Modern Australian

Fluffy cake with a bright and creamy icing - what better way to start the weekend!

Simple, smooth and creamy, buttery mashed celeriac is a fabulous side dish, either in place of or as well as mashed potato.

We used Granny Smith apples for this pork loin with couscous and apples. To simplify making this recipe, ask your butcher to remove any excess fat and butterfly the pork for you.

Chicken slathered with mustard and spiked with rosemary and browned on the barbecue. Delicious served with potatoes and spinach.

You can decorate these party patty cakes just like we have, or you can use your favourite lollies to make up your own designs. For a fun, if messy, party game place all the bits and pieces out on a long table, and let the kids decorate their own cupcake.

The combination of tender roasted chicken and a creamy pesto sauce goes effortlessly with soft potato gnocchi, creating the ultimate comfort food at home.

If you're looking for some finger-licking chicken goodness, these crispy, salty, spiced pieces are the answer.

A truly simple dessert that looks stunning and always feels like a treat, summer berry sundaes can be put together in no time at all.

Choc-chip cookies are always a crowd pleaser and these mega choc-chip cookies will be hugely popular. Generously sized, crisp around the edges and chewy in the middle. Perfect.

This elegant berry nougat cheesecake is dreamy, creamy and irresistible. Just the ticket for a fancy afternoon tea.

Steeping the fruit in Grand Marnier make this Christmas cake extra delectable. If you're storing before decorating, you can poke a few holes in the top and splash a little liqueur over the cake then wrap, and repeat.

Studded with whole, poached pears, this vanilla pear and almond cake makes a spectacular centrepiece for any table. Serve while still warm with double or clotted cream for a delicious end to a meal.

Light, fluffy and moist, this divine mandarin, polenta and macadamia cake is packed full of flavour and is beautiful served sliced as morning or afternoon tea.

This tasty, thickly sliced roasted eggplant with spiced rice makes a great vegetarian starter, or light meal. It also works beautifully as an accompaniment to a roast leg of lamb.

The perfect treat for those of us who prefer zesty flavours to overpoweringly sweet ones. With delicate meringue cases and a lemon cream cheese cake these delights are sure to impress.

These fruity, wholemeal muesli muffins are packed full of healthy grains and tasty craisins. Mashed banana helps keep them moist for days. They make an excellent lunch-box treat.

Cut yourself a big slice of this light and fluffy almond, honey and sweet spiced cake to enjoy as morning or afternoon tea with a cup of your favourite brew.

Minute steak is a thinly cut slice that can come from any part of the cow, but is most often rump. It's a tasty and economical cut that can, and should be, cooked very quickly hence its name.

It's the toffee sauce that makes these little sticky date puddings super delicious, and extra indulgent, rich with the dark flavours of caramelised sugar.

Soaked in orange syrup, this flourless orange polenta cake is delicious with a dollop of whipped cream or yoghurt. If you want to kick it up a gear, stir one tablespoon of brandy into the syrup just before you pour it on the cake.

These quick and tasty protein-packed beef and hummus wraps channel Middle Eastern vibes to create a delicious lunch or dinner that's easy to make and will please the whole family.

Hot-smoked trout is exactly what it sounds like, trout that has been cured in a hot smoker, a method that is used to preserve fish, meat, cheese and nuts while bestowing a distinctive flavour of wood-smoke.

The combination of crisp, salty pancetta and tendy, flaky fish fillets creates a delicious seafood dish the whole family will love. Drizzle with a dash of your homemade caper herb butter for a real flavour hit.

Rich and smooth kumara and coriander soup is a great way to warm up at lunchtime. The freshness of the herb balances the natural sweetness of kumara.

The filling for these delicious little chicken and mushroom pot pies can be made a day ahead, meaning you just have to pop the pastry lid on and bake them when you're ready to eat.

Sweet, golden and crunchy, these beautiful coffee snaps are brilliant enjoyed with a hot cuppa for afternoon or morning tea.

