Naomi Sherman

My first experience of this pizza was a variation that I tried with my best friend while on a girls’ trip. It was everything you want in a mouthful — salty, tangy, bitter and sweet — and it made such an impression on me that I promised myself I would recreate it when I got home. Using my favourite pizza base, I did just that.

If a donut and a churros had a love child, it would be a sopapilla. Soft triangles of dough are fried to pillowy golden perfection and then dusted in cinnamon sugar. So much easier than donuts, this recipe makes a big batch, which is great because you may need to “taste test” at least half of them.

Rice and beans can sound bland and uninteresting, but this dish is anything but. Cooking the rice in the rich savoury broth means maximum flavour is absorbed, creating a delicious and filling dish that can be served as a side or a main.

This dish might be the best-baked beans you’ve ever eaten. Hearty and full of flavour with a sweet, tangy finish, these beans can be served as a delicious meal on toast or as a side dish. They are eaten as a snacking dip in Spain as well, scooped up with some crusty bread.

My favourite flavour combinations are mushroom and goat’s cheese, mushroom and thyme, thyme and garlic or mushroom and garlic … so I added all of these amazing flavours to my famous pizza base and created a new family favourite.

This sticky and sweet chicken is truly finger-licking good. You can throw this together in the morning and leave it to marinate in the fridge all day. It’s a quick, easy and super-delicious dish to cook on the barbecue.

Sweet, fresh corn is grilled until it has a hint of char and then slathered in a spicy, creamy, cheesy sauce in this nod to a popular Mexican street food.

Nothing pairs as beautifully as grilled steak with a fresh and tangy chimichurri. In researching flavour bases, I came across the classic Argentinean combination of sazon spice rub and chimichurri, so I based my rub on the traditional sazon. The main spice in sazon is achiote powder, or ground annatto seeds, but this is not readily available here. Instead, I’ve substituted it with the recommended combination of sweet paprika and turmeric.

This dessert has simple yet complex flavours. Soft, pillowy silken tofu is warmed and sliced into slivers which are then drenched in a sticky, sweet, spiced syrup that is to die for.

Crispy pastry encloses delicious veg-packed filling that tastes so incredibly satisfying that nobody will even notice there is no meat.

Packed full of delicious flavours and textures, this stir-fry is a quick and easy meat-free meal on those busy nights. Made with a few fresh veggies from the supermarket and pantry items, it’s a great addition to the menu roster.

Perfect for a quick dinner the kids will love, this sweet and tangy stir-fry has none of the usual heat. You can mix and match your stir-fry vegetables to suit what you have on hand or what your family prefers.