Recipe

As a beginner baker I truly believe simple recipes like loaves are a great introduction to the kitchen. You can keep the ingredients simple and then charge up the flavour with delicious spices. In this recipe I’ve done just that with a twist on a traditional carrot cake using wholesome ingredients and spices such as turmeric, cinnamon and nutmeg.

These muffins make the perfect lunchbox snack. They’re nut-free and packed with vegetables and nutrient-dense flours. For this recipe, I use leftover cold roasted pumpkin. I’ll often roast a whole lot of pumpkin and sweet potato on the weekend to use in dishes like this. Roasted pumpkin also freezes very well and can then be used later.

Here’s a sweeter style of risotto that combines antioxidant-rich black rice with coconut milk and spices for a comforting treat.

Focaccia bread is one of the easiest breads to make as it requires very little rising time. I’ve topped this recipe with olives and rosemary, but you can use roasted pumpkin and goat cheese or just have it plain with no topping.

This super-tasty, cheesy lasagne will win over any meat lovers in your family. Vegetarian lasagne just doesn’t get any better than this!

This is a healthy take on the loaded fries often found in takeaway restaurants — complete with a cheesy top but lots of other nourishing ingredients, too. It’s healthy comfort food at its best.

Traditionally, cauliflower cheese isn’t a healthy dish as it’s made with a rich cheesy sauce. This recipe offers a much healthier and lighter version that still tastes delicious. Don’t worry if you don’t have the concentrated bone broth — you can just leave that out.

This recipe makes a lovely short biscuit with a strong flavour. The secret is to use good-quality Parmesan — the better your Parmesan, the better your biscuit!

Feel free to use any combination of fresh herbs in this dish. I used the basil, mint and oregano I had growing in my garden.

Cornish pasties are one of my favourite comfort foods, but it’s hard to find a good one these days. Making your own, although more effort, gives you control over the ingredients and flavours. This recipe outlines a good, traditional base to start with, but feel free to change the filling as you see fit.

Rissoles were a weekly occurrence in our house, growing up with my one-pound-Pom nanna (the English people who paid a pound to come out on early voyages to Australia), but they were dry, over-cooked and usually made from beef. I prefer lovely free-range pork.

You can keep the zucchini raw if you prefer a fresh and crunchy texture or cook the zucchini in hot water for five seconds before tossing through.