Light Bites

As far as I am concerned, the best thing about the weather turning colder is all of the delicious comfort food we get to eat! Among my favourite recipes for cool-weather food is my Easy Mushroom Soup recipe. Made with simple ingredients, this soup is an absolute dream and perfect for fall or autumn. It’s […]

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

Pillowy soft, golden brown bread with a crunchy topping of nigella and sesame seeds? It can only be Turkish Bread or Ramazan Pidesi. This delicious bread is so simple to make and is perfect for filling, stuffing, dipping and more.

Shrimp, Watermelon and Feta Salad is a glorious mixture of textures and tastes, with cool watermelon perfectly pairing with garlicky shrimp, salty feta cheese and a pop of chilli. This simple recipe is summer on a plate!

I love fresh bread in the morning, but I love it even more when it is as easy to make as these overnight bread rolls. No kneading, an overnight rise in the fridge, then a quick shape and they’re into the oven in time for breakfast. Easy and delicious with a wonderfully crunchy crust, this recipe is ideal for bread-making beginners.

Hearty and nutritious, my Chicken Lentil Soup is a great big warm hug of a meal, perfect for chilly winter days. Loaded with lean meat, veg and pulses, a big pot of this comforting soup will feed the whole family and warm you up from the inside out.

Did you know it’s incredibly easy to make your own spreadable butter at home? With this clever recipe, you can have lovely soft butter directly out of the fridge all year round.

Here in Germany, we love our dumplings! Served alongside a roast with plenty of gravy, German Potato Dumplings or Kartoffelknödel are an absolute must. Don’t worry if you have leftovers; they taste fantastic fried the next day!

With plenty of ginger and bright and zesty orange, silky Pumpkin and Ginger Soup is like a burst of sunshine in a bowl. A delicious recipe to keep you warm when it’s grey and cool outside.

With golden roasted squash, lightly caramelised onion and tangy feta, my Pumpkin and Feta Galette makes a fabulous fall lunch. This free-form tart is made by hand, so no mixers or special dishes are necessary.

You know it must be summer when the zucchini plants go wild, producing more than it seems possible to cook! Italian Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats are a great tasting way to take advantage of this abundant summer veg.

Made from flaky filo pastry, filled with creamy, tangy feta cheese, Tiropita or Greek Cheese Pies are a beloved breakfast treat in Greece and throughout the Mediterranean. Try them drizzled with runny honey. Yum!

Made from a combination of spinach, beans and tarragon with a savoury custard in a light pastry case, this coronation quiche is simple to make at home and perfect for a light lunch with a crisp green salad.

Perfect for picnics, lunchboxes or even parties, Puff Pastry Mini Quiches are a fantastic way to make a few ingredients go a long way. Quick and simple to make, they are ready to eat in just half an hour. Yum!

The surest sign of spring is the first vibrant green leaves of wild garlic or Bärlauch. It’s abundant in the woods right now and is delicious whipped into this quick and easy pesto.

Roasted Eggplant with Lentils is a dream combination. This vegetarian dish made from meltingly tender roasted eggplants, stuffed with a Middle-Eastern inspired combination of green lentils, fresh tomatoes, pine nuts and herbs, is packed with flavour and totally irresistible.

The ultimate bowl of comfort, everybody should know how to make an easy Chicken and Noodle Soup. I use chicken wings to give the soup loads of body and flavour.

Made from crisp, cool lettuce cups with a delicious filling of spicy pork, San Chow Bow is one of the most popular dishes in Chinese restaurants. Super simple to prepare at home, this is a fun family meal for eating with your hands!

Perfectly steamed Pork and Shrimp Gyoza with a golden crispy base have to be one of the most delicious dumplings around. Serve with a simple spicy dipping sauce. Yum!

Lightly spiced and full of delicious and healthy vegetables, Sweet Potato and Chickpea soup is a simple, healthy and flavoursome meal. Perfect as is, it can be bulked out with lean chicken breast for an extra protein boost.

Making your own sushi rolls at home is super satisfying and much cheaper than eating at a restaurant! My recipe for Easy Teriyaki Chicken Sushi is excellent for beginners, with plenty of tips and tricks for sushi making success.

Obaztda is a delicious Bavarian Beer and Cheese Spread, perfect for picnics, the beer garden, or for lining your stomach before you start on that litre of beer – and it is super easy to make at home!

