2019: A year in travel

I said I wanted to have a big year for my 30th and it certainly happened. At the risk of sounding overdramatic, it's been one of the best years of my life. I've seen and been places I have always dreamed off and I'm not quite sure how next year is going to beat it. What a year!

Malaysia
Our first holiday of the year was two weeks in Malaysia back in February. We booked flights the day after my 30th birthday party, not the wisest idea we've had, and flew out to see our friends who were living out there as teachers. South-east Asia is a part of the world I had been dreaming about visiting since I was 17. I wasn't somewhere I thought I would be lucky enough to tick off so when I did it was absolutely incredible. It still feels like a dream! For the first week we did an epic 7 days road trip visiting Malacca, Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Cameron Highlands and Fraser's Hill. After our friends went back to school we took things a little easier for the second week and visited Georgetown and Langkawi. I can't wait to explore more of south-east Asia now and hopefully will be able to go back to that region soon.

Las Vegas
A mere two months later I headed to the bright lights of Las Vegas with five other friends to help celebrate our 30th birthday year. We had this trip planned since we were 21 so it was slightly shocking to realise we were finally old enough! Vegas was an absolute whirlwind and I've never experienced anything like it. It was bold, brash and intense. It's not a city I can see myself visiting again but I had the absolute best week. My highlight was an overnight stay at the Grand Canyon. It was the first I have ever been rendered speechless in my life. Words really can't do it justice.

Dublin
I booked Dublin as 30th birthday treat for my boyfriend originally as a surprise. But, as usual I got far too excited and spilled the beans. Sadly we had some sad news a few days before we were going to fly so we had to do a detour to Derry. But we made it to Dublin a day later than planned and spent the next few days eating and drinking around the city. The Irish capital is just as expensive as people say but I really fell in love with it. There isn't an awful lot of sightseeing to do but it's a fantastic place to just chill. We pub hopped and stuffed ourselves silly on some good food. Ireland really is the best country in the world.

Birmingham
My best friend and I decided we needed a few days away bonding with each other but didn't want to spend much money. So we headed to the Travel Lodge website and had a search of hotels to find the cheapest one two hours or less away from home. Our search concluded with Birmingham and we paid a mere £35 each for two nights over the August Bank Holiday. Despite being the only adults in the attraction without children, the detour to Cadbury's world was a highlight. We spent the three days gossiping about everything and everyone whilst eating all the best food Brum had to offer. We had such glorious weather so it was a real treat. A kinda last hurrah to the summer.

Rhodes
September saw me head to Rhodes for the first time for a work colleagues wedding. The whole team jetted out to Lindos on a wild adventure. I have never laughed or partied so hard as I did for those four days. Certainly a trip I won't forget in a hurry! It look me a good week at home to feel normal again.

Paris
I was lucky enough to go on a press trip with Made.com to Paris through work. A whirlwind of a trip, it was lovely to spend a couple of days exploring new places in the French capital. the girls at Made put on a fab itinerary and it was nice to get to know new people.

Northern Ireland
The last trip of the year was to Northern Ireland in October. A place very dear to my heart. This trip was made even more special as it was where we got engaged! It still feels really weird to say that out loud... We took two of our friends over for the weekend and showed them all our favourite places. There is just something about the Emerald Isle, especially this part, that makes my heart sing. We had such great weather with lots of blue skies so really lucked out.

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Exploring the U.K: Torr Head scenic route, Ballycastle, Northern Ireland

We've been over to Northern Ireland so many times over the last decade yet it still surprises me when we stumble across somewhere new. It only increases my love for this part of the world. There's still so much I need to explore! On our last trip back to Northern Ireland back in October, something special happened which I'll take about more in the next post, we decided on a whim to follow the Torr Head scenic route.

The route is very well signposted but I recommend popping Torr Head in your satnav if you have one. Just to be on the safe side. Although getting lost isn't too bad in a beautiful place like as the Causeway Coast. The scenic route takes along the coast up winding and sometimes hair-raising roads to the top of a huge hill. It isn't for the lighthearted and I had to refrain looking out of the window. It didn't do my nerves very good! Keep in mind it's a narrow road and you'll have to move over to let other cars come through.

Once you make it to the top of the hill, park your car on the side of the road and start climbing! It's still a fairly undiscovered place so you'll more of less have the whole place to yourself. At the very top of the hill there is an abandoned house which isn't really that nice. But once you've given that the quick once over, start exploring some more. Don't be afraid to climb over a few fences. Just don't go to close to the edge on a windy day. You'll be able to see Scotland in the distance on a clear day. It'\s such a beautiful place to take in the sheer beauty of the Emerald Isle.

