Delicious, easy recipes by Jay Wadams

Welcome to
Days of Jay

I'm Jay, cookbook author and food photographer.

Days of Jay is my website, where I share easy, delicious recipes for home cooking.

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.

Welcome to
Days of Jay

I'm Jay, cookbook author and food photographer. Days of Jay is my website, where I share easy, delicious recipes for home cooking.

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!


It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!


Well, the countdown is until the year’s end, and Christmas is just around the corner. Check out some of my most popular Christmas and festive recipes below!

German style Gingerbread hearts

My easy recipe for making traditional Oktoberfest Lebkuchenherzen or Gingerbread Hearts at home. Hang these brightly decorated hearts around the neck of your sweetheart (or eat and enjoy!)

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Delicate, crumbly pastry filled with aromatic spiced fruit, Christmas Fruit Mince Pies are one of the most delicious treats of the season. One is never enough!

Delicate, crumbly pastry filled with aromatic spiced fruit, Christmas Fruit Mince Pies are one of the most delicious treats of the season. One is never enough!

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My Mulled Wine Cheesecake is full of Christmas’s rich spices and flavours. A deep-red, almost black mulled wine jelly on top of a creamy citrussy filling with a deliciously spicy base. This fabulous no-bake cheesecake is Christmas heaven!

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German Christmas Stollen Title card showing two pictures of Stollen.

German Christmas Stollen is always a real treat during the holiday season. Made from an enriched yeast dough, loaded with rum-soaked fruit and candied peel, Stollen is delicious served with a cup of coffee or a warming mug of Glühwein.

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Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti Title Card.

Crisp, nutty and deeply chocolatey, my Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti are so simple to make and absolutely irresistible! This classic Italian cookie (known as Cantucci in the motherland) is ideal for Christmas baking and makes a perfect edible gift.

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Cinnamon Star Bread Title Card showing star bread from two angles. Text overly 'Sweet 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.

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With beautifully bright colours Cranberry Orange Cured Salmon is a wonderful dish to serve as a starter at your festive table. It’s so simple to make and home and delicious with a creamy horseradish sauce.

With beautifully bright colours Cranberry Cranberry Orange Cured Salmon is a wonderful dish to serve as a starter at your festive table. It’s so simple to make at home and so delicious with a creamy horseradish sauce.

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Perfectly tender, rosy roast beef is easier than you think! Slow Roast Beef where the beef is seared before roasting at a very low temperature produces juicy, delicious beef every time.

Perfectly tender, rosy roast beef is easier than you think! Slow Roast Beef produces juicy, delicious beef every time.

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Perfect Roast Goose title card.

Beautifully bronzed Roast Goose is one of the most impressive festive meals. The dark and succulent meat is wonderful served with a rich gravy, red cabbage and potato dumplings, ideal for family celebrations like Christmas dinner. Brining the goose ensures that the meat is perfectly juicy and seasoned. Yum!

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German Braised Red Cabbage title card.

No festive table in Germany would be without a big pot of braised red cabbage, flavoured with apple, cloves and juniper berries. Depending on where in the country you are, this could be called Rotkohl or Blaukraut and it is the perfect accompaniment to roast goose.

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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.


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.
Revani or Kalo Prama Title Card.

Revani (Kalo Prama)

Revani, or Kalo Prama, is a traditional syrup-drenched lemon cake that I first discovered in Cyprus. Served chilled it is the ideal summer dessert!
Soft potato burger buns title card.

Potato Burger Buns

Potato Burger Buns are the ultimate burger buns! Pillowy, soft yet strong enough to hold stacks of delicious fillings without falling apart, they are perfect for the summer grilling season.
Strawberry Cream Puffs Title Card

Strawberry Cream Puffs

Strawberry Cream Puffs, or profiteroles, are a delightful tea-time treat. The simple choux pastry, filled with whipped cream and strawberries, makes a dessert perfect for any occasion. You’ll be amazed at how light and airy they are. Love at first bite!
Full of punchy, invigorating flavours and loads of fresh veg, Ginger Beef Stir Fry is made in minutes and tastes incredible. Get all your ingredients prepped before you start cooking and you’ll have dinner ready in a flash.

Ginger Beef Stir Fry

Full of punchy, invigorating flavours and loads of fresh veg, Ginger Beef Stir Fry is made in minutes and tastes incredible. Get all your ingredients prepped before you start cooking and you’ll have dinner ready in a flash.
One Pan Chicken and Orzo title card.

One Pan Chicken and Orzo

Bursting with fresh, Mediterranean flavours, my One Pan Chicken and Orzo recipe makes a delicious dinner all made in one pot. With juicy chicken thighs, tomatoes, olives, fresh herbs and orzo pasta, this is a feast the whole family will enjoy. This simple dinner is perfect for busy weeknights as there is less washing up! Winner!
One Bowl Vanilla Cake Title Card.

One Bowl Vanilla Cake (with oil!)

I absolutely adore this wonderfully old-fashioned Vanilla Cake. It’s a breeze to make, with all the ingredients mixed in one bowl. The result is a light and fluffy cake, sturdy enough for transporting to picnics and parties. Topped with lavish amounts of buttercream, it’s fantastic for birthday cakes too.
Turkish poached eggs recipe title card.

Turkish Poached Eggs (Çılbır)

Perfectly poached eggs, nestled on a bed of herby, garlicky yogurt, drizzled with red pepper oil, and served with fresh, crusty bread, is one of the most fantastic brunch dishes I know. If you’ve never tried Turkish Poached Eggs or Cilbir, you’ve been missing out!

Recipes By Meal Type


light-bites
Main Event
Sweet Things
cocktail hour

Marillenknödel – Austrian Apricot Dumplings
Wurstsalat (German Sausage Salad)
Easy Cherry Tomato Tart
Zwetschgendatschi (Bavarian Plum Tart)
Homemade Chocolate Popsicles

Looking for Dinner Inspiration?


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

Sun Dried Tomato and Basil Chicken recipe
Flammkuchen German Pizza
Maple Glazed Chicken Thighs
Turkish Bulgue Salad Kisir
Cream Chicken Pie Title Card

My FAvourite German Cake Recipes

While people often associate Germany with pretzels and beer, it’s really all about coffee and cake!

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Easy German Cake Recipes