Midweek dinner

A light and sweet Thai-style beef curry with tender chunks of beef cooked in a tamarind, lime and chilli spiced coconut curry. Serve on a bed of steamed rice to soak up all the delicious sauce.

For this tea-smoked ocean trout with orange and herb yoghurt dressing we used oolong tea, but your favourite black tea will be fine to use instead. You could also try this cooking method with salmon or mackerel.

A fragrant broth with steamed dumplings, mushrooms and cabbage, this soup is comfort food at its tastiest.

Served with shoestring fries, this crisp salad with deep-fried eggs and hot sliced chilli makes a tasty, sophisticated lunch or light dinner.

Try this delicious Spanish-inspired stuffed squid recipe for an impressive starter or lunch.

Prosciutto, pumpkin and sage are a heavenly trio in this delicious, comforting dish.

Za’atar, a blend of roasted dry spices, is easy to make, but a prepared mix of sesame seeds, marjoram, thyme and sumac can be purchased in Middle-Eastern food shops and delicatessens. Try it sprinkled on your morning toast that’s been spread with softened feta cheese or ricotta. Note

Recipe can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, covered. Note

You can use smoked paprika in place of sweet if you prefer a darker flavour to your lamb.

Stir fried Asian greens make this seafood dish well balanced and a perfect meal for any season.

Kalonji are also called nigella or black onion seeds. Note

These rustic barbecue seafood baskets are guaranteed to deliver on flavour and presentation.

Stir-fried asian greens make a healthy accompaniment to meat dishes such as in this tasty veal stir-fry.

Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

There should be no complaints at the dinner table when you present the family with good old fashioned lamb and vegetables. We've made things a little more exciting with the addition of mint sauce; it goes wonderfully with spring lamb.

Served on a feta and black olive mash, these tender slices of tuna cooked in tomato and anchovy will melt in your mouth.

Fire up the barbecue with these deliciously spicy vegetarian kebabs.

We used sun-dried capsicum pesto for this recipe, but any bottled “red” pesto, such as tomato, could be used. Note

Quick, easy and delicious Indian-style chicken tikka stir-fry from Australian Women's Weekly.

This delicious pressure-cooker dish makes the most of tender spring lamb, and fresh spring vegetables.

The fish can be refrigerated for up to 36 hours. You can substitute the gin with vodka or omit the alcohol completely. Micro herbs are small punnets of baby herbs or cress and can be found at good greengrocers, growers markets and some of the larger supermarkets; substitute with small picked leaves from regular bunches […]

A soft and tender braised lamb and yoghurt curry from Australian Women's Weekly.

Delicious triangles of lamb kibbeh piled high with bright and refreshing tomato, pomegranate and feta.

One of the classic dishes of Louisiana, famous for creole and cajun cooking, gumbo takes its name from an African word for okra, without which this hearty vegetable stew would not be the same.

A healthy white bean, corn and avocado salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

Serve this family favourite with a big jug of homemade gravy to pass around the table.

This five-star main course will wow any guests you serve it to.

For a milder pesto, substitute baby spinach leaves for rocket. Note

Incredibly quick and easy to make, these pumpkin and feta pizzas are a great option for a fast mid-week dinner.

You just can't go wrong with this traditional Christmas turkey with forcemeat stuffing of onion, bacon, pork, chicken, breadcrumbs, parsley, pistachios and tarragon.

This risoni and bean salad is robust enough for a light yet satisfying vegetarian lunch, or perfect as a side dish for grilled chicken or steak.

Dried cranberries are sometimes labelled ‘craisins’ and can be found in the baking aisle of supermarkets. Chicken breast fillets can be substituted for turkey, if you like. Coriander is one of the few fresh herbs to be sold with its root attached. It should be readily available from greengrocers. Asian greengrocers will certainly stock it. […]

Fresh, light, fragrant and healthy. Serve this Asian-style fish with a bowl of steamed coconut rice for an easy and tasty meal for two.

A fresh and fragrant Asian noodle stir-fry from Australian Women's Weekly.

Filled with vegies and a delicious mustard mayonnaise, these chicken pita pockets are simple and satisfying.

Traditional and tasty Thai-style pumpkin and chicken soup from Australian Women's Weekly.

This dry, fragrant Nepalese curry, traditionally served with steamed rice and lime wedges, is one of this remote Himalayan country's most popular meat dishes.

For a delicious, easy mid-week meal, try these spicy fish kebabs served with steamed rice.

These tasty fish parcels are so easy to make and taste fantastic served over crispy fried cauliflower.

Lamb’s lettuce, also known as mache or corn salad, has a mild, almost nutty flavour and tender dark-green leaves. It’s commonly sold in 125g punnets; you will need four punnets for this recipe. Note

You can quickly peel the capsicum with a vegetable peeler if you don’t like the skin peeling off when it’s cooked. Suitable to freeze at the end of step 2. Pack into freezer-proof containers, leaving 2.5cm (1-inch) space to allow for expansion. Seal, label and freeze for up to 3 months. Sprinkle with oregano after […]

Baked Middle Eastern meatballs in a homemade tomato sauce with spinach raita.

