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!

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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Quarkbällchen German Donut Holes title card.

Super light and fluffy on the inside and crisp and sugary on the outside, my German-style Donut holes or Quarkbällchen recipe is so easy it’s like kitchen magic. Made without yeast, they are ready in minutes. Perfect for parties or sharing with friends (or just eating all to yourself!)

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Speculaas Dutch Spice Cookies

Speculaas or Dutch Spice Cookies are a wonderfully old fashioned Christmas treat and so delicious! These light and crisp cookies are full of fragrant and exotic spices, perfect for the festive season.

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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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Beetroot Cured Salmon Gravadlax

We’ve landed back in beautiful Munich to the clear and crisp skies and very chilly nights of late winter. It’s not quite spring yet, but the promise of it hangs in the air, brightening the mood and sending the locals outside to soak up every last bit of available sun. I’m rather enjoying the opportunity…

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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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Christmas Fruit Mince Tart

There’s nothing quite like the delicious aroma of a freshly baked Christmas Fruit Mince Tart to let you know the festive season has really begun. With brandied fruit mince and a buttery almond pastry, this recipe is perfect for a Christmas feast.

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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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German Mulled wine recipe title card showing a mug of Glühwein and a man holding a mug of mulled wine.

A warming, gently spiced mug of Glühwein, or German Mulled Wine is one of the great pleasures of Christmas and the winter months. It is simple to make at home and fills the whole house with the most incredible aroma!

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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.


Baked Breaded Cod Recipe Title Card.

Baked Breaded Cod

My recipe for Baked Breaded cod, with juicy fish fillets and a golden brown, crunchy topping of lemon, herb and Parmesan breadcrumbs makes a perfect weeknight dinner. It’s a great way to get more healthy fish into your diet – and it’s tasty too so the whole family can enjoy it!
Pork Dim Sum Dumplings Title Card.

Pork Dim Sum Dumplings

Pork Dim Sum Dumplings (Siu Mai) are one of the most famous and delicious meals served from the Dim Sum trolley. Luckily, they are also simple to make at home and you can fill these delicious morsels with all your favourite flavours.

Turkish Red Lentil Soup

Turkish Red Lentil Soup or Mercimek Çorbası is one of Turkey’s most popular soups. Warming, hearty, healthy and quick and easy to make. Perfect for a cool autumn or spring evening.
Sweet Autumn Fruit Chutney

Sweet Autumn Fruit Chutney

My easy recipe for Sweet Autumn Fruit Chutney with figs, plums, and apples is so delicious. Lightly spiced, it is perfect served on a cheeseboard or with cold meats. With free printable labels!
Authentic German Apple Strudel

German Apple Strudel

With a tender, flaky crust, crisp apples, and rum-soaked raisins, my easy recipe for homemade apple strudel is sure to become one of your ‘favourite things’ too! Possible the most famous German dessert of all, strudel is perfect for fall baking with orchard fresh apples.
how to debone chicken thighs

How to Debone Chicken Thighs (with video!) 

Knowing how to easily debone chicken thighs is a fantastic kitchen skill to have. The first time you try to debone chicken it can seem a little daunting, so below I’ve given step-by-step instructions as well as a video from two angles to show my simple method.
Speck and Artichoke Risotto

Speck and Artichoke Risotto

Risotto con carciofi e speck or Speck and Artichoke Risotto is one of the most delicious flavours of Italian risotto. Warm and comforting, this is a fabulous dish just by itself, or as a primi or first course of an Italian-inspired feast.

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.

Feta and Pesto Stuffed Chicken
Speck and Artichoke Risotto
Tasty Chickpea Burgers
Chilli Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Tender, moist turkey breast filled with traditional stuffing and roasted to perfection. This delicious roast only cooks in under 2 hours, making it perfect for smaller celebrations.

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