Dinner ideas

Easy and tasty vegetable curry pies from Australian Women's Weekly.

Fresh and healthy zucchini, carrot & corn fritters from Australian Women's Weekly.

Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

An exquisite barbecued quail dish with a fig and walnut salad for special occasions.

The base of so many traditional family meals, savoury mince can be dished up with pasta, on baked potatoes or with noodles on the side.

A great summer salad with grilled onion and a mint chimichurri, an Argentinian-style sauce.

For an easy vegetarian meal, try this delicious coconut curry with pumpkin and butter beans.

Give your usual roast lamb dinner an extra protein kick with a side of broad bean mash. Finish off with a generous helping of mint sauce, and a glass of your favourite red.

These soft noodles and crispy fish bites make a delicious main or dish to share.

Also known as butter beans, lima beans are small and pale green if picked young or large, flat and white if picked when fully grown. The baked beans are even better if made a day in advance, as this allows the flavours to develop. Note

Mexican-style baked beef burritos with guacamole and sour cream from Australian Women's Weekly.

Don't be put off by the amount of garlic in this recipe. It infuses the chicken with a wonderful, yet not overpowering flavour. You can always discard it after cooking, if you don't want the full garlic experience!

A colourful lamb stew packed full of big flavours.

The addition of lentils and tomatoes makes this vegetarian pasta bake a hearty, flavoursome family meal.

Making risotto can be a meditative task, the stirring and ladling with a wooden spoon in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. This chilli seafood risotto is creamy, warming and delicious.

This particular version is Pakistani in origin, with a nod to India in its choice of spices. Garam masala is a mixture of assorted aromatic spices used in kitchens throughout the subcontinent. It is available in some supermarkets if you don’t have time to make our recipe. Note

Light and refreshing Asian-style teriyaki beef salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

Soak 8 bamboo skewers in cold water for at least an hour before using to prevent splintering and scorching. Note

You may need only half a clove of garlic in the dressing depending on the strength of the garlic. Note

Serve these spiced chickpea fritters with cucumber, lettuce and a big dollop of kumara hummus wrapped in flatbread.

Casserole can be made a day ahead; cover, refrigerate until required. Note

Try this delicious Lebanese snack with a cooling yoghurt sauce and fresh mint.

This pie is suitable to freeze. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. You can replace the carrots, celery, mushrooms and peas with a 400g packet of fresh diced vegetable soup mixture – this is found in the vegetable or refrigerated sections of most larger supermarkets, as well as many greengrocers. Note

Moghrabieh is a pearl-sized couscous and is available from delicatessens, specialty food stores and some supermarkets.

This recipe will leave you with plenty of leftover café de paris butter, you can use it to make a spectacular kind of garlic bread or freeze it until you next cook steak.

Tabbouleh is a Levantine vegetarian dish traditionally made of tomatoes and finely chopped parsley.

You need to make double the amount of the sushi rice for this recipe. Wiping a sharp knife with a damp cloth will make cutting the roll easier. You can use salmon roe if ocean trout roe is unavailable. Note

With the stunning, fragrant flavours of ginger, chilli, coriander and lime, these juicy Asian fish cakes make a delicious and light meal.

A classic Chinese stir-fry, chicken with almonds is flavoured with soy and spiked with sherry, straight from the pages of the Women's Weekly Chinese Cooking Class book.

Ask the fishmonger to clean the baby octopus for you, or buy prepared baby octopus, instead. Octopus should be cooked quickly over a high heat until they turn opaque;­ over-cooking will toughen them. Note

Healthy and filling tuna and white bean salad with a zingy French dressing.

Almond mustard pork with nashi & orange slaw from Australian Women's Weekly.

Cannelloni is a delicious stuffed Italian pasta, which we've filled with a flavoursome ricotta, spinach and herb mix in this recipe. Serve the pasta topped with a fragrant tomato sauce and oozy melted cheese.

Carpaccio is the perfect Italian starter dish of thinly sliced raw Kingfish. Much like ceviche, the fish is served raw, but 'cooked' in a food acid like lemon or lime juice.

A surefire family favourite - barbecue chicken with lemon and garlic is tender and tasty. Serve with good bread and a fresh green salad for a simple weekend lunch.

Fragrant and filling Thai-style green chicken curry pies make a great alternative to your usual meat pie. Accompany with plenty of green vegetables for a complete meal.

Veal schnitzel is thinly sliced steak available crumbed or plain (uncrumbed); we used plain schnitzel, also called escalopes, in this recipe. Note

This creamy, hearty mushroom sauce goes perfectly with tender pork medallions to create a quick and easy weeknight family dinner.

Crispy, flaky whiting is served here with a fresh and flavour-packed tomato and olive salsa to create a quick and tasty dinner which is both healthy and delicious.

Packed full of goodness, this hearty butterflied chilli chicken dish is perfect for a hungry family dinner. Served with crispy sweet potatoes, it is a sure-fire hit!

A great French bistro classic, pepper steak is often served with fries. We love it served on a bed of creamy mash, slathered with mushroom sauce and accompanied by crisp sugar snap peas.

