Modern Australian

Drunken beans with bacon, tomato, beer and worcestershire sauce from Australian Women's Weekly.

These gorgeous poached pears are slow-cooked in a sugary sweet syrup and served drizzled with a fragrant coffee sauce and crisp hazelnut wafers.

You need half a large barbecued chicken to get the amount of shredded meat required for this recipe. Note

The pork can be crumbed 6 hours ahead. Keep covered in the refrigerator. The slaw can be prepared 6 hours ahead, add the dressing just before serving. You could sprinkle the slaw with a few fennel fronds, if you like. Note

You can use 300ml carton of cream. Note

Replace the asparagus with frozen peas or coarsely grated zucchini. Note

You can use any firm, waxy potatoes, such as pontiac or desiree, for this salad. You will need about 1½ cups (240g) coarsely shredded cooked chicken. Note

Rich and delicious main dish of beef fillet with garlic cream sauce, dinner doesn't get more mouthwatering than this!

Instead of rolling the omelettes, top them with the filling and serve them open. Note

Roasting tomatoes results in a much more intense flavour. The combination of both fresh and deep-fried basil finishes off this brightly coloured and healthy side dish perfectly.

Make the batter for these muffins the night before you want to bake and serve them. Note

Packed full of protein and flavour, this delicious turkey and brown rice salad makes a great post workout meal or healthy lunch or dinner to charge you for a big day.

This blue chopper is a favourite from The Australian Women's Weekly's famous Children's Birthday Cake Book.

Perfect for an afternoon tea party, or just an afternoon treat, these little coffee cakes are light and delectable.

Light, fresh and tasty, this delicious oven-baked whole fish is served with fragrant tomatoes and olives to create a tasty dinner dish for any night of the week.

20cm (8-inch) round cardboard cake board10cm (4-inch) round cardboard cake board30cm (12-inch) round cake board10cm (4-inch) round cutter Use regular hundreds andthousands for a brighter,less pastel, cake. Note

Make a cake in shape of a football jersey, ­decorate it with the colours of your child’s favourite team to make him the hero of the day. Note

Please everyone with this vegan starter. The deliciously dense tofu goes perfectly with the crunchy capsicum and buckwheat salad.

Not only are they incredibly quick and easy to put together, but caramelised oranges with ice-cream are sweet, sharp and boozy.

We used amaretto in this recipe, but you can use any almond-flavoured liqueur you like. Note

A delicious and healthy winter warming soup of dhal and carrot with a dollop of yoghurt.

Rich, moist little orange cakes are finished beautifully with a drizzle of hot orange syrup.

This loaf is suitable to freeze for up to two months. Note

Chicken soup is used for medicinal purposes across just about all cultures. We can't guarantee a magic cure of whatever ails you, but you can be sure that this soup is healthy and delicious.

Wear disposable gloves when peeling beetroot as it will stain your skin. Store pickled beetroot in a cool, dark place for at least three weeks before opening. Refrigerate after opening.

Simply is the best way to cook a fine piece of fish, like these tuna steaks. Hold back from overcooking to get the most out of the dish.

The combination of fragrant fennel, nutritious spinach and perfectly cooked baked eggs creates a perfectly flavoursome savoury breakfast dish.

Recipe is not suitable to freeze. Note

You can freeze the uncooked patties. Note

It’s always a good idea to wear gloves when handling and peeling cooked beetroot because the juice will stain your hands. Serve with pitta bread, if liked Note

hints Combining fruit and meat in a recipe confirms the adage that opposites attract. What might seem the unlikeliest of relationships can, with an innovate cook serving as matchmaker, become a marriage made in culinary heaven. These two recipes both call for fig as the featured fruit, yet melon, mandarin, peach or even pomegranate could […]

This home-made winter coleslaw is so much better than anything from the store.

You will need about six passionfruit to make this recipe. The thin-skinned purple-black variety will yield much more pulp than the thicker-skinned Panama passionfruit. Note

This fresh and tasty soup is wonderfully fragrant and filling from the goodness of veggies. Serve it hot topped with crushed almonds for extra crunch.

T-bone really is the king of steaks. This recipe brings out all the beautiful flavours of the beef with a zingy horseradish mascarpone dressing on the side.

equipment 5cm (2-inch) square cutter 4 paper piping bags small stencils (see tips) small offset metal spatula 16 plain coloured paper cases 30cm (12-inch) square wooden cake board (page 208) Square paper cases are available in specialty food or kitchen shops, but we found round cases happily change shape to accommodate the square cakes. The […]

Fresh, herbed broad bean salad makes the perfect bed for this tender char-grilled chicken breast topped with chive butter.

