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From the quick low-effort weekday dinner when you don't want to spend the whole day in the kitchen but still want to eat something delicious, to the slow moments when cooking becomes the best part of the day, Green Kitchen: Quick and Slow will teach you how to cook great tasting, modern vegetarian food and show you how to find joy in the process.

Featuring stunning photography, and packed cooking tips and fun flavour-twists throughout, Green Kitchen: Quick and Slow will not only inspire you with what to cook on any night of the week, but it will show you how cooking can be your best therapy, friend and ultimate joy.

I love kale, and add it to most of our meals during the winter months. Compared to spinach, kale just has more personality: it gets crunchy when roasted, provides a stunning colour in smoothies and pasta sauces, stays vigorous and chewy in salads and chars up nicely in a pan. I often make kale as part of a savoury breakfast, with eggs, avocado or - as here - crunchy mushrooms, topped with rich and punchy citrus, ginger and tahini dressing. This is a delicious vegan dish, but you could add a soft-boiled egg on top if you like. Kids won't touch this - it's got an "adults-only" rating.

6 oyster mushrooms (or mushrooms of your choice), torn

bunch of cavolo nero or curly kale, torn and woody stems removed

handful of baby spinach (optional)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

juice of 1 orange or lemon

1 avocado or 2 free-range soft boiled eggs (optional)

2 tsp sesame seeds or za'atar

1. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic (if using), followed by the mushrooms, and fry for a couple of minutes on each side until the mushrooms have started to brown and crunch up. Add the tamari and give everything a toss, then push the mushrooms to the side of the pan.

2. Add the kale and spinach, if using, to the other side of the pan, along with the remaining oil. Fry undisturbed for about 1 minute until charred and crunchy, then toss to fry on the other side. Season and set aside.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients.

4. Divide the tahini dressing between two bowls and swirl around so it covers the sides. Add the kale/spincach, then top with the mushroom shreds, avocado or egg, if using, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds or za'atar.

A note on garlic: I have a garlic sensitivity, so I leave it out, but do include it if you can.

If you ever use TikTok, chances are you'll be familiar with the pasta recipe where a block of feta and some cherry tomatoes are roasted until soft, then stirred into a sauce and served with pasta. Our daughter loves it. This is a grown-up version: almost as simple, but with a lot more flavour. The tomatoes are roasted with harissa, then mixed with pasta and served over a cool lemon yoghurt. Spicy, sweet tomatoes, cooling yoghurt and salty feta - a winning combination.

3 heaped tbsp rose harissa paste

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve

10g fresh oregano, leaves picked

300g rigatoni pasta (or any pasta shape)

1 bunch of basil, leaves picked and roughly chopped

sea salt and freshly ground

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. In an oven dish, toss together the tomatoes, garlic, harissa, oil and oregano. Season well and roast for 25 minutes.

2. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain the pasta but reserve a mugful of the pasta cooking water.

3. Remove the tomatoes from the oven, setting a few aside if you want to keep some intact, then add the pasta to the oven dish. Stir everything together, adding a little pasta water to loosen if necessary. You want the pasta to be coated in the flavourful tomato juice and harissa oil.

4. In a small bowl, stir together the yoghurt and lemon juice, then spread this across the base of four bowls. Top with the pasta, then crumble over the feta and scatter over the basil and pine nuts. Gently mix together so the harissa ripples through the yoghurt, then top with any reserved tomatoes. Generously drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and finish with a good grind of black pepper.

A good vegan ramen starts with a homemade dashi broth. We pour it hot into bowls of ginger-roasted pumpkin, crunchy mushrooms, rice noodles and tofu - aiming for that dollop of sweet walnut miso which immediately boosts a deep umami experience - and finish with a drizzle of chilli oil. The preparation is almost as ceremonial and rewarding as the meal itself.

