Romanian-style clear chicken soup with carrots and potatoes, served family-style. Chicken pieces are poached, skimmed once, then simmered with a whole onion for sweetness. Halved potatoes cook until tender, then chicken, potatoes and onion are lifted out so the broth stays clear. Finish with parsley and garlic sauce.

Winter weeknights call for something that tastes like comfort, but it’s nourishing and fast. My carrot and coriander soup maker version is bright and gently spiced. I add a generous amount of lentils to keep it satisfying and a good squeeze of lemon to balance that carrot sweetness.

A creamy whipped feta base topped with a bright cranberry-orange sauce and a warm drizzle of hot honey. This cranberry whipped feta dip comes together quickly and brings a cozy, festive flavor to any cheese board or holiday table.

A cozy broccoli and Stilton soup in a soup maker with a white-bean twist: silky, high-fibre, no cream needed – finished with lemon and a crunchy seed topping.

Apple and blackberry crumble is our end-of-summer staple, since I’m often picking blackberries on our dog walks and a generous neighbor is forever offloading apples, so I can’t let them go to waste. This one’s made with store-bought produce (because, life) and it works brilliantly …

Peri peri chicken and rice – my weeknight-or-weekend show-stopper: roasted chicken thighs over onions, peppers, tomatoes, lemon and garlic, then rice baked in spicy, citrusy juices -Portuguese-inspired, drier, with golden crispy edges.

When you think of comfort food, potatoes and greens might not be the first duo that comes to mind – but in this Swiss chard and potatoes recipe with the creamiest dressing, they absolutely shine. It brings together crispy smashed potatoes, garlicky sautéed Swiss chard with lemon and sumac.

This Tomato Soup in Soup Maker is my go-to when tomatoes peak: I roast vine tomatoes, onion, and a whole garlic bulb until jammy, then let the soup maker blitz with miso paste for a velvety, umami-rich bowl.

Every summer, our family orchard turned gold. The apricot trees in my grandparents’ farm ripened all at once, their branches heavy with fruit. I’d climb the old gnarled tree, eating apricots still warm from the sun – sticky fingers, sweet juice, and that floral fragrance that only fresh apricots have.

I’ve baked sourdough every week for ~4 years, and this brown sourdough is the one I trust when life gets busy. It’s nutty from wholemeal flour, but with a soft crumb even though it packs in that extra fiber.