All That I'm Eating

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

Baked Cauliflower Curry

By 18 Comments

Baked Cauliflower Curry

I really like this curry sauce. A lot. I’ve been working on my baked cauliflower curry for a while now and I’m so pleased with it! Baking the cauliflower gives the curry a delicious nutty taste. The flavour and texture of the sauce when it’s blended is really similar to a sweet korma sauce, but all the sweetness here comes from vegetables. It’s a really flexible recipe too; there are some suggestions for changing it up at the end.

Ingredients

You will need (for four):

  • 1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil, for cooking
  • Salt and pepper

For the curry sauce: read more

Red Lentil and Tomato Soup

By 18 Comments

Perhaps I should rename my blog ‘All That I’m Blending’ I’ve been making so much soup recently. But that’s the joy of soup isn’t it? You can pretty much throw what you’ve got hanging around into the pot and miraculously out comes a steaming hot bowl of marvellous soup. My red lentil and tomato soup is no different. Made using what I had in the cupboards and fridge this felt like a meal concocted out of nothing; and I have extra portions in the freezer for a rainy day. 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

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

    • read more

    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.

    Jerk Carrots with Rice and Beans

    By 9 Comments

    roasted jerk carrots

    Jerk seasoning has to be one of my favourites. No matter what time of year it is there’s always room for something to be cooked up with it; sticky jerk chicken in the autumn, a fiery casserole in the winter or when the new season arrives, jerk carrots. This recipe came out of a need to use up a whole load of carrots and I certainly didn’t want to make soup. I can see it working really well on the BBQ as a spicy veggie side in the coming weeks too. If you can get hold of new season spring carrots they are sweeter and smaller than carrots available later in the year and are ideal for this recipe.

    Ingredients

    You will need (for two):

    • 6 small to medium carrots, peeled and halved lengthways
    • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
    • 1 tbsp jerk seasoning
    • Salt and pepper

     

    • 125g easy cook rice, washed
    • Pinch allspice
    • 4 spring onions, sliced
    • 200g tinned black beans
    • 300ml hot vegetable stock
    • 1 tbsp desiccated coconut

     

    • Salad
    • 1 lime

    Method

    Start by mixing the carrots, rapeseed oil, jerk seasoning and a little salt and pepper together until the carrots are nicely coated.

    Put the carrots onto a baking tray and roast at 190C for 25-30 minutes or until starting to turn golden brown.

    While the carrots are cooking wash the salad and leave to drain.

    Get a medium lidded saucepan onto a medium heat and add a little rapeseed oil. Add the spring onions, allspice and coconut and fry together for five minutes or so. Tip in the rice and fry for another minute.

    Pour in the hot vegetable stock and the black beans then bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and leave to cook for 10-15 minutes, depending on how long the rice takes. Stir from time to time. All the stock should be absorbed by the rice.

    Serve the carrots, rice and beans up with a handful of salad and then squeeze a little lime juice over everything.

    The rice and beans are so comforting and the flavour of the allspice and coconut running through is delicious. The jerk carrots are fantastically spicy and sweet as the roasting intensifies all the flavours. Adding a squeeze of lime over everything at the end freshens everything up nicely. There are plenty of other veg that this recipe would work so well for; aubergines I have tried in the past and I think butternut squash would be great too.

    Carrot, Chickpea and Harissa Soup

    By 10 Comments

    chickpea and harissa soup close up

    I meal plan. Only the dinners mind you. I’d like to think I was organised enough to plan fantastic breakfasts and fabulous lunches but I’d much rather have longer in bed each morning than fuss around with an avocado and quickly grab something easy for lunch in the week. However, there are consequences to this nonchalant attitude of mine. What if disaster strikes? What if, as I enjoy my chicken sandwich for lunch I realise that chicken is on the meal plan for that night? It doesn’t bear thinking about. So I don’t; I have a very simple way round this predicament instead. Make lunches vegan, and if not vegan, vegetarian. Hello Carrot, Chickpea and Harissa Soup.

