A zesty lemon risotto from Australian Women's Weekly.

A small can of beetroot, drained and chopped, can be used instead of fresh beetroot. Note

These delicious prawn laksa shooters are a delicious starter or canape for dinner parties.

Bucatini pasta with baked ricotta from Australian Women's Weekly.

Suitable to freeze. Note

Pak choy is a member of the same family as bok choy with the same mild flavour.

Filled with plump raisins and drizzled with a rich chocolate glaze, this luscious cake makes the perfect afternoon treat or dessert.

This fragrant broth does take some preparation time, but it is well worth the effort. It is an absolutely flawless soup dish.

Just wait for the hidden crunch.

The evidence is in; tuna is excellent for your heart and brain function. Luckily it also tastes great, especially when accompanied by this wonderful basil pesto and smashed potatoes.

Refreshing and tasty, this salad would be excellent accompanied with grilled meat.

The lime syrup will keep in the fridge for up to two months. Add a few drops of green food colouring to the syrup, if you like. Note

This rich and hearty spiced chickpea and broad bean soup is served with eggs and cumin salt to create a flavour-packed, warming vegetarian dish the whole family will love!

Granny Smith apples are best for this recipe. This is a good base jelly, ­for slight variations try adding cinnamon sticks, rosemary sprigs or dried lavender to the jelly. Note

Plump with fruit, this delicious apricot fruit cake is perfect with your morning or afternoon cuppa.

Cook the sago the night before; refrigerate overnight, then assemble smoothie in the morning. While sago and tapioca are not the same, sago may be found labelled as ‘seed tapioca’ on some packets. Note

Reheat soup in a microwave oven on HIGH (100%) for about 1½ minutes, stirring halfway through heating. Note

We used blue-eye trevalla in this recipe, but you can use any white fish fillets. Note

It is fine to use just one 300ml carton of cream for this recipe. Note

We might be cheating slightly here, but you can get very good quality canned soups these days and with the addition of bacon and crispy blue cheese toasts you have a dish that could pass for homemade.

You can use brown sugar instead of the palm sugar. Green tea soba noodles are flavoured with powdered green tea and are available from Asian food stores and in the Asian food section of most large supermarkets. Use plain dried soba noodles, if you like. Note

The salad and dressing can be prepared ahead and refrigerated separately. Combine just before serving Note

Crumbles are so delicious and easy to make. There is absolutely no excuse not to whip this quick, scrumptious dessert up for any meal or season.

You will need about 1 bunch of rhubarb (use only the reddest stems) and 3 large pomegranates for this recipe. Note

Buttered rum brazil nits

Studded with chickpeas and dressed with a lemony yoghurt hummus, rich with the sesame flavour of tahini, this spinach and zucchini salad is the yummiest way possible to boost your iron levels.

You will need to buy half a medium cauliflower and about 450g broccoli for this recipe. Note

Making the tapenade using a mortar and pestle will give it a lovely thick, yet smooth, texture. Try stirring a spoonful of tapenade into a pasta sauce or vegetable soup, spreading it on a slice of bruschetta or canapé base, or thinning it with mayonnaise for a dip or lemon and olive oil to flavour […]

Preserved lemons, a dominant ingredient in North African cooking, are salted lemons bottled for several months; the flavour is distinctively perfumed. To use, rinse well and discard flesh, using rind only. You need to purchase a large barbecued chicken for this recipe. Note

Hearty and healthy vegetable soup with added risen for extra bulk will fill hungry bellies. Serve with warmed crusty bread rolls to mop up the very last drop.

This simple, delicious pasta dish requires just 5 ingredients and is ready within minutes.

You need about half a butternut pumpkin for this recipe. Preserved lemons, a North African specialty, are quartered and preserved in salt and lemon juice. To use, remove and discard pulp, squeeze juice from rind, rinse rind well then use. Sold in jars or in bulk by delicatessens; once opened, store preserved lemon in the […]

A healthy and flavourful vegetarian brown rice salad with chickpea, pepita and kumara-potato salad.

lime and mustard dressing We used the sun-dried tomatoes that have not been preserved in oil; they are generally sold in plastic bags or loose by weight. Note

If you want to reduce the intensity of the chillies, remove the seeds and membranes. Note

This dish is popular in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and utilises a wonderful mix of those ethnic spices and flavours.

