Vegetarian

There's nothing more satisfying or delicious than a perfectly roasted potato. The key to achieving that sought after crispy exterior with a fluffy inside lies in making sure the potatoes are really dry before placing them in the oven.

For a fresh, fabulous and easy mid-week dinner you can't go past these roasted beetroot, feta and rocket pitta bread pizzas. They're easy to throw together and simply delicious.

Super healthy and easy to make, tahini dressing is the making of this simple brown rice and vegetables dish.

Fresh, plump figs stuffed with nuts and cheese and then baked. Finish this gorgeous walnut and ricotta stuffed figs recipe with a drizzle of warm caramel sauce for a luscious dessert.

A rich, smooth and warming soup that makes a great starter, a lovely light dinner or a warming winter weekend lunch. This roasted capsicum soup goes well with fried polenta slices.

These tasty little spinach and corn pasties are sure to be a firm favourite with young and old. Great for lunches, after-school snacks and lunchboxes.

Roasting really intensifies the flavour of tomatoes, so one of the delights of this roasted tomato salad is actually being able to taste the subtle differences between different varieties of tomato.

You get a double berry hit with these fat little hotcakes studded with strawberries and slathered with blueberry sauce. Perfect for an indulgent brunch or special breakfast.

To add real zing to a pile of fluffy mashed potatoes, there's nothing like adding a handful of freshly-grated parmesan cheese. The better the cheese, the better the mash will be. In a pinch, you can use ready flaked parmesan from a packet, but the ready-grated stuff doesn't really cut the mustard here.

Piquant tomato vinaigrette makes a wonderful dressing for tender steamed asparagus spears. Serve as a starter, or as a side dish for a meat, chicken or fish main.

Look away, paleo devotees! Our ancestors would never have indulged in this decadent carb-on-carb fest, but we're sure glad we can. This potato and rosemary pizza served with a herb dressing is so wonderful you won't want to share.

This savoury and delicately spiced Moroccan-style vegetables with couscous makes a hearty, healthy and delicious vegetarian meal.

Crisp, aniseedy fennel and earthy brown lentils are fabulous combined with sweet beetroot and peppery rocket.

Crunchy golden coconut, pecans and brown sugar make a divine topping for this luscious pineapple cake. It's lovely served still warm with a drizzle of cream.

A fragrant and bright Moroccan salad with crisp carrots and an orange flower water dressing.

Coconutty crumble is the perfect topping for the rich fruit filling of this date and lemon slice, a true tea-time classic.

Nutty parmesan is the perfect accompaniment to fresh, crisp sliced fennel.

Grilling peaches and nectarines brings out the intense flavour of the fruit, which is beautifully complemented by the nougat mascarpone.

For an easy, elegant dessert, try these decadent sandwiches of golden puff pastry, juicy berries and custard cream.

Really, you can add any mushroom you like to this dish, and all mushroom lovers will have a favourite or three they can't go past. Mixed garlic mushrooms is an earthy, garlicky dish to savour.

Three fabulous greens in one dish, this buttery, herby dish of leeks, zucchini and asparagus is an ideal side dish for almost any meat-based main.

This capsicum, fennel and red onion salad is delicious served warm as a side dish with a roast joint of meat. If you prefer capsicum skinned prior to cooking, just hold over a gas flame, using tongs, until the skin blackens, allow to cool and slide off.

The melt-in-the-mouth pastry is irresistible in this asparagus and gruyere tart and easier to work with than you might imagine.

A quick, easy and exciting twist on asparagus that works as a side dish, a buffet dish or barbecue platter.

A light and flavoursome Middle Eastern couscous dish with olives and herbs that can be served as a side or as a light meal.

Bruschetta is one of those classic dishes that's welcome at just about any meal, from a late breakfast to a late night snack. This garlicky goat's cheese version is a creamy, tasty winner.

Pikelets, as we know them, are a uniquely Australian and New Zealand phenomenon. In some parts of the world, asking for a pikelet will result in either a crumpet or an oatcake rather than fluffy little pancakes.

This fresh, protein-packed pasta with zucchini, tomato and ricotta is an easy, tasty mid-week dinner that makes it easy to stick to your meat-free quotient.

Spaghettini is just spaghetti cut finer, and it makes a wonderful base for this vibrant freshly made pesto sauce. The more strands of pesto-coated pasta there are in every mouthful, the better.

Essentially a simple spicy pilaf, green rice is a great side dish for any number of mains, but especially good with Asian-style crispy-skinned chicken and Cajun-spiced fish.

