Dinner ideas

The basil mixture, without the lemon rind and juice, can be made several days ahead; keep tightly covered in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 3 months. Add the lemon just before serving. Make sure you cook the haloumi just before serving, as it becomes tough and rubbery on cooling. Note

Soak 8 bamboo skewers in water for about 30 minutes before use to prevent splintering and scorching during cooking. Note

We used cannellini beans but you can use any variety of canned white beans you like. Note

We used flathead fillets but use any firm white fish fillets you like; blue eye, bream, ling, whiting or snapper are all fine. Remove the fish when it is almost cooked; it will continue to cook off the heat. Recipe not suitable to freeze. Note

Not suitable to freeze. You can also marinate the lamb in a large resealable plastic bag. Quince paste can be warmed in a microwave-safe jug in a microwave oven. Quince paste is available from delicatessens and most major supermarkets. Note

A bright, colourful and healthy modern Asian dish.

A quick and easy Asian-style beef stir fry for busy midweek dinners.

Delicious Asian-style main dish of sticky pork with wilted gai lan.

You need smoking chips and a smoke box for this recipe; they are available from barbecue supply stores. port-smoked beef Note

You can use any firm white-fleshed fish fillets. Note

These sesame and chilli lamb skewers are the perfect starter dish for Asian-styled evenings.

Crispy pork belly and nashi salad with a plum and five-spice dressing from Australian Women's Weekly.

Fried noodles, also known as crispy noodles, are used in sang choy bow and chow mein. They can be found in supermarkets, usually in 50g or 100g packets, already deep-fried. Note

Serve the cutlets with a spoonful of sweet apple sauce, if liked. Note

Asian-style stir-fried beef with thin hokkien noodles from Australian Women's Weekly.

You'll never have plain old mashed potato again after this delicious bacon and cheesy potato bake.

You need to purchase a large barbecued chicken weighing about 900g for this recipe. Note

This deliciously tender piece of lamb is cooked using traditional Spanish flavours, combining salty chorizo and fragrant garlic and thyme to create a memorable dish for a roast dinner or Christmas lunch.

A classic hearty chicken stew that originated in southern Louisiana.

Delicious and warming garlic chicken stir-fry with buk choy from Australian Women's Weekly.

Crispy and delicious pork rack with a sweet apple sage sauce from Australian Women's Weekly.

Sometimes sold as spring salad mix, mesclun is a commercial assortment of young green leaves, and will usually include some or all of the following: rocket, mizuna, baby spinach, curly endive, oak leaf, radicchio and mignonette. When cooking poultry directly on the barbecue grill, it only needs moderately-hot heat; place food on the edges of […]

You will need 2 x 180g packets of Allen’s Killer Pythons for this recipe. Note

You could buy 4 x 75g salmon fillets instead of the larger fillet. The yellow beans add some colour to the dish; if unavailable use green beans. Note

This is a complete meal in a dish, but, it doesn’t reheat or freeze well, as the breadcrumbs absorb the moisture as it stands. Packaged japanese breadcrumbs (panko) can be bought from supermarkets which stock Japanese ingredients, they’re an excellent substitute for stale breadcrumbs. Note

The black beans used in this recipe are also known as turtle beans, and are Cuban and Latin American rather than Chinese in origin. Jet black with a tiny white eye, black beans can be found in most greengrocers and delicatessens. Note

Spicy vegetable and lentil salad packed full of char-grilled capsicum, carrot, pumpkin and red onion.

A deep purple-red spice ground from berries grown on a Mediterranean coastal shrub, sumac adds an astringent flavour to both raw and cooked food. It suits poultry, meat and fish as well as it does a salad. Its piquancy was long only associated with Middle Eastern foods, but these days it is used in many […]

Deliciously tender pork, fennel and olive ragout that can be done in a pressure cooker in no time.

