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!

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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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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Homemade Irish Cream couldn’t be easier to make, tastes streets ahead of the commercial stuff, can be adjusted precisely to suit your sweet tooth and makes an excellent gift for friends – if you are prepared to share it!

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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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Fried Apple Rings Title Card.

Sweet, juicy and fragrant with a cinnamon sugar coating, Fried Apple Rings or Apfelkücherl are one of my favourite German Christmas market treats. You don’t have to stand around in the snow to enjoy them though, with my simple batter they are super easy to prepare at home.

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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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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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Apricot Glazed Christmas Ham title card.

Sweet and sticky with a touch of spice, my Apricot Glazed Christmas Ham recipe is sure to please the Christmas crowds. Made with a delicious apricot glaze, this ham is the tastiest, most stress-free Christmas main around.

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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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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 Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Maple Glazed Chicken Thighs
Chilli Lime Fish Tacos
Roasted Feta Stuffed Mushrooms
A picture of Imam Bayildi, roast Turkish eggplants stuffed with tomatoes and onions in a white bowl
Tasty Chickpea Burgers

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