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Restaurant review: Palatino, Old Street, east London

A couple of weeks ago my favourite internet pals and I popped along to Palatino for Hannah's birthday. The reason she picked that place? The £25 deal for unlimited pasta for two hours on a Saturday. She didn't have to ask us twice to attend!

Within walking distance from the Barbican and not as close to Old Street station as it says on the website, the restaurant is in a rather obscure location in the city. It's not hard to find but it's not really surrounded by much so it feels like you have to to hunt it down. You can have the option of choosing to add unlimited prosecco for £14 per person for 90 minutes. We decided to give this a miss this time.

So what pasta can you choose from? Anything from the Primo section of the menu. This includes cacio e pepe, ravioli di zucca, bombolotti romanesco, anchovy and breadcrumbs, spaghetti alla vongole, veal rigatoni and a pasta of the day. They are more than willing to veganise any dish. My favourites included the carbonara which was the special and the delicious rigatoni. The portions looked small but in reality were great sizes for sharing. We all tucked in quite happily!

Service was a bit slow and they wasn't too forthcoming in offering you the chance to order more pasta dishes. It took quite a while before someone even took our drinks order. Luckily we were starting to get a bit full so we didn't mind the waiting. But I can imagine it will get annoying really  quick if you're still hungry. I loved the vibe of the restaurant, it had a great mix of people and lovely floor to ceiling windows, letting the winter sun in. I'm not sure I'd go back but I do think it's a great deal for £25 and I felt like I completely got my money's worth. There are just so many other different places to try in London!

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#52 recipes: Recipes 27-31

Pondicherry toast from Meera Sodha's Guardian column
I'm sure I've mentioned this before but Meera is one of my all-time favourite cookbook writers and I absolutely adore her weekly Guardian vegan column. I don't always make the recipes vegan as don't often have the right ingredients in the house but they're always made vegetarian. This was really simple to make and made a great weekend breakfast. I enjoyed it with lashings of ketchup. I could easily have eaten another round of it.

Balsamic onion focaccia from Mary Berry's Baking Bible
I have a soft spot for Mary Berry but sometimes I feel she just doesn't come up with the goods. This focaccia was really tasty and pretty straight forward to follow. But it didn't taste like focaccia. There was something missing which I can't put my finger on. I'm not sure it's a recipe I'll attempt again.

Tofu banh mi from Meera Sodha's Guardian column
Another Meera recipe! Tofu is an ingredient that I struggle with. I'm not a massive fan so I'm always looking for ways to help jazz it up. This was absolutely delicious and my favourite thing I've made for the column, We've had it twice so far which is the ultimate praise as I rarely like to cook the same thing twice unless it is for lunches. The pickled carrots and courgettes really make it. I can't seem to find my rubbish iPhone snap of this but you can see it on my highlights on my Instagram. Same with the below!

Korean-inspired tofu lettuce cups by Gimme Some Oven
This was made on a whim after we had so much tofu still left over from the above and I had raided the local Asian supermarket and finally found some gochujang. This felt really light, perfect for the warmer months. It wasn't that exciting which is a shame as usually I love stuff with Korean chilli paste in. Not one I'm in a hurry to make again.

Confit Chicken from Alison Roman's NYT cooking column
Ah Alison! My current obsession. I love the way she writes and I love how she takes really simple ingredients and turns them into something special. I could watch her on Youtube for hours. I made this one Sunday as a hands-off early dinner for some friends. Such a tasty feast with such succulent and tender chicken. A total weekend winner! The leftover oil is fab to fry eggs the next day for breakfast or roast potatoes. It keeps for a few days in the fridges.

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Five ways I'm trying to cut down on food waste

1. Freeze vegetables/fruit in portions
I have every intention of using up my vegetable box but things get in the way and it turns out I'm only home twice that week. As a result my vegetables are left languishing in the back of the fridge. I have now gotten into the habit once a week to look through my fridge and decide which veg is looking a bit sad. I make sure to chop them up and freeze them in useable bags to be used at a later date. I always bag them up in portions so I can use them in one go.  Root vegetables tend to go a bit watery but they last longer in the fridge so I don't tend to freeze these. I always freeze slices of lemons and limes as they work great for G&T's when you have guests over. Butter, milk and bread are always great to be frozen and I do this regularly.

2. Make stale bread into breadcrumbs
We tend to treat ourselves a nice loaf of bread for the weekend as our go-to breakfast is poached eggs on toast. But as we never eat bread during the week it starts to go mouldy. Now I either freeze it in slicers or I pop it in the food processor to make it into breadcrumbs. I freeze these and use them as toppings for various things such as gratins and cauliflower cheese. My New Years resolution next year is to start getting into making my own bread so I never have to buy a loaf from the supermarket again.

