Raspberry almond petit fours
You could top the petit fours with fresh raspberries instead of the icing flowers. Petit fours are best made on the day of serving. Note
Slow-cooked beef and mushroom casserole
You can use gravy beef for this recipe, if you prefer. Note
Lemon meringue kisses
Fill meringues just before serving. Note
Mint julep
This cocktail should be made with the best bourbon you can buy. Use a 300ml highball glass. Note
Stuffed vine leaves with yoghurt dip
These are just as good served at room temperature as they are served hot, and they make perfect finger-food for a cocktail party or for inclusion on a large selection of mezze dishes. Note
Savoury breakfast muffin with chive ricotta
One muffin is to be served per person for breakfast. The remaining muffins can be frozen or eaten as a snack. You could make two large muffins for breakfast and the remaining mixture can be made into snack-sized mini muffins. The ricotta mixture serves 2 people; make a fresh batch before serving the remaining muffins. […]
Melt-in-the-mouth eggnog shortbreads
This recipe makes a lot of little one-bite shortbreads. If you like, make 50 shortbreads and freeze the remaining log, wrapped in baking paper then plastic wrap, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before slicing and baking. You will need to halve the butter cream frosting if only baking 50 shortbreads. […]
Sweet coconut slice
A hit with every coconut lover, this slice just improves with age. It can also be made as tartlets. Note
Red corvette
We rimmed the cocktail glass with pink sugar; simply add a drop of red food colouring to sugar and mix well. Note
Panang curry and banana chilli salad
If you cannot find banana chillies, use capsicums instead. Note
Masoor dhal with vegetables
Substitute any of your favourite vegetables if you prefer them to the ones suggested in this recipe. A hot curry paste will boost the flavour, however, you can use any curry paste you like. Note
Pork with apple salsa and kumara mash
An exquisite pork dish with lovely colours and a delicious creamy kumara mash.
Pan-fried pork cutlets with nashi
If shiso leaves are unavailable, substitute them with basil leaves. Note
Soya bean and asparagus soup with mizuna pesto
You can use frozen soya beans, available from Asian groceries, in this recipe if fresh are hard to find. You could also use the same quantity of fresh broad beans or 2 cups of frozen broad beans instead. Note
Steamed orange ginger chicken with greens
Use a zester to get long thin strips of rind. Note
Maple syrup ice-cream with maple snaps
Makes 10-12 maple snaps. Maple snaps can be cooked one day in advance and stored in a cool dry place in an airtight container. Ice-cream can be prepared in advance and stored in the freezer in an airtight container for 2 weeks. Note
Roast kumara and pear salad with crunchy chickpeas
A delicious salad full of crispy roast kumara and crunchy and balanced with fresh pear and cranberries.
Mini cabanossi pizzas
Scrumptious little pizza snacks with cherry bocconcini cheese and cabanossi.
Mocha mousse slice
A deliciously dark chocolate biscuit base with soft, mocha mousse come together in this decadent rich slice.
Meatballs with lemon yogurt sauce
Create these Greek-style meatballs to make the perfect sharing platter.
Sticky pork stir-fry
Use vegetables of your choice such as green beans, snow peas or buk choy. Use sliced chicken breast or thinly sliced beef rump steak as an alternative to the pork fillet. Use regular basil if thai basil is unavailable. Note
Smoked salmon & rocket bruschetta
Use a vegetable peeler to slice the cucumber length-ways into thin ribbons. Use disposable gloves when handling beetroot top prevent staining your fingers. If taking to work, toast the bread at lunch time just before you’re ready to assemble. Note
Grain and seed loaf
Stand the yeast mixture in a warm place to allow it to become frothy. It’s important that the spot you choose is warm, not hot. If it’s too hot you’ll kill the yeast. Note
Science experiment spill
Equipment 30cm (12-inch) round cake board small new artists’ paint brush The biohazard tape was ordered online from the US. Printing the words `biohazard’ onto yellow tape with a permanent marker adds a visual effect which is just as good, and less expensive. test kitchen tips Use any lollies you like, but make sure they […]
Pink pig cupcake
The cake mix is enough to make 12 cakes so you can decorate the remaining 6 cakes into other animals of your own choosing. Note
Salmon confit with fennel and herbs
Confit, from the French verb ‘confire’ meaning to preserve, means both a food item that has been slow-cooked in fat to cover, and also the cooking technique. Confit foods are exquisitely soft and delicately flavoured, so the technique is sometimes used, as in this recipe, simply to achieve this luxurious effect. Note
Prawn, coconut and snake bean rice
Baby green beans can be used instead of snake beans. Note
Seafood and chicken tomato rice
Some clams might not open after cooking. These might need prompting with a knife or might not have cooked as quickly as the others Âyou don’t have to discard them, just open with a knife and cook a little longer if you wish. Note
Gingerbread birdhouse
EQUIPMENT Oven trays 6cm heart cutter paper piping bag 30cm square or round cake board The gingerbread house can be assembled 3 days ahead. Bake gingerbread a day before it’s required and store in an airtight container. Secure the roof panels to the birdhouse with royal icing; hold in place until set. Secure the walls […]
Spicy sardines with orange and olive salad
Sardines are available already butterflied from most fishmongers. Note
Princess of hearts
EQUIPMENT 25cm x 35cm (10-inch x 14-inch) rectangular cake board 5cm (2-inch) heart cutter 3cm (1¼-inch) heart cutter Use any shaped cutter for this cake, try snowflakes or stars. You can use letter cutters and write the name of the child on the cake. Use coloured sprinkles that suit the occasion of your party. If […]
Rhubarb and almond cakes
Thanks to hothouse growing, rhubarb is available all year, so you can indulge in a hot pie or crumble as well as any number of luscious desserts matching rhubarb with berries and cream or mascarpone whenever you like. Be sure to discard every bit of the vegetable’s leaf and use only the thinnest stalks (the […]
Roast beef and coleslaw pitta pockets
Coleslaw is a great crunchy addition to sandwiches. It can have just about anything in it as long as shredded cabbage is the chief ingredient. Most coleslaws also have grated carrot and a mayonnaise or vinegar (or both) dressing. Note
Portuguese caldeirada
Caldeirada is a Portuguese fish stew that varies from region to region, but usually contains a variety of fish along with potato, onion and tomato or capsicum.
