Ratatouille can be made a day ahead; store, covered, in the refrigerator. It is great on its own, or served with pasta. In a Provencale dialect, touiller means to stir and crush, thus the name ratatouille perfectly describes this rich vegetable stew. Note

The beef can be cooked in the oven, if you prefer. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) and cook, uncovered, for about 1 hour. Note

If you’ve ever brunched on yum cha, you’ve probably eaten gai lan and loved it; stir-fried or steamed then splashed with a little sesame oil and oyster sauce. This deliciously crunchy vegetable is the perfect accompaniment to our crisp-skinned chicken. Note

Did you know? Zucchini, also known as courgette, is a summer squash. Its colour ranges from dark green/black to pale green, green/grey and yellow. It’s an excellent source of vitamin C, fibre and folate. Note

Substitutes You can use other flavoured sausages such as pork and apple. This dish is a great way to use up your leftover vegetables. Try using carrot, swede, fennel, pumpkin and kohlrabi instead of the kumara. Note

Sausage rolls can be made and frozen in advance. Allow an extra 10 minutes when baking from frozen. Middle-Eastern spice blend is available from supermarkets. Substitute with 1 tablespoon each ground cumin and coriander mixed with 1/2 teaspoon each ground turmeric and cardamom. Note

You can use either red or green apples in this recipe. Note

These spicy roasted chickens are great for sharing with friends and family.

Tender lamb forequarter stuffed full of exquisite Mediterranean flavours.

We used chicken breast mince in this recipe. Note

This tomato chilli jam is deliciously versatile ­use it as a condiment in sandwiches, to pep-up stir-fries or as a glaze for chicken, fish or lamb fillets or skewers. Note

Lamb’s lettuce, also known as mâche or corn salad, is very popular in France. It has a mild, almost nutty flavour and dark green leaves. It is usually sold in 125g punnets, but the leaves probably weigh only about a quarter of that total. Note

Also goes well with grilled pork sausages; barbecued veal steaks; pan-fried chicken breasts. Note

Calves liver should be cut into paper-thin slices then quickly seared because too much cooking will destroy its soft, delicate texture. Your butcher will slice the liver thinly for you. Note

Plain (un-crumbed) chicken breast schnitzels are available from most supermarkets and some butchers and chicken shops. Chicken rolls can be prepared several hours ahead. Serve chicken rolls with salad or vegetables of your choice. Keep covered in the refrigerator and cook as required. Note

Delicious sweet and spicy Asian-style ribs are great for summer barbecues and dinner parties.

Sprinkle with nuts, season to taste. Note

If you have time, the pork mixture at the end of step 1 can be marinated for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. Note

Ask your butcher to score the rind, 1cm apart, across the pork in the same direction as you will slice, to make carving easier. Note

American-style pork spareribs in a rich and delicious plum and star anise marinade with a light Asian-style pear, ginger and chilli salad.

Delicious rich and hearty European goat and capsicum stew from Australian Women's Weekly.

A spicy sausage that originated in Tunisia, merguez has become traditional fare throughout North Africa and Spain.

Ask the butcher to cut the rib racks into pieces that will fit your slow cooker. Note

Daikon are large, long, white radishes that have a sweet, fresh flavour without the bite of the common red radish. Used extensively in Japanese cooking, daikon are also great eaten raw in salads, shredded for a garnish, or cooked in stir-fries. Note

Italian sausages are coarse pork sausages generally sold in plump links. They are usually flavoured with garlic and fennel seed or anise seed and come in two styles, hot (flavoured with thai red chilli) and sweet (without the added heat). They are available from speciality butchers and delicatessens. Note

The pork neck can be marinated in the glaze the day before. The pork and potatoes can be roasted in an oven at 180°C/350°F. Note

The technique to split open and flatten quail so that it cooks quickly and evenly is called `butterflying’. Place quail, breast-side down, on a chopping board. Using poultry shears or kitchen scissors, cut down both sides of the backbone; discard the bone. Turn over, open out and press down on the breast plate to flatten […]

Run a teaspoon down the centre of the cucumber to remove the seeds. If using bamboo skewers, cover the wooden ends with foil toprevent them from burning during cooking. Note

A super quick and easy pork sausage dish with crispy potatoes and cabbage for those busy midweek dinners.

Harissa is a North African paste made from dried red chillies, garlic, olive oil and caraway seeds; can be used as a rub for meat, an ingredient in sauces and dressings, or eaten as a condiment. It is available from Middle Eastern food shops and some supermarkets. Note

Tender pork fillet wrapped in sage and prosciutto and served with creamy potato mash and green beans.

This Asian-style dish creates the perfect lunch box for busy days.

Tzatziki is a Greek yoghurt dip made with cucumber, garlic and sometimes chopped fresh mint. You can buy tzatziki ready-made in supermarkets and delis. Note

We don’t recommend that you freeze cooked vegetables as they tend to have a spongy texture and “leftover” look about them once they’ve been thawed. Mushrooms, eggplant and members of the squash family are especially freezer unfriendly. Note

A sweet, sticky and delicious Asian-style pork and plum stir-fry from Australian Women's Weekly.

Sweet and sticky maple-glazed chicken with a fresh and nutty salad; a wonderful summer dish.

These crispy and crunchy chicken strips are unbeatable with pistachio and chilli crumbs.

Persian lamb and rhubarb stew

During the final 10 minutes of cooking, stir the barbecue sauce occasionally to ensure it doesn’t catch on the base of the pan. To make the chicken wings go further, cut each one in half through the joint into two pieces. Do ahead The barbecue sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead, refrigerate […]

A healthy and delicious Moroccan lamb dish; Tfaya refers to the sweet and spicy caramelised onions and raisins.

Juicy lamb cutlets with a bright and colourful tomato and parsley salad.

Stand the beef at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking. Salsa can be prepared a day ahead, keep, covered, in the refrigerator. Note

Chipotle chillies in adobo sauce are sold in small cans from delicatessens and specialist food stores; they have a medium-hot smoky taste. Any leftover chillies will keep with their sauce in a small screw-top jar in the fridge for up to 3 months. Substitute with a teaspoon of smoked paprika and a pinch of chilli […]

Spanish-style spiced meatballs with a romesco sauce; a great tapas dish or sharing platter.

Grilled chicken parcels stuffed with ham, spinach, ricotta and sun-dried tomatoes.

A quick and easy pork dish with a sweet and salty Asian coleslaw by Australian Women's Weekly.

Exquisite and delicious Asian-style marinated duck with peppered strawberries from Australian Women's Weekly.

A perfect summer dish of barbecued sausages with tomato relish.

Some butchers sell a pork and veal mixture. If itis not available as a mixture, buy half the amount as pork mince and half the amount as veal mince. Passata is available from most supermarkets. If you can’t find it, use pureed canned tomatoes instead. You can freeze this dish in an airtight container for […]

The chicken can be marinated a day ahead. Recipe best made close to serving. Note

Teppanyaki is traditionally cooked on a grill plate on or near the table, and is eaten in batches.

Lamb noisette is a round, rather thick, cut of meat taken from the loin. We used a basil pesto dip from the refrigerated section of supermarkets, but you can use any pesto you like. Some major supermarkets and greengrocers are now selling bunches of baby carrots of different colours. We used a bunch each of […]

A beautiful and flavour-packed sardines with preserved lemon salsa from Australian Women's Weekly.