All That I'm Eating

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

Baked Cauliflower Curry

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Baked Cauliflower Curry

I really like this curry sauce. A lot. I’ve been working on my baked cauliflower curry for a while now and I’m so pleased with it! Baking the cauliflower gives the curry a delicious nutty taste. The flavour and texture of the sauce when it’s blended is really similar to a sweet korma sauce, but all the sweetness here comes from vegetables. It’s a really flexible recipe too; there are some suggestions for changing it up at the end.

Ingredients

You will need (for four):

  • 1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil, for cooking
  • Salt and pepper

For the curry sauce: read more

Red Lentil and Tomato Soup

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Perhaps I should rename my blog ‘All That I’m Blending’ I’ve been making so much soup recently. But that’s the joy of soup isn’t it? You can pretty much throw what you’ve got hanging around into the pot and miraculously out comes a steaming hot bowl of marvellous soup. My red lentil and tomato soup is no different. Made using what I had in the cupboards and fridge this felt like a meal concocted out of nothing; and I have extra portions in the freezer for a rainy day. read more

Creamy Lentil Pasta Bake

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Creamy Lentil Pasta Bake with cheese topping

You know those small pasta shapes you can buy which are ideal for minestrone? Well, it turns out they make a really good pasta bake. I found this out by accident when making my creamy lentil pasta bake and looked in the cupboard to find only teeny tiny bows to hand. This is a seriously tasty and very filling vegetarian pasta bake which is crammed full of veg with a little added double cream for a touch of weeknight luxury.

Ingredients

You will need (for two plus leftovers):

  • 180g pasta
  • 250g cooked puy lentils
  • Handful grated cheese, cheddar or Parmesan both work well

For the creamy tomato sauce

  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 pepper, finely chopped
  • Olive oil for cooking
  • 600g tomato passata
  • 1 tbsp sundried tomato paste
  • 3 nuggets frozen chopped spinach (you could use fresh that has been wilted and chopped)
  • 150ml double cream
  • Salt and pepper

Method

Start by making the sauce. Get a saucepan onto a medium heat and add the onion with a glug of olive oil. Fry gently for 10 minutes. read more

Lentils and Chard

By 6 Comments

There’s always a pack of lentils in my kitchen cupboards. Sometimes more than one; the quick cooking red variety to throw into soups, the big fat yellow ones for making dahl and the more elegant puy for making a wholesome side dish or salad. The mealy, earthy taste and texture that comes from a lentil is part of its charm; the fact that they are so humble but so versatile and filling is why I always find myself with lentils on my plate at least once a week. This dish of lentils and chard was served alongside some simply griddled chicken but it was so good that I think it’s perfect as a meal on its own. read more

Yellow Split Pea Dahl

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yellow split pea dahl

First impressions are terribly important, but then so is not judging a book by its cover. This may look, on first glance, like a bowl of indistinct yellow mush but trust me, don’t judge this bowl of incredible-ness by its ‘rustic’ appearance. When I have a bowl of dahl it has to be three things: comforting, frugal and full of garlic. My Yellow Split Pea Dahl, which I have been trying and testing for some time now, fulfils all of my dahl needs and wants. Absolutely dahl-icious.

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Lamb, Lentils and Flatbreads

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Lamb, Lentils and Flatbreads

When it’s a weekday and you come back from work to cook dinner, I’m assuming it’s not just me, you actually just want to relax. The cooking should be straightforward, ideally with minimal washing up and the food should be tasty, filling and balanced. I’ve been adding more and more recipes to my weeknight repertoire that are just that; minimum fuss, maximum flavour and ideally ready in under 30 minutes. This recipe for lamb, lentils and flatbreads was another midweek success and is also part of an upcoming post about eating organic on a budget.