Peanut butter choc cake
Keeping time: 2 days. Note
Steaks with homemade barbecue sauce
Cook steaks to seal until moisture begins to pool on top surface (about 2 minutes). Turn only once. Cook on second side until cooked to taste. Note
Potato and parsley wafers
Try layering various herb leaves, such as sage, inside the potato wafers. You can also use russet burbank or spunta potatoes for this recipe. Note
Spicy fish tagine with red couscous
This recipe is for lovers of spicy seafood.
Chicken marengo
Recipe can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, covered. Note
Roti
Roti is an Indian subcontinent flat bread that is the perfect complement to curries, stews and other saucy dishes.
Orange almond macaroons
Fill macaroons just before serving. If the marmalade is too chunky or thick to spread, warm it, strain it, and leave it to cool before using. Note
Strawberry and ricotta pancakes with honey
Naturally sweet strawberries are the star of these healthy pancakes, which are made fluffy and light with low-fat ricotta. Just drizzle with honey for a guilt-free breakfast treat or easy dessert idea.
Nanaimo bars
This recipe comes from western Canada. Keeping time: 2 weeks. Note
Pumpkin and split pea tagine
Traditional to North Africa, a tagine is an aromatic casserole, usually cooked and served in an earthenware dish, also called a tagine.
Ruby grapefruit, pomegranate and endive salad
You need one medium pomegranate for this recipe. Note
Sweet soy beef on rice
Freeze beef for about an hour this will make it easier to slice. To obtain ginger juice, squeeze grated fresh ginger into a sieve set over a bowl. A piece of ginger measuring about 10cm in length will yield 2 tablespoons of grated ginger; this amount of grated ginger should in turn yield the 2 […]
Meatball tagine with eggs
A popular Moroccan spicy tomato stew - the addition of eggs make this a great breakfast dish to share.
Salt and pepper baby octopus with aïoli
You can double or treble this aïoli recipe, if you like, but don’t throw the egg whites away. Freeze them until you have enough to make a pavlova or friands. If the aïoli you’ve made separates, place a yolk in another bowl and whisk the separated aïoli into it. The added yolk will re-emulsify the […]
Pan-fried fish with green purée
We used wahoo fish for this recipe, but you could use any white fish such as whiting, bream, sole, flounder, dory, perch, snapper or ling. Note
Southern fried chicken
Crispy, crunchy and delicious Southern fried chicken from Australian Women's Weekly.
Rhubarb bread with vanilla bean butter
You will need about 1 bunch of rhubarb for this recipe. Note
Sweet and sour sausage kebabs
Soak bamboo skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes before using to prevent them from scorching during cooking. Note
Rocket, prosciutto and egg salad
A quick, light and simple salad with an amazing combination of flavours and textures.
Lemongrass sorbet
Return to pan, cover; freeze until firm. Note
Seared tuna with potato smash and salsa verde
If the potatoes that you purchase for this recipe are young and quite small, scrubbing them well (rather than peeling) will be sufficient. Tuna is at its best if browned both sides Note
Spinach and mushroom korma
Kalonji seeds are also known as nigella or black onion seeds. Tiny, angular seeds, black on the outside and creamy within, with a sharp nutty flavour that can be enhanced by frying briefly in a dry hot pan before use. Kalonji can be found in most Asian and Middle-Eastern food shops. Note
Spiced chickpeas, pumpkin and spinach
Don’t drain the spinach until it’s completely dry, the excess water steams and wilts the spinach during cooking, without having to add extra oil or butter. Note
Curried chicken loaf
Recipe is best prepared as required. Note
