ingredients

You will need (for two):

  • 300g waxy potatoes
  • Small handful (roughly 20-30 leaves) wild garlic, blended or very finely chopped
  • 100g plain flour
  • Salt and pepper
  • 25g Parmesan, grated
  • 125g mozzarella
  • 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

If you’re not sure where to find some take a look at this to find places where wild garlic grows near you.

Method

Peel and dice the potatoes to roughly the same size then boil them in salted water until tender.

Drain the potatoes then leave them to cool (take the lid off the pan to allow steam to escape). 

Mash the potatoes well then add the flour, most of the wild garlic, plenty of salt and pepper and the Parmesan. Mix together until you have a dough.

Knead the dough lightly then roll into sausage shapes and cut into roughly inch sized pieces. I pressed the top of each gnocchi with a fork, for looks more than anything. read more

Chorizo, Pepper and Potato Hash

By 17 Comments

I’ve always liked the idea of a hash; various bits of food all chopped up and cooked together. I tried to make a corned beef hash once which was somewhat eventful. I was at University in my student house with two of my friends. The can of corned beef was being somewhat stubborn so I used my intuition and tried to open the can with a can opener. Suffice to say there was some slippage and some slicing and next thing I know I’m running around the kitchen with all of us pretending to be braver than we are trying to wrap my hand in kitchen roll. Luckily we lived near the hospital so off we trudged, in the ice and snow, to sit in A&E with all the people who had dislocated something slipping on the ice. I ended up with four stitches and my two fingers bandaged up which provided much amusement for the following week. In my haste to leave the house I had left a pan of water on the hob; this was also the night I learned you can burn water. read more

Curried Lamb Pie with Bombay Potato Topping with Schwartz

By 18 Comments

Curried Lamb Pie with Bombay Potato Topping All That I'm Eating (1 of 3)
Dinner parties have a set of criteria that they should fulfil; the host doesn’t want to be stuck in the kitchen away from guests, the food should be tasty and the guests want to be relaxed and leave full. This is why I think something that can be prepared in advance and then finished later on is ideal. I love lamb curry and I have really been enjoying my new Hairy Bikers curry book so I fancied having a go at a curry using lamb mince. So when Schwartz got in touch to see what dinner party ideas I could think of using their spices I set about creating an ideal dinner party dish: Curried Lamb Pie with Bombay Potato Topping. I thought this would meet the above ‘Caroline Criteria’ very well.

Ingredients

You will need (for 4):

For the lamb:
  • Flavourless oil for cooking
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 1 tomato, seeds removed and chopped
  • 2 tsp tomato puree
  • 3-4 tsp Schwartz Curry Powder (I used mild but you could use a hotter one if you like)
  • 400g minced lamb
  • 100g frozen peas
  • Salt and pepper
For the potato topping:

  • 700g potatoes, peeled and diced
  • Flavourless oil for frying
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp black mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • Salt and pepper
    • read more

    Dried Blueberry and Almond Cereal Bars

    By 19 Comments

    Dried Blueberry and Almond Cereal Bars
    You know when you buy an ingredient to make something and the remainder of it sits in the cupboard waiting to be used? I had a bit of this going on with oats, flaked almonds, seeds, maple syrup and dried blueberries. To use them (or as many of them as I could) up I made some lovely crumbly cereal bars. I wanted to keep the butter to a minimum to try and keep them a little on the healthy side.

    Ingredients

    You will need (for 12 cereal bars):

    • 225g oats
    • 100ml maple syrup
    • 150g butter
    • 75g dried blueberries
    • 50g flaked almonds
    • 1 tbsp poppy seeds

    Method

    Preheat an oven to 180C and lightly grease a baking tray. The one I used was about 20cm x 20cm.

    Melt the maple syrup and butter together in a saucepan on a low heat until melted and well combined.

    Mix the oats, dried blueberries, almonds and poppy seeds together then pour in the syrup and butter and stir together until well mixed.

