All That I'm Eating

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

Roasted Tomatoes and Burrata

By 17 Comments

Roasted Tomatoes and Burrata

When you get your hands on some truly spectacular ingredients they don’t need much interfering with. I picked up some sublimely sweet tomatoes and a small burrata at a market recently and I wanted these simple ingredients to shine. My balsamic roasted tomatoes and burrata were served with a warm olive studded focaccia which we enjoyed eating outside for the first time this year. When you’re serving up tomatoes, cheese and warm bread can you really go wrong?

Ingredients

You will need (for two):

  • Large handful cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and pepper
  • Small handful fresh basil
  • 1 burrata (you could use a good buffalo mozzarella if you can’t get burrata)
  • Focaccia (you could use ciabatta instead)

Method

Arrange the cherry tomatoes in a baking dish cut side up. Drizzle over the oil and vinegar and add a little salt and pepper. read more

Spring Vegetable Tray Bake

By 13 Comments

There’s a certain time of year where the contents of the veg box are suddenly more vibrant. There’s something red or orange which isn’t a carrot and something green which isn’t cabbage. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against a good brassica but when the first spring vegetables come through you know that it’s not long until the spring and summer veg are in full swing. To mark this occasion I made a spring vegetable tray bake; to celebrate all that is delicious at this time of year. read more

Vegetable Keema Rice with Crispy Paneer

By 13 Comments

vegetable keema rice with crispy paneer

At this time of year I get all the spices out of the cupboard and start to use those that I forgot about over the summer months. I found a tub of my homemade keema spice mix and although I know it’s delicious with lamb I wanted to try and make a veggie version. After trying out a few different vegetables and quantities I decided that I like this version of my vegetable keema rice the best. Not only is it easy and filling, it’s also got four different veg in and loads of texture from that crispy paneer.

ingredients

You will need (for two):

  • Rapeseed oil for cooking
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 dsp keema spice mix
  • 125g basmati rice
  • 300ml water
  • 2 nuggets frozen spinach (about the same as 4-6 tbsp blanched and chopped fresh spinach)
  • 1/2 mug frozen peas
  • Salt

For the crispy paneer:

  • Rapeseed oil for cooking
  • 1 heaped tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • Handful mushrooms, sliced
  • 225g paneer cheese
  • Salt

method

Heat a little oil in a lidded saucepan on a medium heat and add the onion. Fry for around 10 minutes or so until it’s starting to turn golden brown.

Add the garlic and the keema spices to the pan and cook for another minute or two.

Stir the rice into the pan so it gets all coated with the spices then pour in the water with a little salt. Pop a lid on the pan and leave for 12-15 minutes.

After this add the peas and spinach to the rice, stir the pan and then pop the lid back on and leave for another 8-10 minutes.

Test the rice to ensure it is cooked, all the water should have been absorbed by the rice, and add a little more salt if needed.

While the rice cooks you can get on with the crispy paneer. Start by heating a little oil in a non-stick frying pan on a medium/high heat. Add the turmeric and cumin and cook for a few minutes until smelling fragrant.

Tip the mushrooms and paneer into the spices and fry for 5-10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the mushrooms are soft and turning golden and the paneer is crispy on the edges. Add a little salt and check the seasoning.

Serve up the vegetable keema rice with the crispy paneer and mushrooms on top.

I really like the combination of veg in this meal. You’ve got sweetness from the onion and peas, a slight earthiness from the spinach and a rich mushroom flavour. By using a spice mix that you’ve already made (and which you can alter to suit your taste) means most of the hard work is already done and you can just sprinkle in those flavours! The crispy paneer is a fantastic way to add texture and it would be delicious to use some marinated paneer if you fancied.

Three Cheese and Cauliflower Macaroni

By 9 Comments

three cheese and cauliflower macaroni

I often make macaroni cheese, or some variation of it. I like to play around with adding vegetables, different cheeses or flavours in the sauce. This three cheese and cauliflower macaroni cheese is one of the most delicious I’ve made. The combination of Emmental (for sweetness and stringiness), Cheddar (for bite and cheesiness) and Parmesan (for savouriness) means you get the best of all the cheeses! And don’t worry, there’s a cauliflower in there too; to add a little vegetable healthiness amongst all that indulgence.

ingredients

You will need (for two generous portions):

  • 150g macaroni
  • 1 small cauliflower, chopped into small florets
  • 25g unsalted butter
  • 25g plain flour
  • 300ml milk
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 75g strong Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 75g Emmental cheese, grated
  • 30g Parmesan, grated
  • Salt and pepper
  • Handful breadcrumbs
  • Sprig fresh rosemary

method

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the macaroni and cook according to packet instructions. Add the cauliflower to a steamer over the macaroni for the last 3-4 minutes of cooking. Drain them both well and put to one side.

To make the cheese sauce melt the butter in a small saucepan on a medium heat and then add the flour. Cook for a minute or two then gradually whisk in the milk. Keep whisking to ensure there are no lumps.

Continue whisking the sauce until it bubbles and becomes thick. Remove from the heat, stir through most of the cheese, the mustard and a little salt and pepper.

Mix the macaroni, cauliflower and cheese sauce together then tip into a baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and then sprinkle over the breadcrumbs. Pop the rosemary sprig on top.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 25-30 minutes, or until golden on top.

