#52recipes: 11-16

If you want to keep up with my recipe challenge on Instagram, check out my highlights where I've been posting everything I've been trying. I'd love to know what you've been cooking recently for some inspiration! You can see that from what I'm posting about, just how obsessed I am with Diana Henry's cookbook Simple. It is such an incredible book and I've loved everything I've made. It's definitely become my go-to book in the kitchen.

Diana Henry's chicken, cauliflower and parmesan bake from Simple
The first thing I cooked from Diana Henry's Simple was this traybake. For something so simple, it was unbelievably delicious. Definitely one for a weekday meal as it's nice and quick. You simply bung everything in a roasting dish then leave it alone in the oven to cook. I'm rarely make the same thing twice but this is good enough that I'm going to add it my monthly rotation!

Ottolenghi's honey, thyme and yogurt cheese cake from Simple
Loved the combination of thyme and honey but feel it needed a bit longer in the fridge to set. I'd recommend to leave it overnight if you make it. The hobnob biscuit base was a game changer and I'm going to use it in my future cheesecakes. So much nicer than the normal digestive biscuit.

Diana Henry's spiced Turkish chicken from Simple
Another Diana recipe that I LOVED. If I'm going to cook meat at home, chicken thighs are one of my favourite pieces to cook. They taste so flavoursome and are really the best part of the chicken in my opinion. The spice blend of this dish was so delicious. I served it with my signature salt and pepper wedges along with the salsa Diana recommends.

Gouda, spring onion and spinach quiche (loosely based on a Mary Berry recipe)
Quiche is one of my favourite ways to use up veg. It's the ideal summer dish in my opinion. I base it on a Mary Berry recipe which allows for lots of chopping and changing depending on what you have on hand. I had some gouda in the fridge and I think it might have become my favourite cheese to use in a quiche. It was fab! I suppose using basically a whole block helped...

Diana Henry's Huevos Roots from Simple
Gosh I'm still so obsessed with this book and can't wait until her next one comes out. This is a dish we've made quite a few times now when we don't want to go shopping. All you need is paprika, eggs and potatoes - three staples we always have in the house at any time. It's a dish that will work well for breakfast, lunch or dinner. A true all-rounder!

Ottolenghi's whole roasted cauliflower with green Tahini sauce from Simple
I did this dish when I hosted a Sunday roast for my blogger girls. Who knew a simple green tahini sauce could be so addictive! This was absolutely delicious and the whole cauliflower was a great showpiece for the middle of the table. It's one I'm going to keep on making for when I'm entertaining.
(Picture taken from Michelle's blog)

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Four tips to do Las Vegas on a budget

When we went to Las Vegas earlier on in the year I was shocked by how expensive it was. I knew it was going to be pricey but it was SO pricey. That's coming from a girl who spends most of her life in London where being expensive is a way of life. After being there a day we quickly realised we were going to spend a lot of money BUT as the days went on we realised that maybe we didn't have to take out a second mortgage in order to have a good time. Here are some four tips to help you see Vegas on a budget...

Make the most of the hotels
To be honest one of the best things about Vegas is wandering from hotel to hotel, with each one being even more bonkers than the last. It's completely free to soak up the atmosphere and people watch in the craziest place on earth. For sheer opulence The Venetian was a sight to behold, you'll find yourself wandering around with your mouth open. For retro vibes, head to the Flamingo with real flamingos hanging out in the pool area. For Willy Wonka-style grandness the Wynn has some absolutely incredible floral displays that are crying out for an Instagram snap. The Ballagio has cool old-school vibes and really sums up what Las Vegas is all about.

Take advantage of the fast food joints
I've been lucky enough to visit a few cities in America and Vegas is probably the worst foodie choice. I may not have eaten at the right places but I did my research and everything still fell a little flat. The city seemed to go for quantity over quality. But one thing America does do well is a fast food joint! Shake Shack in particular tastes an million times nicer out there than it does in London. We tended to opt for fast food for lunches and then splash out a little for dinner to help keep costs down.

Avoid the taxis and download Uber
The strip is absolutely huge and after a few times, the novelty tends to wear off walking up and down. It takes such a long time as the crowds really do slow you down. I recommend to download the Uber app to get around cheaply. We got a hell of a lot of Ubers over the week and we spent around £38 each which was unbelievably cheap. I'd fully expected it to be at least £100. Someone told us there are a staggering 30,000 uber drivers in Vegas so you never have to wait longer than a minute for one.

