All That I'm Eating

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

Lime, Thyme and Quince Gin Cocktail

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Lime, Thyme and Quince Gin Cocktail - ready to drink

I made my quince gin as a way to use some of those delicious fuzzy fruits that grow in the garden. The gin has come out a wonderful, pale canary yellow colour and makes a divine gin and tonic. It is in fact so delicious that it deserved a mix up of its own, something to complement the quince’s distinctive flavour. I love using herbs in drinks and puddings and I wanted to add a botanical twang to this drink. A Lime, Thyme and Quince Gin Cocktail is the way forward. Trust me.

Ingredients

You will need (per drink): read more

Balsamic Roasted Vegetables and Lemon and Black Pepper Cod with Birds Eye

By 18 Comments

When I’m thinking of ways to treat myself in the middle of the week I like to try and make my life as easy as possible. I prefer to make things where everything is cooked together, or use the same tools. For example I would always try to steam any vegetables over potatoes or pasta that I’m cooking, or if I’m roasting something I try to put everything in the oven. That’s what this meal is all about; grabbing a few bits and bobs from around the kitchen and lifting a meal into something delicious. So, instead of going for a standard fillet of fish, I tried the Lemon and Cracked Black Pepper Lightly Dusted Cod from the Birds Eye ‘Inspirations’ range and works so well with sticky balsamic roasted veggies. read more

Quince Gin

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Having put quinces through their baking paces (adding them to crumbles or baking them with honey) I wanted to see how else I could use them. Steeping them with gin seemed like a logical step; the unique flavour of quince I thought would work really well, and it does. I set about making some quince gin and I made a little film about it too. It’s the first film I’ve made and I have a new YouTube channel too, check it out below!

I love the light golden colour that the finished gin has and the delicious, almost tropical taste, the quince gives. This is just the tipple for cold, dark nights with your thickest slippers and a cosy blanket. read more

Bramley Apple and Nut Flapjacks

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Bramley Apple Flapjacks

I live in a village and on first appearances it has all the qualities of somewhere straight out of Call The Midwife. Actually living there is quite different; people don’t know each others names, good luck trying to get them to take your bins in for you and there’s so much material competition it’s like a car forecourt out there. Of course there are exceptions; one of which is the white house on the corner. They have a Bramley apple tree and although (this year especially) they don’t get many apples from it they always put a box of windfalls outside their gate for people to take. I helped myself to one of their apples and set about making some Bramley apple and nut flapjacks.

Ingredients

You will need (for 8 big flapjacks):

  • 200g butter
  • 175g light muscovado sugar
  • 70g golden syrup
  • 70g honey
  • 350g rolled oats
  • 1 Bramley apple, grated
  • 75g mixed nuts, roughly chopped

Method

Melt the butter, sugar, syrup and honey together in a large pan over a low heat. Make sure it’s all mixed together well.

Add the oats, apple and nuts to the butter mix and stir together to ensure everything is coated in the butter and syrup.

Preheat an oven to 160C. Tip the flapjack mix into a tin.

Note – I used a round, silicone ‘tin’ so I didn’t need to grease it but if you’re using a metal one you might want to lightly grease it before adding the flapjack mix. The larger the tin you use, the crunchier the finished flapjack so choose your tin on your flapjack preference!

Bake the flapjack for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and mark into pieces. Leave to cool before removing from the tin.

Originally I wanted to make these flapjacks with cobnuts (wild hazelnuts) but there don’t seem to be many around this year, or the squirrels have got to them all. If you do have some of your own I think they’d be fantastic added to this mix. These flapjacks are perfect at this time of year; they are so autumnal I couldn’t imagine making them in any other month. The Bramley apple adds a little bit of sharpness and a slight cakey texture and the mixed nuts bring a delicious crunch; the ones on the top get lovely and toasted during baking too. If you don’t have a village supply of Bramleys to help yourself to, there are plenty of wild apples around at the moment which would certainly be worth a try.

