If liked, use smoked salmon in place of prawns. Note

A bright and colourful summer olive salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

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

Kumara slices can be baked several hours ahead. Keep covered. Assemble salad and add dressing just before serving. Note

Brown rice vinegar, made from brown rice, has been called the eastern version of apple cider vinegar, although its mild flavour has a subtle sweetness and about half the sharpness. It is available from Asian grocery stores and some health-food stores Note

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

A delicious salad full of crispy roast kumara and crunchy and balanced with fresh pear and cranberries.

Sardines are available already butterflied from most fishmongers. Note

You need one medium pomegranate for this recipe. Note

You can double or treble this aïoli recipe, if you like, but don’t throw the egg whites away. Freeze them until you have enough to make a pavlova or friands. If the aïoli you’ve made separates, place a yolk in another bowl and whisk the separated aïoli into it. The added yolk will re-emulsify the […]

A quick, light and simple salad with an amazing combination of flavours and textures.

It’s a good idea to wear some rubber gloves when preparing beetroot to prevent stained hands. If you don’t feel up to cutting it into strips, try the grater attachment on a food processor or use a box grater. Note

This is a bright and colourful summery dish with lots of big flavours and great textures.

These delicious and crunchy little garlic and chive croûtons will spruce up any leafy salad.

A flavourful dish for barbecues, lunch or dinner.

Substitute watercress and tatsoi leaves for baby spinach and mizuna, if preferred. Note

A light salad that packs a flavourful punch through the roquefort cheese and dijon dressing.

Use any firm fish that’s in season, it’s cheaper that way. Sumac is a type of Middle Eastern spice, now available from supermarkets. The flavour is slightly tart. If you can’t find the spice, cook the fish without it. Note

Make syrup the night before. If you can’t buy the fruits, due to seasonal availability, you can substitute with a mixture of fruits such as watermelon, kiwifruit, blueberries and strawberries; just make sure you have the same total weight of fruit. You could also use canned lychees if fresh ones aren’t in season. Note

The great thing about an antipasti selection is that you can add and subtract ingredients. Try incorporating a selection of olives ­ ligurian, sicilian and kalamata are all good, or even a delicious selection of salami. Marinated artichokes are available from specialty delicatessens. Alternatively, use bottled artichokes in oil, available from most supermarkets. Note

A delicious and filling chickpea, watercress and capsicum salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

Some people find the bitterness of radicchio a little overpowering. Try brushing each whole radicchio with oil and grill or barbecue until the outside leaves are charred and the inside is tender. This will give a sweeter smokey flavour. Slices of mango or paw paw make a nice addition to this salad. Note

Snow pea sprouts and pea tendrils can be hard to get sometimes, use bean sprouts or any other type of sprouts instead. Note

A light and summery Moroccan-style beef salad packed full of apricots, sultanas, pine nuts, mint and dill.

An exquisite and wholesome smoked chicken, radicchio and basil salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

Light and crunchy Asian greens salad with a flavourful sesame and ginger dressing.

Sticky, smoky American-style pork ribs with a zesty and crunchy slaw.

Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

Wear disposable gloves when peeling the beetroot. Note

An exquisite salad with slices of tender pork and sticky caramelised apple.

Vietnamese mint is not actually mint, but a pungent and peppery narrow-leafed member of the buckwheat family. Also known as laksa leaf and cambodian mint, it is available from Asian greengrocers. Any white fish cutlets are suitable for this recipe. Note

Green (unripe) papayas are readily available in various sizes at many greengrocers, Asian food shops and markets. Select one that is very hard and slightly shiny, which indicates it’s fresh but not too unripe to grate or chop. Note

Recipe is best prepared as required. Note

A light and healthy salad that is full of bright colours and big flavours.

Filleted portions of smoked trout, in a variety of sizes, are now available at most supermarkets; we used three 150g portions for this recipe. Crispy fried noodles are crisp wheat noodles already deep-fried. They are available from Asian grocery stores and most major supermarkets. If you like, replace the coleslaw mix with 3½ cups of […]

A beautifully bright and colourful rainbow salad packed full of beetroot, asparagus, orange and avocado.

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

If fresh mango is not available, you can use 800g canned mango cheeks instead; drain them well, then slice thinly. Note

Raid the delicatessen shop to create this exquisite French platter.

Spice-rubbed lamb salad with roast capsicum, red onion and dutch carrots.

A simple yet gourmet salad with an exquisitely sweet raspberry macadamia dressing,

A delicious side dish of spicy couscous salad packed with pine nuts, red onion, currants and harissa.

A flavour-packed Provençal salad with eggplant, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, haloumi, olives and garlic croutons.

If taking this salad to work, pack the dressing separately and add to the salad at lunch time. note Rice vermicelli is similar to bean thread noodles, only longer and made with rice flour instead of mung bean starch. It is available from supermarkets Note

Make your roast Mediterranean style with this delicious spiced and zesty rub.

The inspiration for this tasty salad is that famous New York deli sandwich, the Reuben, a universal favourite ever since its creation in the early 1900s.

A sweet, sour, fresh and fragrant Asian-style rice noodle salad with wasabi dressing.

Exquisite and delicate smoked chicken and peach salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

Chicken can be coated with parmesan several hours ahead. Place in a single layer on a plate and keep refrigerated. Cook chicken and prepare salad as required. Note

Soak 8 bamboo skewers in water for about 30 minutes before use to prevent splintering and scorching during cooking. Note

Crispy pork belly and nashi salad with a plum and five-spice dressing from Australian Women's Weekly.

Dressing can be made 1 day ahead; chill, covered. Recipe can be 3 days ahead up to step 3; store in airtight container. Note

This recipe is inspired by the Russian passion for kasha, cooked grains such as buckwheat, millet or oats. Buckwheat kernels or groats are available from health-food stores. Note

Rollmops are herring fillets wrapped around a slice of gherkin, red capsium and/or onion preserved in a spiced vinegar brine. Note

We used cryovac-packed ready-to-serve sweet chilli tofu, available from many supermarkets and Asian food stores. Note

The black beans used in this recipe are also known as turtle beans, and are Cuban and Latin American rather than Chinese in origin. Jet black with a tiny white eye, black beans can be found in most greengrocers and delicatessens. Note

Spicy vegetable and lentil salad packed full of char-grilled capsicum, carrot, pumpkin and red onion.

Use any rice you like for this recipe, just make sure it’s cooked properly so every grain is separate. You could use about 3½ cups of cold leftover rice if you happen to have it, if not cook, rinse and drain the rice the day before the picnic. Keep the rice in the fridge. Assemble […]

Syrup can be made the night before and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. Note