Stick to the slot machines in casinos
If you make it to Vegas you have to have a little flutter at some point. But it can be easy to blow loads of money before you know it. Keep an eye out for the slot machines which are 25 cents a go. That means you have four tries on the one armed-bandits for a dollar. When you start using dollar machines it can soon add it and cut into your budget a lot.

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Four ways to budget your weekly food shop

When you're looking to save money, one of the easiest ways to cut back is on your shopping list. But cutting back doesn't mean you have to cut back on the quality of food you eat. You just have to be savvy! I've become obsessed with trying to lower the price of my food shop each week. Anyone else play that game at the checkout where you try to guess the final total? No? Just us weirdos then! We do treat ourselves to an Abel & Cole box delivered every fortnight which works out around $6.60 each week on top of our food bill. When we buy meet every so often we try to make sure to go to the local butchers to ensure it's free range. We buy cheap cuts of meat like chicken thighs but often find they're the most flavoursome. Here are my four money-saving tips that I swear by when I'm scanning the aisles of Aldi each week...

1. Shop around
It's so convenient to go to one supermarket and get all your shopping completely done in one go. But the supermarkets you visit might not always be the cheapest. We've discovered that Aldi for the bulk of our shop, Home Bargains for cleaning/washing products and specialist cuisine shops for our spices, herbs and ingredients a little out of the ordinary works out to be the cheapest for us. It can be a bit of pain having to go to three different shops but I like to think of it as a little adventure!

2. Go veggie during the week
Since January we've been trying to make a conscious decision to become 'mid-week' vegetarians. Part of it was because I'm trying to do my bit to be more sustainable and the other was because we are trying to cut down on our weekly food bill. We average on around £30 for a veggie food shop compared to around £50 for a food shop including meat. We buy a lots of pulses in the form of tinned beans and lentils to help keep our protein up. Meat is kept for the odd day at the weekend where we'll go to the butchers or a treat if we have dinner out. I haven't really found myself missing it and I'm loving how much more adventurous its making me with my cooking. It's so easy to fall into the trap of always cooking meat and veg without giving it too much thought. I'm determined to create meals where meat isn't missed and think I'm succeeding 75% of the time.

3. Meal plan
The day before we do our shop I'll go through our larder, grab my cookbooks and meal plan for the upcoming week. I tend to choose dinners for four people so I can cook enough for us to have lunch the following day. I only do five days as we always have one day where we're both out and another where we're home alone - that night it is toast of some sort. My favourite comfort food! I don't always cook the meal on the day planned but it will be cooked sometime that week. I find this stops me panic buying and spending unnecessary money. I try to only buy produce that I will use that week to minimise food waste.

4. Stock your cupboard with tins
I love tins. In fact I can't rave about tinned food enough! It's amazing how versatile they are. And cheap! I always make sure I have tinned tomatoes, fish and different types of beans to ensure that even when the cupboards feel bare there is always something to be able to made into a meal. You can easily put off shopping for a few days if you have a well stocked cupboard.

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An honest opinion of a vegetable subscription service

I'd been interested in subscribing to a veg box since I moved it but it seemed a bit frivolous. But now after living in our house for two years, money isn't as tight as it once was so I took the plunge and signed up to see if they were really worth the money. I opted for Abel & Cole because I loved the idea of their British veg box priced at £12.50. I've been trying really hard this year to make more ethical food choices to try and help the environment. One of those is only eating vegetables that are season to help cut down on the transportation.

Consisting of six different varieties of vegetables, everything in the box is organic. It changes each week but you'll find you'll sometimes get a lot of the same things due to the fact the U.K is limited in what type of veg it can grown. That darn British weather! Sadly you can't ask for replacements like you can for the other boxes so if you don't like something that's included then that's tough. You'll find the contents of the box for the next two weeks on the website so you can decided whether you would like it delivered. In the particular week pictured we got free tofu included in the box and I added some wild garlic after being influenced on Instagram! Occasionally we will add other stuff, this week I added some bread and salted butter.