Leek lovers can add the thinly sliced white and pale green part of a leek to this delicious chicken and mushroom pie, just add it after the onion.

Sesame snaps or bars are available from supermarkets either in the confectionery or biscuit section. They are basically sesame seeds set in toffee. If you don’t have a square cutter, simply cut the dough into 4.5cm x 9cm rectangles. Use a ruler and a sharp knife to measure and cut the dough. Note

Try this fish with fresh tomato salsa for a quick, easy and healthy mid-week meal. Served with a generous helping of fresh mixed leaves and a drizzle of olive oil it's a complete and satisfying lunch or dinner.

This creamy, cheesy zucchini gratin makes a great side dish for dinner, or a lovely lunch with salad and fresh bread.

This simple salad makes a great lunch dish for a light meal, or as part of a spread with which to welcome guests.

Vegemite and cheese pinwheels are perfect tasty treats for kid's lunchboxes.

Healthy and delicious banana ice-blocks

A rich stew of veal with parsley and capers from Australian Women's Weekly.

We used sirloin for this recipe, although fillet and rump are also suitable. Note

Champagne adds sparkle to a traditional brandy, orange liqueur and lemon juice side-bar. We used cointreau for this recipe but you could use any orange-flavoured liqueur you like.

Hot smoked salmon is available from major supermarkets. Use a mixture of fresh herbs, such as dill, parsley, basil, chives, mint, oregano or marjoram. If you don’t have a frying pan with an ovenproof handle, wrap the handle in two layers of foil, this will prevent the handle from burning while under the grill. Note

Zucchini and chorizo salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

We used butter beans but you can use any canned white beans you like. This recipe can be made a day ahead. Store pitta crisps in an airtight container. Note

This recipe is a great way to use up leftover sausages, sausages can be served hot or cold. Note

Both Granny Smith and Golden Delicious apples are suitable for this recipe. Note

Veal schnitzel is thinly sliced steak available crumbed or plain (uncrumbed); we use plain schnitzel, sometimes called escalopes. Note

Quick, easy and delicious; try these baked beans and smoked cheddar roast potatoes.

Pastry cases can be made 3 days ahead; store in airtight container. Note

quiche filling We used lump crab meat from the fish market. Reserve fennel fronds when slicing the bulb. Note

For the breadcrumbs, it’s best to use day-old or stale bread. Italian vincotto is a condiment made from boiling down grape must (skins, seeds and stems of grapes) until thick and syrupy. It is available from selected supermarkets and delis. You can use balsamic glaze instead. Note

These gently poached quinces and pears are soft and juicy and sweet. They are complimented wonderfully by the crispy almond crumble. If you like, you could serve them with whipped cream.

Some nights warrant pulling out all the stops, and these chocolate and hazelnut pavlova with berries, cream and chocolate sauce have it all.

You can also use peaches, apricots or plums instead of nectarines. Keep any leftover poaching liquid to poach other fruit; or simmer the liquid until it's reduced and syrupy, stir in 1 tablespoon orange-flavoured liqueur then pour over ice cream.

You can use vegetable stock if you prefer. You could use verjuice or dry white wine instead of vermouth. This soup can be served cold or at room temperature, cover, refrigerate until required. Note

We used dried cannellini beans in this recipe. Note

Get some super-tender pork falling apart on your fork.

We used large (25cm/10-inch diameter) packaged pizza bases for this recipe. You will need to purchase half a large barbecued chicken weighing about 450g to get the amount of shredded meat required for this recipe. Note

Corn mixture can be made a day ahead, make the corn cakes on the morning of the party. Prepare the avocado smash as close to serving as possible; cover the surface with plastic wrap. Note

Make the most of summer cherries with this cooling dessert.

high GI Note

Sweet coffee biscuits covered with coffee cream and drizzled with dark chocolate are a sophisticated afternoon tea treat.

Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Leave the nuts and berries out of this recipe if you just want a plain Blondie. Dust the slice with a little sifted icing sugar, if you like. Note

Pink grapefruit syrup turns these delectable little lemon cakes into something rather special.

The frangipane flower and this frangipane tart have absolutely nothing to do with each other, despite the name. Although both look absolutely stunning and will fill your house with the most delightful aroma.

When you want to pull out a dish that's set to impress, whole fish always does the job. This baked baby barramundi with pumpkin seed pesto makes a spectacular centre-piece.

This fun children's cake is great for the little ones that love playing with trains and automobiles. They'll love the taste and look of this tasty dessert!