Midweek dinner

In Indian cooking terms, masala simply means ground or blended spices (incidentally, the word has become slang for "mix" or "mixture"), so a masala can be whole spices, or a paste or a powder.

This gorgeous recipe is best made just before serving.

Get out the pressure cooker and make this exquisite dish in no time.

Interestingly enough, due to its shape, a tagine actually cooks by steaming, just like your microwave oven. Serve the tagine with steamed couscous with plumped raisins and finely chopped fresh coriander tossed into it.

Fun and delicious Mexican beef burrito baskets for the family to enjoy.

Try these delicious Indian meatball wraps with spicy tandoori yoghurt sauce, fresh veggies and mango chutney.

Clockwise from top left: lemon lentils; spiced potatoes, cauliflower and peas; tomato lamb curry; Ishmael’s egg salad Note

Sweet, tart and rich, this caramelised onion and beetroot tart makes a great starter or lunch dish.

A hearty Asian-style salad of beef and mushroom from Australian Women's Weekly.

Serve these juicy meatballs with pasta and a green salad for a quick and easy family dinner.

Spiced turkey koftas with sweet and fragrant fig and brown rice pilaf.

Take this Tuscan salad to work for lunch. Keep the bread at room temperature and salad in the fridge.

Herb-flecked and fragrant, this colourful salad makes a wonderful lunch, side or light dinner.

Embrace the colder weather with this beautiful pork, apple and prune casserole topped with fresh sage.

Make sure your prosciutto is really thinly sliced for this divine snapper recipe, to ensure it cooks crisply.

Various combinations of rice and lentils are eaten throughout the Middle East and India, with perhaps the two most well-known versions being Lebanese mujadara and Indian kitcheree. Our Egyptian take on this homely dish, however, adds delicious "oomph" to the rice-lentil theme with its fragrantly spicy caramelised onion and piquant chilli sauce.

You can buy chopped lamb for stewing from the butcher or supermarket to save time. Note

These delicious spiced lamb puffs are the perfect starter course.

Some butchers sell minced pork and veal mixture, this is fine to use here; you need to buy 500g (1 pound). You can use cherry jam instead of the redcurrant jelly for the cherry compote. Note

A healthy, fast and easy white bean salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

Quick, easy and full of flavour; make this teriyaki beef and soba stir-fry for a tasty snack.

The true finger-licking chicken, southern fried chicken is a classic dish from the US Deep South. Especially good served with corn on the cob dripping in butter.

A barbecued chicken weighing about 800g (1½ pounds) should give you 2 cups of shredded chicken meat. Note

This refreshingly delicious zucchini and mint couscous salad makes the ultimate side dish to a dinner spread, or a light vegetarian meal.

Some flavours make a natural marriage, and pear and chocolate is one of those gorgeous pairings. These whole poached pears with chocolate cream are simple, elegant and delicious.

Sweet and spicy Indian-style masala chicken drumsticks; great for main dishes or sharing platters.

In Japan, sukiyaki is traditionally shared at the table from the pan in which it was cooked, making it a great dish for a fun dinner party. Diners use their chopsticks to dip the piping hot ingredients into their individual bowls of egg.

Freshly made mint sauce is the perfect dressing for this tender butterflied leg of lamb cooked on the barbecue.

Prosciutto is an unsmoked thinly-sliced Italian ham. It is air-cured and comes in two varieties: prosciutto crudo (raw) and prosciutto cotto (cooked). We used prosciutto crudo in this recipe Note

A light and flavourful Asian-style dish of udon noodle salad with buk choy and shiitake mushrooms.

Wrapping these little chickens in proscuitto helps keep them moist while roasting, as well as infusing the meat with their flavour.

serve with soft polenta. Note

This traditional Cuban dish is known as ropa vieja, which translates as "old clothes". It is so-named because the tender shredded meat is said to resemble shreds of fabric. It is wonderfully flavoursome, and beautiful served up with crusty bread.

The varieties of mushrooms used in this wonderful broth make for an intense and delicious flavour. Asian flavours complete the taste sensation.

Adding salt during cooking was once thought to make pulses tough ­ it doesn't. However it does slow down the cooking time, so it's best to season this Greek lentil, spinach and dill soup at the very end.

This vegetarian pasta dish makes a fantastic quick dinner and is also great for the lunchbox.

Grilled Indian-style chicken with spicy lentils from Australian Women's Weekly.

This easy, spicy salad is full of zesty flavour and texture.

Also known as capelli d’angelo, angel hair is sold as small, circular nests of very fine, delicate pasta strands; its cooking time is minimal because of its extremely thin nature.

