On Labour day we spent the entire day inside not leaving the house. While it was cold and rainy outside we cranked the heating, ditched our lunch plans and made use of some pantry staples and delicious spring asparagus.

Here’s my fancy take on traditional fish fingers. I’ve used  succulent Blue Cod, crumbed it in delicious panko and paired it with a fruity mango salsa. Great for the whole family and the kids can help too!

This delicious rotisserie pork roast recipe you’ll want to make again and again. I created them for Fisher & Paykel using the rotisserie function on their Freestanding Dual Fuel Cooker but feel free to slow roast at 170C for 5-6 hours or until deliciously moist and easily pulls off the bone with a fork.

This would have to be one of my favourite recipes. I make for new baby gifts, new home gifts, picnics, make ahead meals – you name it. The pastry is rich and buttery so slightly difficult to work with but I have a way of handling it so read on!

I’ve long been a fan of having salad be the star of the show. With all the heavy food around at this time in the year I often find sanctuary in a humble salad with a crisp glass of rose.

Burgers
500ml sunflower oil, for deep-frying
3-4 fish filets (e.g cod or snapper would work well)
½ cup rice flour
4 burger buns
8 crispy lettuce leaves (I used cos lettuce)

1 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, chopped (white parts only)
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 1/2 tsp each fennel seeds
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups mixed greens, roughly chopped (e.g. herbs, spinach)

We love meatballs in our house (Blair’s usually our resident meatball chef) and make them tender by soaking breadcrumbs in milk and finishing by baking them in the oven.

If you want to mix things up this Christmas – try a twist on a traditional Ham – Persian Lamb shoulder. It makes a beautiful centrepiece if you were just to make one thing with a bunch of salads on the side and can be prepped ahead and put in the oven Christmas morning.

This is laksa but not as you know it! Loaded with sticky kumara, crunchy chickpeas and dollaps of silky coconut yoghurt, it goes perfectly with Zeffer 0% Crisp Apple Cider.

I’ve made this beautiful winter salad for years now and it’s a true favourite. The caramelised veggies are deliciously sticky and sweet, making them a perfect side to a Roast Chicken. The feta, whipped with orange, is basically a quicker version of labne, adding creamy, tangy contrast that really lifts the dish. It all comes together on one platter, finished with a sprinkle of crunchy hazelnuts for texture.