    Ingredients

    You will need (for four big bowls):

    • 2 onions, peeled and sliced
    • 3 carrots, peeled and chopped into large chunks
    • 2 tbsp harissa paste
    • 1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
    • 250ml vegetable stock
    • 8 apricots, roughly chopped
    • 700ml tomato passata
    • Oil for cooking
    • Salt and pepper

    Method

    Add a little oil to a saucepan and add the onion and carrot. Fry, stirring from time to time for at least 10 minutes until the onions are soft and starting to brown at the edges.

    Stir in all the remaining ingredients and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

    Divide the mixture into bowls and serve straight away, or divide into portions and freeze.

    This recipe also makes a delicious cheat’s tagine if you continue cooking it slowly to thicken it. Simply serve it with some tabbouleh.

    The sweetness from the carrots and apricots is delicious with the acidic tomatoes and spicy harissa. The chickpeas add a real substance to the soup and with all those different veggies in there it’s all goodness. I like to keep mine in portions in the freezer and take a pitta bread to work to have alongside.

    I am getting involved with Centrepoint’s ‘The Big Broth’ with this soup. The Big Broth is Centrepoint’s latest fundraiser for homeless young people in the UK and they are asking people to submit their favourite soup recipe with the chance of having it produced by Yorkshire Provender. Then, each pot sold by Yorkshire Provender will mean 20p goes to Centrepoint. If you’d like to submit a soup recipe you can do so here.

    Smoked Pea and Potato Soup

    By 16 Comments

    smoked pea soup with cheese sandwiches

    There’s been a spate of soup recipes appearing on my blog recently. I’ll tell you for why: because there’s nothing more comforting I would like to have for lunch during the week. Sure, a steaming bowl of cauliflower cheese would be a fantastic winter luncheon but that’s more effort than I am willing to put in for what is effectively the most rushed meal of the week. So instead I take a bit of time at the weekend and batch cook some soup, freeze it and reap the rewards in the weeks to come. This Smoked Pea and Potato Soup is probably one of my favourite soups of all; all the salty, smoky tang as if it had bacon or ham in but it’s vegan.

    Ingredients

    You will need (for four portions):

    • 1 onion, diced
    • Oil for cooking
    • 1 garlic clove, crushed
    • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
    • 600ml vegetable stock
    • 350g frozen peas
    • Sprig fresh mint
    • 1/2 tbsp smoked salt
    • Black pepper

    Method

    Add a little oil to a saucepan and add the onion, potato and garlic. Fry for 5-10 minutes until the onion is softened, you’ll need to stir it regularly to stop the potato from sticking.

    Add the vegetable stock, bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Tip in the peas, smoked salt, a good bit of black pepper and the mint. Bring the pan back to a simmer and continue simmering for 5 minutes.

    Remove the soup from the heat and the blend the soup. Leave the mint in if you like it extra minty or take it out before blending if you don’t.

    If you want to eat it straight away return the soup to a low heat to ensure it’s warm and check the seasoning before serving. If you are freezing in then leave it to cool before diving between pots and popping in the freezer.

    I’m not sure you can go wrong with peas and mint together, it’s such a classic. The smoked salt really adds an extra something to this soup; I love ham or bacon with pea soup but wanted to avoid using meat in this recipe. The potato not only thickens the soup but makes it more filling too. Vibrant in colour and flavour you can’t fail to be cheered up just looking at it. I’ve been particularly enjoying this smoked pea and potato soup with cheese and pickle sandwiches! What are your favourite freezer soups?

    Cauliflower and Sundried Tomato Pasta

    By 15 Comments

    ingredients for cauliflower pasta

    I always think cauliflower is at its very best when served with cheese. As much as I think this is still true I have been really enjoying roasting and frying it lately and this cauliflower and sundried tomato pasta is my current favourite way to eat cauliflower. Cheap to make, vegan, delicious and so fast to cook; we’re talking 15 minutes from fridge to table. If only all weeknight cooking could be like this!

