All That I'm Eating

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

Runner Bean and Tomato Stew

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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. read more

Moussaka – without frying the aubergines

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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

Simple BBQ Sides

By 8 Comments

Simple BBQ Sides

We bought our first ever BBQ this year. Not knowing how much it might get used we went for a basic entry level one which has been great, and it’s getting used at least once a week at the moment. When the BBQ is on I like to be outside, nice cold drink in hand, to watch everything cooking. That’s why these simple BBQ sides are my go to recipes whenever we’re cooking al fresco. I can make them quickly in the kitchen so they are ready to go once the hot food is ready.

Mustard Pickled Cucumber

You will need (for two as a side):

  • 1 small or half a large cucumber
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 generous tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Black pepper

Peel the cucumber into strips using a vegetable peeler and put to one side. You could salt the cucumber if you wanted to, I have tried salting it and leaving it to drain then squeezing the water out but I don’t think it really makes much difference for this.

Put the vinegar, salt and sugar into a small bowl and whisk together. Add the mustard and give it another quick mix.

Pour in the oil and whisk until all the ingredients are combined; a big whisk and a small bowl are helpful for this.

Check the seasoning, add a little black pepper and then pour the dressing over the cucumber.

Variation

If you add a little dill to this mix with some very thinly sliced onion is makes a great Scandi inspired side.

Balsamic and Herb Tomatoes

You will need (for two as a side):

  • Large handful really ripe cherry tomatoes
  • Pinch salt
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • Black pepper

Start by halving all the tomatoes and putting them into a bowl. Sprinkle over the salt, mix it all together well and then leave for 10-15 minutes.

Add all the other ingredients and mix together well.

The reason I add the salt first is because it takes a little of the excess water out of the tomatoes which is delicious for two reasons: firstly it helps intensify the tomato flavour and secondly, you’re left with the tomato juice, oil, herbs and vinegar at the bottom of the bowl which is just asking to be mopped up with some bread.

Variation

I love adding avocado, torn mozzarella and loads of fresh basil to this. It’s also great if you roast this mix in the oven for 20 minutes if you want something hot.

Classic Potato Salad

You will need (for two as a side):

  • 400-500g potatoes, any will do but new potatoes (especially Jersey Royals) are best
  • 4-5 spring onions, ends removed and finely sliced
  • 3-4 tbsp good quality mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper

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    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.

    Miso Glazed Aubergine with Pickled Cucumber Salad

    By 10 Comments

    miso glazed aubergine, cucumber pickle and red rice

    I’m not ashamed. I will admit it. I am an aubergine-aholic. Babaganoush, parmigiana, in a curry, moussaka, stirred through pasta there isn’t any meal I don’t love which has aubergines in. This recipe may sound familiar, as I have made something similar before, but this miso glazed aubergine when combined with a quick pickled cucumber salad really is a match made in heaven. Depending on the size of your aubergines this takes around half an hour to make, a little longer if they are large and need more time in the oven.

    Ingredients

    You will need (for two):

    For the aubergines

    • 2 aubergines, sliced in half lengthways and flesh scored in a criss cross pattern (don’t slice into the skin though)
    • 2 tbsp miso paste (the best you can get your hands on)
    • 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
    • 2 tsp runny honey (use agave or maple syrup to make it vegan)
    • 1 tsp water
    • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil

    For the cucumber pickle

  • 1 small cucumber, sliced into a strip using a vegetable peeler
  • 1 small red onion, peeled and finely sliced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 small piece ginger, finely grated
  • Few sprigs fresh coriander, roughly chopped

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    Sticky Chilli Chicken with Avocado Rice Salad

    By 11 Comments

    sticky chilli chicken with avocado grapefruit rice salad

    I have to admit that I turn to a chicken dinner in some form or other most weeks. Especially as the evenings get lighter and warmer as it’s an easy meal to pull together and so flexible on the ingredients used too. My latest offering, this sticky chilli chicken with avocado rice salad, is full of colour and vibrant flavour and ready in 30 minutes. Trust me on the grapefruit. If you don’t fancy using chicken in this then I think tofu, halloumi or aubergine would be great alternatives.

    Ingredients

    You will need (for two):

    • 2 chicken breasts
    • Rapeseed oil for cooking
    • Salt and pepper
    • 2-3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
    • 150g brown rice
    • 1 large avocado, skin and stone removed, roughly chopped
    • 1/2 grapefruit, peel and pith removed, roughly chopped
    • 1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped

    Method

    Pop a pan of water on to boil and once boiling add the rice and cook according to packet instructions. I find it normally takes around 20 minutes.

    Then, put the two chicken breasts between two sheets of clingfilm and whack them with a rolling pin to make them a little thinner; around 1-1.5cm thick is ideal. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.

