All That I'm Eating

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

Luxury Leek and Potato Soup with Homemade Soda Bread

By 18 Comments

leek and potato soup topped with chives
When I was younger I didn’t much care for vegetables. The one exception to this was my regular request for ‘Mummy’s Vegetable Soup’. I had tried soup in tins, in restaurants or at other people’s houses but nothing else came close. I think the thing that fascinated me about it was that no matter what amount or combination of vegetables went in (never potato) it would always come out somewhere between green and orange and it would be just right. No stock, no cream, no cheese it was just vegetables and water. It was my Mum’s way of clearing out the fridge, feeding me vegetables (willingly!) and it was even better after a snowball fight.

Ingredients

You will need (for two big bowls of soup):
1 medium onion, sliced
£ 0.10
2 large leeks
£ 0.90
Large knob of butter
£ 0.15
2 large potatoes (around 500g)
£ 0.50
100ml double cream
£ 0.40
850ml vegetable stock
 £ 0.10
Small handful chives
 £ 0.25
Salt and pepper
£ 0.02
For the soda bread:
300g spelt flour
 £ 0.66
10g baking powder
£ 0.06
5g salt
 £ 0.01
230ml buttermilk
 £ 0.75
Total
£  3.90

method

Wash the leeks and then slice them thinly. Heat the butter in a saucepan on a low to medium heat and fry the onion and leeks for around 15 minutes until softened but not brown. Peel and dice the potato then add this to the leeks and put the lid on the pan. Leave the potatoes to soften for around 10 minutes.

Add the stock to the pan and bring to the boil. Boil with the lid on until the potatoes are tender then add the cream and some salt and pepper. Let the soup cool down before blending the soup until smooth. Return to the pan to warm through and then chop up the chives and use them to top the soup. read more

Review: Barber’s 1833 Cheddar and Twice Baked Cheddar Soufflés

By 23 Comments

barbers 1884 cheddar cheese souffle
Who doesn’t like a bit of cheese? Over the last couple of years I think Cheddar has been getting a bit of a bad name. Indeed ‘cheddar’ can be used to describe any cheese where the cheddaring process had been used to make it; hence, a piece of chewy, nasty, plastic cheese can be called Cheddar along with lovely, crumbly, exemplary artisan Cheddars.
Barber’s kindly invited me to the BBC Good Food Show last year in Birmingham and I really enjoyed it. I had a good old chat to Barber’s about their cheese; they use their own starter cultures to make their cheese and I was amazed at the difference each culture can make to the end flavour of the cheese. Some will give it an earthy, Marmite flavour and others will give a slight sweetness. In order to enjoy their cheese Barber’s gave me all the ingredients and a recipe to make a delicious twice baked cheese soufflé.

ingredients

You will need (for 6 soufflés):
  • 225ml milk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 6 black peppercorns
  • 40g butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 40g plain flour
  • 125g Barber’s 1833 Vintage Cheddar, plus extra for sprinkling
  • 3 large eggs, separated
  • 1 tbsp. chopped chives
  • Salt and pepper
  • 150ml double cream

method

Preheat an oven to 180C and butter six individual ramekins.

Put the milk, shallot, bay leaf and peppercorns in a saucepan and bring to the boil then strain into a jug. I always enjoy doing this as it smells so good.

Melt the butter in a saucepan then add the flour and cook for a few minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk then simmer for a few more minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cheese before adding the egg yolks, chives and a little salt and pepper.

Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks then fold these into the cheese mixture. Divide between the buttered ramekins. read more

Christmas Couscous

By 10 Comments

Christmas Couscous
Around every corner there seems to be some sort of turkey and cranberry and/or stuffing sandwich. All those crazy festive sandwich fillings come out now for us to enjoy in an intense but short space of time; some more questionable than others. It seems you can put almost anything in a sandwich; I’m waiting for one to come out with a Brussels sprout and mincemeat filling. It is nice to be able to take in all the flavours of Christmas in one mouthful but what about when you just don’t want any more bread? Have no fear because you can have all the tastes of a festive lunch in my Christmas Couscous.

Ingredients

You will need (as a light lunch for 4):
150g couscous
250ml chicken (or turkey) stock
50g walnuts, chopped and lightly toasted
4-5 rashers smoked, streaky bacon
10 sprouts, shredded
50g dried cranberries
Salt and pepper
Oil for frying

Method

Put the couscous into a large bowl. Bring the stock to a boil and pour over the couscous. Cover and put to one side for five minutes.

Add a little oil to a frying pan on a medium heat and add the bacon. Fry until golden brown.