    Press the mixture into the prepared baking tray and then place into the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

    Mark into pieces while still hot then remove from the tray when cooled. read more

    Beef Braised in Beer with Onions and Carrots

    By 13 Comments

    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

    Creamy Pea and Bacon Pasta

    By 12 Comments

    After my last £6 supper on BBC Radio Berkshire, Paul Ross was quite disappointed that the recipe included no frozen peas. It got me thinking that actually there’s plenty to celebrate in the humble frozen pea. They’re cheap, you can always keep some in the freezer and they are a welcome shot of greenness and sweetness at this time of year. This quick, easy and cheap meal is a little mid-week fanfare of the frozen pea. read more

    Review: Maple Pecan Cupcake Recipe from Baking Mad

    By 16 Comments

    Goose Egg
    I learnt something about myself the other day: I am not a domestic goddess. Let me explain. I was sent some baking goodies from Baking Mad and I had chosen to attempt their recipe for Maple Pecan cupcakes. I planned to give them to my Mum for an early Mother’s Day treat. I went for a walk to the pub last week and was offered a goose egg to take home; excellent for my cupcakes. All was going well and I was ready for baking. In my head I’m swishing around the kitchen; mixing a bit there, sprinkling a bit here, birds are singing and the radio is playing non-stop jolly tunes. This is not quite how it happened.

    Ingredients

    You will need (original recipe here, mine is slightly different):

    • 2 eggs (I used half a goose egg)
    • 125g butter
    • 125g caster sugar
    • 225g self-raising flour
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
    • 2 tbsp maple syrup

      For the icing:
    • 2 tbsp maple syrup
    • 65g butter
    • 125g icing sugar (I used the Silver Spoon Chocolate icing sugar I was sent)
    • Chocolate chips to decorate (I used the Silver Spoon ones I was sent)

    Method

    Preheat an oven to 180C and line a cupcake tin with 12 cases. I don’t have a cupcake tin so I use silicone cupcake cases.

    Place the eggs, butter, sugar, flour, vanilla and maple syrup in a bowl and mix together until smooth. I used an electric hand whisk for this.

    Divide the batter between the cases then place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until baked.

    Remove the cupcakes from the oven and leave to cool.

    Make the icing by beating together the butter and icing sugar then add the maple syrup and beat until light and fluffy. read more

    Maple Salted Popcorn

    By 22 Comments

    Popcorn ready to pop
    Nothing gets stuck in your teeth like popcorn. Every time I eat it I am optimistic about the forthcoming pearly white issues thinking, “No, it won’t be like last time. I’ll be extra cautious”, but yet I’m forever picking bits out of my teeth in the popcorn aftermath. This is never a good look. Why do we do it to ourselves? I know I’m not the only one. I can think of one very good reason: because it’s damn delicious, there’s nothing else like it and when you make your own you can truly make it your own.

    Ingredients

    You will need (for a big bowl for two):

    • 75g popping corn
    • 1-2 tbsp flavourless oil
    • 1 tsp nice sea salt
    • 2 tbsp maple syrup

    Method

    Get a large pan with a lid on a medium/high heat.

    Drizzle on a little oil and swirl it around so it covers the base of the pan.

    Put the popcorn into the pan and put the lid on (it helps if it’s a clear lid).

    Keep the pan swirling around so that the popcorn doesn’t catch and wait for the corn to start popping.

    Keep the pan moving until you can’t hear (or see) any more pops.

    Remove the pan from the heat and take the lid off to let any steam escape. read more

    Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Bacon and Cheese Pasta Bake

    By 14 Comments

    It’s a bit weird here at the moment. The days are warm but the nights are surprisingly cold; light lunches but also still comfort food dinner season. The purple sprouting broccoli season is upon us and as much as I like it cooked simply, maybe with a butter sauce, I am craving carbohydrates and big warming meals at the moment. My bacon, purple sprouting and cheese pasta bake is ideal. read more

    A spring Saturday picnic

    By 11 Comments

    I hope that I am safe to say spring has finally sprung. Knowing my luck next week will be full of hail storms and icy conditions but if that is the case then at least I enjoyed the sun while it lasted. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you’ll know I am a big fan of dining al fresco and there’s not a season that I haven’t attempted to make the most of cooking or eating outdoors. Picnics, barbeques and even making gravy outside when there’s not enough room on the hob; any excuse.  read more


    All That Im Eating

    Recent Tweets

    • Error: Invalid or expired token.