We decided to get it delivered fortnightly as £12.50 each week did seem a bit expensive and a waste of money. As there are only two of us in this house I've found this works out perfectly. I don't know if it's because its organic but it really does last a long time so we barely finish eating it before the next box gets delivered. I plan my meals around what we will receive in the box so it's so helpful to see the contents online in advance. The packaging is all recyclable, even the plastic. I love the fact you can leave the box outside, and all the other packaging if you wish, and they will collect it to reuse it again for another box.

So is it worth the money? In a short answer yes! I love having it delivered every week and the produce is always so delicious. In particular the tomatoes are incredible. They actually taste like tomatoes which is more than what you can say for the ones in the supermarket...  Having the box makes me much more adventurous with my cooking as I'm using ingredients I never would have thought to use. As we're making more of an effort to go veggie, it's making it a lot easier to get more of our daily allowance. It's so easy to bulk up dinners with potatoes but this is making sure I get my five a day. We are sometimes still buying a couple of veggies in our weekly shop but that's mostly if I'm cooking for other people than our household of two. I even don't mind that the veg is a little grubby when it arrives - Sophie a year ago would have hated this! - as this means that it really is organic. Nothing a little rinse under the tap can't sort! We've been enjoying the box for two months now and I can't imagine we'll be stopping anytime soon.

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How to spend 24 hours in Ipoh, Malaysia

8am: Wake up

You'll want to make an early start in order to make the most of your time in the city. After waking up at Ban Loong Hotel, make sure you're ready to be out of the door for 9am. Nice and central, Ban Loong is spotlessly clean with incredibly helpful and friendly staff. The rooms come with air conditioning and free WIFI. It's a great option if you're on a budget as a private double room with a private bathroom was priced at around £35 per room.

9am: Breakfast at Plan B
We always opted for a western breakfast throughout our Malaysia trip. Luckily the cities we visited had cute cafes that wouldn't look out of place in Shoreditch. Drinks and food isn't cheap at Plan B but if you're eating street food in the evenings then you can afford to splash out. The bar/cafe has a great wine list, something we found was unusual in Malaysia. The menu is a hybrid of American-inspired dishes such as hotdogs, loaded fries and burgers. You'll also find Asian themed dishes if this is what tickles your fancy. The cafe is located inside a market which have some lovely stalls dotted around.

10.30am: Take a stroll around the street art
Just like Georgetown in Penang, Ipoh is full of street art by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic. Download a map on your phone whilst you have WIFI and it's fun to spend an hour wandering and soaking up the city. They're all pretty close to each other and watch up for the crowds. Everyone loves street art!

11.30: Take a stroll down Concubine Lane
Concubine Lane is said to be where rich men hid their mistresses from their wives. Now it's a bustling street of pop-up stalls, food vendors and little boutiques. It is a bit hectic but that's part of its charm. I highly recommend it for some cheap sunglasses if you lose yours! Grab some street food from the stalls if you're feeling peckish. The street food is out of this world in Malaysia.

12:30pm: Look at the colonial architecture
Malaysia was colonised by the British and as a result the country is full off typical colonial architecture. Ipoh is no different. One of the most famous buildings in the city is the train station. Designed by British architect Arthur Hubbard, the main behind Kuala Lumpur train station, it's a stunning building. We sat for a while on the bench outside and people watched. Other buildings to keep an eye out for include the town hall and clock tower. Also look out for the state mosque which is a incredible example of Islamic architecture. The call to prayer will give you goosebumps.

2pm: Sam Poh Tong temple
Sam Poh Tong is located about a 10-12 minute drive outside the city. We had a car but you can easily get a taxi, they're pretty cheap in Ipoh. Make sure you download Grab which is their version of Uber. This Chinese temple is built within limestone caves and is quite a site to behold. If you can hack a steep climb of 246 steps to the cave opening, you'll be rewarded with a view of Ipoh and the surrounding areas. The peaceful gardens were my favourite part. We got an ice cream and sat on the benches soaking up the surroundings and the atmosphere.

2.45pm: Buddhist temple
About a five minute walk from Sam Poh Tong is a Bhutanese Buddhist temple. I have no idea what it was called as I can't seem to find it on Google. We just stumbled across it and it was great! We were kindly given a tour by a women who was looking after the temple. She armed up with leaflets and despite the language barrier tried to teach us all about it. She was a very enthusiastic photo taker!