Passionfruit is an often underrated fruit but you won't be forgetting its sweet flavours anytime soon with this creamy buttermilk cake and syrupy passionfruit icing.

Fresh, fruity and sweet, this gorgeous passionfruit panna cotta and mango dessert is perfect for entertaining guests or an indulgent weekend treat.

Make your own tomato chutney to go with bread and cheese platters. Truly, the greatest cheese sandwich you'll ever eat is one slathered in homemade chutney.

Try these sautéed mushrooms on toast instead of your usual full English this weekend. Not only are mushrooms full of B vitamins, selenium and iron, they bust out the free radicals, too. Plus, they taste great.

The classic French combination of tender veal cutlets and creamy, fragrant anchovy garlic butter is perfect for a special dinner with friends.

Rich, crunchy, dense and caramelly, this upside-down chocolate caramel nut cake is a slice of pure indulgence. Perfect with coffee as a special afternoon tea, or served up to celebrate a birthday.

These mini choc chip friands can be made a day ahead if you're baking to entertain, and go down a treat with a cup of good coffee. They also freeze well, just don't ice them beforehand.

You'll want to use the ripest tomatoes you can find to help give this fresh and yummy tuna, chilli and tomato spaghetti a real boost in the flavour department.

Just as yummy as a pumpkin scone, and more useful for breakfast on the go or lunch-boxes. A delicious variation to this rosemary pumpkin bread is to add 100g crumbled soft goat cheese or crumbled soft blue cheese to the pumpkin mixture.

There's nothing better than the smell of freshly baked bread, except for the taste. Bring the restaurant to your home with freshly baked dinner rolls.

This is a cold, fruity and deliciously moreish party punch that, funnily enough, packs a bit of a punch. We used a traminer riesling for this recipe, but you can use any medium-dry white.

Rare roast beef makes a wonderful salad, especially paired with peppery rocket and red onions. A mustard and buttermilk dressing adds a delightful piquant finish to this salad.

Put the kettle on and enjoy a sweet, golden passionfruit butter biscuit with your cup of coffee as a relaxing morning tea.

Enjoy this sweet, tangy and deeply citrusy blood orange jelly straight out of the pot as a light summer dessert.

Big pasta shells are perfect for soaking up the delicious, mustardy balsamic vinaigrette on this Greek lamb, feta and eggplant pasta.

When the occasion calls for a light, tasty dinner you can't go past a plate of salmon steaks with a crisp fennel and apple salad. If you need something slightly more substantial, serve with good bread or a baked potato.

Chocolate cake, while simple, can be the most satisfying desserts. And with a smothering of this rich fudge frosting you'll taste the decadence with every bite.

Puy lentils are from the region of the same name in France. Very small and particularly fast cooking, they have a delicate, almost nut-like flavour that lets the marinated lamb backstrap stand out as the star of the show.

Warm your body and soul with this beautiful chicken and vegetable soup - perfect for family dinners on those cooler evenings.

Sweet, rich and fudgey, these chocolate and macadamia squares are beautiful enjoyed with a mug of coffee for an indulgent afternoon tea or dessert.

The perfect balance between sweet and tart, this divine lemon coconut slice is beautiful served with a hot cuppa for an indulgent morning or afternoon treat.

This Asian style duck and rice noodle salad is served warm to keep the duck meat at its succulent best. The spicy and astringent flavours of the dressing cut through the richness of the meat.

Tender, marinated cubes of beef on a skewer with crunchy peanut sauce, beef satay sticks are an ever popular party dish.

This frittata, loaded with bacon and potato, makes a great weekend lunch dish, or a light dinner with a green salad and some crusty bread on the side.

You can dip just about any fruit that takes your fancy into chocolate fondue, bananas would be a good addition, as would marshmallows.

Sweeter than green but more robust in flavour that yellow or orange, red capsicum makes a wonderful soup. The simplicity of this red capsicum soup recipe lets the main ingredient shine.

Simple, quick and savoury, this zucchini cream soup makes a great lunch or starter. The smoothest consistency for this soup can be achieved by using a blender, stab mixer or mouli.