You might be thinking that the rosemary is a bit pointless just stuck on top of the macaroni cheese like that. Well, it’s actually deliberate. When the dish comes out of the oven you want to remove all the leaves from the rosemary and leave them on top. Then, when you serve it up everyone gets a bit of roasted rosemary which has such a great flavour. This three cheese and cauliflower macaroni is such a comfort food dish for me; cheese, pasta, cauliflower and woody rosemary are all so good together.

Gnocchi, Kale and Spinach Gratin

By 16 Comments

gnocchi, kale and spinach gratin

Sometimes I end up with an awful lot of veg in my fridge. I use bits and bobs throughout the week but despite my best brassica consuming efforts I still get left with some of it. These leftovers often end up in a soup (my autumn minestrone is a great way to use kale) but recently I wanted to make something different. I really like green veg with pasta so I grabbed my veggies, some gnocchi and cheese and set about making a gnocchi, kale and spinach gratin.

ingredients

You will need (for two big portions):

  • 1 small broccoli, cut into florets
  • Handful kale, stems removed and shredded
  • 2 nuggets frozen spinach (you can use cooked, squeezed and chopped fresh spinach instead)
  • 500g fresh gnocchi
  • 25g butter
  • 25g plain flour
  • 300ml milk
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper
  • 25g grated Parmesan plus extra for the top

method

Start by making the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and then add the flour. Cook for a minute or two and then gradually whisk in the milk ensuring there are no lumps.

Continue whisking the sauce until it bubbles and becomes nice and thick. Remove from the heat, add a little salt and plenty of pepper and stir through the cheese and mustard.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the gnocchi and frozen spinach. Place the broccoli and kale in a steamer over the top of the gnocchi, bring the pan back to the boil and cook for two minutes.

Drain everything well.

Add the broccoli, gnocchi, kale and spinach to a roasting dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the top; it will dribble down and mix into everything.

Sprinkle some extra cheese over the sauce and then place under a medium grill until the top is golden and bubbling.

Some parts of the broccoli and kale get stuck at the top of the dish meaning they catch ever so slightly under the grill and have that deliciously toasted flavour. The crispy cheese topping is so rich in savoury flavour from the Parmesan and the smooth cheese sauce coats everything nicely. And thanks to the short gnocchi cooking time and grilling rather than baking this dish it’s ready in under half an hour. I think a few cherry tomatoes dotted over the top would add a lovely pop and freshness and using a blue cheese or a strong cheddar would be delicious if you happen to have those in the fridge too.

Beetroot and Feta Dip

By 13 Comments

Beetroot is one of my favourite vegetables; it’s sweet, earthy flavour is like nothing else. I like to roast it with other root veg, boil it and add a little rich balsamic vinegar for a simple side or salad and I have tried smoking it on the barbecue in the past too. This latest batch of beetroot however I decided should be turned into a beetroot and feta dip. Firstly because the colour would be glorious and secondly because I wanted something punchy and full of flavour to serve with some delicious sourdough. read more

Chargrilled Broccoli, Potato and Pesto Salad

By 11 Comments

chargrilled broccoli, potato and pesto salad

It was one of those evenings. You know the ones, where you look in the fridge expecting a sudden moment of inspiration and the fridge just stares blankly back. I’d put something down on the meal plan but for one reason or another didn’t manage to cook it; sometimes I forget to buy an ingredient or I use it all in another meal forgetting to save any for later in the week. My potato, chargrilled broccoli and pesto salad came out of seemingly nowhere. This meal’s saviour turned out to be a little pot of pesto; it transformed a sorry looking collection of vegetables into a rather tasty meal.

ingredients

You will need (for two):

  • 2 large handfuls new potatoes
  • 1 small head broccoli
  • Small handful green beans, sliced diagonally
  • 3-4 tbsp pesto (fresh from a deli or homemade if you like). You could use a vegan pesto to make the meal vegan
  • Small handful pine nuts
  • 2 handfuls washed rocket

method

Start by scrubbing the potatoes and then chopping them into halves or quarters depending on their size and how you like them. Leaving them a little larger just means they will take a little longer to cook. Put the potatoes into a pan of cold salted water and bring the pan to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until cooked through.

Chop the broccoli into small florets and pop them in a steamer over the potatoes for 1-2 minutes until bright green but still crunchy.

Get a griddle pan onto a medium/high heat and tip the broccoli in. Keep the broccoli moving occasionally but allow it to get chargrilled at the same time.

Re-use the same steamer and pop the green beans above the potatoes for the last few minutes of the potato cooking time.

Drain the potatoes and green beans and put to one side.

Put a small frying pan onto a medium heat and add the pine nuts, moving them round the pan often until they are toasted.

Mix the broccoli and pesto into the potatoes and beans and then serve up with the rocket and top with the pine nuts.

The chargrilled broccoli adds such a great flavour to this salad, if I was having a barbecue I’d definitely try the broccoli on there before mixing into the salad. This is a really hearty and filling dish and would be a great side but I enjoyed it just on its own. A few halved cherry tomatoes, some leftover chicken or salmon would be delicious additions and would probably leave you enough for lunch leftovers the next day.

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

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    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.

    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

    • read more


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