One pot meals

Who says soup is strictly a cold weather meal? This simple, spicy carrot and lime soup is served chilled, making it a perfect meal for a hot summer's day.

No need to spend hours cleaning up with this delicious one-pot meal. Juicy chicken is roasted to perfection with salty olives, garlic potatoes and a seasoning of rosemary.

If you enjoy a risotto but don't have time for the continuous stirring this creamy dish usually requires, then this microwave recipe is for you.

This flavoursome side dish ticks all the boxes, featuring wholesome pumpkin simmered with crispy bacon, butter and garlic.

This classic winter warmer will fill your home with delicious aromas while it slowly cooks to perfection. Serve on its own, or with crusty bread.

Replace pistachio kernels with peanuts. Use curry powder instead of curry paste. You’ll need 1 1/2 teaspoons. Note

You can't go past the classics.

You don't need to miss out on a nutritious and delicious dinner when you're lost for time after work. With juicy chicken that's packed with flavour this recipe is a crowd-pleaser.

Take yourself on a trip to Thailand with aromatic mint, chilli, coriander and lime. This powerful beef dish is best served with a fresh, crispy lettuce leaf.

Enjoy this warming, fragrant chicken broth as the base for your next casserole or risotto, or simple enjoy on it's own as a light soup on a cold winter's evening.

No flameproof pan? Cover handle with foil to prevent it burning under the grill. Note

Omit balsamic vinegar. Use brown or apple cider vinegar instead. Use floury potatoes. Note

Beef vindaloo is a classic curry most famous in India's Goa region. Not for the faint hearted, the chilli packs a particularly spicy punch. To balance the dish, serve with a side of riata and an ice cold beer.

An effortless combination, tender chicken and grilled mushrooms are beautiful tossed through this creamy pea risotto dish. Serve up for dinner with a glass of wine for a warming, hearty meal.

Always ensure that your leek is washed well before cooking. A bouquet garni is a bundle of herbs tied together with string, used to prepare soup, stock, and various stews. It is cooked with the other ingredients, but removed prior to consumption. Note

Seafood and eat it.

Turkey mince is learner than regular beef or pork mince. To hide added vegetables from the kids, grate vegies rather than chopping them. Add chopped basil for green goodness and flavour. Note

This oven-baked risotto is perfect for a weeknight dinner. Hearty and delicious, minus all the stirring, it's so simple!

With the addition of apple and sultanas, this sweet beef dish is the perfect recipe to get the kids enjoying curries.

More than just fancy macaroni cheese, this baked three cheese pasta is cheesy, creamy and crunchy on top. Ok, maybe it is a fancy macaroni cheese, but it's a great one.

Mozzarella is rather delightfully known as 'fior di latte', literally meaning 'flower of the milk'. It provides a wonderfully creamy and mild balance to the spice in this rosemary and tomato barley risotto.

There is nothing quite like the aroma of this beef and vegetable curry simmering on the stove, except perhaps the satisfaction of having made it yourself from scratch.

This tandoori salmon pilaf is a healthy and delicious Indian inspired family meal. The fragrant spices of the tandoori are perfectly balanced alongside the fresh and creamy raita.

Beef vindaloo is a classic curry most famous in India's Goa region. Not for the faint hearted, the chilli packs a particularly spicy punch. To balance the dish, serve with a side of riata and an ice cold beer.

A heartier version of a classic spanakopita with the addition of tender lamb.

This rich and hearty soup can be whipped up in about half an hour. Evaporated milk (not to be confused with condensed milk) is canned unsweetened milk from which some of the water has been evaporated.

Deliciously saucy and packed full of authentic Asian flavours, these char siu and orange spiced beef ribs are perfect to serve your family or friends at a dinner party. Plus, they're made in the pressure-cooker to save you lots of time!

Just a few moments preparation in the morning and into the slow-cooker with this authentic and flavourful Mexican classic. Perfect for cold winter nights when something substantial is called for but you just don't have the time. Enjoy with rice and a glass of red.

Warm up on a cold winter's evening with this melt-in-your-mouth stew.

For a lower-fat version, use low-fat dairy-free spread instead of the butter, low-fat mayonnaise, light sour cream and light cream. (per serving) 31.1g fat; 2196kJ (525 cal) We used whole-egg mayonnaise. You can also use pink-eye or sebago potatoes for this recipe. Note

This tasty ginger beef stir-fry sweetened with palm sugar and flavoured with those familiar Thai herbs and condiments can be on the table in a flash. That's tonight's dinner sorted. You're welcome.

Chicken soup is used for medicinal purposes across just about all cultures. We can't guarantee a magic cure of whatever ails you, but you can be sure that this soup is healthy and delicious.

Don't be put off by the amount of garlic in this recipe. It infuses the chicken with a wonderful, yet not overpowering flavour. You can always discard it after cooking, if you don't want the full garlic experience!

Casserole can be made a day ahead; cover, refrigerate until required. Note

This lemon-scented lamb casserole is full of the flavours of roasted winter vegetables, and is delicious served with creamy mashed potatoes.