    While the rice cooks prepare the avocado, grapefruit and onion. Mix them all together in a bowl and add a little salt and pepper. The grapefruit juice will stop the avocado from turning brown.

    Around 10 minutes before the rice is cooked heat up a frying pan on a medium/high heat and add a little oil. Add the chicken and fry on both sides until cooked through and starting to turn golden brown. Pour in the sweet chilli sauce and leave it to bubble up, turn sticky and coat the chicken.

    Drain the rice well and stir in the avocado mix. Serve up with the chicken on the side.

    The chicken is so good! It’s sticky, spicy and, depending on the sweet chilli sauce you use, garlicky too! The brown rice brings a lovely wholesomeness while the avocado works to smooth everything out. Adding the grapefruit means there’s a fantastic sharpness to cut through everything. You could use so many different ingredients like mango and quinoa, miso or aubergine! And if you’re a fan of quick recipes during the week you might like to take a look at my other 30 minute recipes.

    Chipotle Sweetcorn Hash

    By 10 Comments

    sweetcorn and potato has with chipotle and paprika chicken

    I love looking in my fridge and cupboards and finding ingredients and flavours to try together. Recently I wanted to try adding chipotle chillies to more than just chilli con carne and I thought it would be worth trying a pinch with sweetcorn. This chipotle sweetcorn hash came out of a mish mash of ingredients I happened to have to hand and the end result was delicious. Sticky, sweet, spicy and moreish I’ll be making this one again soon!

    Ingredients

    You will need (for two):

    • Knob of butter
    • Rapeseed oil (for cooking)
    • 1 small onion, finely sliced
    • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 1 tsp dried oregano
    • ½ tsp chipotle chilli flakes
    • 1 tsp ground cumin
    • 1 mug frozen sweetcorn
    • 300g potatoes, scrubbed and diced into 1cm cubes
    • Juice ½ lemon
    • 2 chicken breasts
    • 2 tsp paprika
    • Salt and pepper
    • Plain yoghurt
    • Small handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

    Method

    Heat the butter and a glug of oil together in a frying pan and add the onions. Fry for around 10 minutes on a medium heat before adding the garlic and all the spices and oregano. Continue to fry for a few more minutes.

    Add the potato and continue to fry for around 15 minutes with a lid on, stirring from time to time. After 15 minutes add the sweetcorn and continue to cook with the lid off for another five minutes.

    While the potato cooks put the chicken breasts between two sheets of clingfilm and bash with a rolling pin to flatten. Sprinkle the paprika and a little salt and pepper onto each side.

    Get another frying pan onto a medium heat and add a little oil. Fry the chicken on both sides until cooked through and golden.

    Add a little seasoning and the lemon juice to the potato pan. Stir the coriander through the yoghurt.

    Serve up the sweetcorn hash topped with the chicken and coriander yoghurt.

    This would be delicious with tofu rather than chicken if you wanted to make it veggie.

    The smokiness of the chipotle is so good with the sweetness of the sweetcorn, it would be great with a few peas too I think. I love how the golden strands of onion become entwined with the cubes of potato. The chicken is succulent and the yoghurt takes the heat off the chilli. All in all, for a few ingredients I already had and threw together, this was a delicious dinner!

    Pea, Bacon and Sundried Tomato Risotto

    By 11 Comments

    forkful of pea and bacon risotto

    I love how a recipe evolves over time. Many risottos have been made in my kitchen over the years and I have to say a pea risotto has got to be one of my favourites. This recipe for pea, bacon and sundried tomato risotto is, in my opinion, the very best it can be. Other variations have included chorizo, fried speck, mint, goat’s cheese or spinach but this combination of ingredients gives such a variety and depth of flavour that is hard to beat.

    ingredients

    You will need (for two people):

    • 1 small onion, finely diced (preferably not a red onion)
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 small garlic clove, crushed
    • 4 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped or sliced
    • 175g risotto rice
    • 500-600ml hot vegetable or chicken stock
    • 1 mug full frozen peas
    • Small knob of butter
    • 4 rashers smoked bacon, chopped
    • Salt and pepper
    • 25g Parmesan cheese, grated

    method

    Start by adding the oil and onion to a saucepan and frying gently for at least 15 minutes until the onion is softened and not coloured. Add the garlic and sundried tomatoes and continue frying for a few more minutes.

    Stir the rice into the onion mixture and cook for another minute or two before adding a little vegetable stock.

    Add a little vegetable stock to the rice mixture at a time stirring well between each addition and ensuring the stock has been full absorbed before adding the next.