200g tofu, pressed and cut into 1 cm strips

150g pak choi, trimmed and sliced lengthways

4 heaped tsp sweet walnut miso (below)

black bean chilli oil (homemade or store-bought)

500g pumpkin or butternut squash, sliced into 1 cm wedges

pinch of dried chilli flakes

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1. In the morning, begin preparing the broth by pouring the water into a saucepan. Add the kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms, then cover with a lid and allow to cold-infuse throughout the day. If you are in a hurry, see note below.

2. When you're ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200C and line a large roasting tray with baking parchment. To roast the veg, place the pumpkin slices and oyster mushrooms on the prepared tray. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, soy sauce, honey, ginger and chilli flakes. Pour this mixture over the veg and gently toss. Season and roast for 20-25 minutes, until the pumpkin is soft and the mushrooms are crunchy.

3. Return to the broth. Remove the kombu from the saucepan and stir in the rest of the broth ingredients. Place over a medium heat and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and leave to simmer for 30 minutes. The broth should reduce slightly.

4. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, then drain, rinse and divide between four bowls.

5. Once the roasted vegetables are ready, remove from the oven and divide among the four bowls, along with the tofu and pak choi. Add one heaped teaspoon of walnut miso to the middle of each bowl. Pour the warm broth over the top. Drizzle with the chilli and enjoy.

Make it quick: Cold-soaking the kombu gives a rounder flavour, but you can simmer the water, kombu and mushrooms in a saucepan over a low heat for 20 minutes. Remove the kombu, then add the rest of the broth ingredients and let reduce for 10 more minutes.

No chilli oil? Top with kimchi or sriracha sauce instead.

If you like miso, this hero condiment is going to be an easy sell. You simply combine miso with crushed toasted walnuts, honey and vinegar to get a sweet and umami-oozing condiment.

2 tbsp mirin (or rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar)

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and spread out the walnuts on a roasting tray. Bake for four minutes until lightly toasted, then set aside to cool.

2. Place the cooled walnuts in a food processor and blitz. You want some to be coarsely ground, but others to have kept a little more shape. You can also use a pestle and mortar or chop them by hand.

3. Transfer to a jar and stir in the miso, honey and mirin.

4. This will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

This is the perfect mash-up of an Italian cheesecake and a soft crumb cake. It has a floral honey and fresh lemon flavour, while the polenta and poppy seeds add texture. It's naturally gluten-free, sweetened only with honey, and magically manages to be moist without being heavy.

150g salted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing

zest and juice of 1 large lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 170C. and grease a 20cm springform cake tin.

2. For the honey-lemon syrup, combine the water, honey and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then add the lemon slices. After a few minutes, remove from the heat and leave to infuse.

3. In a large bowl, use a hand-held electric mixer to beat together the butter and honey for two to three minutes. Add the ricotta and lemon zest and juice. Beat for another minute, then add the egg yolks and whisk until incorporated. Stir through the almond flour, polenta, poppy seeds, baking powder and salt.

4. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then fold into the batter.

5. Brush the bottom of the cake tin with a thin layer of honey-lemon syrup, reserving the rest, then arrange the lemon slices across the base. Carefully pour the batter over the top.

6. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until dark golden and slightly risen, and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

7. Leave to cool for 10-15 minutes, then run a knife around the sides to loosen. Place a plate on top of the cake and flip it upside-down.

8. Remove the bottom of the tin, then drizzle the remaining syrup over the cake. Leave to cool completely before serving.

Make ahead: Make the cheesecake a day in advance and store in the fridge. It will become a little more compact, but will taste even better.

I've covered a few things here at The Canberra Times over the years, from sport to education. But now I get to write about the fun stuff - where to eat, what to do, places to go, people to see. Let me know about your favourite things. Email: karen.hardy@canberratimes.com.au

I've covered a few things here at The Canberra Times over the years, from sport to education. But now I get to write about the fun stuff - where to eat, what to do, places to go, people to see. Let me know about your favourite things. Email: karen.hardy@canberratimes.com.au

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