While the bacon cooks add the walnuts and dried cranberries to the couscous with some salt and pepper and give it all a good mix together to fluff up the couscous. read more

Granny’s Sage, Chestnut, Apple and Onion Stuffing for Sausage Rolls

By 16 Comments

apple onion and chestnut stuffing sausage rolls
A few years ago a friend of mine bought me one of those blank cookery books that you write up your recipes in over time. I had always cooked with my Granny and this seemed the perfect place for her to store some of her recipes for me to refer to in the future. One of the recipes she included was one for Sage, Chestnut, Apple and Onion stuffing which had a rather festive feel to it. She had also included a recipe for sausage rolls a few pages along so it seemed right to merge these two recipes together and create ‘Granny’s Sage, Chestnut, Apple and Onion Stuffing for Sausage Rolls’.

Ingredients

You will need for 16 sausage rolls:
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small apple, peeled and finely chopped
80g cooked and peeled chestnuts, finely chopped
400g good quality sausages
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
Butter or oil for frying
Salt and pepper
1 pack readymade and rolled puff pastry
Milk or egg for brushing

Method

Melt a large knob of butter in a large frying pan on a medium heat. Add the onion, apple and sage and fry for 5-6 minutes or until softened.

Add the chestnuts, salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes longer. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. read more

New Potato, Green Bean and Iberico Salad

By 13 Comments

new potato green bean and iberico ham salad
When I go out and there is a charcuterie board on offer I struggle to turn it down. I find cured meat fascinating and it’s one of my absolute favourite indulgences. One of my top five would have to be Iberico ham. I can’t get enough of it although my waist and bank balance would probably encourage me to eat a bit less. I like to make an expensive ingredient go as far as possible so this Spanish inspired potato salad is an attempt to do exactly that.

More and more I am cooking Spanish food and dishes. It’s a cuisine I have dabbled in while dining out but not one that I am terribly experienced in; I’ve made a few paellas and tapas in my time but I’d like to delve deeper and cook some more unusual meals in the future. This dinner was a bit of a hodge podge mix of ingredients but it worked wonderfully well.

Ingredients

You will need (for two):
  • 500g small new potatoes (I used Jersey Royals), scrubbed
  • Small handful green beans, sliced in inch sized pieces
  • As much Iberico ham as you can spare
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Sherry vinegar
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • Salt and pepper

Method

This is a throw it together really simple recipe. Put the potatoes into cold salted water and bring the potatoes to the boil. When the potatoes are almost cooked, add the beans into the same water for the last 2 or 3 minutes of cooking. In the meantime mix together three parts oil to one part vinegar (make extra if you have some spare bread to dip in afterwards) then crush the garlic clove in and add the salt and pepper. When the potatoes and beans are cooked, drain them and pour the dressing over to warm through. Serve up and top with the Iberico ham.

It’s such a simple meal but it delivers so much flavour. Earthy potatoes, sweet beans, sharp dressing and creamy Iberico ham make each mouthful different in flavour and texture. It took around fifteen minutes from start to finish and with a nice glass of wine makes a delicious, quick Friday night dinner. Well with a bit of imagination you could be on the Andalucian coast. read more

Broad Beans and Goat’s Cheese on Toast

By 23 Comments

broad beans on toast
Things on toast, no matter whether they are cheese, beans or mushrooms make a fantastic, easy and fast dinner. I think something on toast has a humble feel about it; it’s simple and satisfying. However, humble doesn’t have to be hum drum. I had a pile of broad beans and had bought some soft goat’s cheese for another meal, but, after a hectic day I wanted something quick and filling: beans on toast. Well, sort of.

Ingredients

You will need (for two slices):

  • 2 large handfuls of broad beans in the pod
  • 2 spring onions
  • A few sprigs of basil
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Soft goat’s cheese
  • 2 slices of good quality white bread

Method

Start by removing the beans from their pods. When you have a pile of pale green beans, put them into some lightly salted boiling water for around four minutes.
Drain the beans when cooked and then run them under cold water to stop them cooking. When they have cooled down, remove the grey skins from each bean. It sounds like effort but it’s honestly just a quick insertion of a finger nail on one side and a gentle squeeze on the other. They just pop right out.

