1. Meat Free Christmas Menu: If you're planning Christmas meals and want a vegetarian option, then why not try Nigel Slater's menu, on the Guardian website.
    
2. Fabulous Looking Salad: Chef Yotam Ottolenghi can always be relied on to produce something tasty and interesting, the latest is this Carrot, Ginger, Seaweed and Herb Salad.
    
3. Crumbed Chicken: Great idea for a savoury walnut and breadcrumb mixture you can use to coat chicken or even vegetables and fish. From the Mindful Foodie.

What are you cooking this weekend?

Goat's cheese chicken with warm lentils & sweet beets

Cherry crumble

While the picnic was hastily put together, sitting and talking to good friends at the end of the weekend, while watching the sun set over the harbour was quite magical.

I am to be honest a sucker for a picnic. Which means I'm always on the look out for good picnic fare. Here are some suggestions:

• I'm intrigued by this vegan version of the traditional Greek Spinach Pie from Vegan Latina. It uses a mixture of tofu and cashews instead of the cheese and sounds quite delicious.
   
• Falafels are perfect picnic food, but they are usually deep fried. Which means I have my eye on these baked Herb and Pistachio Falafels from Green Kitchen Stories. I also love their serving suggestion, wrapped in lettuce leaves and topped with mint yoghurt and chilli salsa.
   
• This salad from Nigel Slater looks like perfect picnic fodder to me. Leftover cooked which is tossed with couscous, oranges and fresh herbs. I'd also add some baby spinach or rocket leaves, to boost the vegetable quota.
   
• If you have access to a barbecue why not take some Glazed Pork Kebabs. Marinate the ingredients and then thread them onto skewers and cook at your picnic location.  Do make sure you keep them cold during transport though.
   
• I made these oven baked peppers with fetta and pesto on A Life (Time) of Cooking several times last year (the picture on the right) and they are perfect for picnics. I make them in advance, leave to cool and then transport in a plastic container and serve with flatbreads. Utterly delicious food.

What's your favourite picnic food?