This simple little bitter lettuce salad is the perfect side dish to serve with rich stews and pies.

Cheese and spinach tortellini baked in tomato pasta sauce with mushroom, zucchini and tomato.

Brighten up a cold morning with this indulgent cinnamon toast with caramelised apples, the perfect dish for a celebratory brunch.

This recipe can be made a week ahead. Note

A quick, simple and delectable rocket salad that's the perfect accompaniment to any meal. Peppery rocket needs very little added excitement, just a little red onion and a classic vinaigrette.

These tasty little Greek-style cheese and spinach filo triangles are delicious served with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Great as finger food or for an after-school snack.

Deliciously creamy and packed full of the goodness of yellow split peas, this tasty dip is perfect enjoyed with veggie sticks or cracker as a afternoon snack or starter.

Olives, artichokes, red onion and basil make sure this warm gnocchi salad is just bursting with colour and flavour. It makes a great lunch, starter or light dinner.

Enjoy this cheeky adult's only fruit dish on it's own with ice-cream or cream, or drizzled atop a slice of cake. These beautiful vodka soaked cherries last indefinitely and make a perfect Christmas gift.

Heavier on the pasta than a classic minestrone, this soup is an excellent choice on a cold winter's day.

Sea salt, garlic and rosemary bring out the natural flavours of roast pumpkin and potatoes in this perfect, roast dinner side-dish.

A super fast, easy and healthy pasta salad with garlic vinaigrette. The herbs add a lot of flavour to this recipe; purple basil, also known as opal basil, has an intense aroma and longer shelf-life than sweet basil.

The delicate flavour of tarragon is beautiful paired with the bitter leaves of a mixed mesclun salad.

It's actually quite easy to skin whole hazelnuts. Just roast in a moderate oven for 10-15 minutes, then wrap in a tea-towel for one minute for the steam to loosen the skins, rub inside the towel to remove skins and then cool.

Simple, smooth and creamy, buttery mashed celeriac is a fabulous side dish, either in place of or as well as mashed potato.

Delicate shreds of lettuce tossed with spring onion and a zingy red wine dressing make this deceptively simple spring salad a mouthwatering side dish.

Conchiglioni is the ideal pasta for these ricotta and spinach stuffed pasta shells, but you can use cannelloni in its place.

You can add a small fresh chilli to each jar if you like your oven-dried tomatoes spicy. Egg tomatoes are perfect for this recipe as they don't have many seeds, but you can use any variety just make sure you choose ripe unblemished tomatoes.

Studded with whole, poached pears, this vanilla pear and almond cake makes a spectacular centrepiece for any table. Serve while still warm with double or clotted cream for a delicious end to a meal.

A beautiful side dish for a Mediterranean dinner spread, these garlic and herb roasted tomatoes are wonderfully sweet and juicy.

A spicy and delicious vegetable dish originating from southwest China. The rich sauce in this recipe adds great flavour to the combination of eggplant, zucchini, beans and potatoes.

Tamarind concentrate is the 'sour' in this hot, sweet and sour vegetables recipe. Made from the fruit of the tamarind tree, the concentrate is sour, tangy and fruity all at once.

Fluffy, fragrant and full of spices, this beautiful yellow coconut rice goes beautifully alongside traditional Indian curries.

This Asian-styled wok-seared mushroom omelette is also stuffed with capsicum, chilli, sprouts, coriander and green onions. A lovely light lunch.

This tasty, thickly sliced roasted eggplant with spiced rice makes a great vegetarian starter, or light meal. It also works beautifully as an accompaniment to a roast leg of lamb.

A versatile and delicious creamy pasta sauce that makes a perfect easy mid-week dinner. You can use any pasta you like for this recipe, we chose penne because so much delicious sauce sticks to every piece.

A creamy pasta sauce that can turn a busy weeknight dinner into something special. You can add ham, mushroom and spinach to the pasta to give it more bulk.

This is a beautiful cake, the combination of tart quince, sweet blackberries, delicate sponge and crumble is unusual and exquisite. Quince and blackberry crumble cake is the perfect tea-time indulgence.

This simple platter of chilled soba noodles with dipping sauce, spring onions, nori and wasabi is a complete taste sensation.

There's no need to sacrifice taste for speed with this quick and easy ravioli with spinach, sage and pine nuts. Creamy, toothsome and infused with the delicate flavour of sage, it's a mid-week dinner winner.

Putting a tropical twist on the traditional Italian tiramisu, the combination of sweet mango and zesty passionfruit will keep your loved ones coming back for more.

