Rocky road
There's nothing like a piece of homemade rocky road, and the best thing is that you can play around with the ingredients, adding more or less of your favourite bits or choosing to use a different type of nut.
Duck in crisp wonton cups
Crunch through these crisp wonton wrappers to the juicy duck filling inside. A classic Chinese dish, these duck wonton cups are perfect for a light lunch or entree.
Strawberry conserve
There's nothing like the flavour of home-made jams and preserves. This strawberry conserve recipe uses lemon pips to help with setting, and lemon juice to add piquancy. Delicious.
Vegetable rice paper rolls with chilli dipping sauce
The perfect starter dish, vegetable rice paper rolls with a sweet and punchy chilli dipping sauce. They also make a great platter of party food, just make sure to have napkins on hand.
Roasted baby carrots with garlic
Sweet, juicy baby carrots are roasted in a garlic glaze to create this beautiful side dish, the perfect accompaniment to roast lamb or chicken.
Last-minute Christmas cake
That feeling when you realise you haven't made a Christmas cake and then discover our fabulous last-minute recipe.
Berry custard pastries
For an easy, elegant dessert, try these decadent sandwiches of golden puff pastry, juicy berries and custard cream.
Pasta with salmon roe and chervil
Elegant and delicate without sacrificing flavour, this angel hair pasta with salmon roe and chervil is a great dinner party or lunch party recipe.
Salmon with herb and walnut crust
A side of salmon topped with a herb and walnut crust makes a spectacular centrepiece for a celebratory meal. Ask the fishmonger to pin-bone the salmon. Or, you can remove the bones from the centre of the fillet with tweezers. Rub your finger firmly over the flesh and you will be able to feel the bones.
Mixed garlic mushrooms
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.
Duo of oyster dressings
Two dozen oysters on shaved ice topped with our red wine vinegar or spicy lime dressing is a perfect party platter.
Roast nectarine tart
Roasting stone fruits intensifies their flavour as well as drawing out their natural sweetness, which helps make this roast nectarine tart exceedingly delicious. Serve warm with lashings of cream.
White chocolate and macadamia cookies
Now an established classic in the honour roll of great cookie recipes, these white chocolate and macadamia cookies are crisp on the edges and deliciously chewy inside. The perfect mid-afternoon indulgence.
Rhubarb crumble ice-cream
This beautiful ice-cream is packed full of sweet, juicy rhubarb and crushed ginger biscuits for ultimate flavour and texture.
Leeks, zucchini and asparagus with chive butter
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.
Rhubarb and pear sponge pudding
Soft, sweet and mild pear makes the perfect sidekick for tart rhubarb in this delicious sponge-topped pudding. Serve with double cream or ice-cream.
Grilled capsicum, fennel and red onion salad
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.
Mixed pea salad with mint dressing
A true pea lover, and yes they do exist, might assert that peas straight from the pod cannot be bettered, but this fresh and herby mixed pea salad with mint dressing certainly does its best.
Little gingerbread loaves
Treacle is sweeter than molasses, but not as sweet as golden syrup, and it has a slightly bitter taste. If you don't have any treacle you can make these little gingerbread loaves with golden syrup but may want to remove one tablespoon of sugar from the recipe.
Risi e bisi
A classic of the northern Italian city of Venice, risi e bisi has the rather boring name of rice and peas, when translated into English. Happily it tastes just as good.
Rhubarb and coconut cake
Savour a slice of this moist rhubarb and coconut cake with a cup of tea or coffee and a big dollop of whipped cream to complement the sweetness.
Roast beef with anchovy and parsley bearnaise
With tender, juicy slices of roast beef and scrumptious bearnaise sauce, this is another French concoction that looks and tastes like a masterpiece.
Asparagus and gruyere tart
The melt-in-the-mouth pastry is irresistible in this asparagus and gruyere tart and easier to work with than you might imagine.
