#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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