Ingredients

You will need (for two people):

  • 2 lamb steaks
  • Salt and pepper
  • Oil for cooking
  • 75g green lentils
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • Two big handfuls salad leaves
  • 4-5 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lemon, juice only

For the flatbreads

  • 150g natural yoghurt
  • 150g self raising flour (I actually ran out of self raising and used strong bread flour and they worked just as well)
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder

Method

Cook the lentils in vegetable stock according to the packet instructions.

Make the flatbreads by mixing all the ingredients together until you have a dough. Divide the dough into four and roll out until about half as thick as a pound coin.

Get a frying pan onto a high heat then add the flatbreads, one at a time, dry frying them until they are golden brown on both sides. Pop them into a low oven to keep them warm while you cook them all.

Season the lamb on both sides. Get a frying pan on a medium-high heat with a little oil then add the lamb and fry until cooked through. Remove then slice up.

Drain the lentils then mix with the olive oil, lemon juice and tomatoes. Top with the lamb and serve with the flatbreads and salad.

I have made these flatbreads before (they originally came from a Jamie Oliver recipe) and they are always good and can easily be made in the time it takes the lentils to cook. I only used two small lamb steaks; the lentils are really filling. It’s well worth cooking the lentils in the vegetable stock so give them a bit of a boost. The tomatoes, it helps if they’re really ripe, and the salad add a lovely bit of freshness and crunch. The best bit is the little bit of lentil liquid, tomato juice, olive oil and lemon juice all gather at the bottom of the bowl just waiting to be scooped up with a warm, crisp flatbread.

Beetroot, Lentil and Bergamot Lemon Salad

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Beetroot, Lentil and Bergamot Lemon Salad

I’ll be honest, salads don’t tend to excite me very much. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the freshness a few leaves bring on the side of something else but as a standalone dish, it’s not really for me. However, things have changed and I’ve started to make, what I would call, more ‘bulky’ salads. This particular combination of beetroot, lentil and bergamot lemon is so colourful and combined with a bit of goat’s cheese is equally good warm or cold.

You will need (for two large salads):

  • 3 medium beetroot
  • 100g soft goat’s cheese
  • 100g green lentils
  • Two handfuls of rocket
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp bergamot lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper

Cook the lentils according to the packet instructions. Cook them in stock rather than water if you want to add a bit more oomph to your lentils.

Place the beetroot in a saucepan with cold water. Bring the pan to the boil then reduce to a simmer and leave for 30-40 minutes depending on the size of your beetroot.

Drain the beetroot and leave to cool before removing the skin. I find the best way to do this is to gently rub and squeeze it off with your hands. You end up with fantastically pink palms afterwards but it’s so satisfying to remove the skins this way! Chop the beetroot into chunks.

Drain the lentils when they are done. I always give them a quick rinse afterwards too.

Add the lentils, beetroot and rocket to a bowl and crumble over the cheese.

Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and a good pinch of salt and pepper before pouring this over the salad.

The lentils bring plenty of padding to the dish along with the earthiness of the beetroot and the freshness of the rocket it’s really vibrant. The goat’s cheese adds creaminess and the delicious bergamot lemon dressing finishes it all off nicely. A good excuse to make something different to make the most of the distinctive bergamot lemon flavour. I really like this salad; filling, flavourful and full of texture.

Lentil and Black Bean Chilli

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Lentil and Bean Chilli - All That I'm Eating (1 of 2)

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.

You will need:

  • 2 onions, finely diced £0.20
  • 2 peppers, finely diced £0.66
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed £0.05
  • 2 chillies, chopped £0.30
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika £0.09
  • 2 tsp ground cumin £0.10
  • 600ml hot vegetable stock £0.20
  • 2 cans chopped tomatoes £0.78
  • 4 tbsp sundried tomato paste £0.50
  • 1 tsp dried oregano £0.05
  • 2 tsp sugar £0.05
  • 4 tbsp tomato puree £0.12
  • 2 cans green lentils, drained and washed £1.00
  • 2 cans black beans, drained and washed £1.50
  • Salt and pepper £0.02

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