Prosciutto-wrapped bocconcini
These tiny prosciutto wrapped bocconcini are bound to become a go-to recipe when you need something to pass around at parties, as they're completely adorable as well as delicious.
Garlicky beans with pine nuts
The pine nuts are chopped so they will cling to the beans rather than fall to the base of the dish. Note
Fresh pineapple with coconut
Sweet, fruity and zesty, this pineapple, passionfruit and coconut dish is beautiful enjoyed on it's own or with a dollop of cream or ice-cream.
Asparagus with balsamic dressing
A quick, easy and exciting twist on asparagus that works as a side dish, a buffet dish or barbecue platter.
Couscous, olive and herb salad
A light and flavoursome Middle Eastern couscous dish with olives and herbs that can be served as a side or as a light meal.
Apple tarte tatin
This classic French dessert is much easier than you'd expect, and always a crowd-pleaser. Doused in its own caramel sauce, it's fabulous with a dollop of double cream.
Grilled Moroccan lamb with burghul salad
Tender grilled Moroccan lamb on burghul salad, a Middle-Eastern-style cracked wheat salad with nuts and herbs, makes a lovely light lunch.
Pear and fennel salad with honey mustard dressing
We used red sensation pears for this delicious pear and fennel salad with honey mustard dressing, but any firm-fleshed pear will do. The combination of astringent fennel, tartly sweet pear and mustardy dressing is sensational.
Classic risotto
Also known as Risotto Milanese, this classic risotto is traditionally served with Osso Buco but makes also a great simple dinner on its own.
Roast chicken with fennel and garlic
A classic family favourite, this beautiful roast chicken dish is full of flavour from the baked fennel and garlic, and best of all you can cook almost the whole meal in one pan.
Sticky pork with kumara
Sticky pork fillet basted with char siu sauce and served with crispy roast kumara makes a bright and tasty mid-week dinner. Best served with steamed rice to soak up the delicious juices.
Goat cheese and garlic bruschetta
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.
Red curry pork with basil
Pork is often ignored when it comes to choosing a meat base for curries, but cooked well you get a tender bite with a delicate taste that carries the strong flavours of curry sauce beautifully.
Golden syrup pikelets
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.
Vanilla cheesecake with poached quinces
The slightly astringent flavour of quince is the perfect foil to the sweet creaminess of cheesecake, especially when doused in fresh lemon juice. This quince and vanilla cheesecake has our favourite granita biscuit base. Yum.
Almond macaroons
These chewy almond macaroons are made in the traditional Italian style and are absolutely delicious served with hot espresso coffee.
Roasted pear tart
You can use fresh pears for this delectable roasted pear tart, just make sure that they're on the slightly firm side of ripe and peel them carefully first.
Oven-baked risotto with Italian sausages
This oven-baked risotto with spicy Italian sausages is one of those fabulous one-pot, no fuss recipes that make mid-week dinners a pleasure rather than an ordeal.
Prawns and fetta in garlic tomato sauce
This is a real crowd-pleaser of a dish, hot, garlicky prawns with fetta in a rich tomato sauce. Serve with a crisp green salad on the side, and lots of crusty bread for mopping up the sauce.
Fish and spring onion pies
Spring onion provides a milder counterpoint to white fish than everyday brown onions, adding flavour without overwhelming the delicate taste.
Spaghetti with zucchini and tomato
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.
Crisp-skinned thai chilli snapper
Whole fish always make for a sensational centrepiece when you're entertaining. If snapper is unavailable, use any of your favourite whole, firm-fleshed fish for this recipe.
Pork with white bean puree
White bean puree makes a delicious low-carb alternative to traditional mashed potatoes and a delicious side for tender pork cutlets with grilled cherry tomatoes.
Easy passionfruit coconut tart
This recipe really couldn't be easier, it's a simple mix and cook tart that is seriously delicious.
Thai green chicken curry
This class Thai green chicken curry, made with freshly prepared green curry paste, is a revelation; fragrant, spicy, creamy and delicious. Serve with steamed rice and lime wedges.