There’s nothing quite like a traditional Bavarian pretzel with a golden-brown, salt-studded crust and a chewy, perfect texture. My recipe for homemade pretzels with step-by-step instructions and photos is simple to make at home.

Pure comfort food, Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto or ‘Risotto alla Zucca’ is a classic of the Italian kitchen. The combination of creamy risotto rice with sweet roasted pumpkin and fragrant sage is a match made in foodie heaven.

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.

Smooth, salty and seriously tasty, Whipped Feta and Honey is the perfect dip to serve on a summer grazing platter with loads of grilled Mediterranean vegetables.

Bright, colourful and perfectly delicious Tomato Burrata Caprese Salad (Insalata Caprese) is the ultimate Italian summer salad with fresh green basil, creamy white burrata and juicy red tomatoes representing the colours of the Italian flag.

Baked, rather than fried, these Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Flowers are filled with creamy cheese, zingy lemon, fresh herbs and salty anchovy. Perfect for a summer party or a light dinner.

It’s super easy to make a delicious Greek Salad at home. This summery favourite is tasty even in the cooler months, with loads of fresh veg and salty Feta cheese.

My Cherry Tomato and Bean Salad is a simple and tasty recipe that you’ll want to make all summer long. Perfect as a light lunch or as an easy side dish for grilled meats.

Deliciously chewy seed and grain bread, made in an hour with no kneading or waiting around required. Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? It is easier than you think with my recipe for No Knead Multigrain Bread.

Luscious, soft, tangy cream cheese, made in minutes with just three ingredients? Absolutely. Follow this easy recipe to learn how to make cream cheese at home.

My Italian Roasted Peppers recipe is a simple and flavoursome dish full of all those summery flavours that we associate with la dolce vita; peppers, tomatoes, basil and lashings of good olive oil. Buon Appetito!

With layers of juicy poached chicken, fresh herbs, salty bacon and sweet apricots, my recipe for Chicken and Apricot Terrine is perfect for the summer months. Slice thickly and serve with crusty bread and a good chutney. Yum!

This delicious recipe for Panzanella Tuscan Bread Salad comes from my Aunt Peggi and it is a glorious summery meal. With ripe tomatoes, salty cheese and fresh basil, it’s perfect for a summer BBQ.

The ultimate quick and easy dinner, Garlic and Herb Roast Salmon ticks all the boxes. It’s super simple to prepare, packed with fresh flavour and loads of healthy omega-3 so it is even good for you too!

Eggplant Involtini or Involtini di melanzane is a classic Italian dish. Meltingly soft eggplant is rolled and stuffed with herby ricotta and baked in a rich tomato sauce. Topped with gooey melted mozzarella, this vegetarian dish is perfect for summer.

Fresh Oysters with Shallot Vinaigrette are truly one of life’s little luxuries. The contrast of creamy, briny oyster flesh with a tangy vinaigrette is a match made in culinary heaven and one I find completely irresistible.

Perfect for finger food or parties, Quick Thai Fish Cakes are packed with flavour and super quick to make. Served with a spicy, crunchy dipping sauce, these delicious morsels always disappear in a flash!

Full of fresh, bright green spring veg, this classic Italian soup recipe is healthy and delicious. Minestrone Primavera or Spring Soup will feed 4-6 as a light meal.

Perfectly chewy, golden-brown and topped with toasted seeds, these Homemade Sesame Bagels are best lavishly smeared with cream cheese, layered with smoked salmon and sprinkled with capers.

A good quiche has to be one of my desert island foods, and to my mind, there is none better than a Smoked Salmon Quiche. With tangy creme fraiche, spring onions and fresh herbs, this is a perfect for lunch or a light dinner.

A real crowd-pleaser, Pork and Apple Sausage Rolls are sure to be devoured as soon as they hit the table. A British classic recipe that has been whole-heartedly adopted by New Zealand and Australia, you can’t beat a buttery, flaky pastry sausage roll with plenty of tomato ketchup!

Hearty, delicious and filling, Turkish Bulgur Salad or Kısır is a terrific meal all year round. It is the perfect accompaniment to grilled and barbecued meat or as part of a Turkish or Cypriot inspired feast!

So much better than beans from a tin, Homemade British Style Baked Beans are rich and tomatoey – perfect for a weekend brunch. Make up a big batch when you have time and you can have your breakfast or brunch ready in a flash.

Herby, buttery, crumbed mussels are a French delight. Perfect as party snacks, these tasty Garlic Butter Mussels disappear in a flash!