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!

Biscotti or Cantucci are a deliciously crunchy Italian treat. My recipe for Almond and Apricot biscotti is so easy and perfect for the festive season. Serve with a strong espresso or a glass of Italian vin santo.

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Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies

With perfect spirals of chocolate and vanilla, my melt-in-the-mouth Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies are as good to look at as they are to eat. Made from crumbly, buttery shortbread they make a perfect and beautiful Christmas gift, though they are delicious any time of year!

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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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Candied Orange Peels title card.

Candied Orange Peel makes a great gift (especially when coated in lashings of dark chocolate). It’s easy to make at home and a great way to turn orange peel (which would usually be tossed out) into a tasty candy.

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Christmas Pavlova Slice

My Christmas Pavlova slice is a delicious combination of ight and airy meringue, piled high with juicy berries. The perfect Christmas dessert!

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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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A plate of Vanillekipferl or Vanilla crescent cookies surrounded by Christmas decorations, walnuts, clementines and a candle.

Possibly the tastiest of all German Christmas cookies, Vanillekipferl are, crumbly, buttery crescent-shaped cookies, scented with heavenly vanilla. Yum!

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Homemade marzipan title card.

My Homemade Marzipan recipe is super easy and tastes miles better than store-bought. This eggless, no-bake recipe comes together in minutes with just three ingredients. Perfect for Christmas time, fruit cakes, cookies, marzipan candy and more.

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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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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.

Chilli Lime Fish Tacos
Pork Medallions and Peppers
Beef Shank Osso Buco
Roast Sausages and Fennel
Zigeuner Schnitzel or Gypsy Schnitzel on a plate served with french fries and a glass of beer
Italian Beef Cannelloni Recipe

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