Restaurant review: Sugar Dumplin, Wembley, north London

I'd been to Sugar Dumplin before in Surrey so was excited to try their London offering in Wembley. I took my mum one Sunday and we trotted off to the corner of north London for an afternoon of shopping and Caribbean food. Could there be any better way to spend a Sunday?

As we settled down into the colourful surroundings, we decided to share a couple of starters between us. The sweet potato fries sprinkled with nigella seeds and spring onions were addictive and we were both sad when the bowl was quickly polished off. We also pumped for a salt cod patty with a side of spicy coleslaw and salad. The portions were just the right size to give us a taste for more.

For our mains I chose the quarter jerk chicken served with a side salad and rice and peas. This really packed a punch which is great because quite often jerk falls short in some places. It had my lips tingling which is always a good sign! The generous bowl of rice and peas was delicious. Looking back, I wish I had ordered a half a chicken! My mum decided to go for the vegetarian butternut squash and chickpea creole roti curry wrap served with rice and peas. Again this had a good kick to it and was pretty filling.

We both took one for the team and decided to pump for dessert. My mum for a duo of creamy chocolate and vanilla ice cream and I for sweet sugar dumplins sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. They were like a dense doughnut and so moreish!

Once again my meal at Sugar Dumplin was absolutely delicious! The service couldn't be better, the food is among some of best Caribbean food I've had and the atmosphere is great. They have a branch in Glasgow, Kingston and Camberley so book yourselves in for a treat.

Thanks for having us guys!

Read more

Exploring Ireland: Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge, Ballycastle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

One thing on our list for our trip to Northern Ireland was a visit to the Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge, located not too far from Balintoy Harbour. Owned by the National Trust, this wooden rope bridge was first erected by salmon fishermen in 1755 and is a Game of Thrones filming location. Even if you're not a GoT fan, it's well worth a visit.

Once you've bought your ticket - it's about £6 -, it's about a 15 minute walk from the ticket office to the bridge with lots of stunning scenery on the way. The electric blue of the Atlantic Ocean and rugged cliffs are breathtaking and truly a sight to behold. Sometimes I can't quite believe this is the UK when it feels like you are a million miles away from home. I feel incredible lucky to have this part of the world a mere 50 minute plane journey away.

The rope bridge connect two cliffs and is suspended almost 100ft above the sea. It's a slightly terrifying walk across. My legs were like jelly and I couldn't bear to look anywhere other than straight ahead. It didn't help with my boyfriend behind me wobbling the bridge and making the experience even less enjoyable... Despite not really enjoying it, I really did enjoy it and it was something I'm so glad I did. Everyone should do it! The view from the other side was gorgeous - well worth the six quid fee for that.

Keep in mind there will be lots of crowds. Even in January we counted three huge coaches full of tourists. It seems other people have discovered how beautiful this part of the world is too...

Read more

Recipe: Thai green meatballs

During this cold snap - although hopefully set to change! - there's nothing quite like a spicy curry to help blow the winter cobwebs away and put some hairs on your chest. A Thai curry is one of the ultimate comfort food dishes for me so when Heck got in touch to offer me the chance to try their new Thai bites veggie balls, it was a dish I immediately created. The delicious balls (lolz) are made from a tasty combination of Thai pesto, sweet potato and sticky rice making them vegan, dairy free and gluten free.

Feeds 2

Ingredients
1pack of Thai bites veggie balls*
1 can of half-fat coconut milk
1 lime, zest and juice
2 crushed cloves of garlic
A pinch of chilli flakes
2-3 teaspoons of Thai green curry pas (depending on how hot you like it)
1 pack of sugar snap peas
1 pack of mini corn
1 bunch of spring onions
1 tablespoon of olive oil

To serve
A bowl of brown rice - I used Uncle Ben's microwavable rice because I'm a lazy one

Method
1. Put the oil in a big casserole dish and cook the sugar snap peas and mini corn for about 5 minutes.

2. Add the crushed garlic and spring onions before cooking for a further 5 minutes.

3. Put in the coconut milk, veggie balls and chilli flakes. Give it a good stir for a couple of minutes.

4. Add the paste, give the mixture stir and bring to the boil. Once boiling, cook for about 10-12 minutes on a high heat. Keep stirring to ensure nothing sticks to the base of the pan.

5.  Spilt the rice between two bowls and serve the curry.

As always let me know if you make it and tweet me a picture. Happy cooking!

Read more