The addition of the cream cheese gives this luscious cake an especially moist, rich quality.

The mint and ginger syrup take this delicious tropical fruit salad to new heights. Use brown sugar if palm sugar is hard to find. You'll need about three passion fruit for this recipe.

If you prefer, buy 1kg packs of pot-ready mussels from fishmongers or seafood markets. These have already been scrubbed and bearded, and are ready to cook. Some mussels might not open. These might need prompting with a knife or might not have cooked as quickly as the others;­ some will not open after excessive cooking. […]

Fresh and fragrant snake bean salad with desiccated coconut and lime juice.

Rich and creamy mushroom gravy makes a gorgeous topping for a perfectly cooked t-bone steak.

This Asian spiced salmon dish is absolutely mouthwatering. The delicate, sweetness of the Nashi pears are a perfect accompaniment.

You will need two bunches of asparagus and a quarter of a medium wombok for this recipe. A barbecued chicken can also be used; remove and discard bones and skin then shred meat coarsely before tossing with remaining salad ingredients. Note

Filled with spicy stir-fried rice and fresh crab meat, this delicious omelette makes for an easy yet sophisticated dinner or lunch.

Zucchini is an incredibly versatile vegetable that can be used in all sorts of soups and stews and vegetable platters. Here, we've grilled it lightly and tossed it through a pasta salad. Just a little lemon juice, zest and ricotta completes this fresh and colourful dish.

Add a finely chopped fresh red thai chilli if you want to heat up this salad. Note

To make the classic quattro stagione(Italian for `four seasons’) pizza, keep theolives, ham, mushrooms and artichokes onseparate quarters of the pizzas. Note

These tasty rice cakes are easy to whip up and perfect to take on a picnic.

More than just a drink, this luscious hot chocolate spiked with liqueur and topped with Maltesers is a dessert in its own right.

Beurre bosc pears can be substituted for corella pears. Note

Delicious grilled tuna with fried noodles and cabbage from Australian Women's Weekly.

This creamy dip combines broad beans and ricotta and is best served with crunchy vegetables.

A Portuguese rendition of a traditional dish of coastal India called Sagoti.

These vegetable rice paper rolls are a popular dish to serve as a sharing plate with sweet chilli dipping sauce.

Soak 12 bamboo skewers in water before use to avoid them scorching and splintering. You can substitute mango for the papaya, if you like. Note

Discard the stems from the shiitake mushrooms before slicing as they are too tough to eat. If you like, replace the shiitakes with the same quantity of either button or swiss brown mushrooms. You could also add a handful of frozen (or cooked fresh) peas at the same time as the cream. Note

This dip is so versatile in what dishes it can be paired with. Or go simple and accompany just with pittas or Turkish bread.

Comforting baked kumara gnocchi in a rich and creamy garlic sauce from Australian Women's Weekly.

Oysters are an amazingly versatile seafood. They are delicious topped with a little squeeze of lemon juice, or with melted cheese, or with Asian style dressing. Here, we've topped them with a robustly flavoured bacon butter.

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

A colourful and fragrant Indian-style chicken salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

This recipe is best made close to serving. Note

Red curry paste, fish sauce and lime juice give this chilli pork its classic Thai flavour. It's a fast, fresh and tasty dinner that's perfect for a mid-week boost.

Depending on size of the food processor, the apricots can be processed in two batches. Place saucepan over a small gas jet or element to prevent burning mixture on edge of pan. Note

You need overripe, almost black, bananas for this recipe because they give the best flavour. If your bananas are not ripe enough, put them in a paper bag in a cool place (not the refrigerator) for a day or two. Note

Convenience and ease are the hallmarks of this meal, a good addition to a menu plan where you're looking to feed a family well for less.

Have a crack at this easy scone recipe then try different flavour variations - from lemon and currant, cumin and oregano to apricot wholemeal.

Accompany fritters with a salad for a light meal or serve them as a side dish if preferred. Fritters can be cooked a day ahead. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Place fritters on an oven tray and reheat in a 150°C oven as required. Note

With hits of flavour from lemongrass, coriander and chilli, this easy beef and noodle dish makes a healthy weeknight dinner.

Serve this delicious medley of autumn vegetables with your next roast dinner.

A hearty and delicious witches potion with garlic wortweed rolls from Australian Women's Weekly.

This prosciutto and pea gratin is like a gourmet macaroni cheese and is bound to be a hit with all the family.

Lightly perfumed with rose water, sprinkling long strips of lime zest over this baked coconut custard tart makes it even more aromatic.

We used blue-eye fillets for this recipe, but any white fish fillet will be fine. You need to buy a 350g bunch of watercress. Note

Smoky barbecued corn turns this open chicken sandwich on dark rye into a gourmet lunch.

Tandoori powder is a flavourless mixture of yellow and red coloured powdered vegetable dye, available from Indian food stores. Substitute normal red food colouring if you like – do not use turmeric.

These tasty Indian spiced patties are great enjoyed on their own with a side salad or as a side or starter to a big Indian feast.

These divine little bite-sized chocolate hazelnut cakes are the perfect size for such a rich, indulgent recipe.