This lemon-scented lamb casserole is full of the flavours of roasted winter vegetables, and is delicious served with creamy mashed potatoes.

Korma is a mild and creamy curry, and this chicken korma is perfect for those who like plenty of flavour but don't like too much spice or heat.

Feeding a family of big eaters is expensive! When I find a meat-free meal they enjoy, it helps the weekly budget. This risotto is the kind of dish that can be made if there are the very barest of essentials in the cupboard. It has light flavours to match the season. I do have to pay attention to the pot, but only for half an hour, so it’s no drama.

Traditionally a spiced mince curry with peas, and often potatoes. Leftover keema can be used to make samosas.

This tender braised octopus in red wine recipe works well cooked in a cast-iron pot over a low flame.

Char-grilled lamb with tomato chickpeas

Fresh salmon is delightful and best served simply. Here we've paired it with a buttery lemon sauce with dill and capers for a tart combination of flavours,

Creamed corn, as I knew it, came from a can and I loved it on toast for a winter lunch. Fresh creamed corn is a world away – give it a try.

This simple sausage and ratatouille casserole served on a bed of cheesy polenta makes a great winter evening meal.

Creamy and rich Thai-style chicken & vegetable curry from Australian Women's Weekly.

These seafood skewers are speedy, spicy and highly nutritious. The fish is high in protein, low in fat and contains omega-3 fatty acids, which help protect against heart disease. Mussels have three times more iron than meat and are a good source of zinc, an essential mineral that fights infection.

A deliciously creamy sweet potato, pumpkin and potato soup from Australian Women's Weekly.

Place the beef in a pan with chilli, lime, ginger and garlic, cover with water and simmer until tender. Drain the beef on a wire rack for about 15 minutes to allow it to dry completely. Corned silverside is beef that is first pickled in brine then cooked submerged in water with spices, herbs, etc. […]

These two Croatian specialties, Cevapi, a spicy sausage, and Raznjici, beef kebabs, are typical Balkan ways of cooking meat. Both are delicious, homely fare traditionally served as part of a picnic menu in summer, and eaten in home-style restaurants year round.

Chicken casserole is a classic one-pot winter warmer dish. We've elevated it to 'posh' status here, with the addition of mushrooms, celeriac and juniper berries.

Hokkien or fresh wheat noodles can be used in place of fresh rice noodles ­ but be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions regarding their preparation. Note

A quick green chicken curry that can warm you up on the coldest winter evening.

In Italian, osso buco means bone with a hole'. It is cut from the shin of the hind leg (shank), and is also known as knuckle. The hole is filled with rich bone marrow, also known as jelly’; stand the bones upright to cook, so you don’t lose the delicious jelly inside. This recipe is […]

A healthy and delicious way to eat kale.

For a lovely, light lunch serve these lamb koftas with tahini yoghurt dressing, tabbouleh salad and pita bread.

You can prepare the chicken the night before; store, covered, in the refrigerator. If using bamboo skewers, wrap the ends in foil to prevent them from burning. Note

We used blue-eye fillets but use any firm white fish fillets you like. Note

Bocconcini is such a versatile cheese, but you'll never try it served in such a delicious way as this!

Pumpkin makes traditional gnocchi even softer and more tender, while the rocket pesto adds a blast of flavour to the finished dish.

For a more intense flavour, marinate the chicken for 3 hours or overnight. Any leftover chicken, salad and yoghurt can be refrigerated separately then served in a wrap or tortilla the next day. We used large plain pappadums here, but there are many sizes and flavour combinations to choose from. Note

Hearty and warming, this harissa and mint spiced veggie stew is the ultimate comfort food for a cool Winter evening in.

Chicken quesadillas (from queso, the Spanish word for cheese) with a spicy jalapeño tomato salsa.

Espagnole sauce is one of Auguste Escoffier's five mother sauces that are the basis of sauce-making in classic French cooking.

Served with pistachio yoghurt, this Moroccan-inspired lamb shoulder is melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Take your stew to the next level with this slow-cooked beef tagine.

These delicious homemade Indian-spiced prawn skewers are the perfect finger food to serve to dinner party guests.

A sweet and summery salad with witlof and nashi from Australian Women's Weekly.

Tagliatelle puttanesca, a tangy and salty Italian pasta dish invented in the mid-20th century.

Tender and tasty lamb shanks make the best winter dinner, not least because they fill the house with fragrance and warmth for hours before you eat.

We used blue-eye fillets in this recipe but you can use any firm white fish fillets. Fish or chicken stock can be used instead of wine. Mustard seed oil is available from health-food shops, delicatessens and some supermarkets. If you like, use olive oil instead. Note

It might be a touch retro, but Beef Wellington is also a bona fide classic, the jewel in the crown of British cooking.

Heart, healthy, fast and easy vegetable and red lentil soup from Australian Women's Weekly.

The turkey buffé, or breast, is perfect if you don't require the entire bird to feed the hoards on Christmas day. The special stuffing and paprika rub add a touch of festive cheer.

Ready-made rogan josh curry paste is available from most supermarkets; adjust the amount according to taste. Note

Sticky and sweet Asian-style teriyaki steak on a bed of pickled cucumber, carrot and cabbage.