Quick & Easy

The basil mixture, without the lemon rind and juice, can be made several days ahead; keep tightly covered in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 3 months. Add the lemon just before serving. Make sure you cook the haloumi just before serving, as it becomes tough and rubbery on cooling. Note

Soak 8 bamboo skewers in water for about 30 minutes before use to prevent splintering and scorching during cooking. Note

Use focaccia, bagels, bread rolls or any other kind of bread. Note

We used cannellini beans but you can use any variety of canned white beans you like. Note

We used flathead fillets but use any firm white fish fillets you like; blue eye, bream, ling, whiting or snapper are all fine. Remove the fish when it is almost cooked; it will continue to cook off the heat. Recipe not suitable to freeze. Note

Not suitable to freeze. You can also marinate the lamb in a large resealable plastic bag. Quince paste can be warmed in a microwave-safe jug in a microwave oven. Quince paste is available from delicatessens and most major supermarkets. Note

Potato starch is similar to cornflour but stronger, so use a little more cornflour if you cannot find any potato starch Note

A bright, colourful and healthy modern Asian dish.

Char-siu sauce is a Chinese barbecue sauce made from sugar, water, salt, fermented soya bean paste, honey, soy sauce, malt syrup and spices. A little something out of the ordinary for those times when you feel you’ve cooked it all before. Note

You can substitute white wine, Grand Marnier or brandy for the red wine. Note

A quick and easy Asian-style beef stir fry for busy midweek dinners.

Delicious Asian-style main dish of sticky pork with wilted gai lan.

You need smoking chips and a smoke box for this recipe; they are available from barbecue supply stores. port-smoked beef Note

You can use any firm white-fleshed fish fillets. Note

These sesame and chilli lamb skewers are the perfect starter dish for Asian-styled evenings.

Crispy pork belly and nashi salad with a plum and five-spice dressing from Australian Women's Weekly.

Fried noodles, also known as crispy noodles, are used in sang choy bow and chow mein. They can be found in supermarkets, usually in 50g or 100g packets, already deep-fried. Note

Serve the cutlets with a spoonful of sweet apple sauce, if liked. Note

Dressing can be made 1 day ahead; chill, covered. Recipe can be 3 days ahead up to step 3; store in airtight container. Note

This recipe is inspired by the Russian passion for kasha, cooked grains such as buckwheat, millet or oats. Buckwheat kernels or groats are available from health-food stores. Note

Asian-style stir-fried beef with thin hokkien noodles from Australian Women's Weekly.

You'll never have plain old mashed potato again after this delicious bacon and cheesy potato bake.

Soufflés must be made just before serving. Note

You need to purchase a large barbecued chicken weighing about 900g for this recipe. Note

Rollmops are herring fillets wrapped around a slice of gherkin, red capsium and/or onion preserved in a spiced vinegar brine. Note

We used cryovac-packed ready-to-serve sweet chilli tofu, available from many supermarkets and Asian food stores. Note

A classic hearty chicken stew that originated in southern Louisiana.

Delicious and warming garlic chicken stir-fry with buk choy from Australian Women's Weekly.

Crispy and delicious pork rack with a sweet apple sage sauce from Australian Women's Weekly.

These peaches will keep for 1 week stored in an airtight container in the fridge. After 2 days, the liquid will increase by half, and the flavours will intensify. Make sure the fruit is covered in the poaching liquid. Keep any leftover poaching liquid to poach other fruit, or reduce to a syrup by simmering […]

Divide dough into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a long oval about 3mm thick. Note

Warm sabayon must be served immediately. Note

Bacardi or dark rum can be used, though the slightly darker rum has a stronger flavour. Note

Sometimes sold as spring salad mix, mesclun is a commercial assortment of young green leaves, and will usually include some or all of the following: rocket, mizuna, baby spinach, curly endive, oak leaf, radicchio and mignonette. When cooking poultry directly on the barbecue grill, it only needs moderately-hot heat; place food on the edges of […]

