Delicious, easy recipes by Jay Wadams

Hi, I'm Jay!

I'm a cookbook author, food photographer and recipe developer.

Days of Jay is my website dedicated to sharing simple, tasty recipes for home cooking.

Jay Wadams - Cook, Author and Photographer. Owner daysofjay.com

My recipes are packed with photos and useful tips and tricks to help you as you cook. They are all inspired by healthy, seasonal ingredients and my travels across the globe, especially in Germany, Italy, Cyprus, and Australasia.

I am so excited to have you here, so let’s dive in and get cooking!


Chicken Recipes Category Page.
Vegetarian Recipes Category.
Lamb Recipes
Fish Recipes
Beef Recipes.
Pork Recipes

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The Latest Recipes From My Kitchen

Discover my latest and greatest recipes below, or use the search function to find exactly what you’re looking for.


Torta Caprese al Limone

Torta Caprese al Limone is a classic chocolate cake from the Italian island of Capri. With a mouthwatering combination of almonds, lemon and white chocolate and a soft and fudgy interior. Bonus: Gluten-free! .

French Pot Roast Chicken

A heart-warming classic, French Pot Roast Chicken or ‘Poulet au Pot’ is a terrific recipe for beautifully juicy, tender chicken with flavoursome root vegetables and a rich gravy. As a bonus, it’s all cooked in one pot so less washing up!
Cinnamon Star Bread Title Card showing star bread from two angles. Text overly 'Sweet Cinnamon Star Bread'.

Cinnamon Star Bread

One of my favourite Christmas bakes is Cinnamon Star Bread. With the delicious flavour of cinnamon rolls, this sweet bread recipe makes a beautiful loaf to feed a crowd. It is also actually much simpler than it looks, relying on clever cutting and twisting of the layers of dough to achieve the beautiful design.
German Sauerbraten recipe card.

Real German Sauerbraten

One of the most delicious and traditional ways to serve beef roast, my authentic German Sauerbraten recipe is made from beef that has been marinated in wine, vinegar and spices, then slow-roasted to fork-tender perfection. Serve with red cabbage and potato dumplings for a proper German feast!

New Zealand Louise Cake

Made from crumbly, buttery shortcake topped with a layer of tart berry jam and crispy coconut meringue. Louise cake is one of New Zealand’s favourite sweet treats!
Italian Pork and Fennel Ragu title card.

Italian Pork and Fennel Ragu

My classic Italian Pork and Fennel Ragu recipe is rich, flavoursome and truly delicious. Made in under half an hour it’s the perfect topping for fresh pappardelle.

Looking for Dinner Inspiration?


Below are some of my most popular dinner recipes. Quick and easy with simple ingredients and big flavours.

Homemade Tomato Relish Title Card.
Packed with roasted peppers, tangy feta, fresh herbs and chewy orzo, this bright and beautiful pasta salad is a summer favourite. Orzo and Roast Pepper Salad gets better as the days go by, so make a big batch to take you through the week!
Tomato and Basil Baked Fish title card.
Speck and Artichoke Risotto
Lemon and Caper Salmon Recipe title card.
Baked Breaded Cod Recipe Title Card.
Warm Potato Salad with Roasted Salmon Title Card.
Roasted Eggplants stuffed with spiced lentils, tomatoes and herbs.
Steak and Salsa Salad

Recipes By Meal Type


light-bites
Main Event
Sweet Things
cocktail hour

Fresh and Easy Recipes for the Summer


When it’s hot and sunny, it’s the perfect time to embrace fresh and healthy eating. Below are some of my favourite simple and healthy recipes.

Homemade Tomato Relish Title Card.

Homemade Tomato Relish

A classic recipe for generations of New Zealanders and Australians, my summer wouldn’t be complete without Homemade Tomato Relish. Perfect for BBQs, sandwiches, cheeseboards and more, this delicious recipe is super simple.

Easy Cherry Tomato Tart

Easy Cherry Tomato Tart

Possibly the most delicious way to show off sweet summer tomatoes! My simple recipe for Roasted Cherry Tomato tart, with loads of fresh tomatoes, buttery puff pastry, cream cheese and fresh herbs is a real crowd-pleaser.

Red Currant Crumble Cake

Red Currant Crumble Cake

A delicious combination of tangy summer red currants and buttery, crumbly streusel. This classic German Red Currant Crumble Cake is perfect for serving with a cup of strong coffee.

Berry Chia Seed Jam

Berry Chia Seed Jam

Ever since I was a little boy I have been fascinated by jam making. It started with watching my grandmother, Nana Fay, making her legendary plum jam, one of the highlights of summer. Since then, I’ve cooked up just about every combination of jam flavours you can imagine and even had a market stall in…

Buchteln German Sweet Dumplings filled with fresh cherries and served with vanilla sauce

Buchteln (German Sweet Dumplings)

Buchteln or German Sweet Dumplings are pillowy soft rolls made from a buttery yeast dough and filled with fresh fruit or jam. Sometimes known as Rohrnudeln, my Buchteln recipe is a family favourite. Serve these sweet yeast rolls with plenty of vanilla custard sauce. Yum!

A picture of a classic Italian Lasagne al forno served with fresh green salad and a glass of white wine

Lasagna al Forno

Quick and easy, my foolproof Lasagna al Forno recipe is great for feeding a crowd. With layers of rich bolognese sauce, creamy bechamel and pasta, this recipe is guaranteed to have them coming back for more.

Summer Roast Vegetable Salad

Summer Roast Vegetable Salad

Full of beautiful colour, Summer Roast Vegetable Salad is delicious as a meal by itself or for an outdoor barbecue. Make a big batch as it keeps for days!

Wurstsalat or Sausage salad title card.

Wurstsalat (German Sausage Salad)

A German Sausage Salad (in this case, pepped up as a Swiss Sausage Salad with plenty of delicious cheese) is the ideal light meal for hot summer days with an ice-cold German beer. Serve it with good-quality rye bread, or make it part of a beer garden feast!

Portobello Mushroom Burgers with salad and pickled red onions on a plate.

Portobello Mushroom Burgers

These veggie burgers are seriously tasty, with juicy portobello mushrooms filling in for meat patties. Packed with flavour, I’ve tested this recipe on the most committed meat eaters I know, and it is a real winner.

Apricots Poached in Rosé Wine

Gently cooked in rosé wine, scented with vanilla, served with a big scoop of ice cream and some buttery homemade shortbread cookies, my Rosé Vanilla Poached Apricots are truly heavenly.