Whenever I find myself in a food rut, making spaghetti for days on end and no longer excited for my next meal (a very difficult feat for me), I always turn to Half Baked Harvest. Without fail, Tieghan Gerard, the creator of Half Baked Harvest, turns out creative and delicious recipes… on almost a daily basis!

If you feel very lazy and cannot think of a recipe to cook up for lunch or dinner, you simply need to go to her website (halfbakedharvest.com) and browse through the countless varying recipes. If browsing through hundreds of recipes seems just a bit daunting and time-consuming, no need to worry! There is a search function where you can type in anything you are in the mood to eat, whether it be a certain cuisine, type of dish, or specific ingredient. Whether you are looking for an Italian, Indian, Chinese, or Mexican dish, a soup, a pasta, a roast, or simply need to get rid of that chicken you know is about to go off, you are sure to find something incredible. Although some of her recipes include expensive or rare ingredients, I always omit them and it still tastes great.

As if that wasn’t enough to make me almost exclusively cook recipes from this website, she also has all the recipes for your baking and dessert needs, from cakes to pies to cookies and beyond. She manages to have an impressively wide range of desserts that cater to all budgets and skill levels. Whether she puts a new spin on classic desserts or comes up with something entirely new, you can be sure that it will not only be delicious but exceedingly fun to make as well.

Another notable aspect to her repertoire is her range of cocktails- which are an amazing way of elevating any house or holiday party. For almost every recipe, there is the option to make the cocktails by the glass or pitcher and you can put a twist on almost any cocktail. Whether you’re in the mood for a Moscow Mule, Gin and Tonic, Sangria, or White Russian, you are sure to find a great cocktail that is really simple but still manages to impress your party guests.

For daily inspiration and ideas, you can also follow her Instagram, @halfbakedharvest, where she posts new recipes on a daily basis.

Below are a few of my favourite dishes that I have made by her.

Lemony Garlic Chicken and Orzo Soup

This has to be my absolute favourite recipe of hers that I have recreated. I have cooked it about ten times since the start of this academic year; it is delicious, warming, and actually incredibly easy to make. It can be made on the hob or in the pressure cooker and it is a wonderful way to warm up. Bits of shredded chicken with orzo pasta in a cheesy, brothy sauce would make you think that there is no way this delicious meal can be healthy, but it is balanced with carrots, kale, ad spices to help you feel better about making this recipe an absurd amount of time (well, in my case anyway). Easy, delicious, warming, and homemade soup… all in under thirty minutes.

Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you’re like me, then you tend to get bored of eating the same foods consistently. So, when I found myself making plain chocolate chip cookies every time I decided to undertake the somewhat cumbersome task of baking in my tiny student kitchen, I knew I needed to try something new- but still wanted to put in a minimal amount of effort. These cookies were just what I needed; although they only require a few extra ingredients, they offer a great twist on a classic cookie. These are a great treat to bake up for Autumn, or year-round if your love for pumpkin flavouring is not dictated by the seasons.

Creamy Golden Rice with Spiced Chickpeas

This recipe is another quick and easy meal that happens to be very healthy as well. The broth, spices, and coconut milk make the rice creamy and filling, and is a delicious base for the real star of the show: the crispy coconut chickpeas. These chickpeas are, simply put, amazing. Chickpeas and coconut flakes fried in oil, garlic, shallots, and ginger pair perfectly with the creamy turmeric-spiced rice. The inclusion of leafy greens make this a healthy and delicious option for a quick weeknight meal.

Half Baked Harvest’s chicken and spinach ramen, another great recipe to try out