As someone who takes food very seriously, I find joy in partaking in mini culinary experiments. Who says that cooking is a chore? Quite the contrary, cooking is actually extremely therapeutic.

FYI, I am completely useless at following recipes. I may begin with a recipe for “grilled lemon chicken with honey, thyme and mustard seeds” and end up with a dish involving turkey, tomatoes and mint. But not knowing what you’ll end up with is part of what makes cooking so much fun. 

Here is a sample of the products of some of my weird cooking adventures - miraculously conjured up with strange ingredient combinations, a dash of luck and a sprinkling of sunshine.

Toasted brown pitta with grilled chicken, beetroot chunks and pomegranate seeds. Surprisingly good served with a dollop of plain Greek yoghurt. 

 Simple ramen noodles with pork marinaded in Chinese wine, dark soya sauce, terriyaki sauce and mirin. 

Grilled cod with spring onions, salt and pepper. Served with pan-fried onions and sweet potatoes roasted in olive oil, honey and a pinch of paprika. 

A classic tender beef stew with new potatoes, carrots, onion and barley. Seasoning…to your heart’s content. Oh, there was cider in there too. I think. 

Mango and smoked salmon salad with shaved beetroot and mixed leaves. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.

This may not look like much. But I can assure you, this is one of the BEST PUDDINGS EVER. And SO ridiculously easy to make too. 

3/4 ripe bananas

2 cups of Milk

1 tsp butter 

A dash of vanilla essence

3 tbsp plain flour 

Sugar (depends on how sweet you like your puds)

Pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg 

1. Preheat oven (180C) 
2. Heat the milk, butter, vanilla, sugar and flour in a pot
3. Layer sliced bananas in a cake tin
4. Pour milk mixture over bananas
5. Stick it in the oven and bake until a sticky gooey layer forms and it starts to bubble a little. 
6. Sprinkle on spices 
7. Serve steaming hot with vanilla ice cream 

Like a big fuzzy hug in wintertime. 

Blackforest.  This delicious cake is obviously not a product of one of my strange experiments, but was made at a baking class that I attended a few summers ago. Layered with sweet cherries, blueberries and plenty of dark chocolate. Mmmmm.  

One of my favourite cafes in London, Lantana never ceases to impress. It is the place to be for delicious, wholesome and healthy food. Brighten up your weekends with their fabulous brunch or just pop in for a perfect cuppa coffee.

Brown sugar cured salmon with fennel and polenta. The delicate peachy flakes of salmon carried a hint of sweet honey, which went well with the plain polenta cake and roasted fennel bulbs.

Roasted aubergine and tomato tart, cos lettuce cucumber olive salad & couscous rocket salad. The tart and salads change daily, so do keep an eye out for new flavours and combinations!

The infamous BERT sandwich - perfectly toasted bread with crispy bacon, fried egg, tomato, rocket and aioli.

Toasted banana bread with nutella butter - perfect way to start your morning. 

(Rathbone Place)

The Colombian Roast was described as having a subtle chocolatey, nutty flavour. This simple pressed coffee is a perfect balance of bittersweetness. The Cappuccino tended towards a certain milkiness - frothy, smooth and delightfully creamy.