Vanilla-infused vodka can be bought from an alcohol store or made at home. To make vanilla-infused vodka, combine 250ml vodka and 2 split vanilla beans in a glass jar, cover; stand for about 5 days or until the vodka is infused with vanilla flavour. Discard vanilla beans before using the vodka. Guava juice is available […]

Slice will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Note

You could buy 4 x 75g salmon fillets instead of the larger fillet. The yellow beans add some colour to the dish; if unavailable use green beans. Note

Roast the tomatoes in a baking dish with deep sides; this shields them from the heat so they won’t burn. Note

A fantastic miso garlic dip for Japanese-style dinner parties or sharing platters.

This is a complete meal in a dish, but, it doesn’t reheat or freeze well, as the breadcrumbs absorb the moisture as it stands. Packaged japanese breadcrumbs (panko) can be bought from supermarkets which stock Japanese ingredients, they’re an excellent substitute for stale breadcrumbs. Note

The black beans used in this recipe are also known as turtle beans, and are Cuban and Latin American rather than Chinese in origin. Jet black with a tiny white eye, black beans can be found in most greengrocers and delicatessens. Note

Sweet chilli relish is available in most supermarkets and delicatessens, or other any chutney or relish would be suitable. Note

Spicy vegetable and lentil salad packed full of char-grilled capsicum, carrot, pumpkin and red onion.

Use any rice you like for this recipe, just make sure it’s cooked properly so every grain is separate. You could use about 3½ cups of cold leftover rice if you happen to have it, if not cook, rinse and drain the rice the day before the picnic. Keep the rice in the fridge. Assemble […]

Deliciously tender pork, fennel and olive ragout that can be done in a pressure cooker in no time.

We used blue-eye in this recipe, but any white fish fillet will be fine. Peri peri, also spelled piri piri, is a hot chilli sauce used in African, Portuguese and Brazilian cookery. It is available from gourmet food stores and most major supermarkets. Note

Syrup can be made the night before and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. Note

You’ll have ¾ cup of the cake mixture left over, enough for another three cup cakes. Note

Recipe is best prepared as required. Note

If kipfler potatoes are unavailable you can use baby new potatoes. You could also use aïoli, a garlic mayonnaise, instead of plain mayonnaise, and lemon juice instead of warm water to jazz this salad up. Note

You can buy the roast beef, already cooked and sliced, from any deli. Make the coleslaw the night before, and make the sandwich at lunch time the next day. Use whatever cabbage you like; we used red cabbage, but try the chinese variety (wombok), it’s easy to shred finely. Note

You need 12 skewers; if using bamboo skewers, soak them in water 1 hour before use to prevent splintering or scorching. Note

Salted cod, also called salt cod, baccala, bacalhau, bacalao and morue, is available from Italian, Spanish and Portuguese delicatessens and some specialty food stores. Note

This Asian-style sesame noodle salad is sticky, sweet and utterly delicious.

A rich and creamy red Thai-style curry from Australian Women's Weekly.

This bright and colourful lime curd, coconut and mango cake is the perfect summertime treat.

Adding avocado to this open sandwich not only adds a rich creamy flavour, it also increases its nutritional value. Avocados are a rich source of potassium and healthy monounsaturated fats that help to lower cholesterol. Use a loaf of ciabatta bread if turkish bread is not available. Note

For this recipe you will need about 12 passionfruit to make 80ml of pulp. This type of cake is best made on day of serving. Note

A rich, fragrant and warming slow-cooked lamb and eggplant curry that will melt in your mouth.

Keeping time: 3 days. Note

Wonderfully fresh and light, enjoy these beautiful salmon sashimi stacks as a light lunch, starter on canape.

A quick, easy and flavour-packed Mexican beef stir-fry from Australian Women's Weekly.

You need to cook 200g pumpkin to get the required amount of mashed pumpkin. Note