Garam masala added at the last moment is a great way to make sure your curry is fragrant and beautifully spiced. This red lentil, mushroom and spinach curry makes a fabulous vegetarian dinner served with steamed rice and naan bread.

Rich and smooth kumara and coriander soup is a great way to warm up at lunchtime. The freshness of the herb balances the natural sweetness of kumara.

Just as yummy as a pumpkin scone, and more useful for breakfast on the go or lunch-boxes. A delicious variation to this rosemary pumpkin bread is to add 100g crumbled soft goat cheese or crumbled soft blue cheese to the pumpkin mixture.

Put the kettle on and enjoy a sweet, golden passionfruit butter biscuit with your cup of coffee as a relaxing morning tea.

A fresh, colourful grilled vegetable salad with haloumi cheese; perfect for summer lunches.

The perfect combination of sweet and zesty, this shimmering marmalade is beautiful spread on toast for breakfast or given as gifts to loved ones.

The perfect balance between sweet and tart, this divine lemon coconut slice is beautiful served with a hot cuppa for an indulgent morning or afternoon treat.

This method for boiling eggs will centre the yolk and is used for recipes which require presentation such as salads.

An Italian filled and baked bread - perfect for children's snacks, lunches or any time!

You can dip just about any fruit that takes your fancy into chocolate fondue, bananas would be a good addition, as would marshmallows.

Perfect served on salad leaves as a light lunch, if there are any left over you can pop these lentil patties in a wrap, drizzle with the yoghurt mint sauce and pack in a lunchbox.

Sweeter than green but more robust in flavour that yellow or orange, red capsicum makes a wonderful soup. The simplicity of this red capsicum soup recipe lets the main ingredient shine.

Simple, quick and savoury, this zucchini cream soup makes a great lunch or starter. The smoothest consistency for this soup can be achieved by using a blender, stab mixer or mouli.

This surprisingly simple, inexpensive recipe has subtle seductive flavours which are far more memorable than the list of ingredients might suggest. You can use fresh lasagne sheets cut into wide ribbons if you don't have any pappardelle.

You can use feta or any soft, crumbly cheese instead of the goat cheese, and toasted pecan halves make a nice change from walnuts. This roasted capsicum pasta salad makes a great lunch-box meal too.

A cross between mandarins and grapefruit, tangelos make a jam that's sweeter than marmalade yet still tart, thanks to the fruit's natural acidity. This jam is particularly good spooned generously over rice pudding or served with tangelo cake.

Packed with even more flavour than a lemon tart, this baked passionfruit tart is perfect for a mid-afternoon pick me up.

There's something about warm cake that can turn even the most anti-sweet toothed reaching for the fork. These warm ginger and date muffins with caramel sauce are worth writing home about.

A traditional, German rye bread, pumpernickel has a strong flavour and unique texture. Most often served here in tiny squares as a canape base, freshly made pumpernickel is softer and can be used for open sandwiches or served with soup.

Start your day on a zingy note with this marmalade that uses ginger to liven up your breakfast table.

This breakfast spread removes the pith and peel of the oranges for a sweeter and smoother version of the iconic marmalade.

Labne is a soft cheese originating from the Middle-East. It’s made from strained yogurt, and is available from major supermarkets and Middle-Eastern food shops. Note

Try canned salmon with a little lemon juice in place of mushrooms. For a healthier version, replace cream with low-fat evaporated milk. To thicken, blend 1 teaspoon cornflour with 1 tablespoon evaporated milk and stir slowly into remaining milk. Note

Many varieties of already cooked white beans are available canned, among them cannellini, butter and haricot beans, any of these are suitable for this recipe. Note

Corn or vegetable oil can be used instead of the peanut oil. Note

Turn the traditional vegetable stew into a tasty soup and elevate it with a fresh basil pistou.

Panzanella is a refreshing Tuscan summer bread salad. We’ve put our own spin on it by using little cubes of radish sandwich instead of the traditional bread pieces. Note

Serve risotto quickly after stirring the radicchio through the rice, as the radicchio will discolour from the heat. This recipe is not suitable to freeze. Note

The gherkins will lose their colour gradually during storage. This does not affect their taste or texture in any way. Note

Soft fresh goat cheese can be substituted for fetta, if desired. Note

Recipe can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated, covered. Casseroles and bakes enhance the flavour of your favourite vegetables in these nutritious, hearty meals including potato and cauliflower gratin and garlic, vegetable and rice casserole. Note