Halloumi, Courgette and Sweet Potato Wraps

A gorgeous, juicy, summery combination to toss into a wrap or pita for lunch with allspice for a peppery, savoury warmth.

Carrot Ginger and Orange soup

Keeping it quick and simple for a lazy bank holiday afternoon

Potato and Green Bean Summer Salad with Balsamic Reduction

Sun is out... let's toss balsamic vinegar over piles of vegetables!

Baba Ghanoush and Pitas lunchbox

Oh I do love a good dip with crudités...

Foods of Vietnam (it's not just Pho!)

I just got back from a wonderful 2 week trip to Vietnam!

As well as amazing natural sites (like Ha Long Bay), some emotional museums (like the Hoa Lo Prison and the Cu Chi Tunnels) and all the hundreds of small culture differences that make a trip interesting (like the musical bingo in Hoi An ) the food was incredible. 

The route we took is here for reference. We flew in and out of Ho Chi Minh City / Saigon, then flew up to Hanoi and worked our way back down on trains and buses.

I didn't realise the variety of dishes there would be and the huge variations between regions and even nearby towns. Although I ate pho a few times this was certainly not the best thing I had. The food was far more varied than other countries in Asia I've visited and I didn't even get to try it all!

About to tuck into some Bun Cha

Here's some of the food highlights as a whistle stop guide (and as a note to myself to try and recreate some!)

Spicy chickpea and tahini salad with pittas

A quick and easy lunch with my new favourite ingredient; tahini paste.

Gin and Elderflower Sorbet

Great flavour but the texture is not the same as shop bought sorbet - this turned out in large fluffy ice flakes rather than tiny crystals you can scoop like ice cream. This might have been because I vegan-ised the recipe and left out the egg white most recipes recommend.

Still delicious and really light and refreshing to eat, must repeat this in the summer!