Lentils and Chard

By 6 Comments

There’s always a pack of lentils in my kitchen cupboards. Sometimes more than one; the quick cooking red variety to throw into soups, the big fat yellow ones for making dahl and the more elegant puy for making a wholesome side dish or salad. The mealy, earthy taste and texture that comes from a lentil is part of its charm; the fact that they are so humble but so versatile and filling is why I always find myself with lentils on my plate at least once a week. This dish of lentils and chard was served alongside some simply griddled chicken but it was so good that I think it’s perfect as a meal on its own. read more

Lemon Iced Tea

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Lemon Iced Tea - ingredients

Sometimes I make something for the first time and I wonder why it’s taken me so long to get round to it. Iced tea is one of my favourite drinks, especially lemon iced tea, but other than a passion fruit and jasmine version I concocted a few years ago I’ve not made my own since. I wanted to make some to take on a recent picnic as I thought it would be nice and refreshing in the late summer sun. Considering this only uses three ingredients, I used the very best ones I could: all organic and the tea I used had the wonderfully, British, charming name ‘Georgian Old Gentleman’.

Ingredients

You will need (for around 500ml):

  • 3 tsp loose tea leaves
  • 3 thick slices of lemon (organic if you can, otherwise you get a faint oiliness on the top of the tea when the wax melts off the lemon rind)
  • 2 dsp caster sugar (organic if you can so it’s unrefined for a delicious caramel taste)

Method

Start by making the tea. Put three nice big teaspoons of tea into a pot (or heatproof jug) and add 500ml boiling water. Leave to steep for around five minutes before removing the tea leaves.

I have a snazzy teapot which makes the above stage very easy: I simply remove the middle of the teapot which contains the tea leaves. If you don’t have one of these just strain the tea through a sieve or tea strainer into another jug or teapot.

Add the lemon and leave everything until it has cooled.

Remove the lemon slices then stir in the sugar until it’s dissolved.

Cool in the fridge and then serve over ice. Or, as I did, pour it into a Thermos to keep cool and take it on a picnic.It was as refreshing as I hoped it would be and it had the most fantastic unique twang because of the tea that I had used. Just the ticket to sip while sat on a log enjoying a picnic. I’ll definitely be playing around with different fruits and teas to experiment with lots of different flavours. I can’t believe how ridiculously simple it was to make; why has it taken me so long to make it again? I love that you can add the amount of lemon, tea and sugar that suits you. The recipe above is much less sweet than ready made iced teas that you can by, and that’s how I like it.

Chorizo Hash with Purple Spring Onions

By 11 Comments

purple spring onions

Sometimes the vegetables that arrive in my veg box are so stunning that it (almost) seems a shame to eat them. We all know that a romanesco cauliflower is mathematically wonderful and who can say no to a green lemon when it’s yellow inside and full of juice. A bunch of purple spring onions turned up on my doorstep and I knew simplicity would be the way to make the most of them; bold flavours from few ingredients. Chorizo Hash with Purple Spring Onions was certainly the way to go.

Ingredients

You will need (for two):

  • One bunch purple spring onions
  • 1 chorizo, sliced (peeled if needed)
  • 500g new potatoes, roughly chopped and sliced as you wish
  • Salt and pepper

Method

Start by putting the sliced potatoes into a pan of cold, salted water. Bring to the boil and boil for 10-12 minutes or until the potatoes are just cooked.

While the potatoes cook put the sliced chorizo into a large frying pan and cook on a low/medium heat so that the fat from the chorizo melts out and fills the frying pan.

Drain the potatoes when cooked and put to one side.

Halve the spring onions lengthways, removing the dried green ends and any roots, then add to the frying pan with the chorizo. Leave to soften with the chorizo for a few minutes.

Add the potatoes to the pan with some salt and pepper and turn the heat up. Fry for another five minutes or so to allow the potatoes and chorizo to crisp up slightly.

A handful of ingredients prepared and cooked in less than half an hour; what a plate of pure loveliness. Making the most of an ingredient when it’s available is really important to me and results in meals like this. The potatoes absorb the beautiful colour and flavour from the chorizo oil, the chorizo shrinks slightly and turns crisp on the edges. The purple spring onions are silky and drape over everything else quite elegantly, retaining a little bite and some of their raw onion piquancy. Super simple, minimal fuss and absolutely delicious.