Toblerone cream in chocolate cases
This recipe is best made close to serving. Note
Caramelised garlic and blue cheese tartlets
These creamy bite-sized blue cheese and garlic tarts are beautiful enjoyed as a finger food for a fancy dinner party or a light weekend snack.
Tom yum goong (hot and sour prawn soup)
This Thai seafood soup will certainly warm you up, with plenty of herbs, garlic cloves and red chillies.
Greek creamed rice (rizogalo)
Rizogalo is a traditional Greek-style creamed rice pudding that can also be served cole. Often spiced with cinnamon and lemon peel, it is also delicious served topped with nuts and honey.
Spring rolls with chilli plum sauce
Impress your guests with these delicious, filled and rolled Chinese appetizers.
Pesto spaghettini
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.
Tomato, olive and anchovy pasta
Garganelli are little pasta squares rolled into a tube, which can be ridged or smooth. We chose ridged garganelli for this tomato, olive and anchovy pasta as the little ridges help the sauce cling to each piece.
Roasted char siu pork spare ribs
Sweet and sticky Asian-style pork belly spare ribs are delicious as dinner and make a great finger food platter for parties.
Chipolatas with homemade barbecue sauce
Chipolatas are always a hit, and paired with this spicy, fruity, tangy homemade barbecue sauce they're simply irresistible.
Hazelnut caramel slice
Temper the sweetness of caramel slice by adding a layer of delicious hazelnuts.
Cajun steaks with mango salsa
Indulge in the taste of the Deep South with this Cajun-spiced steak.
Green rice
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.
Lime meringue pie
The real pleasure in this lime meringue pie lies in the airy heap of soft meringue, crisped golden in places. And in the piquant lime curd and biscuity base. Also, in scoffing a big slice of it.
Mediterranean chicken salad
The perfect Mediterranean salad for light dinners or lunches.
Pappardelle with chicken and creamy mushroom sauce
Quick and easy as it is, this pappardelle with chicken and creamy mushroom sauce makes a surprisingly luxurious dinner for a dish that's verging on a store-cupboard classic.
Asparagus, bacon and parmesan tortiglioni
No time to make lasagne? Try this fantastic and easy asparagus, bacon and parmesan tortiglioni.
Roasted pork fillets with orange
Quick, juicy and tender, these roasted pork fillets with orange make a great mid-week dinner. Serve with some crusty bread and a green salad.
Rocket, avocado and macadamia salad
This rocket, avocado and macadamia salad is a study in contrasting textures and tastes; peppery rocket leaves, creamy mild avocado and crunchy macadamia nuts. Divine.
Bitter lettuce salad
This simple little bitter lettuce salad is the perfect side dish to serve with rich stews and pies.
Cinnamon flan
Similar to creme caramel, cinnamon flan has the same delicate custard base topped with a burnt sugar caramel, but with added spice.
Nutty chocolate and coffee ice-cream cake
This delicious, layered nutty chocolate and coffee ice-cream cake is topped with a layer of tender pistachios and toffee coated almonds. An altogether grown-up take on the classic ice-cream cake.
Nectarine and macadamia tart
The macadamia filling is similar to the more common almond frangipane.
Mud cake with satin chocolate glaze
You'll only need one slice of this dense, dark and rich chocolate mud cake to be utterly hooked, but you'll definitely want more. Just to be sure.
Linguine with tuna, lemon and rocket
This is one of those throw-it-together-in-a-flash recipes that come in super handy mid-week, when you're flat-out but still want to eat well. Linguine with tuna, lemon and rocket is a classic pantry special.
Lemon pepper veal cutlets
To make a super quick dressing for this dish, just stir some of the chives through sour cream and serve on the side.
Chicken with polenta and salsa verde
Chicken topped with salsa verde and served on a bed of creamy polenta makes for a deeply satisfying dinner.
Lemon grass lamb in lettuce cups
These fresh, fragrant and flavoursome Asian lettuce cups are perfect for sharing.
