Quick & Easy

Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches that originated in French cafés and are typically made with gruyère.

Basil can be substituted for parsley. Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

You can buy butterflied sardines from most good fish markets, or get your fishmonger to butterfly the fish for you. To butterfly your own fish, buy an already gutted fish, slice down the length of the belly until just before the tail, place fish, belly-down, on a chopping board and roll gently with a rolling […]

Creamy pumpkin and bitey feta make this simple pizza an easy meal with loads of flavour.

Delicious little burgers with grilled beef sausages and a crunchy slaw.

Naples is widely credited as the birthplace of pizza, where it was originally sold to the city’s poor by street vendors. The world’s first pizzeria was opened there in 1830 and is still in operation today. The beauty of the napoletana pizza lies in its simplicity. We recommend using only the best and freshest ingredients […]

Bring the Med to your home with these scrumptious lamb meatballs and a garlicky white bean dip.

Use chipolata sausages if you prefer them. Cook the tomatoes until the skins begin to shrivel and split, then add the spinach and stir until wilted. Push the mixture slightly to the side of the frying pan to make four holes for the eggs to slide into. Crack the eggs, one at a time, into […]

Super fast and easy Asian beef stir-fry topped with crunchy sesame seeds.

Pink and yellow oyster mushrooms are available at selected farmers’ markets, grocery stores and online. Choose mushrooms as described by variety. Avoid slimy looking caps and those that look shrivelled. Store mushrooms as described by variety, otherwise, store in a paper or calico bag in the refrigerator. They generally last for up to 3 days […]

Use a mixture of cauliflower, carrots, celery, green tomatoes, cucumber and pickling onions. If the mixture seems too wet, drain away some of the liquid before bottling. Note

Chicken, chorizo, tomato and saffron come together in this delicious Spanish pie.

The lamb will be easier to cut if you freeze it for about 20 minutes before slicing. Note

Make the filling in advance, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Note

Recipe can be made two days ahead, store, covered, in the refrigerator. Don’t worry if the mixture separates, giving you two layers, one creamy and one clear. The mixture separates into two layers when the gelatine mixture is of a different temperature to that of the cream mixture, when the two mixtures are combined, they […]

A creamy beef and coconut cream soup that packs a big spicy punch.

Beautiful bite-size cakes with succulent syrup and subtle saffron flavour.

You can substitute any fruit for the strawberries and mangoes in this recipe. Mixed berries are another great option, remember frozen berries are full of flavour and are just as delicious as fresh ones, so this is a good year round alternative. Note

The chilli paste made in this recipe also tastes great rubbed over a whole chicken or fish before being roasted. Note

Don’t over stuff the chickens as this will affect the cooking time. Note

Use metal skewers to pierce through the hard core of the corn slices. Note

Potato skins can be served hot or at room temperature; use scooped out flesh in potato salad or bubble and squeak. Note

Calzones are folded pizzas or pizza turnovers filled with good things – one of the best foods ever invented for a picnic, a party or eating on the go. Note

Mexican-style chicken fajitas with pan-fried chicken and capsicum.

Sweet pastilla is traditionally served with sweetened warmed milk to reduce the crunchiness of the layered pastille. We like to use the pastilla to dip into the sweet yogurt cream. Note

Fontina is a smooth, firm Italian cow’s-milk cheese with a creamy, nutty taste and brown or red rind. It is an ideal melting or grilling cheese. You can use swiss, cheddar or gouda cheeses instead. Note

Kalonji, also known as nigella, are tiny, angular seeds, black on the outside and creamy within, having a sharp nutty flavour that can be enhanced by a brief toasting in a dry hot pan before use. Kalonji can be found in most Asian and Middle-Eastern food shops. Note

Persian fairy floss, also called Pashmak is available from delis and specialist food shops. If unavailable, ordinary fairy floss can be used. Note

Gelato flavours used for this recipe: lemon, green apple, strawberry and mango although any flavours can be used. A very firm ice-cream may be used in place of the gelato, scoop it directly onto the ice-cream cones just before serving. Make sure the oven trays and cake board fit in your freezer before starting. Note

Shichimi togarashi (also known as seven-spice mix or seven-spice blend) is a Japanese spice blend. It is available from specialist spice shops and Asian grocery stores Note

Sweet and sour quail perfectly balanced with a pine nut salad.

You need to cook about 1¾ cups of white medium-grain rice to get the amount of cooked rice required for this recipe. Note

We used scrap-booking decorations available from craft and hobby shops. This cake can be assembled directly onto a table or covered 24-inch square cake plate. Note

If red curry paste is a little too fiery for your taste buds, use a milder curry paste, or less of the red curry paste­.

You can use apple puree instead of the apple sauce in this recipe. Note

This recipe is a delicious change to cooked pasta sauces ­because this sauce is uncooked, buy the freshest ingredients you can for a big flavour hit. Note

We used car patches available from craft and sewing stores. You could use small diecast cars from toy shops. Be aware of choking hazards if using small plastic cars. If you want a daytime scene, colour the icing light blue and use a yellow jube as the sun and the sugar pearls to represent sun […]

Pho, the well-known vietnamese noodle soup, is usually eaten for breakfast, but is great to eat at any time of the day. Note

Give cereal a miss and try these prosciutto and feta baked eggs instead!

The fish can be marinated and threaded onto skewers a day ahead, store, covered, in the refrigerator. You can use any large fish fillets or steaks, such as ling, gemfish, snapper, kingfish or silver warehou, for this recipe. Soak 12 bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before using to avoid scorching or […]

Rogan josh, traditionally made with lamb, is an Indian tomato-based curry, and literally means "meat in spicy red sauce".

To save time purchase 500g shelled prawns for this recipe. Note

You’ll have about ½ cup of the cake mixture left over; make more cakes for a longer serpent, if you like Note

We used a 250ml carton of pineapple juice for this recipe. Note

Chicken puffs should not be reheated more than once. Puffs can be baked several hours ahead. Cool slightly then refrigerate. Reheat thoroughly in a 160°C preheated oven just before serving. Note

Packaged fried tofu is available from most supermarkets. Note

The combination of mashed potato, bacon, onion, cheese and sour cream in these cakes is so good you’ll find it hard to stop at one. You can also use lasoda or pink-eye potatoes for this recipe. Note

You will need approximately 1 cup (120g) pecans to make enough ground pecans for this recipe. Note

You will need 12 strong wooden toothpicks, tips broken off into 1.5cm lengths. Note

To avoid the overnight soaking, microwave the tea and fruit mixture on high (100%) power for 5 minutes, allow to cool and serve. Note

This fragrant pilaf with crunchy almonds is a great accompaniment to meat stews and curries.

Delicious little pork kofta on skewers served with mint yoghurt from Australian Women's Weekly.

We used a large (25cm diameter) thick-based packaged pizza base for this recipe. Pizza can be prepared and frozen in its unbaked form. Place frozen pizza in hot oven; allow about 10 minutes extra cooking time. Note

Shredded or flaked coconut take longer to toast than desiccated coconut. You can toast it in the oven or in a dry frying pan – either way, you have to watch it carefully. If you’re using the pan method, stir the coconut the whole time, then take it out of the pan the second it’s […]

Cake will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days. Note

Crispy Swiss rösti with pan-fried ham and cherry tomatoes from Australian Women's Weekly.