Rocket, garlic and chilli add lots of peppery heat to this quick but flavoursome spaghetti dish, while pine nuts and parmesan bring the whole dish together.

Rich, fudgey and utterly decadent, the combination of chocolate and coffee flavours makes this mocha fudge irresistible. Serve with a shot of liqueur for a sophisticated dessert.

These fragrant sugar and spice shortbreads, infused with all the fragrances of the festive season, make fabulous end of year and edible Christmas gifts. Package in a pretty tin or box, and finish with a fancy label and pretty ribbon.

This very rich cake is perfect for the grand finale to a dinner party, and should be made ahead and served cold. The cake is almost like a huge truffle in texture; note that no flour is used.

A cross between mandarins and grapefruit, tangelos make a jam that's sweeter than marmalade yet still tart, thanks to the fruit's natural acidity. This jam is particularly good spooned generously over rice pudding or served with tangelo cake.

There's something about warm cake that can turn even the most anti-sweet toothed reaching for the fork. These warm ginger and date muffins with caramel sauce are worth writing home about.

Recipe best made on day of serving. Note

This chutney-style fig and apple relish is wonderful served with cold meats, cheese, salad or as part of a ploughman's lunch.

Recipe unsuitable to freeze. Note

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!

This fresh grape jelly is so good you'll be tempted to eat it straight from the jar. For a slightly tarter flavour, you can add 1/3 cup of lemon juice to the pan when you boil up the grapes.

Chocolate, lemon and thyme truffles

Pineapple cream slice

It’s important to buy sashimi-quality fish for this recipe. We used kingfish as well as the tuna and salmon in this recipe. Ask your fishmonger for the best sashimi-quality white fish available that day. Note

This recipe is also dairy-free. Note

Equipment: deep 22cm (9-inch) round cake pan deep 15cm (6-inch) round cake pan 30cm (12-inch) round wooden cake board 15cm (6-inch) round wooden cake board medium offset metal spatula 3 wooden skewers. Note

Some butchers sell a pork and veal mince mixture. If it is not available as a mixture, buy 500g pork mince and 500g veal or beef mince. This recipe can be prepared 8 hours ahead to the end of step 6. It is best to cook the meatloaf just before serving so it retains its […]

Prepare for your kids' party to takeoff with this aeroplane runway cake! From The Australian Women's Weekly's iconic 'Children's Birthday Cake Book' cookbook, it's perfect for a six-year-old's birthday.

It’s a good idea to slash the skin in a few places to allow the marinade to penetrate the meat. Add ½ cup mixed citrus juice to marinade if liked. 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.

Bring a bit of Italy into your home with this gorgeous take on a traditional cake.

You will need to grate about 2 large carrots for this recipe. Note

Equipment: two 12-hole (1-tablespoon/20ml) mini muffin tins two 8cm x 26cm (3¼-inch x 10½-inch) bar cake pans 30cm x 47cm (12-inch x 18¾-inch) rectangular prepared cake board piping bag fitted with 2mm (⅛-inch) plain nozzle Leave one bar cake whole, cut the other into two pieces, as shown. Note

Loaf can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Note

This sauce can be frozen for 3 months. Note

This deliciously tender roast goose recipe is stuffed with a pisatchio and fig stuffing, perfectly balancing sweet and nutty. It's the perfect meal for a special occasion like Christmas.

Wash the leek thoroughly under cold running water to remove any grit between the layers. Note

You will need 4 ripe mangoes for this recipe. Note

This delightful gnome cake by the Australian Women's Weekly is easier than it looks! All you need is some packet mix, a variety of sweets, some food colouring, and a little creativity! Have fun!

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. Keep the icing that’s not being handled, wrapped tightly in plastic. If logs don’t stick together during rolling, brush sides of logs with a little water. The tent […]

Kick start your morning with this super healthy and nutritious fruit and veg juice. We've added ginger for extra zing and antioxidants.