Cherries and brandy are a dark, gorgeous and classy mix. It is the perfect gift to the person that has everything.

A rich and hearty white bean and chickpea soup with risoni from Australian Women's Weekly.

Bangers and mash is a classic in the pantheon of great British dishes. Red wine gravy, or straight onion gravy if you prefer, just makes the meal even better. Serve with peas for the full experience.

Other types of pasta, such as penne, also work well with this recipe. Dried rigani is dried Greek oregano available from delicatessens. To freeze: complete recipe to the end of step 4. Pack into freezer-proof containers, leaving a 2.5cm (1 inch) space to allow for expansion. Seal, label and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw […]

Use filtered water ­ the purer the water, the better the coffee Keep coffee beans in an airtight container in a cool, dark, dry place, grind the beans just before using. Once the beans are ground, their flavourful oils start to dissipate If you prefer strong coffee, select an appropriate roast rather than using larger […]

Serve as an aromatic side dish, or alongside other delicious nibbles as part of an antipasto platter.

Heady with Moroccan seasoning, this lamb with chickpea and almond rice makes a great lunch or light dinner.

The delicious, spicy pan juices from the prawns add a huge dash of flavour to this simple spicy prawn linguine. Perfect for dinner on a warm evening when you just need something light and tasty.

Warm, fragrant and delicious, this potato, prawn and scallop salad makes a great starter or lunch.

Tender lamb, al dente pasta and peppery rocket leaves make a fabulous pasta salad that is a meal in itself.

If you can find fresh orecchiette, use them instead of the packaged dried version. Note

The nutty flavour of burnt butter pairs beautifully with the tang of roasted marinated artichokes in this gorgeously simple pasta dish.

Asian chicken broth with bean thread noodles, red Thai chillies and lemon grass from Australian Women's Weekly.

Traditional Italian vongole and chorizo linguine from Australian Women's Weekly.

The salad can be made the night before; store, covered, in the fridge. To make the perfect hard-boiled eggs, place eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil; boil, uncovered, for 3½ minutes, drain. Shell eggs when cool enough to handle. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork […]

Classic Italian with a twist.

Meaning 'ear' to reflect it's shape, which resembles a little ear, orecchiette is a speciality of the Apulia region in Southern Italy.

A warming winter soup from Australian Women's Weekly.

600g canned borlotti or cannellini beans can be substituted for the shelled borlotti beans; rinse and drain beans before adding for last 10 minutes of cooking. Recipe can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated, covered; reheat or bring to room temperature before serving. Note

Pasta salad is best made on the morning it will be consumed. Note

For a more intense brandy flavour, stir up to two tablespoons of brandy into the jam mixture before pouring into the jars. Note

Granny Smith apples are best for this recipe. Note

Bucatini is a long, hollow pasta; it looks a bit like thick spaghetti, but has a tube running down the centre. It goes well with chunkier-style sauces. Note

Be sure to sterilise jars before using to store preserves. It is important for health reasons and to ensure a long shelf life for your zesty, delicious marmalade.

This recipe is an updated version of an old favourite cake dating back to the 1960s. Store in the fridge, well-sealed, then cut while it’s cold: it soon comes to room temperature. Note

A simple, savoury classic with pots of flavour, pasta al quattro formaggio can be made using penne, or other short cut pasta, in place of the gnocchi.

Heat ungreased gem irons in hot oven for 5 minutes just before use; grease with cooking oil spray. Note

Deliciously pungent and flavour-packed ginger-shallot chicken dish.

French-trimmed lamb cutlets marry beautifully with this salad, simply grill the lamb until cooked as desired, squeeze with lemon juice and serve alongside the salad. Note