3. Freeze sauces in ice cube trays
We always have a jar of pesto or curry paste in the larder but it doesn't always get used up in time before it went off. In a household of two, unless you use it everyday you're never going to use up a whole jar within three days. So I started freezing it in ice cube trays as soon as I opened it. I find three cubes of each tends to be enough when I am using them for dinner. This also works well with fresh herbs - just make sure you add some water. If you freeze rosemary this makes a good gin garnish.

4. Don't follow best before dates
Before I moved out from home I was a stickler for best before dates. I would throw something away on the day it had printed because I didn't think it could be consumed anymore. Not only is this incredibly wasteful but also very expensive! Now I go by looks and smell. Most food have at least a couple more days left on them past the best-before-date. You just have to use your common sense. Most veg which looks a little sorry for itself perks up in a soup or roasted.

5. Batch cook for the week and freeze
If I know I'm going to have a busy week but got a full fridge, I make sure I cook up quite a few different meals to use up all the food when I have the time. Mostly on a Sunday afternoon. I either pop them in the fridge for lunches throughout the week or freeze them for dinner for the rest of the week.

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Exploring Europe: Acropolis of Rhodes, Lindos, Rhodes, Greece

The most famous landmark in the village of Lindos is the Acropolis. Overlooking the village, you'll be able to see for miles once you make it to the top. A long hard slog to get there, even more so when you've been to a rooftop bar the night before, you soon forget about how much your legs are aching when you are greeted by the endless views. Make sure to stop a few moments and truly take in the sights below you. I'd recommend going as early in the day if you can to avoid the crowds and the heat. We ventured up about 2pm and it was pretty busy and the sun was in full swing.

Entry to the Acropolis costs 12 euro and you can pay in care or in cash at the top. Children can enter for free. Once you're through the barrier there are more steps to climb before you get the very top. You'll find lots of donkeys in and around the area at the bottom. Although they look well looked after I don't really agree with riding the donkeys up the steep hill in the searing heat. It doesn't quite sit right with me.

Built around 300 BC, the temple of Athena Lindia grow under the Romans with more building being added. The buildings fell into disuse during the medieval times. In the 14th century they were overlaid by a massive fortress. Work is still being done today to help preserve the ancient buildings. 

Be sure to keep away from the edge as there isn't any barriers to stop you toppling off. That Instagram post isn't worth falling headfirst into the surrounding sea and rocks. 

I'd recommend a drink in Lindos By Night as the rooftop bar offers a fantastic view of the acropolis all lit up in the evening. 

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Postcards from Lindos, Rhodes

Well I'm a bit behind with everything recently - just where is the time going? I feel like this year has completely flown past and I haven't kept up my new year resolution to keep on top of this blog! But I thought I'd do a little postcards from Lindos post from my trip back in September.

Our picture editor at work was getting married in Lindos on the isle of Rhodes and invited the whole team over to Greece to celebrate. So in September we all trekked to Gatwick and made the trip over to Lindos to take H&P on tour for a few days! I hadn't been to Greece since I was a kid so was excited to experience one of the islands as an adult and tick Rhodes off my list. I was expecting white-washed houses, little coves you could get lost in and history on every corner. And it was exactly what I experienced. I don't really do 'relaxing' holidays, always so keen to cram so much in so I don't feel like I've missed out as soon as I get home.  So this trip was such a welcome change and made me think maybe I should try relaxing more often!

Well relaxing during the day anyway! I don't think I went to bed before 3am for the four nights I was there. I didn't think I still had that in me. I thought that had all passed away by the time I entered my mid-twenties! Part of me is a little proud I can still do it night after night. Just about! Who knew Lindos was such a great place to party the night away... I had so much fun and don't think I stopped laughing the whole time I was there. But by the time it rolled around to Monday I was ready to come back to normal life and my own bed. I don't think any of us truly recovered from the four nights until after the following weekend. Turns out dancing all night really does take its toll...

Lindos is a great place in Rhodes, especially if you go with a big group of friends. It has the rooftop buzzing bars for those who want to party with the best of them. It has the stunning acropolis for those who love a bit of history. It has the endless winding streets of shops for those who love to pick up a souvenir or two. It has beautiful beaches for those who love nothing more than laying in the sun. It has cute little tavernas for those who love to try local food. It's a good hour from the airport which can sometimes put people off but I'd say it was well worth the trek.  This little jolly to Rhodes has made me want to explore so much more of the Greek islands - especially those much more remote, less touristy gems I've heard so much about.

