First up is a quinoa, kumara and hazelnut salad - spiced with cumin. This is very yum, and the various stages of making it dovetail together very nicely. Vegan, DF and GF

This Vegetable Curry with Cashews has a big list of ingredients, but the instructions are very simple! The result is a very satisfying curry with light fresh flavours that doesn't even take a long time to make! Vegan, DF and GF

It's just soup time, really. And this one fits the bill nicely - a Vegetable Chowder with some unexpected additions - Granny Smith apples, and dried wakame, onion weed tops if you're feeling adventurous... Makes for great flavour, and a soup you can probably stand a spoon up in... Vegan, DF and GF

I've finally learned how to write and pronounce my favourite pasta shape! Casarecce - nice shape with a little twist to help hold big pasta sauces... Also a favourite of our friends at Artisan Pantry in Kaikorai Valley, where the pasta is made.The sauce has garlic, nutmeg, capers and parmesan to give it plenty of flavour, and the pumpkin is mashed into the sauce for colour, substance and smooth. Also there is broccoli. What's not to love here?! Pumpkin and broccoli pasta - vegetarian only.

Roasting chicken in pieces is much quicker and less complicated at the end - no dividing the beast once it's cooked... This recipe uses Middle eastern spices and sliced lemon to infuse flavour through the chicken - allspice, sumac, cinnamon, za'atar... Roast chicken with Lemon and Za'atar is different enough to be interesting, and familiar enough to be comfort food! Team it with a tray of roast veg, or flat breads and salad depending on the day. Has pine nuts - DF and GF (unless you go for the flatbread idea...)

This is an oven-baked Lamb kibbeh - rather than shaping it around a skewer you make it like a baked slice. Since I had the oven on I also wrapped some beetroot in tinfoil with a splash of balsamic and olive oil, and roasted them up at the same time... was a Good Time. The Kibbeh has lamb, spices, onion, burgher wheat - is very simple and effective. DF only