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 22 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

Peach and Cherry Crumble

By 20 Comments

Whenever peaches are in season I always plan to cook something with them. More often than not though I just end up eating the peaches from the fruit bowl because they’re irresistible. Not this time! My peach and cherry crumble is so deliciously summery and the colour of the fruit once it’s baked is divine. I’m so glad some of the peaches survived to make this crumble.

The delicate white flesh of the peaches combines so well with the vibrant red of the cherries. As the fruit was really ripe I only added a small amount of honey as that’s all it needed. Don’t skimp on the lemon, it brings a much needed sharpness to the crumble. We enjoyed this as it is but it would be even better with a dribble of double cream. read more

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

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

Green Summer Vegetable Lasagne

By 19 Comments

It is important to note that this recipe is not shy on calories. There’s cheese, double cream, lashings of olive oil, layers of pasta and plenty of veg. My green summer vegetable lasagne is quicker to make than a traditional lasagne (there’s no baking) and you can use the sauce with any pasta if you so choose. I like to think that all that green veg negates the calories and I happily ploughed through a whole plate of this. Bear in mind, I am very greedy and although the recipe below says it’s for two, it would definitely stretch to three or four! read more

My Favourite Summer Recipes

By 18 Comments

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

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 12 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.


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