Quick & Easy

We used flathead fillets for this recipe. You need to soak 24 bamboo skewers in water for at least an hour before using to prevent them from scorching during cooking. Note

Replace orange with apple or pear slices, if preferred. Pork does not need to be overdone. Cook until just pink in the middle to retain juices. Note

A sweet, sour, fresh and fragrant Asian-style rice noodle salad with wasabi dressing.

Exquisite and delicate smoked chicken and peach salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

Best made just before serving; prawns can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Note

Use crisp, crunchy fresh water chestnuts for this recipe if they are in season; frozen fresh water chestnuts also can be found in many Asian grocers. About 5-medium sized chesnuts are needed for this soup. Note

You can use a lamb backstrap instead of cutlets. Cook for 3-4 minutes each side and then slice thickly. If fresh broad beans are in season, you can use them instead of frozen ones. Note

Use a mandoline or V-slicer, available from kitchenware and department stores, to slice the fennel and radishes. Substitute salmon fillets for the ocean trout, if you prefer. For decoration and ease of handling either tie the rolls with kitchen string or secure them with toothpicks. Note

We used a greek feta, which crumbles well and has a sharp taste. Note

Chicken can be coated with parmesan several hours ahead. Place in a single layer on a plate and keep refrigerated. Cook chicken and prepare salad as required. Note

This is a very quick and easy cake to make that only involves hand-mixing in one bowl. It is very important to thoroughly drain the pineapple, or else the cake will be doughy and heavy. Toasting macadamias brings out the flavour. There are two ways to toast them: spread macadamias onto an oven tray, toast […]

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

Use focaccia, bagels, bread rolls or any other kind of bread. 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

Potato starch is similar to cornflour but stronger, so use a little more cornflour if you cannot find any potato starch Note

A bright, colourful and healthy modern Asian dish.

Char-siu sauce is a Chinese barbecue sauce made from sugar, water, salt, fermented soya bean paste, honey, soy sauce, malt syrup and spices. A little something out of the ordinary for those times when you feel you’ve cooked it all before. Note

You can substitute white wine, Grand Marnier or brandy for the red wine. Note

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

Dressing can be made 1 day ahead; chill, covered. Recipe can be 3 days ahead up to step 3; store in airtight container. Note

This recipe is inspired by the Russian passion for kasha, cooked grains such as buckwheat, millet or oats. Buckwheat kernels or groats are available from health-food stores. 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.

Soufflés must be made just before serving. Note

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

Rollmops are herring fillets wrapped around a slice of gherkin, red capsium and/or onion preserved in a spiced vinegar brine. Note

We used cryovac-packed ready-to-serve sweet chilli tofu, available from many supermarkets and Asian food stores. Note

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.

These peaches will keep for 1 week stored in an airtight container in the fridge. After 2 days, the liquid will increase by half, and the flavours will intensify. Make sure the fruit is covered in the poaching liquid. Keep any leftover poaching liquid to poach other fruit, or reduce to a syrup by simmering […]

Divide dough into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a long oval about 3mm thick. Note

Warm sabayon must be served immediately. Note

Bacardi or dark rum can be used, though the slightly darker rum has a stronger flavour. Note

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 […]

Vanilla-infused vodka can be bought from an alcohol store or made at home. To make vanilla-infused vodka, combine 250ml vodka and 2 split vanilla beans in a glass jar, cover; stand for about 5 days or until the vodka is infused with vanilla flavour. Discard vanilla beans before using the vodka. Guava juice is available […]

Slice will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. 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

Roast the tomatoes in a baking dish with deep sides; this shields them from the heat so they won’t burn. Note

A fantastic miso garlic dip for Japanese-style dinner parties or sharing platters.

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

Sweet chilli relish is available in most supermarkets and delicatessens, or other any chutney or relish would be suitable. Note

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

Use any rice you like for this recipe, just make sure it’s cooked properly so every grain is separate. You could use about 3½ cups of cold leftover rice if you happen to have it, if not cook, rinse and drain the rice the day before the picnic. Keep the rice in the fridge. Assemble […]

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

We used blue-eye in this recipe, but any white fish fillet will be fine. Peri peri, also spelled piri piri, is a hot chilli sauce used in African, Portuguese and Brazilian cookery. It is available from gourmet food stores and most major supermarkets. Note