All That I'm Eating

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

Smoked Trout and Potato Salad

By 12 Comments

Local smoked trout
I have been doing many things recently that I have not done before. I recently de-boned a chicken, which I was pretty apprehensive about because it was new to me, but I am pleased to confirm it couldn’t have gone better. This recipe is another example of trying to do something I was thoroughly convinced was complicated and time consuming.  I had never previously bought a whole fish and so I bought two strikingly golden smoked trout from the farmers’ market. I wanted something light and filling and so I made a potato salad where the dressing (I suppose you’d call it) was more trout orientated. 

Ingredients

You will need (for one large bowl of salad):
  • 2 smoked trout
  • 500g potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 250g crème fraîche
  • Wholegrain mustard
  • Fresh tarragon, dill and parsley
  • 1 lemon
  • Salt and pepper

Method

I got home and I unwrapped the trout. I looked at it somewhat diffidently and with remarkable concentration. I lopped the heads off and was relieved that it was at least half complete. How do I take the skin off? By now there was a faint glisten of moisture about my brow. Due to its being gutted my life was made awfully easy. I took the bottom fin and gave it a pull. It was like peeling an orange.

I can’t tell you how simple it was. What I thought would be a right kerfuffle turned out to be one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever done. Once the skin was off, the meat just fell off the bone and I was left with a pile of meat and a complete pile of bones. There were a few strays that I found amidst the pile but I got the blighters. 

During my adventures with the trout, a pan full of potatoes had been merrily bubbling away in the background. Once cooked they were drained and left to cool while the dressing was made.  read more

Venison Burgers, Chips and Purple Sprouting

By 9 Comments

It was a picturesque morning when I hopped on the bicycle and cycled to the farmers’ market. On setting off I was very pleased with myself for saving the planet and burning calories at the same time. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and I was thoroughly convinced I was the modern day Snow White. It wasn’t particularly far or mountainous but to say I arrived less than glamorous and somewhat flustered would be an understatement. Let’s just say there was a bumble bee that seemed certain its hive was my nostril.  read more

Aubergine Curry

By 10 Comments

Spice mix for curry
Every time I have attempted to make a curry I have always been disappointed. I had almost given up when I got a craving for aubergines and a desire for spice. This turned out to be a subtle and fragrant aubergine curry rather than a powerful and punchy dish. At the market there is a kind man who sells all the spices you could ever need. I purchased what I knew; coriander, cardamom, cumin, mustard and turmeric. I have since been back and purchased an awful lot more. I’m a bit of an onion fiend. If I had my way and the smell was tolerable for everyone else I’d happily munch through one like an apple. However as this might be considered unusual I try to cram as many onions into my food as possible. Some recipes call for a can of tomatoes but I wanted more texture and decided to use both fresh and tinned. Sometimes tomato seeds can add a nice bit of acidity to a meal but some meals are better without them. I used to read recipes that said to remove the seeds from the tomatoes and it filled me with dread. I persevered and having now mastered tomato seed removal I have to say it can be done in no time at all. Don’t get all caught up in appearance is my advice and forget any equipment, your hands are the best tools for the job.

Ingredients

You will need (for five to six large portions):

  • 1/2 a teaspoon each of cardamom, mustard seeds, cumin and turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds 
  • salt and pepper 
  • 2 large aubergines, in roughly chopped
  • 4 onions, sliced
  • 4 large garlic cloves
  • Oil for frying
  • 4 tomatoes, seeds removed and quartered
  • 1 tin tomatoes
  • 2 chillies, sliced (add more or less depending on how hot you like it)
  • 1 tin coconut milk
  • 300ml vegetable stock
  • Large handful coriander, roughly chopped

Method

Add all the spices and salt and pepper to a pestle and mortar and grind them up. The smell is so fresh.

I have a real aversion to soggy, slimy, sloppy aubergines and so to prevent my distress I always cook them separately first. In this case I griddled them to give them a characteristic smoky flavour. Don’t add oil to the aubergine, I find the oil soaks in too much. I have found that for some recipes soaking the aubergines in salt is absolutely necessary but in this recipe, not so much. 

Sweat the onion and garlic in a little oil until they look fairly sumptuous and then add the spices. Stir until your nostrils are dancing. read more

Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Bacon Pasta

By 16 Comments

collar bacon, local cheese and broccoli
The first of the season purple sprouting broccoli was standing tall and proud at the Farmers’ Market letting us all know that Spring is just around the corner. Everyone wanted some of this majestic member of the Brassica family.  In order to celebrate the first greens of the year there was only one companion up to the job – extra mature Cheddar cheese. To make it a glorious trio I bought some excellent collar bacon. This is one of those recipes where if you don’t fancy as much cheese you can leave it out, if you want more bacon put it in or if you have some cauliflower lying around later on in the year it would do just as well. 