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What I've been cooking #10: The Green Roasting Tin by Rukmini Iyer

Rukmini's first book The Roasting Tin is one of my most used cookbooks. Cooking in a roasting tin is so simple yet such a genius way of cooking. I've mentioned before we're trying to eat more of a veggie diet during the week so The Green Roasting Tin is perfect for midweek cooking. Thanks to my friend Steph for treating me to it! I love this book and turn to it all the time. I don't think you can get a more perfect book for midweek cooking. It's been an absolute godsend. I haven't been too keen on the sweet potato Thai curry and I ruined the cannellini bean falafel by not reading the recipe correctly.

Carrot tarte tatin
I made these into mini tart tatins rather than one big one as there was only two of us together. I had some normal carrots to use up in my fridge rather than the more picturesque rainbow mini ones. These were so easy to make. The hardest thing was to peel the carrots! Definitely a tart I'm going to add to my make again list.

Store cupboard pasta bake: crispy red pepper and cannellini beans with blue cheese
This was great! I made it one Sunday afternoon to have as lunches throughout the week. I loved the addition of the sweat jarred red peppers with the tang of the gorgonzola cheese. Such a delicious combination. It makes four very generous portions and you could spread it out even more if you serve it with some salad. I'm going to make this a packed lunch staple for work - can't wait to make it again!

Crispy gnocchi with mushrooms, squash and sage
I can never get enough of gnocchi and this recipe was a winner. We had it for lunch and it was a bit boring cold but once it had been blitzed in the microwave it was delicious. I loved the mix of the sage with the squash.

The most indulgent quick cook quiche: broccoli, blue cheese, chilli and walnut
I completely forgot to put an egg wash on the pastry which is why it came out a bit anaemic looking. But I can't believe I've never had broccoli with blue cheese as a combination before. Gamechanger! We opted for gorgonzola but I'd love to try it again with stilton.

Chipotle roasted sweetcorn with squash, black beans, feta and lime
I think this is my favourite recipe from the book so far. It was just so addictive. It served four but Connor and I scoffed the lot between us! We didn't serve it with rice so are going to try that next time.  I used a spaghetti squash for the first time. I just cut it into rounds and I think I preferred it over butternut squash.

Quick cook leek Orzotto with asparagus and hazelnuts
This did exactly what it said on the tin and was very quick to make. It makes a great option for a packed lunch. Every Sunday I like to cook lunches for Monday and Tuesday so we don't have to worry about it. The start of the week is hard enough without meal prepping! It was delicious, both hot and cold.

Miso aubergines with tofu and spring greens
Miso aubergines are one of my favourite things to order in a restaurant but I never thought to make them at home. It all changed when I stumbled across a pot of miso in Sainsbury's. I loved this and it fast went up into my top three recipes from the book as soon as I took a bite. It was so deliciously moorish. I have decided I much prefer the texture of fried tofu rather than roasted in a dish. It was bit too slimy for me.

Cauliflower with chickpeas and spring greens and tahini dip
I am fast becoming addicted to tahini and love any recipes which feature it. Roasted cauliflower is my favourite way to each the vegetable. I just love how it gets all crunchy and crispy in the oven. This was a great option for a light meal in the evening.

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#52recipes: 22-26

Ottolenghi's Feta and oregano chips from Simple
For something so simple, these were absolutely delicious. They made a nice change from having my normal salt and pepper wedges. I loved the combination of the salt feta cheese on the crispy fries. They were down a treat at a lunch I hosted. You could eat a whole tray of these on their own- and some more!

Hoisin jackfruit tacos from @Todaywecooked
I am obsessed with this Instagram yet this is the first thing I've cooked. Despite having saved so among of her recipes. All vegetarian, the account specialises in easy-to-make, family-friendly recipes. Everything just looks so delicious! I picked up two cans of jackfruit from Aldi without having a clue what to make with them.

Alison Roman's vinegar roasted beetroot with spring onion and yogurt from Dining In
This was a bit of a faff and the beetroot didn't end up cooking in the time specified so I had to leave it in for two more hours. We ended up having it the day after because it wasn't ready by the time our roast chicken was. It was really tasty but I don't think I'll make it again due to how long it seemed to take. I have found some of the timings for Alison's vegetable side dishes to be a little off.

Alison Roman's chocolate chip cookies from Dining In
These cookies are internet famous and I know I had to try them for myself as soon as this book arrived. They remind me of more of a shortbread rather than a traditional American cookie. I loved the crunch from the sugar and the chunks of chocolate was absolutely delicious. I think these are the best cookies I've made and know I'll make these time and time again!

Diana Henry's roasted Harissa carrots with cannelloni beans and yogurt from Simple
Harissa is my new favourite paste and it was absolutely delicious on carrots. I'm really loving carrots at the minute. I was never a fan until I started getting my Abel & Cole box and now I'm obsessed. I usually just roast them in honey so this makes a nice change. Yogurt is a great shout to help cool them down if you get a bit too liberal with the Harissa.

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