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.

You guys know how I feel about chocolate by now, surely? I mean, it’s practically the perfect food group. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Combine the superpowers of dark chocolate with the amazing nutritional value of olive oil and you’ve got a superfood-packed dish. Using olive oil instead of cream in this mousse makes it rich. silky and so decadent.

With its rich colour and distinctive earthy flavour, turmeric is perfect for adding to dishes to increase your intake of curcumin, a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Combining it with fibre-rich and mineral-packed chickpeas gives you a superfood side dish that complements any meal.

Tender, falling-apart lamb, infused with flavour, is paired with a tangy, salty, spicy sauce that lifts the flavours to a whole new level. Serve with a grain salad and some roasted eggplant for a delicious family dinner.

Sweet and spicy, with a delicious sticky finish, this is a fast and easy way to give your salmon a facelift. Serve it with a simple salad for a dinner with a difference.

Do you like your salsa to be fresh? Sweet? Spicy? Tangy? How about all the above? This salsa goes perfectly with
a simple barbecue and gets better the longer it sits in the fridge.

As we leave our property, we drive past row after row of cherry trees. For the last couple of months each year, every trip is spent peering through the trees, judging the growth and abundance of the year’s cherry crop and, most importantly, checking if they will be ripe for Christmas. To not eat cherries at Christmas is unthinkable, so I had to include them in this delicious finish to our Christmas menu.

I live surrounded by apple orchards, so this is the perfect festive salad for my family. I buy my apples and juice from a roadside stall not two minutes from my home — but you can get yours at the supermarket. This salad is fresh and light, perfect for a hot summer feast.

How about a delicious and filling pasta bake that the kids can make with minimal help? This pasta bake literally comes together in about 5 mins in one dish, and doesn’t involve boiling water, so it’s safe for little helpers. Mix and bake. That’s all there is to it.

Fancy something a bit different for lunch? Want the kids to eat spinach without complaining? Get them to make these fabulous quesadillas and they’ll be tucking in with a smile. As always, adult supervision is needed during the cooking phase.