Tender and fragrant, these lamb racks with garlic, sage and red onion make a fabulous main dish for a dinner party. The rule of thumb is one rack per adult guest.

Slow-roasting the veal breast with a selection of vegetables adds great flavours to the juices left behind in the pan. Serve this tender, tasty meat on soft polenta with a good splash of the cooking juice.

Salt and Sichuan pepper seasoning does wonderful things to the rich, dark taste of duck. If cooked cucumber is just not your thing, use zucchini instead of the lebanese cucumber.

Sea salt, garlic and rosemary bring out the natural flavours of roast pumpkin and potatoes in this perfect, roast dinner side-dish.

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.

A beautiful side dish for a Mediterranean dinner spread, these garlic and herb roasted tomatoes are wonderfully sweet and juicy.

You can use feta or any soft, crumbly cheese instead of the goat cheese, and toasted pecan halves make a nice change from walnuts. This roasted capsicum pasta salad makes a great lunch-box meal too.

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.

Peppered beef

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

You will need about 2 limes for this recipe. Note

The lamb and vegetables can be prepared, ready for roasting, a day ahead of time. serving suggestion Note

This recipe is not suitable to freeze. Note

This recipe is not suitable to freeze. Note

Lebanese bread can be substituted for prepared pizza base. Note

Labne is yoghurt that has been drained of whey. A short draining time, results in a thick, creamy yoghurt, while a longer one, will achieve the consistency of a soft yoghurt-cheese, that can be rolled into balls. You can make your own or buy it from supermarkets. Note

Don’t over stuff the chickens as this will affect the cooking time. Note

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

You can use apple puree instead of the apple sauce in this recipe. Note

Wear gloves when peeling beetroot to stop the juice from staining your hands. Note

This recipe is not suitable to freeze. Note

This recipe is not suitable to freeze. Note

Chicken can be cooked, cooled and refrigerated the day before. Note

The recipe can be doubled to serve 4; use two baking dishes for even cooking. Note

The perfect side dish to any roast dinner spread, these delicious baked rosemary potatoes will delight the whole family.

Roast chicken pairs beautifully with the flavours of lemon and mint while the broad beans add a touch of green.

.Sumac is a purple-red, astringent spice ground from berries growing on shrubs that flourish wild around the Mediterranean. It adds a delightful tart, lemony piquancy to food without the heat of chilli. Available from the spice aisle of most supermarkets and Middle Eastern stores. Note

Recipe is best prepared as required. For a light meal (that serves four), serve with some crusty bread. Note

Not suitable to freeze or microwave. Note

Add a little sugar to the ratatouille to reduce any acid taste, if you like. If you want to reduce or eliminate the oil, the ratatouille can be cooked in the oven. Combine all the ingredients in an ovenproof dish and bake at 180°C (160°C fan-forced) for about 30 minutes. 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

Roast lamb with tomato and potatoes

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

You will need to buy one bunch of spinach (300g) to make this recipe. Note

Leftover risotto makes great risotto cakes; simply shape cold risotto into patties, then pan-fry until browned lightly on both sides. Note

If you cannot find banana chillies, use capsicums instead. 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

This meal has a medium GI. Note

You can use low-fat cream cheese in this recipe if you prefer. Note

Makes enough for six 275g servings of panfried snapper fillets. If rouille separates, add about 1 tablespoon of boiling water to mixture and whisk until smooth. French for “rust”, rouille is so called because of its deep red colour. A capsicum and chilli flavoured sauce, it is often used to enhance seafood stews such as […]

other ideas: tiny blini or rösti, polenta squares, upturned mushrooms, baby cos or betel leaves, crisped won-ton wrappers or tortilla wedges. Note

If white asparagus is unavailable, use all green asparagus or thin baby carrots instead. Note

We used blue-eye trevalla fillets in this recipe. Note

Juniper berries are the dried fruit of the juniper shrub, an evergreen from the Northern Hemisphere, and are found in specialty herb or health food shops. Note

Smoked eggplant and capsicum jam can be tossed through pasta, spread on pizza bases, or served as side dish to chicken, lamb or fish. Note

Vitello tonnato is a well-known Italian veal dish accompanied with a tuna mayonnaise. It is usually served cold or at room temperature, making the perfect appetiser for a Christmas lunch.

Tuna and swordfish fillets are both good substitutes for cod. Note

The frying pan goes under the grill in this recipe, so you need a frying pan with an ovenproof handle, or cover the handle with a few layers of foil to protect it from the heat of the grill. If you don’t have a lid for the frying pan, cover it with foil. Cook the […]

This recipe will make about 36 balls. You can also use this stuffing to fill the cavity of a whole turkey or 2 large chickens. Note

Pears, parsnips and red onion have a natural sweetness that is enhanced on roasting. This sweet flavour balances beautifully with pork’s creamy, fatty texture making it the perfect pairing. It’s the same reason apple works so well as an accompaniment with pork in all its forms. Note