3.30pm: Head back to the city for some coffee
Ipoh is famous for its coffee. I'm not a fan but my boyfriend fell in love with it and bought some home with him as a souvenir. Ipoh coffee is very sweet so perfect for those who aren't too keen on the bitter taste. The city is full of hipster coffee shops so just pick one that tickles your fancy. You can't go wrong!

4.30pm: Head back to the hotel to have a shower and get ready for the evening.
The weather in February was ridiculously hot as we constantly felt sticky. A shower before you head out for the evening was always welcomed! So was a nap if we could fit in it... The heat makes you so tired!

6pm: Try local delicacies for dinner at Tong Sui Kai
Special thanks to Michelle for giving me the heads up on these hawker stalls. Order a grab and give them the street name of Jin Sultan Ekram. It can be quite overwhelming when you see the sheer amount of stalls on offer but always go to the one with a decent sized queue. It means that it will be tasty! I couldn't tell you what stalls I visited only that it was some of the best food we ate in Malaysia. I'm still dreaming about those noodles!

8pm: The city is yours! We went bar hopping then headed back to the hotel to grab some beauty sleep before leaving the next day.

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What to wear in between seasons

Outfit:

Cotton red and white striped shirt dress: Zara (similar)

Light wash denim jacket: Primark (similar)

Silver three strap sliders: Birkenstocks

Grey cross over bag: Marc Jacobs (similar)

What is this weather eh? I always find it so tricky to dress for this type of weather. I'm also so over wearing jeans by the time the summer months roll around as I've been wearing them all throughout the winter. But thanks to the rain, its always a little bit chilly! My solution? A midi dress with sleeves and a pair of Birkenstocks. My feet always get pretty hot on the tube - TMI maybe? So my Birks always keep my feet cool. I keep a denim jacket on me in then morning as it's always pretty chilly at the time I start my commute. It's folds up - who am I kidding, scrunches up - pretty small so is easy to keep in my rucksack. A cotton dress keeps you cool and yet also dries out pretty quickly if you get caught in the summer rain. Which happens almost daily in England!

As soon as the weather becomes above freezing I seem to live in my Birkenstock sandals. They're so comfy, the perfect shoe when you're on your feet all day. Due to this obsession they sadly rarely make it past one season. In fact I had to chuck my very well worn black ones last summer in Mallorca because they literally fell apart on my feet. RIP. But Birks can be pretty expensive so I always try to hunt around for a bargain. TK Maxx always have a great selection online and in store. Alternatively check out Love The Sales as their Birkenstock sale* is pretty decent too.

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#52 recipes: number 11-15

I feel like I'm on a roll now with my recipe challenge and really am enjoying it. I'm still not pushing myself too far out of my comfort zone but I am trying lots of different cuisines. I really want to try my hand at making different types of bread. I just need a weekend free - it's been pretty hectic of late!

Spiced cherry tomato pasta from Simple
If done well, you can't go wrong with a simple tomato pasta sauce. This was slow cooked which really helped to add to the flavours. It was really easy to do and was pure comfort food. It's one that is best to wait until British tomatoes are in season as they can sometimes taste a bit watery if not.  I'm not quite sure if this tomato sauce is 'the one' though. I'm still looking for my perfect recipe!

Mange tout and baby sweetcorn Laksa from Veggie Lean in 15
We ate a lot of laksa in Malaysia and this recipe really didn't do much for us at all. It was a really simplified recipe and I think perhaps Laksa is one that should be done right and authentically in order for it to taste amazing. There can be no shortcuts! It didn't really have much flavour and tasted quite bland. In fact I wasn't too impressed with this cookbook again and think it might be one for the charity shop.

Gorganzola, sage and walnut tagliatelle by Rachel Roddy
I'm a frequent reader of Rachel's column in the Guardian and this pasta dish is the first thing I've attempted from it. It definitely won't be the last. I used it with some spring onion tagliatelle that had been sitting in the larder from a spontaneous trip to the Aldi middle aisle. I adored the salty richness the gorgonzola added to the dish and the crunch of the walnuts. It's not a combination I would ever have thought up myself but it all worked so well together. I'd definitely try it again! But next time I'd add a bit more cheese.

