A holiday abroad is a great time to pick up ideas for new recipes. Nine times out of ten you’ll find me by the sea, wolfing down as much fresh seafood as possible with plenty of salad and vegetable dishes on the side. It’s often during these occasions that flavour combinations get logged in my mind and I can’t wait to try to recreate them at home.

The Maldives is one of my favourite destinations to unwind, and while the islands aren’t necessarily known for their cuisine, I discovered the refreshing tuna, chilli and coconut salad here one lunchtime by the pool. It’s perfect for summer eating and ideal for taking on a picnic, with chapatis or pitta breads for filling. When choosing a coconut, pick one that feels heavy for its size. Also, give the nut a shake – the more liquid you can hear, the fresher it should be.

If you’re after a more hearty salad, the gammon, wild rice, runner bean and pineapple salad will do the job. Normally I would use smoked ham hocks in this recipe for their flaky texture. You’ll need two hocks, weighing about 800g each. Soak them overnight, then follow the recipe below, allowing 3-4 hours to cook, or until the meat falls easily off the bone. To save time for a picnic, gammon does make a really delicious alternative.

With all their fruit, vegetables, herbs, spices, pulses and grains, it’s unsurprising that North African and Middle Eastern countries are responsible for some of the most interesting salad combinations. Bulgur wheat is often used for its nutty texture and taste and because it absorbs other flavours like a sponge. I’m using it in the third recipe with a mixture of pulses, courgettes, celery, walnuts, mint and goat’s cheese and some Moroccan spices for a wonderfully aromatic vegetarian salad.

Spiced bulgar wheat, courgette and goat's cheese salad

Tuna, chilli and fresh coconut salad

Gammon, pineapple, wild rice and runner bean salad

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