You will need about 1⅓ cups (265g) of uncooked rice for this recipe. Note

If kipfler potatoes are unavailable you can use baby new potatoes. You could also use aïoli, a garlic mayonnaise, instead of plain mayonnaise, and lemon juice instead of warm water to jazz this salad up. Note

You can substitute rib-eye (scotch fillet) or sirloin (new-york cut) steak for the eye fillet in this recipe. Note

You need 12 skewers; if using bamboo skewers, soak them in water 1 hour before use to prevent splintering or scorching. Note

Salted cod, also called salt cod, baccala, bacalhau, bacalao and morue, is available from Italian, Spanish and Portuguese delicatessens and some specialty food stores. Note

You can replace the pork medallions with lean pork fillet. Use a vegetable peeler to slice the carrot lengthways into thin ribbons. The pork can be served warm or cold. Reheat the pork, covered, in a microwave oven on HIGH (100%) for about 1 minute. Note

Sumac is a purple-red, astringent spice ground from berries growing on shrubs around the Mediterranean; it has a tart, lemony flavour. It can be found in Middle-Eastern food stores and major supermarkets. Note

Cool the quiches before packing into airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. They are not suitable to freeze. You need four 10cm (4-inch) spring-form tins for this recipe. Note

This Asian-style sesame noodle salad is sticky, sweet and utterly delicious.

A rich and creamy red Thai-style curry from Australian Women's Weekly.

We used whole pink snapper in this recipe, but you can use any whole white fish. Note

A rich, fragrant and warming slow-cooked lamb and eggplant curry that will melt in your mouth.

As easy as raita is to make, if you are in a hurry you can cheat and buy tzatziki, which is the Greek eqivalent of the Indian raita. Note

This delicious herb-marinated pork fillet is perfect enjoyed with a side salad, or some steamed veggies for a quick and tasty family dinner.

A quick, easy and flavour-packed Mexican beef stir-fry from Australian Women's Weekly.

Coulibiac is a Russian fish pie stuffed with spinach, rice and brown mushrooms.

Suitable to freeze at the end of step 3. Note

Velouté, a white sauce made from roux (a cooked butter and flour mixture) and stock, is one of the five “mother” sauces in French cooking from which all other sauces are derived. Note

The same amount of ingredients used to top a 30cm pizza will top four mini pizza bases. Note

With a name that loosely translates as "top of the shelf", ras el hanout is a Moroccan blend of the best a spice merchant has to offer.

You could also add some coarsely chopped fresh coriander or finely chopped fresh chilli to the corn salsa. Couscous, the North African cereal made from semolina, lends an intriguing crunch to the coating on the chicken. Note

This rocket and blue cheese salad is packed full of big flavours and will be an instant favourite.

Tasty, simple and spicy little lamb kofta that are great for summer lunches, cocktail parties or as spicy snacks.

Guests can assemble their own tacos at the table. Note

Pork neck is a moist, tasty cut which pot-roasts really well. This is an easy way to cook; make sure the pan you use has a heavy base for even cooking and a tight-fitting lid. Note

For a vegetarian option, add extra beans in place of the chicken. You need to cook ⅓ cup (65g) raw rice to get the amount of cooked rice used here. You could also use the microwave rice now available in most supermarkets. Note

Panang is the English adaptation of the Thai word “phanoeng” or “panaeng” meaning curry. The paste is a complex, sweet and milder variation of an authentic Thai red curry paste, which is especially good with seafood. Some commercially prepared curry pastes can vary in heat and flavour. Add less than recommended until you can determine […]

This corned beef pot roast takes inspiration from the sweet and fragrant spices of Asian cooking including star anise, cardamom, and soy sauce. Serve with Asian greens for a true fusion experience.

Thai basil, also known as horapa, is available from greengrocers and Asian supermarkets. To freeze; pack into freezerproof containers, leaving a 2.5cm space to allow for expansion. Seal, label and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a saucepan or microwave on medium power (50%) until heated through. Note

To freeze; complete the recipe to the end of step 3. Pack into freezer-proof containers, leaving a 2.5cm (1 inch) space to allow for expansion. Seal, label and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a large saucepan, then continue from step 4. Note

An exquisite, slowcooked Greek-style dish with dill and lemon lamb shoulder.

Pepitas, dried pumpkin seeds, are available hulled or unhulled, raw or roasted. Most people here usually eat them as a snack or in a homemade muesli, but in many other countries they are commonly ground into meal for use as a sauce thickener. Note

With the help of a pressure cooker, this Mexican dish of tender chicken & chorizo sausages with kidney beans can be whipped up in no time.