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This is the recipe my mother uses every year at Christmas time to make a cardamom scented sweetbread. To this day, every time I smell cardamom I think of my mom. It's a blast from the past, a household tradition, all because of a friendly neighbour from my childhood who shared this recipe with me. I of course gave it to my mom to make for me.

Nowadays she makes it in a bread machine, which handles the mixing, kneading and first rising steps. The dough can then be braided and baked as per the recipe. The traditional braiding step makes a beautiful loaf, but isn't necessary. You can form a traditional loaf by rolling it into a log and placing it in a lightly greased loaf pan before baking.

Spice up your snack life with this seedy, snappy brittle. Once you master the art and craft of making a homemade brittle, the possibilities are endless. Substitute other spices, stir in your favourite nuts or seeds, you can even you chopped up pretzels or cookies!

Making caramel is easy, but it does benefit from keeping a close eye. The sugar syrup might not look like it's doing much for a while but as soon as it starts changing colour, stay close to the stove. It can go from light yellow, to dark brown, to a smoking black mess in a matter of moments. It's also extremely hot, so exercise caution and keep it away from young fingers until it has completely cooled.

There are a lot of reasons to eat asparagus. It's green, it's healthy, it's tasty and delicious. And perhaps the best reason to eat these tender, slender stalks is because they're traditionally served with Hollandaise sauce. Here's everything you need to simply steam asparagus and extravagantly transform butter into the richest, silkiest, smoothest sauce known to man.

Steaming asparagus and other green vegetables is always a better option to boiling. Boiling takes away texture and leaches away flavour, colour, and nutrients.

A rack of lamb is a great special occasion dinner. Too bad each chop only gets a thin crust of aromatic topping. To maximize the flavour potential, use individual lamb chops that can each be thickly encased with a crust. Mint and lamb are one of the great classic flavour combinations, and the edamame provides vibrant colour and protective moisture for the delicate mint while in the oven.

A traditional pesto genovese is made with loads of fresh basil, but by no means do you have to stick by tradition. This version has been jazzed up with pungent sun-dried tomatoes. Pesto means paste, and it can have infinite variations based on what inspires you. Switch up the nuts or cheese, add some herbs or spices, or zip it up with some hot sauce.

Mac and cheese is delicious just the way it is, but why not amp it up with some Italian flavours? A creamy sauce is built with easy-melting Fontina and flavour-packed Grana Padano cheeses. Spicy Italian sausage, bright tomatoes and classic herbs will have your family proclaiming "mi amore!".

This salad celebrates the abundance of harvest time with crunchy croutons, spicy seeds and colourful cranberries.

This ain't your typical tuna salad! A rosy tuna steak is quickly seared in a hot pan and thinly sliced before being put on display over a hearty potato and green bean salad.

This addictive and highly flavoured flat bread really packs a punch with onion, garlic, rosemary and Parmesan cheese. Enjoy alongside a salad for lunch or serve it instead of garlic bread on your next pasta night.

This traditional tapas bar snack is sometimes served between two slices of rustic crusty bread. It’s just as delicious served plain. Either way, the bright pickled tomatoes steal the show. This is the sort of dish you’ll quickly come to crave.

Looking for more simple and delicious recipes to make for breakfast, school lunches, and weekday dinners when you are short on time? Check out my latest cookbook, Family Meals, for 99 more recipes that will help make mealtime fun and get your family involved in the kitchen.

Light, crisp salad greens, fresh vegetables, and a tangy, well balanced dressing tastefully completes any meal. Skip the store bought croutons and impress your table with this homemade version. Chewy on the inside while irresistibly crisp on the outside, these croutons bake in the oven while you get the rest of the ingredients ready. Finish by adorning this versatile salad with unbeatable crunch.