This quick and easy Mediterranean inspired dinner is perfect for a mid-week meal. Serve your tender grilled steak with veggies and tasty baba ganoush for a flavour-packed dish your family will love.

Your mouth will be watering in anticipation by the time you serve up this divine slow-roasted lamb shoulder, thanks to the good smells that will fill the house as it cooks.

This delicious savoury slice is gluten-free, wheat-free, egg-free and nut-free - the perfect snack for kids at school or people with allergies and intolerances.

Tender lamb with a tangy Thai dipping sauce and green salad.

This backstrap and mint pesto is perfect served with sliced cooked potatoes

These light and fluffy cookies are so lifelike they look as though they have fallen straight off the tree. They are exceptionally lovely served with a bowl of vanilla-bean ice-cream. If the dough doesn’t spread to fill inside the cutters, use a skewer to push the dough into the points of the cutters. The leaves […]

Cook 1 cup (200g) white long-grain rice the night before making this recipe, refrigerate it, spread thinly on a tray, covered, overnight. You need a large barbecued chicken, weighing approximately 900g, for this recipe. Note

Stacks can be prepared several hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate on an oven tray. Uncover and bake as required. Note

Try this healthy and flavoursome warm lentil and chorizo salad with a macadamia oil dressing.

A lean and healthy lamb salad with ras el hanout, a North African spice.

A candy thermometer, available from kitchenware stores, is essential for this recipe. Place thermometer in large saucepan of simmering water while syrup is heating. This will stop thermometer cracking when placed in hot syrup. Once syrup is at correct temperature, return thermometer to pan of water; remove from heat. When cool, rinse and dry. Turron […]

These make a delicious and fresh addition to any share plate that everyone will love. Lobster or prawn meat can be substituted for the crab, if desired.

Give your regular roasted chicken an Asian kick with this hoisin, lime and chilli flavoured version. Served with baby bok choy, it's a complete, flavourful and low carb meal.

Use a mandoline or V-slicer with a julienne attachment to cut the celeriac into thin strips. Note

For one-pot cooking, French provincial dishes can't be beaten with their simple methods and big flavours.

These brownies are very fudgy; refrigerate for several hours to make cutting them easier.

A herby and crunchy Asian salad with tender beef - a real summer delight.

This great British pickle is wonderful served with hamburgers, grilled meats or with cold meats on sandwiches.

You can use feta cheese in place of goat’s cheese. Make pastry cases a week ahead; store in an airtight container. Prepare asparagus and tomatoes 8 hours ahead for asparagus mixture; cover, refrigerate separately. Assemble tarts just before serving. Note

One of those perfect stand-by recipes for a week-night family dinner, you can use a can of flavoured tuna, such as chilli or lemon pepper, to add interest if you like.

You need to cook about 1 cup (200g) of white long-grain rice the day before making this recipe. Spread it in an even layer on a tray and refrigerate overnight. Note

You can use either astringent or non-astringent persimmons in this recipe. If you use the astringent variety, it is best to scrape away the flesh from the skin when eating. Use a zester to make the lime rind strips. If you don’t have one, finely grate the rind instead. There are two types of persimmons […]

To freeze; complete recipe to the end of step 3. Transfer to an airtight container. Label, date and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a large saucepan until hot. Stoba, a popular stew eaten throughout the Caribbean, is usually made with goat, but we’ve used lamb because it’s […]

Spicy, salty and crunchy, these delicious prawns are perfect served as a starter at dinner parties or barbecues. Serve with this zesty sweet chilli syrup for extra flavour.

Tender, delicious and full of colour; warm beef salad with black-eyed peas, corn and chimichurri.

You need 12 bamboo skewers for this recipe. Soak them in water for an hour before use to prevent them splintering or scorching during cooking. Note

Tender chicken with chilli jam and cashew nuts makes a great mid-week dinner. Use a little chilli jam the first time you make this recipe and add more or less depending on your taste.

Packed full of fruit, nuts and all the good stuff, this is how you take out the stress of the morning rush.

In the English-speaking world, the hard, slightly yellow root vegetable that slightly resembles a large dried turnip is called a swede in England and Australia, a neep in Scotland and rutabaga in the United States. Because this vegetable thrives in the cold, it has always been popular in Scandinavia, especially in Sweden, hence the name. […]

Fragrant and flavoursome dry beef curry with onions and peanuts from Australian Women's Weekly.

Whip up this spicy pasta dish for an easy, speedy weeknight dinner.

Make double or triple the muesli recipe and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 months. Note

You can also use elbow macaroni or shell pasta instead of the penne. Note

Black sugar is available from health food stores; brown sugar can be used as a substitute. Note

Tender and flavoursome braised borlotti beans with tomato and garlic from Australian Women's Weekly.

Whiting with pine nuts, currants and tuscan cabbage from Australian Women's Weekly.

A fresh and tasty dish that's bound to become a firm family favourite, grilled lamb and lebanese chickpea salad works with other meats such as beef and kangaroo as well.

Use a whole-egg mayonnaise instead of the aïoli, if you prefer. Note