Basil is one of the easiest and most useful herbs to grow. You don’t need a large kitchen garden, a pot or a window box in a protected, sunny position is sufficient. Basil will grow year-round (depending on the climate) and you can freeze the leaves for later use. Note

An exotic and exquisite salad.

This is traditional lasagne redesigned for vegetarians, but the flavours are so rich that meat-eaters will love it too. Note

The stem of the zucchini is the baby zucchini attached to its flower. Note

Create this rich and luxurious veal parmesan with minimal effort. We show you the quick way with this delicious recipe.

Chicken option; cook single chicken breast fillets in lightly oiled non-stick through non-vegetarians’ portions. Note

For a tasty, healthy meat alternative to fill your burgers, try this sensational veggie patty recipe brought to you by Woman's Weekly.

Sri Lankan curry is a strong mix spiced with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin and fenugreek amongst others, boosted here with tamarind paste to make a fragrant curry.

Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

Algerian chicken and chickpea soup

Za'atar lamb with warm chickpea salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

Herb-flecked and crunchy, this easy salad makes a tasty, filling lunch or side dish.

Crouton comes from the French word croûte, which translates as crust ­hence these crunchy pieces of garlic bread soak up the sauce in this dish. Croûtons can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container. Note

As long as the wine you use is good enough to drink with the meal, any dry red will suffice; however, in keeping with the Italian feel of this recipe, we used a Chianti. serving suggestion Serve with baby rocket leaves sprinkled with flaked parmesan and a squeeze of lemon juice, if desired. Note

If you have time, marinate the steaks, covered, for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Note

Try something different from the usual Sunday roast with this mouth-watering leg of lamb.

Nasi goreng, literally meaning "fried rice" in Indonesian and Malay, is a fantastic and simple stir-fry.

Roasted garlic is a delicious accompaniment to roasted or grilled meat, or squeezed from the skin and spread on croutes. To ensure a tender roast, remember to stand the meat before serving.

Vitello tonnato, veal with tuna sauce, is a classic Italian antipasto dish, usually served cold. It’s also commonly served in summer as a light meal. Note

Soup can be frozen. Rouille (a French sauce meaning `rust’ because of its reddish colour) can be made a day ahea Note

With a judiciously herbed crumb crust, tender lamb, this dish is sophisticated enough to serve at a dinner party but won't take you hours to make.

Spinach and ricotta filling can be prepared several hours ahead. Keep covered in the refrigerator. Fill bread, roll up and bake as required. Note

Use well-drained canned corn kernels or thawed frozen corn instead of fresh corn, if you like. Note

Crispy and tender duck breasts with green onion sauce, served on a bed of steamed rice.

The strong flavour of smoked trout makes an excellent counterpoint to the mild egg and potato base of this gorgeous frittata.

Recipe is not suitable to freeze. Note

serving suggestion S Note

For a slightly richer colour and flavour, brown the beef in a little oil in a frying pan before adding it to the slow cooker. Note

Spicy harissa makes a great marinade or rub for tender lamb loin chops. Serve with vegetables or salad for a delicious dinner.

The contrast of salty and sweet in the pear and proscuitto stuffing adds great depth of flavour to this roast turkey with herbed butter.

Freeze any remaining casserole, covered, for up to 3 months. Note

This is a great way to cook whole trout. The mushrooms add a wonderful umami element to the dish.

Crispy and tender duck breasts with fig sauce and spinach risoni from Australian Women's Weekly.

A rich braised beef curry that will melt in your mouth; served with dhal.

A warming wintery roast lemon and garlic lamb rack from Australian Women's Weekly.

Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and perfumed with fresh rosemary leaves, the only other thing these roast potatoes need is a little bit of salt and pepper.

A modern and delicious beef bourguignon pie with individual dishes filled with the traditional French beef stew and topped with puff pastry.

The sticky sweetness of these apples is a perfect accompaniment to luscious rich pork belly.

Our version of this classic takes its lead from the traditional versions of Languedoc and Castelnaudary, but we've given it an update to make it a simpler, quicker and healthier dish. Haricot, great northern, cannellini or navy beans can be used in this recipe.

These tasty chicken, raisin and pine nut empanadas are packed full of flavour and spice. Enjoy them as a snack, light lunch or finger food for your next dinner party.

A filling and tasty garlic and oregano flavoured roast chicken. Simple to make with less dishes!

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

A traditional Sunday lunch for many Italian families - this ragu is a flavour-filled delight.

Creamy and fragrant tofu and Thai eggplant massaman curry from Australian Women's Weekly.

Grilled vegetables and crispy-skinned salmon are made even more delicious with a zesty, spiced chermoula sauce.

You'll be a star when you serve up this slow-roasted lamb with garlicky skordalia and lemon potatoes for Sunday lunch.

The beef roulade is very popular meat dish in the Viennese cuisine.