Prawn skewers with lime and green onions
To serve these delectable prawn skewers at a party, wrap the end of each skewer with a mini-napkin after they come off the barbecue, it'll prevent burnt fingers when your guests snap them up.
Asparagus and beans with garlic butter
Asparagus and baby beans just dripping with garlic butter make a fabulous green side for just about any meal.
Fish with couscous crust and caper mayonnaise
Fish fillets with a couscous crust are light and super-crispy. Delicious served with a tangy caper mayonnaise.
Chilli and garlic octopus
Tender chilli and garlic octopus with coriander, lemon and rocket is a great barbecue dish or perfect for a light lunch.
Roasted pumpkin and spinach couscous
Tasty chunks of roasted pumpkin make this couscous dish hearty enough to serve as a main at lunch, or as a light dinner.
Lamb and black-eye bean soup
Tender, succulent lamb shanks and creamy black-eye beans together make a hearty soup. Serve with crusty bread and a liberal sprinkling of freshly chopped coriander.
Blackberry and apple pie
Luscious blackberries add their special tart sweetness to this classic apple pie, topped with a buttery, sugar-strewn pastry lid.
Mexican meatballs with guacamole
Mexican meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce and topped with guacamole makes a delicious dinner served with wraps and salad.
Baked tortellini and vegetables
Cheese and spinach tortellini baked in tomato pasta sauce with mushroom, zucchini and tomato.
Honey almond pastries
Soaked in fragrant honey and tossed in sesame seeds, these honey almond pastry fingers are sticky and nutty and impossible to resist.
Apple cake with burnt butter frosting
Burnt butter adds a gourmet edge to this delicious apple cake. Perfect for an afternoon tea-party, or just because you fancy something special on the weekend.
Kumara and pea samosas with coriander yoghurt
Make your own delectable fresh samosas filled with spiced potato and kumara, great for parties or an after-school snack.
Lamb cutlets with olive salsa, polenta and fennel
Lamb cutlets with olive salsa, polenta and fennel; a great dish for special occasions.
Roast capsicum and tomato soup
Savour this flavoursome winter warmer brimming with capsicum, onion and tomatoes. This smooth, thick soup contrasts nicely with crunchy parmesan wafers.
Peach and raspberry trifle
A classic version of a classic dessert, you can leave the sherry out if you're cooking for all ages.
Beef hotpot pie
Add some gourmet elements to the beloved Aussie pie with chunks of steak, succulent vegetables and crisp pastry crusts.
Veal and eggplant parmigiana
Rich eggplant and tender veal make this parmigiana recipe an enduring classic, fresh sage and bocconcini finish the dish beautifully. This is one of those dishes that quickly become a firm family favourite.
Baked pumpkin and spinach risotto
Pumpkin, spinach and toasted pine nuts go together beautifully in this creamy, filling risotto.
Cinnamon toast with caramelised apples
Brighten up a cold morning with this indulgent cinnamon toast with caramelised apples, the perfect dish for a celebratory brunch.
Chicken with prunes and honey
Make this chicken with honey and prunes tagine as sweet and sticky as you like it, the sesame and spices help cut through the sweetness and balance out the whole dish.
Stirred custard
Rich, creamy and sweet, this classic custard recipe is the perfect accompaniment to many pies, cakes and desserts.
Strawberry meringue cream
Like a pared back version of Eton mess, with strawberries alone rather than a mix of berries, this strawberry meringue cream also has a shot of liqueur to spice things up.
Tomato and marinated bocconcini skewers
These little cherry tomato and marinated bocconcini skewers pack a whole lot of flavour into each tiny bite-sized piece. They're the perfect vegetarian inclusion on a cocktail party menu.
Strawberries and cream powder puffs
These cakes supposedly take their name from the powder puffs used by women to dust on face powder. Whatever the provenance, strawberries and cream powder puffs are light, airy and absolutely delicious.
