Less than 60 minutes

A delicious stir-fried salad with spicy Sichuan chilli for some heat.

Rhubarb can be cooked several hours ahead. Place in pie dish, cover and refrigerate. Top rhubarb with crumble topping and bake as required. Note

We used flathead for this recipe, but you can use any firm white-fleshed fish fillets. Note

Pearl barley is a nutritious grain that has had the husk removed, and then has been hulled and polished so only the ‘pearl’ of the original grain remains, much the same as white rice. It is available from health-food stores and most supermarkets. Note

You can also use lasoda or pink-eye potatoes for this recipe. Note

This recipe can be made in a traditional paella pan if you own one, otherwise a deep frying pan or wok with a tight-fitting lid will suffice. Serve the paella straight from the pan at the table. Note

Cooking salt is coarser than table salt, but not as large-flaked as sea salt: it is sold packaged in bags in most supermarkets. Note

Sweet and crispy French-style mango soufflés with chocolate collars from Australian Women's Weekly.

These small French croquettes make for great snack or cocktail food.

An exquisite side dish that goes perfectly with grilled haloumi and crusty bread.

If the pesto is a little too thick for your liking, thin it down with a little olive oil before drizzling over the salmon. Note

This cake is another one perfect to take to school, or picnic — or any outdoor party. Note

Light, fluffy beignets filled with fruity raspberry jam are an adorably sweet afternoon treat.

Pide is a Turkish-style pizza, usually stuffed with a spiced lamb filling.

Nam jim is a generic term for a thai dipping sauce. Most versions include fish sauce and chillies, but the remaining ingredients are up to the cook’s discretion. Note

Make sure the rosebuds have not been treated with any chemical sprays. Note

Soba noodles are a popular buckwheat staple in Japan, though can refer to any thin noodle.

Flavour-packed lamb and olive balls served with anchovy aioli and lemon wedges.

Dumplings can be assembled, then frozen in an airtight container up to a week ahead. Steam dumplings for 12 minutes from frozen. Soup dumplings or xialongbao, as they are called Yum Cha restaurants, are a shanghainese speciality. They are commonly filled with minced pork and a firm, gelatine-rich stock, which turns to a soup when […]

Serve accompanied with asparagus or broccoli or a green leafy salad, if liked. You can use red salmon or canned tuna if you like. The recipe can be made to the end of step 4 several hours ahead. From cold, bake covered at 200°C for 30 minutes or until heated through then uncover and bake […]

This recipe also makes 12 standard muffins (⅓-cup/80ml capacity holes). Bake cakes for 20 minutes. Note

Watch their eyes light up for this happy, smiling flower. White icing is also known as fondant (it’s the traditional icing used on wedding cakes). It is available in packets from the supermarket and cake decorating shops. Note

Rich and delicious Italian-style stew with crushed tomatoes and borlotti beans.

This light and delicious sponge cake is a quick and tasty treat for the whole family to enjoy.

A fun and yummy cake that's up to no good.

It is fine to use just the one 300ml carton of cream for this recipe. To make chocolate shapes: melt 50g (1½ ounces) dark chocolate; place into a resealable plastic bag. Cut a tiny snip off onecorner, and pipe small shapes onto baking paper. Leave shapes to set at room temperature. Note

An exquisite and morish Mediterranean-style mushroom and polenta dish with roasted tomatoes.

The recipe is best made close to serving. Note

Crispy golden Moroccan pastry filled with spiced eggplant and ricotta and served with a colourful tomato salad.

Frittata can be cooked on top of the stove, in a medium lightly oiled slightly sided frying pan; cook on low heat, uncovered, until almost set, then brown frittata under a preheated grill. Frittata can be served hot or cold Note

Delicious little cupcakes that are the perfect treat to celebrate graduation day!

Corella pears have only a short season, if they’re not available use thinly sliced apple, red-skinned look best instead. Note

It's 9 o'clock on a Saturday, and the party crowd's already here. They said can you play a memory...and this cake is just what you need! From The Australian Women's Weekly's famous 'Children's Birthday Cake Book' cookbook, you're sure to feel nostalgic when you see this one from your childhood.

Use frozen spinach, which has been cooked and cooled, for this recipe. Note

Use regular mince, not lean, for a more juicy result. This starter is quite hearty and you may only require a lighter main such as a soup or salad. This would serve 4 as a main meal. Note

A quick, simple and delicious Mexican-style pizza; great for busy midweek evenings.

A small, spicy sausage ­ eaten throughout North Africa and Spain ­ merguez is traditionally made with lamb meat and is easily identified by its chilli-red colour. Merguez can be found in many butchers, delicatessens and sausage specialty stores, but any spicy sausage can be used in this recipe. Note

A quick and healthy pilaf for a busy midweek dinner.