    Ingredients

    You will need (for four servings):

    • 300g pasta £0.30
    • 1 small romanesco (or other) cauliflower, chopped into small florets £1.50
    • 6 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped £0.30
    • 2 small garlic cloves, crushed £0.10
    • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil £0.15
    • Pinch saffron £0.50
    • Salt and pepper £0.02

    Total £2.87

    Method

    You’ll need a pan full of boiling water with a steamer to go on top. It’s no problem if you don’t have a steamer; you’ll just need an extra pan of boiling water for the cauliflower.

    Bring the water to a boil, add a little salt then stir in the pasta. Put the steamer over the water then add the cauliflower to the steamer and put the lid on. Leave the cauliflower to steam for 4 minutes.

    Meanwhile get a small frying pan on a medium heat and the olive oil and garlic. Leave the garlic to warm up and infuse the oil for a minute or two before adding the sundried tomatoes and saffron.

    Remove the cauliflower from the steamer and add this to the pan with the tomatoes. Fry everything together for a few minutes then add a ladleful of the boiling pasta water. Break the cauliflower up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.

    By now the pasta should be cooked, test it to make sure, then drain it.

    Stir around two thirds of the cauliflower mix through the pasta and serve up; use the remaining third to sprinkle over the pasta at the end.

    Adding the saffron really does add a fantastic flavour and colour to the dish but you could leave it out if you wanted to. Any cauliflower would work for this but I think the green romanesco is so lovely to cook with. If you fancied grating over a little Parmesan I think that would be a delicious addition. I might try adding some toasted pine nuts or finely chopped chilli next time. When I was in Italy last year we made a dish similar to this which used courgettes rather than cauliflower so I’ll definitely be trying that in future too!

    Harissa Roasted Squash and Red Rice

    By 7 Comments

    Harissa Roasted Squash with red rice and salad

    Sometimes things look tastier than they are and I often find that the reverse is also true. This harissa roasted squash and red rice looks ok, if slightly on the orange side, but trust me when I say it is delicious. Full of colour and flavour, the slight spiciness from the harissa works wonders with the sweet butternut squash. Red rice does take longer to cook than white rice but its nutty wholesomeness is well worth the wait. Bung this oven, sit back and get ready for a taste of autumn; it’s ready faster than you’d think.

    Ingredients

    You will need (for two):

    • 1 small butternut (or other) squash, seeds removed, peeled and roughly diced
    • 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
    • 1 tbsp Harissa paste
    • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
    • Salt and pepper

     

    • 4 tbsp yoghurt (use non dairy yoghurt to make it vegan)
    • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
    • Salt and pepper
    • Red rice
    • Salad

    Method

    Start by getting an oven preheating to 180C.

    Mix together the squash, onion, harissa paste, oil and seasoning in a bowl. Make sure everything is well coated in the harissa. If you like it hotter you can always add more harissa. Tip the mixture onto a baking tray trying to get everything on a single layer.

    Bake the squash and onions in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the squash is soft and starting to turn golden.

    While the squash is baking cook the rice according to packet instructions; it normally takes 25-30 minutes.

    Stir together the yoghurt, paprika and a little salt and pepper.

    Serve the squash up with the rice and salad and dollop the smoky paprika yoghurt over the top.

    I was really surprised how much oomph the paprika yoghurt brought to the whole dish; it was a great cooling contrast to the hot harissa and it married the veg, rice and salad together so well. The harissa roasted squash was really punchy and the salad fresh and crisp. There are lots of different harissa pastes out there, some are much better than others, so keep trying them until you find one that you like. Wonderfully orange this meal almost glows from the plate, tremendously healthy and filling and ready in under 45 minutes. That’s the kind of weeknight cooking I’m after.


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