All That I'm Eating

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

Blackcurrant and Pistachio Fool

By 17 Comments

Blackcurrant and Pistachio Fool - top
I think we are very lucky to have seasons in this country. Each season brings with it an anticipation of some new food; asparagus, tomatoes, pumpkins or sprouts. The weather is something that we can all comment on and moan about. One of the wonderful things about a British summer is the berry season. I don’t count it as summer unless I have had at least one of every berry available. This year I haven’t been lucky enough to ascertain a gooseberry yet but I’m doing pretty well as far as other berries go. As each berry has its own characteristics and flavour it’s hard to choose a favourite. I suppose my favourite is whichever berry is at its ripest and best at that particular time. Blackcurrants have a wonderful flavour and most of us would probably have first had it in Ribena or Robinsons squash. That’s certainly how I remember my first taste of blackcurrant. If you don’t mind puckering your lips and straining your expression then fresh blackcurrants can be enjoyed as they are without any interference. I tend to steer clear of looking positively alarming to others and so I mellow their sourness in various ways. You will need: 1 large handful blackcurrants 1-2 tbsp caster sugar 250ml double cream 1-2tbsp icing sugar 1 small handful of pistachios, chopped

Perhaps I am odd, ‘quirky’ is probably a little more polite, but I like nothing more than pinching the dead flower and stem off of each and every blackcurrant. Even more so if I can do it outside and sit in the sunshine at the same time. Either way this laborious task needs to be undertaken in order to avoid unwanted textures in the finished fool.

When the blackcurrants are prepared put them into a pan with a sprinkling of water and the caster sugar. Cook the blackcurrants on a medium heat until they burst and release their juices then carry on cooking until most of the moisture has gone. If you leave too much moisture in then your fool will be more like a soup. Leave the blackcurrants to cool. Whip up the cream and icing sugar until you have firm peaks and then gently fold the blackcurrants in. Top the fool with a few pistachios. This would look lovely presented in a big bowl; the billowing contours just waiting to be broken with a spoon.

For a pudding that takes around 15 minutes to make (not including the topping and tailing of course) I don’t think it gets much better. The blackcurrants flavour the whole dessert and their acidity is slightly mellowed with the sugar and complemented by the cream. The pistachios add a lovely crunchy texture. I do like to leave my blackcurrants slightly acidic, because I think that’s the point of a fool, but not so acidic that I am left with a face that looks like it’s been chewing lemons all day. read more

Broccoli, Walnut and Blue Cheese Pesto – Tenderstem in 10 challenge

By 23 Comments

Broccoli is a brilliant vegetable but occasionally I find myself at a loss for what to do with it. It’s great with spices, superb with salty soy and oyster sauce and phenomenal with blankets of cheese. So when the kind people from Tenderstem asked if I was interested in taking part in their challenge I gladly accepted; a chance to really think outside the box.
The challenge was to make a meal using the Tenderstem broccoli using less than 10 ingredients in less than 10 minutes. I felt like a Ready Steady Cook contestant. I received a lovely parcel which contained the broccoli as well as a kitchen timer to keep me on track! read more

Beetroot, Walnut, Goat’s Cheese and Orzo Pasta ‘Salad’ with Dill Dressing

By 30 Comments

We are coming to the end of last year’s stored beetroot and can look forward to some fresh summer beetroot soon. I haven’t planted beetroot this year as I decided I would grow peas, beans, more beans, tomatoes and courgettes only. Not to worry though as last year’s beetroot are still popping up in my vegetable box and down at the local market. I’ve called this a ‘salad’ because it sort of falls in the salad category with the beetroot, walnuts and dressing but at the same time it is a pasta dish; a very luminously coloured pasta dish at that. read more

Kohlrabi and Carrot Salad with Broccoli Stir Fry

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Kohlrabi, carrots and broccoli
I get a seasonal vegetable box delivered. I like it because it forces me to try new vegetables and recipes to make the most out of what I have. I shouldn’t admit it but I’m going to: there are some vegetables I could live without. It’s terrible I know but I could happily frolic through life without missing celery or leeks. There are also some vegetables that I adore for a short time but when they turn up in my fridge over and over again I’m tempted to put them on the compost. There’s only so much cabbage a person can eat without genuine fear of becoming a brassica. This recipe was devised because of the cornucopia of vegetables residing in the fridge. You know it’s time to use up as many as possible when you can no longer close the door. 

Kohlrabi was the most intriguing vegetable of the lot; it looks a bit like an octopus. Dinner was to be designed around a loving partnership of kohlrabi and carrot.  Toasting sesame seeds is one of my favourite smells.

