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Soft Boiled Scotch Eggs with perfectly runny yolks are the picnic food dreams are made of. With flavoursome pork filling and a crispy crumb coating, this traditional British recipe is a winner every time.

Tender, juicy pork medallions served with sweet bell peppers are a fantastically quick and easy weeknight dinner that looks and tastes amazing. Serve with a fresh baguette for a super speedy meal.

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.

Italian-inspired Roast Sausages and Fennel is a fantastic one tray meal. Roasting fresh fennel makes it deliciously creamy and sweet, the perfect partner for juicy pork sausages.

The ultimate Bavarian Sunday roast: Krustenbraten with Dunkelbiersoße. My classic recipe for crispy, juicy Bavarian roast pork with a lip-smackingly good dark beer sauce is always a winner and perfect for cooler weather.

Bursting with colour and the sweet earthy flavour of fresh beetroot, this delicious recipe for Beetroot and Feta Pasta is sure to banish any winter blues. It’s a lovely vegetarian meal and so quick and simple to prepare.

Flammkuchen, literally ‘Flame Cakes’ are Germany’s answer to pizza. Originating on the border with France at Alsace, where they are known as Tarte Flambée, Flammkuchen are deliciously thin and crunchy flatbreads. Topped with rich crème fraîche, bacon and onions they are super flavoursome and a delicious meal or snack.

If you are looking for big, punchy flavours then Steak and Salsa Salad is the recipe for you. Smoky grilled steak with a vibrant salsa and a zesty lime and coriander dressing. Perfect for summer barbecues or a weeknight dinner at home.

I love baked potatoes, but you know what’s even better? Chilli Stuffed Sweet Potatoes! Sweet potatoes, baked until tender, loaded up with a spicy chilli and covered with cheese and sour cream. So tasty!

A velvety and flavoursome soup that is pure comfort in a bowl. Greek Lemon Chicken Soup or Avgolemono is a stunning combination of chicken, lemon, orzo and herbs, thickened with whole eggs. Perfect for cool weather!

Throw away the packet mix! My recipe for Devilled Sausages is made from all natural ingredients that you probably already have at home. Devilled Sausages are delicious comfort food: juicy pork sausages in a lightly spiced tomato and apple sauce. Yum!

With plenty of fresh ginger and bright and zesty orange, silky Pumpkin Orange 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.

A deliciously easy oven-baked meal. Feta and Pesto Chicken is full of Mediterranean flavours, can be prepared quickly and the robust flavours suit every season.

Oktoberfest Roast Chicken is a Bavarian classic recipe. The secret to tender, fall off the bone meat is to roast the chicken extra low and slow.

While I’m often happy to spend hours in the kitchen carefully crafting a meal (it is my job, after all), I really love a quick recipe. Whenever I am in a hurry to get food on the table, I always turn to stir-fries, those wonder dishes full of fresh vegetables, tender meat and packed with flavour. Not only are they ready in minutes, but a stir fry is also a brilliant way of making a more expensive piece of meat go a lot further. Ginger Beef Stir Fry is on regular rotation in my kitchen. I love the sweet sauciness…

Spanish Style Chicken Stew is a wonderfully warming Spanish or North African inspired dish, loaded with chicken, spicy sausage, nutty chickpeas and sweet peppers.

Pork tenderloin is rubbed with aromatic spices, quickly seared on the stovetop and then finished off in the oven. Topped off with a speedy, herby salsa verde, this recipe comes together so quickly you’ll hardly have time to set the table!

If you’ve ever travelled to Hungary you are sure to have eaten plenty of this famous dish. Similar to goulash, Hungarian Pork Stew or Pörkölt is thick and hearty with a rich tomatoey sauce, perfect as a winter warmer.

Tender, moist turkey breast filled with traditional stuffing and roasted to perfection. This delicious roast is ready in under two hours, making it perfect for smaller celebrations.

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

It’s starting to feel properly wintery around these parts with Christmas only a month away. This time of year always makes me feel a bit topsy-turvy as no matter how long I have lived away from New Zealand and Australia, somehow I always expect Christmas to mean summer! Nevermind, the cool weather is the ideal time for delicious rich and flavoursome food, like today’s recipe Seared Duck with Pomegranate. Pomegranates are one of my favourite fruits and such a bright splash of colour in the winter months. When I was living in Cyprus and first saw them growing I was…

Crumbed chicken breasts, smothered in a rich tomato sauce and plenty of melted cheese – what’s not to like?