Ingredients

To feed 4 people I used:

  • 3 bunches of purple sprouting cut into stems and leaves
  • 6 rashers of collar bacon diced
  • 1 wedge of strong Cheddar cheese grated
  • 235g cottage cheese
  • 2 tablespoons single cream
  • 400g pasta
  • Salt and pepper
    • read more

    Chicken Liver Pâté

    By 9 Comments

    Pesto, hummus and bread are just a few examples of things that if you make yourself, couldn’t be further from the shop bought version. Chicken liver pâté is another. I have long had an affection for this most accepted of offal and I felt it was about time I got myself some to see how a homemade one compares. I couldn’t have asked for better livers. They were free range, organic and fresh as you could ask for. I never eat supermarket chicken and so the money I would have spent on that I spend on farmers’ market chicken and just eat it less often.
    This recipe took me about 10 minutes to make so if you find yourself with the opportunity to buy livers, do so. read more

    Jerusalem Artichoke and Leek Soup with Collar bacon

    By 10 Comments

    Jerusalem artichokes

    I can see how some might think I’ve recently become obsessed with soup. This is not true but it seems the most appropriate thing to slurp in January. One thing I am obsessed with is Jerusalem artichokes.
    Despite their unsociable side effects they are one of my absolute favourite vegetables. Unfortunately I can never seem to get my hands on them or they all get snaffled up by abdominally superior individuals before I can get to them. When I can get them though I always do.

    I wrestled for my ugly roots knowing full well they were going to be blended with some leeks. I managed to get 400g of artichokes and 2 leeks. It cost me £1.50. This dish ended up serving four people a light lunch. Bargain. read more

    Celeriac, Leek and Apple soup

    By 12 Comments

    A new year and many resolutions to break. I decided to start with good intentions however with a fresh, earthy and filling soup.
    It had three main ingredients; celeriac, leek and apple. To be frank and somewhat rude, the celeriac is not a looker. If you’ve been through life without the celeriac, please overlook its brutal looks in favour of its wonderful flavour. My apple was half a Russet and half a Kentish somethingorother and rather strikingly large. My leeks were still covered in mud and had a little frost still left from picking in the green ends.
    The Farmers’ Market can offer these things in a way that nothing else can. It is for vegetables like this and a hundred other reasons why I love it so much. read more

    Sage and Onion Stuffing with Pigs in Blankets

    By 7 Comments

    This is a classic stuffing and I got the recipe from my Granny. She copied it out for me a few years ago, so when I was down at the Farmers’ Market and I saw some sausage meat I knew it was that time again.
    This is such a simple recipe with great results. I have recently become a little more friendly with my blender. Some might say too friendly. I just can’t believe how much easier it makes things. When you have poor circulation in the extremities, the thought of chopping an onion into a billion pieces is not enticing. read more

    Purple Carrot Soup

    By 9 Comments

    ingredients for purple carrot soup
    Wandering around a market with cash and a cornucopia of fruit and vegetables it’s hard to resist buying. I made a most excellent choice as far as I’m concerned and parted with my pennies in exchange for a majestic purple carrot. For something that I find as rarely as this I wanted to make the most of it without detracting from the magnificent root itself. Carrot soup was to be lunch.

    Ingredients

    What you will need (for two bowls):

    • 2 large carrots (2 purple if you can get them)
    • Butter
    • Chicken or vegetable stock 400ml
    • Garlic clove
    • Coriander seeds 1tsp
    • Fresh coriander
    • Creme fraiche
    • Seasoning

    Method

    If you ever manage to get hold of these little beauties, my advice would be to never boil them. Not only does it turn everything else a strange browny purple colour it also takes all the colour out of the carrots.

    As I only had change for the one purple carrot I added an orange one too. For the soup, fry the carrots and garlic in a nice hearty sized knob of butter. Put the lid on them and let them soften.

    While they do this, dry fry a teaspoon of coriander seeds until they jump around the frying pan and are good and toasted. read more

    Beef, Vegetable and Red Wine stew

    By 9 Comments

    beef stew vegetable mix
    I needed something slow cooked and full of goodness. Fortunately I had a fridge full of treats from the farmers’ market. I had some seriously good braising steak from Challow Hill and a congregation of fantastic veg from the greengrocer.

    Ingredients

    What you will need (for four to six portions):

    • Braising steak (at least 500-750g)
    • Seasoned flour
    • Vegetables of your choice – carrots, swede, onions, leeks, pasnips – a few good handfuls of each
    • Potatoes – 4-6 medium
    • Red wine (1 small glass)
    • Stock (750ml)
    • Oil and seasoning

    Method

    Cut up the steaks and roll them in seasoned flour. Fry them in a pan that you can also then put in the oven. Keep all the goodness in one place. I am not fortunate to own one of these modern day contraptions.

    Get chopping! It’s not that bad once you get going and you get lots of goodies to go straight into the compost bin. It’s true when they say you don’t get something for nothing.

    Into my cauldron of lusciousness I added a healthy (large) glass of red wine, a stock cube (I know, I’m sorry) and some water. I threw in a bay leaf for good measure and a load of seasoning. I find when I think I’ve seasoned enough, I season some more. read more

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