For two people:

For the carrot and kohlrabi salad:

  • a quarter of a kohlrabi, peeled and julienned
  • three small carrots, peeled and julienned
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
  • black pepper  
  • 2 tbsp of toasted black sesame seeds

For the broccoli stir fry:

  • Handful purple sprouting broccoli, woody ends removed and chopped
  • 1 large red onion, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 sachet miso soup
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1tbsp sweet chilli sauce
  • Oil for frying
  • 2 noodle nests

I always remove the ends of the purple sprouting broccoli as I can find them to be a bit woody. You could leave the broccoli stalks in their entirety but they might be a tad tricky to consume gracefully at the table. read more

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Walnuts

By 14 Comments

The poor sprout. I don’t know of another vegetable that has to put up with as much ridicule. People turning their noses up at even the slightest mention of this poor brassica must be hard to deal with if you’re a sprout. Chances are those that turn up their noses have only tried them boiled to within an inch of their life. There’s much more to a sprout than as a soggy green mess at the side of the plate. There is a rumour that sprouts can cause side effects of the flatulent sort. This rumour is also rife for baked beans but it doesn’t seem to put people off. read more

Quince and Apple Crumble – adventures with the quince

By 13 Comments

apples and quince
The quince used to be a hidden fruit. It seems it was embarrassed of its furry skin, ever varying sizes and odd looks. I had heard rumours of it returning to its former glory and I kept my eyes peeled and nostrils ready for a sight or a whiff of this mysterious fruit.  I found it. If you have not ever been lucky enough to encounter the quince then scrap any plans this weekend and go and hunt some down. It looks like a pear, is tough like a pumpkin, fuzzy like a peach and smells like a guava crossed with a passion fruit. It’s a cheeky fruit that would cheer up even the most dampened spirits. I wanted to make the most of this fruit. Very resourcefully I had frozen some apples that were given to us a while ago and for which I had no use at the time. I made a crumble, it is the season for them after all.

Ingredients

What you will need (for four large servings):
  • Quinces – I had 2
  • Apples – I had 1 big one
  • Knob of butter
  • Good portion of caster sugar
  • Bowl of water with lemon juice in
  • 175g flour
  • 75g butter
  • 50g light muscavado sugar
  • Almonds and oats for the top

Method

I have never come across anything that will brown as quickly as a quince. It’s quite impressive. You will need to super speed peel the quinces and put them in the lemon infused water. Even then don’t be surprised at how quickly they change colour. When chopped, put them in a pan with the butter and the sugar. 
I would say don’t go too sweet as some of the charm of the quince is in its astringency. I added the frozen apples right at the end so they didn’t turn to a mush.

I put this in a small dish so that when it was served, everyone got a good dose of quince. I then crumbled. Rub the butter into the flour and then stir in the sugar. By putting it into a small dish it ensures no one will be short of crumble either. 
I put some crushed almonds and oats on the top too. read more

Buttered Toffee Apple Crumble

By 14 Comments

cooking apples for crumble

When one suffers from less than optimal circulation in the extremities, they certainly know when the days are shortening and the evenings cooling. To rectify this and to warm the cockles there was only one thing for it. Apple crumble.

Not just any apple crumble but one which I had discussed with my Grandmother just hours before. “Oooh, the other day I saw someone put butter and sugar into the apples for a crumble. It did look nice”. I took this little gem as gospel and went crumbling about.

Ingredients

What you will need (for four large servings):
  • 6 to 8 large apples
  • 250g unsalted butter
  • 150g sugar – muscavado or demerara
  • Dried fruits – a handful of any you want to include
  • 175g flour
  • 75g butter
  • 50g caster sugar
  • Handful of demerara/muscavado for the top
  • Flaked almonds – if you want them, as many as you deem fit

Start by putting the apples, unsalted butter and devilishly dark sugar in a pan. Let it bubble and goop away until it reaches the consistency that you think is best. Then mix in any dried fruits that you are using.

Put this mixture in to a suitable oven proof dish and then crumble away. Rub the butter and flour together until you get the texture of fine breadcrumbs. I start by using a knife and then move on to using hands. Stir in the caster sugar and then sprinkle the best bit (crumble) on the top.   read more

Plum Bakewell Tart

By 6 Comments

What a strange time of year. As a newbie to vegetable gardening and being too distracted by pride with what had been successful, I missed the band wagon and subsequently planted nothing else this year. Curses. All was not lost! A friend of mine with superfluous plums was kind enough to give us a bag full. What to do with that many plums…I consulted my various books and found a recipe I had written out by hand. I’ve no idea where it came from originally but what a recipe it was; Plum Bakewell Tart. read more

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