    While the risotto is cooking you’ll need to get a small pan of water boiling for the peas and a frying pan heating up for the bacon.

    Test the rice to see if it’s cooked and if so, remove the pan from the heat, pop the lid on and leave to one side for five minutes.

    While the risotto is resting cook the peas in the boiling water and fry the bacon until crispy.

    Blend the peas with a little butter to make a rough puree. If you’d rather add the peas whole that’s no problem, I just love the bright green colour blending them gives the risotto.

    Stir the peas, bacon and Parmesan into the risotto, check the seasoning and add a little salt and pepper if it needs it.

    At the heart of any good risotto is of course the perfectly cooked rice, cheese and onion combo. Adding the sundried tomatoes gives such a punchy, savoury flavour which coupled with the sweet peas and salty bacon is just the best. Slightly different to my normal weeknight recipes where I try to use as few pans as possible this recipe is definitely worth the extra washing up.

    Keema Spice Mix

    By 17 Comments

    spices for keema mix

    Pouring rice into a pan with some vegetables, seasoning and water has to be one of the most satisfying meals to cook. It all goes in together, bubbles away and then in no time a deliciously fragrant meal is ready. My keema spice mix is designed just for this purpose; to be simply added to rice dishes for a fantastic flavour in moments. You’ll find a few recipe suggestions for using this spice mix below and you can of course add in or leave out any spices you want more of or don’t like. You can’t do that with a shop bought mix.

    Ingredients

    You will need:

    • 2 tbsp garam masala
    • 2 tbsp brown sugar
    • 1 tbsp cumin
    • 1 tbsp garlic powder
    • ½ tbsp turmeric
    • ½ tbsp ground coriander
    • ½ tbsp ground fenugreek
    • 1 tsp dried chillies
    • 1 tsp paprika
    • 1 tsp black pepper
    • 1 tsp dried coriander (leaf)
    • 1 tsp salt

    Method

    Simply measure out the ingredients, add to a little tub with a lid and give everything a good shake to ensure it’s well mixed.

    My garlic powder was a bit lumpy when I went to use it but it all broke down after an enthusiastic shaking.

    I have three favourite ways to use this keema spice mix. Firstly it is fantastic to make a simple keema rice, similar to this recipe, just add a spoonful of the spice mix before adding the water. Secondly it makes a great marinade. Just mix it half and half with plain yoghurt and marinate chicken or paneer (similar recipe here) before griddling. Thirdly, try adding the spice mix and some fried onion to some minced lamb and making some lamb keema meatballs. Delicious served wrapped in a naan with raita and salad or use to make a keema meatball curry.

    Carrot, Chickpea and Harissa Soup

    By 10 Comments

    chickpea and harissa soup close up

    I meal plan. Only the dinners mind you. I’d like to think I was organised enough to plan fantastic breakfasts and fabulous lunches but I’d much rather have longer in bed each morning than fuss around with an avocado and quickly grab something easy for lunch in the week. However, there are consequences to this nonchalant attitude of mine. What if disaster strikes? What if, as I enjoy my chicken sandwich for lunch I realise that chicken is on the meal plan for that night? It doesn’t bear thinking about. So I don’t; I have a very simple way round this predicament instead. Make lunches vegan, and if not vegan, vegetarian. Hello Carrot, Chickpea and Harissa Soup.

    Ingredients

    You will need (for four big bowls):

    • 2 onions, peeled and sliced
    • 3 carrots, peeled and chopped into large chunks
    • 2 tbsp harissa paste
    • 1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
    • 250ml vegetable stock
    • 8 apricots, roughly chopped
    • 700ml tomato passata
    • Oil for cooking
    • Salt and pepper

    Method

    Add a little oil to a saucepan and add the onion and carrot. Fry, stirring from time to time for at least 10 minutes until the onions are soft and starting to brown at the edges.

    Stir in all the remaining ingredients and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

    Divide the mixture into bowls and serve straight away, or divide into portions and freeze.

    This recipe also makes a delicious cheat’s tagine if you continue cooking it slowly to thicken it. Simply serve it with some tabbouleh.

    The sweetness from the carrots and apricots is delicious with the acidic tomatoes and spicy harissa. The chickpeas add a real substance to the soup and with all those different veggies in there it’s all goodness. I like to keep mine in portions in the freezer and take a pitta bread to work to have alongside.

    I am getting involved with Centrepoint’s ‘The Big Broth’ with this soup. The Big Broth is Centrepoint’s latest fundraiser for homeless young people in the UK and they are asking people to submit their favourite soup recipe with the chance of having it produced by Yorkshire Provender. Then, each pot sold by Yorkshire Provender will mean 20p goes to Centrepoint. If you’d like to submit a soup recipe you can do so here.

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