Yellow Split Pea Dahl

By 15 Comments

yellow split pea dahl

First impressions are terribly important, but then so is not judging a book by its cover. This may look, on first glance, like a bowl of indistinct yellow mush but trust me, don’t judge this bowl of incredible-ness by its ‘rustic’ appearance. When I have a bowl of dahl it has to be three things: comforting, frugal and full of garlic. My Yellow Split Pea Dahl, which I have been trying and testing for some time now, fulfils all of my dahl needs and wants. Absolutely dahl-icious.

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Chocolate Fudge Cheesecake Brownies

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Chocolate Fudge Cheesecake Brownies

I like to think I’m fairly well behaved. The majority of what I eat I make myself and is somewhat healthy and well balanced. I find a place for the indulgent dishes (macaroni cheese, dauphinoise and the like) amongst the day to day soups, salads, vegetables and wholegrains. I’m by no means a saint and I think a little indulgence never hurt anyone. When I plan to make something that’s maybe a little bit ‘naughty’ I make sure I go all out. These Chocolate Fudge Cheesecake Brownies are no exception; prepare to enjoy.

Ingredients

You will need (for 9 brownies):

  • 200g full fat soft cheese
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 100g butter
  • 50g light muscovado sugar
  • 100g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 1 1/2 tbsp golden syrup
  • 100g self raising flour
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 50g fudge, chopped into small pieces

Method

Grease an eight inch shallow, square cake tin. Preheat your oven to 180C.

Gently beat the cream cheese with the vanilla extract and two tbsp of the caster sugar. Mix until smooth.

Put the butter, remaining sugars, dark chocolate and golden syrup into a small saucepan and heat gently until everything is combined and smooth. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl then whisk in the cooled chocolate mixture along with the fudge pieces.

Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the chocolate and egg mix then fold everything together.

Pour the brownie mix into the prepared tin then dollop the cream cheese mixture over the top. Use a spoon or skewer to marble the cream cheese through the brownie mix.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until it’s just coming away from the edge of the tin but is still slightly gooey.

These chocolate fudge cheesecake brownies make you pull the face that only a full fat, full sugar, no compromise baked good can; somewhere between falling asleep, pure satisfaction and absolute delight. The fudge pieces are slightly caramelised and chewy when the brownies are warm, the cheesecake part adds a slight tang and freshness and it’s all surrounded by gooey, spongey chocolate. You need to use a few different bowls for making these so there’s a little more washing up than some of my usual recipes but trust me, it’s worth it. Just think how many extra calories you’ll burn doing the washing up, just in time for when these are ready to come out of the oven.

Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas

By 18 Comments

Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas with black beans

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.

Ingredients

You will need (to feed 3-4 people):

For the enchilada sauce

  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 dried chipotle chilli, roughly chopped
  • 500ml tomato passata
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • Salt and pepper
  • Oil for cooking

For the enchiladas

  • 2 chicken breasts, diced or sliced
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • Oil for cooking
  • 6-8 tortilla wraps
  • 120g cheddar cheese, grated

Method

Start by making the enchilada sauce. Add the onions and garlic to a saucepan with a little oil and fry gently for at least 20 minutes until softened and starting to turn golden brown. You want to slightly caramelise them to bring out their sweetness.

Add the cumin, paprika and chilli and fry for another minute more.

Pour in the passata, oregano, sugar and add a little salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes or so until the mix has reduced by around a third.

Leave to cool slightly before blending until the sauce is smooth. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.

Put a frying pan on a medium heat with a little oil and add the onion. Fry gently for 10 minutes until softened then add the chicken and turn up the heat. Cook until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Add just less than half of the enchilada sauce to the frying pan and ensure all the chicken is well coated.

Divide the chicken mixture between the tortillas. Wrap each one tightly and lay in a baking dish so they fit nice and snugly.

Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the wraps then top with the cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden brown on top.

Serve with Mexican black beans (recipe for these here), guacamole, sour cream, extra chilli sauce and whatever you like!

If you can’t find chipotle chillies then I’m sure chipotle paste would be a great alternative. It’s the smoky flavour that you’re after along with a bit of heat. It’s taken a few tries to perfect this recipe but I’ve cracked it! Caramelising the onions is key to give the sauce a nice bit of sweetness. Not only can it be used for enchiladas, you can use it for chilli con carne and fajitas too (and even for a Mexican twist as a pizza sauce!).


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