Finely chop the spring onions and roughly chop the basil. In a bowl mix together the beans, spring onions, basil, olive oil and a little salt and pepper.
Toast the bread and then spread the goat’s cheese thickly onto each slice and top with the bean mixture. read more

Hot Cucumbers with Wet Garlic and Chilli

By 30 Comments

hot cucumbers with garlic and chilli
I don’t like to be rude but sometimes a cucumber can be a pain in the backside. What do you DO with it? Yes it’s very nice quartered and added to a salad; occasionally I go somewhat exotic and fork the edges of the cucumber before adding it, it’s terribly exciting. I have wanted to try a chilled cucumber soup and also thin slices with a little salt, sugar and sherry vinegar but every so often I find myself simply wanting to use the cucumber for jousting. You may wonder why, if I have so many qualms with the cucumber, I keep on finding them in my fridge. When you get a vegetable box delivered it is inevitable that you will end up with things you always prepare the same way. Not anymore, my culinary cucumber monotony needed to be broken.

Ingredients

You will need (for two as a side):

  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 wet garlic stalk
  • 2 red chillies
  • A few fresh chives
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Butter (or use olive oil to make it vegan)

Method

Peel the cucumber and then cut into sticks; I got 12 sticks from mine. Melt a big knob of butter in a pan on a medium heat and add the cucumber. While the cucumber softens slice the wet garlic thinly and then add this to the pan with the cucumber.

Keep stirring everything in the pan until the cucumber and garlic are starting to brown; the cucumber is surprisingly strong and doesn’t break down.

While you’re waiting slice the chillies and chop up the chives. For the final minute or so of cooking add a few of the chillies, the chives and some salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and serve with the remaining raw chillies. read more

Feta and Mint Potato Croquettes

By 16 Comments

feta and mint potato croquettes
A few days ago it really felt like spring had arrived. I got a bit excited and even opened a window to let some fresh spring air in. It was still pretty chilly but I didn’t care; there were daffodils, bumblebees and the smell of blossom in the air. When this seasonal change happens I find myself craving ripe tomato salads, ratatouille and barbecues. Sadly none of these were on offer but not to worry as I had some mint and feta cheese. There’s something about mint which makes me feel instantly happy.

Ingredients

You will need (for 4-6 croquettes):

  • 6 medium potatoes
  • Small knob of butter
  • 120g feta cheese
  • A few sprigs of mint
  • Salt and pepper
  • Seasoned flour
  • 1 egg
  • Breadcrumbs

Method

Start by peeling the potatoes and chopping them up to roughly same sized pieces. Put these on to boil in salted water until they are soft. Drain and then mash the potatoes with the butter and some salt and pepper. Crumble the feta and chop the mint then stir them both into the potato.

Roll the potato mixture into tubes, balls, squares or whatever takes your fancy. Put the seasoned flour in a bowl, the egg in another bowl (beaten) and the breadcrumbs in a different bowl. Put each croquette into the flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. When they are all well coated fry them in a little oil in a pan on a medium/high heat until golden brown all over then drain on some kitchen paper. read more

Creamy Mushrooms and Wild Garlic on Brioche Toast

By 27 Comments

wild garlic
Foraging for food is something I have started to do over the last few years. Hunting down blackberry bushes in the autumn is something I’ve always done but I’ve never considered it to be ‘foraging’. To me, proper foraging involves a wicker basket, curiously shaped knives and an innate ability to avoid thorns and nettles. Since I started to appreciate the other things that can be found outdoors I have added other wild foods to my repertoire: rosehips, sloes, plums, strawberries, elderflower and now, at last, wild garlic. Somehow this most pungent of wild foods has eluded me until a few days ago when I finally found an abundance of it not a ten minute walk from my house. Creamy mushrooms and wild garlic sounded just perfect for lunch and even better on brioche toast.

Ingredients

You will need (for two):

  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 250g mushrooms
  • 150ml single cream
  • 16 small leaves wild garlic, roughly chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • Butter
  • Brioche, two slices

Method

Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan on a medium heat and fry the onion for at least 15 minutes or until starting to turn golden at the edges. Increase the heat, you may need to add some extra butter, then add the mushrooms.

Fry the mushrooms until they are golden and sticky before turning down the heat to low and stirring in the cream. Simmer the cream, stirring occasionally, until it’s reduced then add the wild garlic and some salt and pepper.

Turn the heat off and let the garlic infuse with the cream while you slice and toast the brioche. Serve the mushrooms atop the brioche. read more

Ploughman’s; is there a better luncheon?

By 29 Comments

On a cold winter’s day after having the wind whip around your face for a few hours it is essential to come back to a fantastic lunch. Perhaps a bowl of warm soup and crusty bread, maybe a lovely pasty or pie. For me, there is no better lunch than a ploughman’s. I’m not sure why it’s called as such but I’m guessing it’s something to do with ploughing. Which, incidentally I have tried my hand at before and it’s safe to say I won’t be quitting my day job. read more


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