Before starting this recipe, boil the kettle so you have boiling water ready to go into the saucepan to cook the pasta. Note

Confit is a cooking term for foods that are preserved either by being salted and cooked slowly in their fat, or are cooked and preserved in oil in a similar method. You can use ocean trout instead of the salmon. Note

This delicious chicken dish is easy to make and packed full of flavour. Your family will love the addition of a zesty homemade salsa verde to their dinner.

Light and spicy crumbed chicken to share with your friends and family.

Fresh mint adds lightness to this delicious vegetable risotto, a great meat-free dinner option.

Pears accompany pork just as perfectly as apples. The flesh of the fruit softens and sweetens the meat.

This tasty pizza is ready within minutes and perfect for the whole family.

Tasty, salty prosciutto wrapped around the fish helps seal the juices inside and capers add a vinegary bite to the finished dish.

Apple is a traditional pairing for roast pork, adding raspberry just intensifies the delicious pairing of tender meat and applesauce. Serve with vinegary cabbage and potatoes.

Healthy and filling turkey chilli con carne filled kumara from Australian Women's Weekly.

Fettuccine comes from the Italian word `fettucina’, meaning ribbon, because of its long, narrow shape. It goes especially well with creamy sauces; you can replace it with tagliatelle or other large egg noodles, if desired. Fresh pasta cooks even faster than dried pasta; you can find fresh pasta in most supermarkets in the refrigerated section. […]

Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

This fresh and fragrant Vietnamese beef salad is perfect for a light and low-carb lunch or dinner. For best results, marinate the beef for at least 30 minutes.

Crispy grilled chicken with coriander and chilli; a flavour-packed Asian-style meat dish.

Easy and healthy, this chicken stir-fry is perfect for a mid-week dinner.

Recipe is best prepared as required. Note

This lip-smacking shellfish dish is perfect for a special occasion.

Tofu, also known as bean curd, is made from crushed soya beans. It's fairly mild flavour is enhanced by the vegetables and sauce.

Use barbecued chicken breast with the skin removed, leftover roast chicken, or pan-fried or poached chicken breasts. If making ahead of time, don’t dress the salad until ready to serve. We used a fat-free french vinaigrette, but dress the salad with your favourite fat-free dressing. Note

Sherry vinegar is available in some supermarkets; if unavailable, substitute red or white wine vinegar. Note

You can use any cut of chicken you wish in this lemongrass chicken recipe. Lovely legs are trimmed, skinned chicken drumsticks but full drumsticks and thighs work beautifully too.

Trotters with ginger is an old traditional Cantonese recipe created for mothers after birth.

An exquisite dish of chicken confit with spinach and pan jus from Australian Women's Weekly.

Both Japanese curry mix and frozen edamame (soy beans in the pod) are available from Asian supermarkets. You will need to shell about 300g (9½ ounces) frozen edamame in the pod for this recipe. Note

Make this delicious Italian-style broth with chicken & mushroom ravioli to impress dinner guests.

Give your usual fish pies a sophisticated variation with this smoked fish version. They can go straight from the oven to the table in pretty individual dishes and make a lovely dinner party main meal.

These freeform hand-made sushi rolls are easy to make and look spectacular. They are perfect as a starter or for a share platter at a party.

Use kitchen scissors to cut nori into fine strips. Recipe not suitable to freeze. Note

You can use one quantity basic shortcrust pastry instead of the store-bought pastry sheets. Note

Try this fragrant, easy chicken stir-fry with jasmine rice and a squeeze of lime.

A flavour-packed Asian broth with crispy duck and mushrooms from Australian Women's Weekly.

Simple yet special, the ideal dish to serve up to friends when you're celebrating in a relaxed style.

Rigatoni is a ridged pasta that looks like thick, short penne, its grooves and wide centre help hold chunky sauces. Note

This is one of my all-time favourite pastas. I know it looks like a lot of anchovies, but trust me and cook them down slowly. This could well become your favourite pasta, too.

Pappardelle with silver beet, goat's cheese, chilli and lemon

There is only one thing that needs to be said here - my mum makes the best spaghetti bolognese in the world! If there's a guaranteed go-to dinner that will please young and old, this is it.

Not suitable to freeze or microwave. Note

This traditional Indian vegetarian dish is packed full of flavour and the goodness of legumes. Dhal can be enjoyed any time of the day, but it's especially great eaten straight off the stove on a cool evening.

As well as adding a delightful red hue to a dish, paprika is full of the flavour of the peppers it was ground from. It comes in several varieties - sweet, smoky or spicy. We've used a combination of spicy and sweet here, with great results.

John dory is a mild tasting fish that lends itself well to a multitude of flavours. We've given it an Asian influence here, teaming it with chilli and coconut rice.

The traditional paella pan is shallow and wide. If you don’t have one, use one large or two smaller frying pans ­ the mixture should only be about 4cm (1½ inches) deep. This recipe is best made just before serving. Note

Fresh, light and tasty, barbecued salmon fillet with yoghurt dressing and fennel salad makes a wonderful lunch for weekend entertaining.