A rich, fragrant and authentic beef madras curry for the Indian food lovers.

This deliciously hearty lamb and white bean soup is full of iron, protein and all the goodness of fresh vegetables. It's a meal in itself and perfect for cold winter nights.

To freeze; complete recipe to the end of step 3. Transfer to an airtight container. Label, date and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a large saucepan until hot. Stoba, a popular stew eaten throughout the Caribbean, is usually made with goat, but we’ve used lamb because it’s […]

Microwave suitable. Note

Freeze any remaining casserole, covered, for up to 3 months. Note

Recipe is not suitable to freeze. Food referred to as “à la bourguignon” is food cooked in the style of the famous French wine region of Burgundy, and is instantly recognisable by its red wine sauce containing mushrooms, bacon and onions. While most of us are familiar with the classic boeuf (beef ) bourguignon, lamb […]

Fragrant, fresh and packed with crunch, heat and flavour, pho makes an excellent healthy lunch.

This tasty Asian style dish can be on the table within half an hour of arriving home in the evening. It's a perfectly balanced meal and full of flavour.

This is warming comfort food at its best. Don’t let the long cooking time put you off. You’ll spend very little time at the stove before the pan goes in the oven.

Moroccan spice mix and preserved lemon have the ability to transform the humble chicken thigh from a tasty cut of meat, to a sensation dish. Don't be tempted to substitute chicken breast, the thigh is much more tender, succulent and flavourful.

Recipe is not suitable to freeze. If clams aren’t available, replace them with pipis. Fish stock can be used instead of vegetable stock. Note

Biryani are some of the most elaborate of Indian rice dishes synonymous with the Moghul emperors. Lamb, rice and spices are layered in this fragrant one-pot dish. Start the recipe a day ahead.

Recipe is not suitable to freeze. If you’d prefer a vegetarian option of this soup. Microwave rice is fine to use here. Note

It’s a lot easier to slice the steak into wafer-thin strips if you partially freeze it first. Accompany with rice, if desired. Note

Simple, tasty and hardly any washing up!

Take a trip to the fish markets for the freshest produce you can find for these individual seafood mornay pots topped with crispy gratin. They're absolutely delicious.

Serve with crusty bread. Note

Delight in this warming, hearty Italian inspired hotpot with juicy chicken, delicious vegies and plenty of filling, fibre-filled beans. The fennel adds a nice aniseed flavour, but is not overpowering.

Roasted pumpkin with bacon and fetta from AWW May 2008

You can serve these butterscotch apples on their own, with cream or spooned over a steamed pudding.

Warm, comforting and packed with gorgeous veggies, this soup acts as a perfect pick-me-up on a cold day.

This nourishing beef and barley soup makes a satisfying and hearty one-dish meal for any season.

With red wine, French bread, onions and gruyere cheese you're already on to a winner, but it's the homemade beef stock that makes this French onion soup one of the best.

You'll find a version of this popular soup in most Asian cuisines, this one has a Thai accent. A light chicken broth with noodles is like balm for the body and soul.

Borlotti beans are also known as cannellini beans, but they're actually a paler, plumper variety of the humble kidney bean. This tomato and borlotti bean soup makes a nourishing lunch or dinner.

Spicy, fragrant and wonderfully creamy, this beautiful red duck and lychee curry is perfect for a warming family dinner on a cooler evening.

Vindaloo curry paste can be made up to a week ahead and kept, covered tightly, in the refrigerator. Making this dish a day ahead helps intensify the flavours. Note

We’ve used penne pasta in this recipe, but feel free to use spaghetti, if you prefer. Stir in ⅓ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves just before serving, if you like. Note

Recipe is suitable to freeze without the parsley. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a saucepan and sprinkle with parsley to serve. Note

Serve with warm naan and yoghurt. Curry can be made 2 days ahead. Curry pastes vary in heat, so adjust amount to suit your taste. Okra, also known as bamia or lady fingers, is a green, ridged, oblong pod with a furry skin. Native to Africa, this vegetable is used in Indian, Middle-Eastern and southern […]

Rich tomato sauce, smoky meat, herbs and cheese ­ the very best of fresh ingredients ­ that’s the Italian way. Put the pot on and let it bubble its way to a delicious infusion of flavours. Note

Verjuice is available in delicatessens and supermarkets; it’s usually found in the vinegar aisle. It’s made from unripe grapes and has a slightly acidic taste. Ask the butcher to cut the rabbit into pieces. Note

Kalonji seeds are also known as nigella or black onion seeds. Tiny, angular seeds, black on the outside and creamy within, with a sharp nutty flavour that can be enhanced by frying briefly in a dry hot pan before use. Kalonji can be found in most Asian and Middle-Eastern food shops. Note

Suitable to freeze at the end of step 2. Note

You can use drained gelatinous noodles instead of the cellophane noodles. Note

Suitable to freeze at the end of step 3. Note

Thai basil, also known as horapa, is available from greengrocers and Asian supermarkets. To freeze; pack into freezerproof containers, leaving a 2.5cm space to allow for expansion. Seal, label and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a saucepan or microwave on medium power (50%) until heated through. Note