All That I'm Eating

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

Stop The World Cafe, Leigh-on-Sea

By 7 Comments

This was a gifted meal.

I have already mentioned that Leigh-on-Sea is a fantastic town with a seemingly never ending road of independent shops, bars and eateries. We’d already spent hours wandering around; first down to the old town with fresh fish for sale in charming sheds and stalls then back to the top of the town for a nose round the shops. We are notorious for rushing round places and seeing everything within the first hour then wondering what to do next. Not in Leigh-on-Sea, we were entertained for hours. And then it was time for lunch in the beautifully charming Stop The World Cafe. read more

Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas

By 18 Comments

We were about halfway through this meal when the OH turned to me and said, “This is the best dinner we’ve ever cooked”. High praise indeed. Although I once baked a whole cabbage and anything would be an improvement on that. Chicken enchiladas always remind me of my University days. My friend Kathryn and I would convince ourselves we could definitely eat four people’s worth of enchiladas. We’d cook it all up and be full after just half of the available enchiladas, look at each other and say, “Next time, we’ll just cook half ok?”. We never learnt. I haven’t made enchiladas since then and I thought it was high time I made some proper ones. read more

Coastal Bite, Southend

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This was a gifted meal.

After arriving in Southend a few weeks ago we ventured out, into some unruly weather, to take a walk along the seafront to Westcliff-on-Sea to get some lunch. After passing the pier, Southend town and some of the gardens opposite the water we arrived at a collection of cafés and shops set back from the sea each with its own brightly coloured awning, tempting smell and delicious sounding menu. I love a sandwich and they don’t come much better than the open or closed ones at Coastal Bite. read more

Five Dipping Sauce recipes that are perfect for Summer

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The living is easy in summer. Gorgeous fresh produce, long days, and fantastically easy recipes. Create some wonderful dishes that will accompany you while you’re out and about or that you can simply enjoy while sitting at home.

The easiest way to produce some seriously delicious snacks, that are creative and simple to prepare, is to investigate the world of dips. From mayonnaise to sour cream, from pulses to avocados; dips can be healthy, tasty and fun to eat. Here are five ideas to start you on your way – enjoy! read more

Grapefruit, Lime and Basil Agua Fresca

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I’ve toyed with the idea of making an agua fresca for a little while. What with the focus on Brazil and South America at the moment with the Olympics I have seen a few frescas popping up on menus. But I wondered, is it worth the effort, isn’t it just easier to squeeze a bit of fruit then water it down? Well yes, but it turns out it’s just not the same. And the (what might seem an unnecessary step but take my word for it it’s definitely needed) sieving does save you from any surprise seeds making into your final beverage. I had a couple of grapefruits loitering round in my fruit bowl and thought it was now or never. So, welcome to my Grapefruit, Lime and Basil Agua Fresca. read more

Growing Herbs with Dobies of Devon

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Growing Herbs - Rosemary

Whether you have a garden, maybe even a dedicated herb patch in your garden, a window box or windowsill you always have room for growing herbs of your own. I love using fresh herbs in cooking, especially in the summer but I can’t believe the price of buying them from a supermarket. I have a sunny little corner in my garden now where I have a few herbs in some pots but before that I grew them on my kitchen windowsill.

Dobies of Devon got in touch to see if I’d like to share some suggestions and ideas for growing your own herbs. Their website is definitely worth checking out as you can order live herb plants as well as seeds depending on how you want to grow. read more

The Pipe of Port, Southend

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The Pipe of Port Southend - outside

This was a gifted meal.

Every town has a hidden gem I’m sure of it. The only problem with hidden gems is that some people don’t like to tell you about them; the secret is best kept to themselves. Well, sorry Southend but I’m going to tell everyone about yours: The Pipe of Port. Just off the main high street, with blackboards outside to announce its presence this is a restaurant that is worth a visit. Even if you live in Lerwick.

You descend into The Pipe of Port and land in an underground cellar filled with subtle light bulbs, candles, places to sit, menus to look at and absolutely huge barrels of port. This place specialises in two things: wine and pies. But don’t be fooled, they have all the independent beers, ciders and other soft drinks you could ever need. They have a huge, and very interesting, selection of wines by the glass and many, many more by the bottle. They also have some very exclusive wines available by the bottle; what a fantastic idea to treat yourself. read more

A Weekend in Southend

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This was a gifted stay and meal.

When I hear a town name that ends in ‘on-Sea’ I can’t help but think it’ll be a place full of fish a chip shops, candyfloss and rock, stripy deck chairs and 99s with a flake. It conjures up images of 1950’s his and hers matching striped bathing suits, an afternoon watching Punch and Judy and a cream tea or two. If you can’t tell already I’m a big fan of a British seaside town, there’s something about them you don’t find anywhere else, so I was really looking forward to my weekend in Southend. read more

Honeyed Apricots with Rosemary Crème Fraîche

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Apricots make me think of my Mum. She’s the biggest apricot fan I know and until last year I didn’t really get what all the fuss was about. Then I had a proper one. Not a dry, fuzzy one with an inside like loft insulation but a sweet, juice running down the chin, superbly ripe one. And everything changed. Honeyed Apricots with Rosemary Crème Fraîche might sound like an unusual combination but herbs and fruit work so well together and this is truly a winner. Ripe apricots would be fantastic for this dish, but if they’re a bit ropy then sizzling them in honey will only improve them.
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North Cornwall Coast Road Trip

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North Cornwall Coast Road Trip - Lanhydrock

We’ve all done it. Looked through various travel magazines and wondered why all these amazing places are so far away, took one look out of the window and decided that our own surroundings are rubbish. Just me? I decided that I want to explore more of what’s on my doorstep; to visit more of my own backyard as it were. One way of doing this, and certainly the way I have decided to go about it, is to visit all the UNESCO World Heritage sites in the UK. There are 29 of them in total (at the moment). Three of them are islands in the middle of the ocean and as this is about what’s on my home turf I am discounting those. So I’ve got 26 to visit before the big birthday, which just over two years away and I had already ticked off five before embarking on our North Cornwall Coast road trip.
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