Lemon and buttermilk pound cake by Diana Henry
This is the best lemon cake I've ever made. It was so moist and the lemon flavour was out of this world. Exactly how a lemon cake should be! It was really simple to make and just confirmed to me how much I love anything Diana Henry does. I think I'd happily just cook her recipes for the rest of my life.

Spiced apple cake from Simple
This smelt and tasted exactly like Christmas thanks to the cinnamon. I think this is the best Ottolenghi bake I've done so far and it' s such a crowd pleaser. Make sure you use a big cake tin as it rises a far bit. The first time it spilled all over the oven, This is a cake I can see myself making time and time again.

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Hotel review: The Sticks, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia

Address: Lot 213 Jalan KKB - Fraser's Hill, 44000 Kuala Kubu Baru, Selangor, Malaysia
Cost per night: Starting from around £47 based on four people sharing a hut with half board meals. It's an £5 to opt for full board.

I can't take any credit for finding this gem of a place. All credit lays with my friends who live in Malaysia and I'm very glad they knew about it! You'll need a car to drive to The Sticks as it really is in the middle of nowhere. But it's well worth navigating those Malaysian roads for.

Free of WIFI in the middle of a forest, The Sticks consists of lots of self-contained huts dotted around. You can spend your days sitting on your terrace with a cold can of beer, splashing around in the river with a rubber dingy, feasting on delicious home cooked meals, petting the dogs wandering around or competitively playing board games. The whole point of The Sticks is to be with nature and completely switch off from the outside world.

We only stayed overnight so just took advantage of exploring the river and catching up over a few ice cold beers. But you can book jungle treks, white water rafting, paragliding or botanical walks - depending on how adventurous you're feeling.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner can all be included in the price, meaning you don't have to worry about a thing. We missed lunch as we got stuck in traffic on the way there but made up for it stuffing our faces at dinner. We were served a delicious evening meal of BBQ'd fish and veggies on a banana leaf. Breakfast was Western themed and just as tasty.

The Sticks really is a great place to get away from it all and well worth making the extra effort to find. It was one of my favourite places during my trip. Such a hardship to leave!

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Recipe: my favourite roast chicken recipe

I didn't grow up in a household where we religiously had a roast dinner every Sunday so I've always been a bit nonplus about the traditional British dinner. I always thought that roast chicken was a bit boring and not really my jam. But as I continue on my quest to become a whizz in the kitchen (very much a work in progress),  I've been trying out a few recipes and decided that I actually do really like it. It's a really simple dish to do when you have guests over and is always a crowd pleaser. I've been trying out a few different recipes and come up with a mix-matched recipe from Ottolenghi and Rukmini Iyer that I think is a corker.

Ingredients
1 large free range chicken
1/2 bunch of thyme
1 preserved lemon
1 unwaxed lemon
70g of unsalted butter
1 garlic bulb plus two cloves
200g potatoes
200g sweet potatoes
Generous sprinkle of sea salt (Maldons is my favourite)
Generous grind of black pepper
Rapeseed oil

1. Get the chicken out of the fridge and leave to rest on the side so it gets to room temperature.

2. Put the butter, preserved lemon, pepper, salt, three teaspoons of thyme leaves and two peeled garlic cloves in a food processor and pulse until all mixed together.

3. Chop the potatoes into slightly bigger than bite size pieces and place in a large roasting. Pour over some rapeseed oil.

4. Cut a garlic bulb in half and nestle the bottom half within the potatoes. Peel six strips of lemon peel and scatter over. Mix it all together in the oil with your hands.

4. Place the chicken in the large baking tray on top of the potatoes with the legs facing towards you. Gently peel the skin back and start rubbing the butter mixture. Make sure to rub it on top of the legs too. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

5. Cut the unwaxed lemon in half and put in the chicken's bum along with a few springs of thyme and the rest of the garlic cloves from the bulb.

6. Put the chicken in the oven with the legs facing the back. Cook for around two hours. I usually start checking after 90 minutes as my oven cooks rather quick.

7. Once it's cooked take it out and leave it to rest for 10-15 before carving. Serve with all your favourite trimmings!

Let me know if you make it on Twitter, I'd love to see pictures!

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