Ready-made rich chocolate fudge frosting is available in packets from the supermarket and cake decorating shops. Note

The hardest part of making this cake is getting the colours right. Use good quality colourings and you’ll have no trouble. It’s been around since 300 BC… but it wasn’t until 1952 that the first checkers programme was used by a computer. Note

Equipment needed: 9cm heart cutter, 20cm 18-gauge floral wire, wire cutters, 35cm round wooden cake board, 20cm round wooden cake board, 15cm round wooden cake board, smoothing tools, 6 wooden cake skewers, and a paper piping bag. The hearts can be made weeks ahead; store in an airtight container. Position them on the day of […]

Substitute red curry paste for green curry paste if you prefer. Note

Make sure the rose petals have not been treated with any chemical sprays. Note

You could top the petit fours with fresh raspberries instead of the icing flowers. Petit fours are best made on the day of serving. Note

These are just as good served at room temperature as they are served hot, and they make perfect finger-food for a cocktail party or for inclusion on a large selection of mezze dishes. Note

One muffin is to be served per person for breakfast. The remaining muffins can be frozen or eaten as a snack. You could make two large muffins for breakfast and the remaining mixture can be made into snack-sized mini muffins. The ricotta mixture serves 2 people; make a fresh batch before serving the remaining muffins. […]

This recipe makes a lot of little one-bite shortbreads. If you like, make 50 shortbreads and freeze the remaining log, wrapped in baking paper then plastic wrap, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before slicing and baking. You will need to halve the butter cream frosting if only baking 50 shortbreads. […]

If you cannot find banana chillies, use capsicums instead. Note

Substitute any of your favourite vegetables if you prefer them to the ones suggested in this recipe. A hot curry paste will boost the flavour, however, you can use any curry paste you like. Note

You can use frozen soya beans, available from Asian groceries, in this recipe if fresh are hard to find. You could also use the same quantity of fresh broad beans or 2 cups of frozen broad beans instead. Note

A deliciously dark chocolate biscuit base with soft, mocha mousse come together in this decadent rich slice.

Use vegetables of your choice such as green beans, snow peas or buk choy. Use sliced chicken breast or thinly sliced beef rump steak as an alternative to the pork fillet. Use regular basil if thai basil is unavailable. Note

Stand the yeast mixture in a warm place to allow it to become frothy. It’s important that the spot you choose is warm, not hot. If it’s too hot you’ll kill the yeast. Note

Equipment 30cm (12-inch) round cake board small new artists’ paint brush The biohazard tape was ordered online from the US. Printing the words `biohazard’ onto yellow tape with a permanent marker adds a visual effect which is just as good, and less expensive. test kitchen tips Use any lollies you like, but make sure they […]

The cake mix is enough to make 12 cakes so you can decorate the remaining 6 cakes into other animals of your own choosing. Note

Some clams might not open after cooking. These might need prompting with a knife or might not have cooked as quickly as the others ­you don’t have to discard them, just open with a knife and cook a little longer if you wish. Note

Sardines are available already butterflied from most fishmongers. Note

EQUIPMENT 25cm x 35cm (10-inch x 14-inch) rectangular cake board 5cm (2-inch) heart cutter 3cm (1¼-inch) heart cutter Use any shaped cutter for this cake, try snowflakes or stars. You can use letter cutters and write the name of the child on the cake. Use coloured sprinkles that suit the occasion of your party. If […]

Thanks to hothouse growing, rhubarb is available all year, so you can indulge in a hot pie or crumble as well as any number of luscious desserts matching rhubarb with berries and cream or mascarpone whenever you like. Be sure to discard every bit of the vegetable’s leaf and use only the thinnest stalks (the […]

Cook steaks to seal until moisture begins to pool on top surface (about 2 minutes). Turn only once. Cook on second side until cooked to taste. Note

Try layering various herb leaves, such as sage, inside the potato wafers. You can also use russet burbank or spunta potatoes for this recipe. Note

This recipe is for lovers of spicy seafood.

Roti is an Indian subcontinent flat bread that is the perfect complement to curries, stews and other saucy dishes.

Fill macaroons just before serving. If the marmalade is too chunky or thick to spread, warm it, strain it, and leave it to cool before using. Note

Traditional to North Africa, a tagine is an aromatic casserole, usually cooked and served in an earthenware dish, also called a tagine.

Freeze beef for about an hour­ this will make it easier to slice. To obtain ginger juice, squeeze grated fresh ginger into a sieve set over a bowl. A piece of ginger measuring about 10cm in length will yield 2 tablespoons of grated ginger; this amount of grated ginger should in turn yield the 2 […]

A popular Moroccan spicy tomato stew - the addition of eggs make this a great breakfast dish to share.

Crispy, crunchy and delicious Southern fried chicken from Australian Women's Weekly.

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

Don’t drain the spinach until it’s completely dry, the excess water steams and wilts the spinach during cooking, without having to add extra oil or butter. Note

Personalise the messages scrawled all over this clever cake, which looks just like an inner-city wall for the cake. Note