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

While I enjoy few meals more than sitting down to a juicy steak or pork fillet, there are some incredible vegetarian dishes out there which I love. Case in point; today’s recipe, inspired by my friend Sabine’s incredible Pumpkin Seed Lasagne. This is such a fantastic dish, with a base of pumpkin and sunflower seeds delivering a rich and satisfying chew. Smothered in creamy béchamel sauce and layered between lasagna sheets, it is an ideal dinner for vegetarian guests or meat-free days. This makes a decent-sized lasagne, big enough to feed 6 people. If you are not cooking for so…

It’s November and soup season has officially started in my household. With all the doom and gloom in the papers and the second wave of lockdowns sweeping across Europe, I felt like something spicy and fresh to banish the start-of-winter-blues. Today’s recipe for Pork Meatball Noodle Soup is just what the doctor ordered: juicy, garlicky meatballs and a rich broth, packed with ginger, chilli and fresh herbs. This is not based on any authentically Asian recipe, rather, it’s more a combination of flavours and spices that I enjoy and often have in the fridge. This is a brilliantly speedy recipe,…

It’s nearly the end of the month and the chill of the winter season is upon us. Even though Halloween is only a couple of days away, the shops are groaning with Christmas treats and decorations. It seems to be earlier every year, doesn’t it? We’ve had rain squalls on and off all day, but I took advantage of a break in the weather to go for a quick walk in the woods to get a bit of fresh air. Home now with the fire on, it’s time for some warming and comforting lunch, and what could be better than…

One of the many things that I love about living in Italy is being able to get my hands on deliciously fresh clams or vongole at any time. Landlocked Munich has many charms, but a serious lack of fresh seafood, so in Italy, I gorge myself on fish and other seafood whenever I get the chance. The Italians really know what they are doing when it comes to this kind of thing, which is why today’s recipe, a classic Linguine Alle Vongole is so good. This is simple food at its very best. Glorious fresh vongole or clams, sweet cherry…

Unusually for the Italian countryside, we are lucky enough to live in an area of Divieto di Caccia, or a no-hunting zone here in Italy. This means that there are plenty of happy hare and rabbit bouncing around in our fields at dawn and dusk and no hunters and dogs trampling through the forest. The markets on the other hand are full of fresh game and cute as they are, I can never resist a fresh rabbit to make a Farmhouse Rabbit Stew. I didn’t grow up eating rabbit, but I was introduced to it by my dear friend Max…

Hooray, it’s the weekend! Hands up who else is ready for a glass of wine? It’s funny, no matter how long my week has been, getting in the kitchen and cooking some good food is always the best way for me to wind down. Tonight we are having friends over for dinner, and as the cool and autumnal weather is still with us, I am serving up one of my dinner party secret weapons: The Perfect Pork Wellington. Pork Wellington is such a fabulous meal to serve to guests as you can do all the work in advance, then just…

One of the best things about cooking for a living is that I get to indulge my inner child and spend all day playing with food. This is never more true than around all the big holidays like Christmas, Easter and Halloween, as it’s a chance to get creative and celebrate the season. With Halloween just around the corner, I couldn’t resist these spookily delicious Jack o’ Lantern Peppers filled with rich and spicy beef chilli! Of course, you can make these peppers without carving Jack o’ Lantern faces in them and they’d still be perfectly tasty, but it’s great…

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!

Wow! I have had so many messages asking about the burger buns that I made for the Black Bean Veggie Burgers on Friday! I have been making these buns for years but I’ve never shared the recipe on the blog. I am more than happy to share my recipe for Soft Burger Buns because I think burgers deserve better than the sad, squashed buns they sell at the supermarket. Soft Burger Buns, once you get the hang of them, are actually very simple to make. They are made from a basic enriched yeast dough. That means they are a little…

