Less than 30 minutes

Savoury and deeply satisfying, this vegetable curry is great as part of a banquet or as a meal on its own.

Sometimes the old favourites are the only thing that will do, chicken chow mein not only fits the bill but is quick, easy and good for you. Winning all round.

Is your family sick of meat and veg? Try this easy, delicious new recipe for Thai beef with noodles. Fresh, fragrant and full of crunch and flavour.

You don't need to skip dessert on busy weeknights with this quick and easy self-saucing pudding. And there's no compromising on taste either!

Beef in Chinese recipes is generally cut into very fine slices. Put the beef into the freezer for 30 minutes to make slicing easy. Note

A quick, easy and delicious lunch or breakfast to throw together, this salmon and asparagus salad includes hard boiled egg for a protein packed meal.

Delicious, fragrant and herbaceous Vietnamese-style pork rolls from Australian Women's Weekly.

Jalapeño chillies are found in jars, sliced and pickled in brine, in the condiment or Mexican food aisle in most supermarkets. They are quite hot. Note

Mignardises date back to 18th century France, when pastry chefs baked small treats at the end of the day in the low residual heat of their ovens. The name comes from an old French word meaning cute', pretty’ `graceful’. They are served at the end of the meal to extend the pleasure of the evening. […]

Use your preference of bottled pasta cheese sauce in this recipe. Note

You will need 4 ripe mangoes for this recipe. Note

Try canned salmon with a little lemon juice in place of mushrooms. For a healthier version, replace cream with low-fat evaporated milk. To thicken, blend 1 teaspoon cornflour with 1 tablespoon evaporated milk and stir slowly into remaining milk. Note

Lap cheong are a form of dried sausage that don’t require refrigeration and can be found with fried shallots in the Asian section of larger supermarkets. Note

To make orange madeleines, add 1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind when beating the egg mixture. Omit the water and replace with 1 tablespoon orange juice. Note

There are more than 40 varieties of the paprika pepper grown in Turkey, Hungary, Iran and Spain, but the differences among them are very subtle.

Peppered beef

The dough can be shaped into a log, wrapped tightly in plastic and frozen. Defrost in the refrigerator and slice into 1cm rounds, place on an oven tray and bake as above. Note

A super fast and easy recipe for classic hot cross scones with the distinctive chocolate cross on top.

Orange blossom water, also known as orange flower water, is available from specialty food stores, delicatessens and some health food stores. Note

We used purple jubes, small jelly beans, Smarties and fizzers, but you can use any lollies you like. Note

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

Fondant carrots are available from specialty kitchenware shops or cake decorating shops. Alternatively, make your own using flower-moulding paste. Colour with liquid colour and shape into mini carrots ­ use a small amount of paste, coloured green, to make the curly tops. Note

You will need a piece of pumpkin weighing approximately 750g for this recipe; we used butternut, but you can use whatever pumpkin variety you like. Note

Rosewater pistachio crêpes

If you have a sugar (candy) thermometer, use it for these recipes. These nuts are so moreish it will be hard to hand them over; to prevent such a dilemma, double the quantity and the problem is solved! Note

Use your favourite mountain bread variety or pita (lebanese) bread for this recipe. Note

Grilled swordfish with a tangy and delicious olive paste from Australian Women's Weekly.

Soak the skewers or toothpicks in cold water for 30 minutes before using to prevent them from splintering and scorching during cooking. Note

You can use other fish of your choice. Mirin is found in the Asian section of your supermarket. You can use sweet sherry as a substitute. Note

A simple, crunchy and flavourful sweet chilli chicken salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

The pineapple was cut in half lengthways, then sliced thinly. Note

This slice can keep for 3 days. Note

Panzanella is a refreshing Tuscan summer bread salad. We’ve put our own spin on it by using little cubes of radish sandwich instead of the traditional bread pieces. Note

Risoni is a small pasta shaped like a grain of rice. You can substitute any small pasta in this recipe. Note

Gluten-free bread mixes are available in plain and wholegrain, we used plain in this recipe. Note

To spoon the thick cream layer off the top of the coconut cream, don’t shake the can as the thick cream will separate from the liquid underneath. If you shake it, you have to wait until the liquid settles into layers again. Note

To prevent them from drying out, keep finished ura-maki wrapped in plastic, uncut, until ready to serve. Goes well with sesame dipping sauce, and oysters osaka. Note

Use regular beef mince, not lean, for a nice, juicy patty. Note

These stuffed ricotta flowers bring together the creaminess of ricotta with the fresh tang of mint and heat of chilli for a truly flavourful summer barbecue treat.

Use a melon baller to scoop watermelon into bite-sized balls, if desired, for a more decorative look. Note

Squid can be swapped for prawns or chicken. Note

Vongole (clams) will need to soak in salted water for 30 minutes before starting this recipe. Fast-cooking clams are packed with a good dose of iron, B vitamins and the mineral chronium, which the body needs to regulate blood glucose levels. Note

The term palliard' means a quick-cooking, thinly sliced or pounded piece of meat, usually veal, beef or chicken. It may also be known as an escalope’. Remove the tenderloin from chicken breast; this is the thin strip of meat lying just under the breast. Using a large sharp knife, cut each chicken breast in half […]

Pancetta, an Italian unsmoked bacon, can be used, sliced or chopped, as an ingredient in recipes rather than eaten on its own. It’s also great used as a pizza topping. Note

If shrimp paste is unavailable, substitute 1 tablespoon fish sauce. Shrimp paste is available from Asian grocery stores or the Asian section of most supermarkets. Tamarind concentrate is made from dried tamarind pulp and is a popular souring agent that adds an appetising tang and fruity background flavour to curries and sauces Note

This recipe is best made just before serving, and not suitable to freeze. Note

We used beef sausages here, but this snack would be just as good with chicken, pork or lamb sausages depending on your child’s tastes. You can replace the baba ghanoush with hummus. Note

Not suitable to microwave. Note

Christmas cutters are available from all good kitchenware shops or cake decorating shops. Note

The perfect summer lamb dish for cooking on the backyard barbecue.

Spinach, capsicum and feta pizza

For best results when deep-frying, check the oil is hot enough before adding the parsnip strips. Dip the handle end of a wooden spoon into the hot oil, if bubbles immediately form around the wood, the oil is the correct temperature. Note