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.

Who wants a recipe for Chocolate Hummus? I first tried it at Trader Joes on one of Blair’s work trips to Seattle and since travel again is a loooong way off I thought I’d create my own delicious version.

I have to have a little chocolate every single day so consider myself and expert in this field. It’s my treat at the end of a hard day’s work. Because it was the weekend and we had our dear friends Lauren and Alex over for a mini feast we ramped it up and made these retro chocolate mousse pots.

I love figs. I love olives, and always have a good supply of both on hand.

During a recent (child-free!) holiday to Singapore we were lucky enough to eat out most nights. One evening our friend Ollie took us to a fabulous Japanese eatery the Neon Pigeon where we ordered the silkiest hummus made with edamame beans.