It is POURING outside. Huge gusts of wind are sweeping the yard and rattling the shutters as Storm Alex batters Europe. With rain coming in sideways, you can guess where I am, right? Absolutely! Cosy and warm in the kitchen with the fire going. I’m also cooking up a storm in here (ha!) and today we’re eating one of my favourite vegetarian meals, Black Bean Veggie Burgers. While I love a big meaty burger, sometimes only a veggie burger will hit the spot. Black Bean Veggie Burgers are so quick and easy to make and as full of goodness as…

Maybe it is lucky that we aren’t having an Oktoberfest here in Munich this year as unlike our usual sunny, warm autumn, the weather has turned very wintery with squalls of rain and temperatures around 5°C. To be fair, cold weather never puts a damper on the celebrations, as people crowd into the tents and keep warm with plenty of dancing and beer! I’m sharing another Oktoberfest recipe today, the ultimate classic, Bavarian Pork Schnitzel. Unlike our cousins the Viennese, who prefer to make their schnitzels from veal, here in Bavaria the preferred meat is pork. And what could be…

How did it get to the middle of the month already? Talk about blink and you miss it. I’ve been so busy this month that I’ve hardly had time to sit down. I’ve got a great, speedy, foolproof recipe for you today, just as suitable for a weeknight dinner as it is for serving at a dinner party: Baked Fish en Papillote. I love eating fish whenever I have the chance, but I don’t like to fry it as no matter what I do, the smell of fried fish seems to hang around for days. That’s where this quick and…

It’s still chilly out there today, so I’m cosied up in the kitchen cooking one of the most warming and comforting dishes that I know. That’s right, I’m talking that classic of the Greek kitchen: Moussaka. This is the sort of recipe to cook when you want to spend a bit of time in the kitchen and don’t mind using a few pots and pans. The recipe itself isn’t at all difficult, but there are four distinct stages to the process, so I would recommend saving this one for a weekend project when you’re not feeling rushed. So, apart from…

Pork chops four ways! With a simple marinade, the humble pork chop can travel around the globe. Spanish style Hot and Spicy Smoked Paprika, Japanese Teriyaki, French Honey Mustard or South American Salsa Verde. Get grilling!

When people imagine German food, they often think about only one thing. Meat. Yes, Germany is the home of gigantic schnitzels and plate-sized pork knuckles, but it is also the land of many different dumplings (knödel). True, the purpose of most of these dumplings is to soak up the sauce that comes with the meat, however, sometimes they are served as a vegetarian meal in their own right. Spinach and Ricotta Dumplings, full of delicious greens, creamy ricotta and salty Parmesan cheese are definitely an import from our Italian neighbours to the south. Claimed by the city of Florence as…

It was when I was living and working in East London that my curry addiction became a serious problem. With my work only a stone’s throw from the multitude of amazing curry restaurants in and around Brick Lane, the incredible aromas drifting out onto the street would nearly hypnotise me, and before I knew what was happening I’d be sitting at a table for one with a three-course curry banquet spread out before me. I am yet to meet a curry that I didn’t like, from creamy and comforting korma to fiery jalfrezi. One of my favourites to cook at…

In my opinion, there are very few savoury foods that can’t be improved by being wrapped in pastry. From good old Kiwi and Aussie mince pies to Cornish Pasties, from Moroccan Pastilla to Indian samosas, it seems the whole world agrees. There is something so incredibly satisfying about a flaky, buttery crust hiding a deliciously hot filling that makes it irresistible. I’ve written before about pies from my culture, Creamy Chicken Pie or Beef and Lentil Cottage Pie, but for today’s recipe, I’ve taken a trip to South America, home of the Empanada. Though the oldest recipes for empanadas actually…

I have been craving Chinese takeout all week. The trouble is that decent Chinese food is really hard to find in Munich (if you know of anywhere good, be sure to let me know in the comments below). The solution is, of course, to make it myself, and what better to hit the spot than some delicious Chicken Lo Mein Noodles? Chicken Lo Mein is my kind of fakeaway. It’s packed with loads of fresh vegetables, tender chicken and slippery, saucy noodles. It’s also super quick and easy to make at home. As with any stir fry, the most time-consuming…

The question I get asked more than anything else about cooking is: ‘What should I make for dinner?’ It’s so easy to get into the same old rut with cooking, especially after a long day at work, when all you want to do is put your feet up and relax. It’s useful then, to have a few recipes up your sleeve that are simple to prepare, easily varied depending on what you have on hand, and most importantly, tasty. Today’s recipe for Baked Honey Lime Chicken is just such a meal. There is little more effort involved than slicing up…

