Chargrilled asparagus, courgette & halloumi with roasted tomatoes and basil oil

You probably think I have an obsession by now (and you might be right) but here is another of Ottolenghi’s creations. I ate this salad recently at an event and have been dreaming about it ever since. After much googling I discovered that it was not a chef original (as I was deceptively told) but an Ottolenghi. Of course it was.

Roasted butternut squash and red onion with tahini and za'atar

I wanted something colourful and summery that fits into the vegetarian category (I know, don't be too alarmed) but that also keeps hunger locked up until the next decent bacon fix. Not an easy task, I must say. Of course my main man Ottolenghi came prancing over the hills, as he often does, with another wonderous answer to all my vegetable questions. 

PIZZA: Two ways (featuring caramelised fennel, crispy prosciutto and roasted red peppers...)

Caramelised fennel, mozzarella, black olives & crispy prosciutto pizza

I had a bad experience with yeast. It scarred me. As touched upon briefly on my date with a bacon scone, I created a monster. Unfortunately it had been whilst using a recipe with a significant amount of chia seeds, meaning I had pretty much rolled up a wad of cash, dunked it in some fizzy yeast and baked it. Moral of the story - don't experiment with large quantities of expensive ingredients. Another moral - research a bit more about yeast and DO NOT WING IT.

Spicy Chorizo and Roasted Tomato Orecchiette

Having recently returned from Valencia, I am already having desparate withdrawal symptoms from the food. The jamón ibérico, the huge, juicy tomatoes, the crispy fried calamari.... We did, however, manage to bring some wonderful bits back with us, including some spicy chorizo, two huge Valencian tomatoes and that lovely ceramic bowl you see before you. 

Beetroot, Fennel, Mint & Feta Salad

This is the type of salad that yells "SPRING IS HERE!" right in your face. In a good way. Provided you don't get overexcited and mix it all too vigorously and get beetroot juice everywhere, it is a beautiful, tasty and healthy salad.

Jazzed up Banana Bread

So I’ve jazzed up the banana bread. Imagine taking your favourite moist, sweet, banana-y banana bread and introducing him to those rice crispy guys- Snap, Crackle and Pop. Yup, he crackles. 

Homemade sweet & sour pickles

So I have discovered that these are also referred to as bread and butter pickles. After a bit of a google, I learned that this has nothing to do with how you actually use the pickle and is just a confusing name, hence the use of 'sweet and sour' above. I'm not out to confuse you, only feed you.