Who doesn’t love a good stir fry? With stacks of punchy flavour, healthy vegetables and lean meat, a stir fry is always my go-to when I want to get dinner on the table fast. My recipe for Pork and Ginger Stir Fry, full of fresh herbs, gentle spice and sweet pineapple is a real family favourite. The trick to making a great stir fry is to have all your ingredients ready to go before you start cooking. All that slicing and dicing might seem like a fuss, but when the meal cooks so quickly it is important to have everything…

We are still working our way through the seasonal surplus of delicious zucchini, not that I’m complaining! I adore this abundant and healthy summertime vegetable and I’m always looking for interesting ways to cook with it. Mostly in the warmer months it ends up threaded onto kebabs and grilled on the barbecue, though I also love it stuffed and roasted or even made into a pickle or chutney. It’s even brilliant grated and used as a topping for one of my favourite vegetarian dishes: Zucchini and Feta Pizza. This delicious pizza topping idea comes from the talented New Zealand cook…

Spaghetti and meatballs, nothing could be more Italian right? Wrong. Though spaghetti and meatballs have been drilled into us as the cornerstone of the Italian kitchen, starring in movies, books, advertisements, songs and more, the dish is actually an American invention, likely created by Italian immigrants to the U.S in the 1800s. You will never find spaghetti and meatballs on the menu of any restaurant here in Italy, but just because it isn’t traditional doesn’t mean it isn’t delicious! Today I’m sharing one of my most popular dinner recipes: Juicy Baked Meatballs in a rich tomato sauce. I love cooking…

The British have, rather unfairly I think, a bit of a bad reputation when it comes to food. Though there are many jokes about British cooking, when it comes to fabulous rib-sticking pub food, they win hands down. I’m talking Beef Wellington with crisp pastry and beautifully rare beef. Sunday Roast with all the trimmings, or today’s recipe: Creamy Smoked Fish Pie. I lived in London for a few years back in the ’00s, and it was there that I developed a love of real British pub food. Made with a bit of care and attention, these much-maligned recipes can…

Hands up if you’ve ever eaten chewy, gluey, reheated gnocchi? I think we’ve all been disappointed by gnocchi before, to the point where I avoid ordering it in restaurants as it is so hit and miss. In fact, I find traditional potato gnocchi a bit heavy, which is where this recipe for Lemon Sage Ricotta Gnocchi comes to the rescue. Ricotta gnocchi, sometimes known as ‘gnudi’ are beautifully soft and light little dumplings and they are so easy to make at home. Served with a gloriously rich brown butter sauce with sage, lemon and crunchy walnuts, this is comfort food…

We are finally getting the sort of hot days and nights where all I want to eat is lovely cold food. Salads, sandwiches and quiches are all very good, but sometimes I crave a little spice – and what could be better than the spicy little morsels known as Vietnamese Prawn Spring Rolls? Not deep-fried like their famous Chinese cousins, but rather filled with fresh herbs and chilled. Served with spicy peanut dipping sauce, this is hot weather food done right. Vietnamese Prawn Spring Rolls have a bit of a reputation for being fiddly, though that’s not really the truth.…

It’s hot outside, it’s been a long day, you’ve just got in from work and you still have to get dinner on the table. Exhausting right? It’s always useful to have a few recipes up your sleeve that are super quick to prepare, but taste and look like they come from a fancy restaurant. Allow me to introduce Lemon and Caper Chicken, your new secret weapon. Golden, tender chicken breasts coated in a tangy, buttery, garlicky sauce are the food dreams are made of. The trick here is to cut the chicken breasts in half before you cook them, that…

Summer eating for me is about two things: barbecues and salads. It’s the time of outdoor eating, picnics, grilling and generally enjoying the outdoors. It seems strange then, that I cook with the oven a lot in the summer. Surely I’d rather be outside? Bear with me here. I’m a big believer in using the oven in summer as a means of getting out of the kitchen. Prep your meal, throw it in the oven and come back when it is all over. Perfect, low-effort cooking. You can vary the ingredients depending on what you have and what is in…