Side

A well-loved side dish for many years, this simple and classic scalloped potatoes dish by Women's Day is always met with claps and squeals of delight. The kids love it, too.

These yummy dips are best served with assorted crudités such as carrot, cucumber and capsicum sticks. All dips are enough to serve 1. Note

Freshly made classic French brioche makes a simple yet delicious breakfast with a cup of fresh coffee.

Store in cool, dark place for up to 6 months; refrigerate after opening. Note

You can also use portobello mushrooms. Large, flat mushrooms have a rich earthy, full-bodied flavour and meaty texture, making them perfect for roasting and barbecuing. They are sometimes misnamed field mushrooms, which are wild mushrooms. Note

These crunchy morsels make a delicious addition to soups and salads.

You need four bunches of asparagus for this recipe. Note

Blood oranges are available in winter. At other times use navel oranges instead. Segment the oranges over a bowl to catch any juice; use this in the dressing. Note

Asparagus is a delicious summer vegetable that really comes into its own with the right topping. Try one of these three versions next time you serve this moreish vegetable.

More than just fancy macaroni cheese, this baked three cheese pasta is cheesy, creamy and crunchy on top. Ok, maybe it is a fancy macaroni cheese, but it's a great one.

Tender braised vegetables and chickpeas served on a bed of cumin couscous is a great choice for a meat-free meal.

Beetroot will discolour your skin, so use disposable gloves when handling it. Baby carrots are also called dutch carrots, it’s rarely necessary to peel them. Prepare beetroot, carrots and the yogurt mixture the day before the picnic. Assemble salad at serving time. Note

Leave the cream cheese to soften or if you haven’t the time, cut it into cubes and beat it with an electric mixer before adding other ingredients. Note

Like a warm salad, these French style braised peas with spring onion and bacon makes an excellent side dish.

Not suitable to freeze or microwave. Note

A fresh green salad is given a whole new lease of life with tender baby octopus, olives, herbs and lemon. Baby octopus are much easier to prepare than their bigger brethren.

This lovely green salad packs in heaps of fragrant Thai herbs and spices and the light mint and peanut dressing adds a fresh flavour and loads of crunch. Enjoy as a healthy side, or light lunch or dinner.

Make these ahead of time and cook when ready to serve. Great for lunchboxes. Note

This is a great dish for using up whatever vegetables you have on hand, including cooked leftovers. Roasted vegetable couscous makes a great lunch, or a delicious side at dinner.

The secret to this simple dish is the ratio of water to rice. Follow the instructions carefully and you'll be rewarded with soft, fluffy and flavoursome ginger rice.

Paratha is a flatbread that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It can be served with curry, or as we've done here, stuffed with a delicious spicy potato filling and eaten as a snack.

Green tomatoes aren't a particular variety, they're simply unripe; they can be picked off the vine at any time. They don't taste very nice raw, but as the main ingredient in this relish, they are a taste sensation.

Farmhouse cooking has a history of finding delicious way to use every scrap of meat, from nose to tail. Brawn, sausages, salami and, of course, terrine are all part of this noble tradition.

Hot and crisp from the grill, few can resist the heady aroma and charm of a classic garlic bread. Often served as an accompaniment to pasta, it's just as delicious all by itself.

Surprisingly, the humble artichoke is part of the thistle family. Served here topped with chopped pine nuts and fresh chervil, with a tomato vinaigrette, they'll make a sophisticated, mouth-watering appetiser at your next dinner party.

The citrus flavour in this beautiful salad, together with the unique blend of fennel and haloumi make for a delightfully tangy dish with more than just a hint of the Mediterranean.

These bagel chips are just perfect served alongside soups or dips. The sprinkling of the dried oregano turns the humble chip into a fragrant and tasty snack just right for dipping. You might also add a touch of salt.

This natural sweetness of this beetroot chutney is leavened with spices and cut with vinegar and lemon juice. We used Granny Smith apples in this recipe and they're the best variety to use by far.

Za'atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend typically including roasted sesame seeds, thyme and sumac, although its exact combination varies according to its maker. It is delightfully tart and fragrant, and adds a unique flavour and kick to many dishes.

Baby leeks are sweeter and less stringy than the grown-up version. Braising them in this way gives them a beautifully soft texture. Serve alongside your next roast dinner with all the trimmings.

Cumin gives a lovely hint of spice to this sweet carrot dip. Serve as part of an after-school snack with blanched vegetables such as snow peas, baby corn or red capsicum (bell peppers).

Break open the perfectly crunchy outer layer to reveal the warm, soft, fluffy goodness inside. You can use wholemeal flour instead if you prefer, or add some whole seeds to the flour when making the dough.

Make the most of alfresco dining with this simple and healthy chilli prawn salad with noodles. It is packed full of the fresh, distinctive flavours of Asia and makes a healthy and delicious light lunch or supper.

This easy beetroot, asparagus and feta salad is packed full of colour and goodness and makes an appetising addition to the barbecue table. The tangy dressing and walnuts add an extra depth of flavour and texture.

Fresh baked bread is one of life’s unbeatable soul foods. To make it even more exciting, add some sweet figs and crunchy walnuts. It makes a great breakfast, snack or even gift.

Pan frying asparagus intensifies their natural flavour. Serve this delicious asparagus with parmesan dish with lemon wedges, a little plate of butter pats and a pepper grinder.

Potato salad has sure come a long way since the mayonnaise drenched versions. The addition of kumara adds a sweetness of flavour and a smoothness of texture. And not a jar of mayonnaise to be seen.

Bite-sized baby potatoes always make for a delicious side dish, especially when they're tossed in garlic and rosemary. Keep an eye out for new season baby spuds, and make this dish as soon as they appear.

Originally invented in New York at the hotel of its namesake, this traditional Waldorf salad contains all of the original elements. Later editions include raisins and chicken, but we've stuck with the classic recipe, here.

Sometimes a dessert, sometimes a beverage, we can all agree that the deliciously rich and fluffy Italian zabaglione is a delight, whatever its form. A touch of marsala gives this version its kick.

This cured salmon salad is deliciously fresh and light. The process of 'cooking' the fish by bathing it in lime juice and sherry results in a melt in the mouth texture that marries beautifully with the Asian style dressing and crisp salad leaves.

Packed full of vegetables, this chickpea and pumpkin ratatouille is perfect as an accompaniment or a meal on its own.

A classic Christmas accompaniment.

Drizzled with a herby lemon dressing and scattered with toasted pecans, this salad is a wonderful way to celebrate the arrival of spring.

Our pickled vegetables make a lovely and colourful gift for friends or family. We've used a variety of vegetables here, but you can experiment with your own combinations.

What better way to get your full quota of five-a-day than a plate of these delicious braised green beans and vegetables. Served with crusty bread or as a compliment to a meat dish, it's sure to satisfy.

Simple and delicious.

This humble vegetable gets an undeserved bad rap in our view. We think these delicious brussels sprouts with crispy pancetta deserve a place on your Christmas table, right next to the duck fat roasted potato.

Simple, perfectly creamy mashed potato is the ultimate comfort food. Serve alongside just about anything.

Raclette is a semi-hard cheese available from select delicatessens. Note

This lightly spiced fennel and tomato couscous salad makes a lovely lunch or side dish.

These little spinach and cheese parcels are very tasty extremely versatile; you can serve them on their own, as a soup accompaniment, or as part of an antipasto platter.

Pickled plum puree, also known as umeboshi puree, is made from plums (ume) slowly pickled in salt, with Japanese mint (shiso) added for colour and flavour.

Fire up the barbecue with these deliciously spicy vegetarian kebabs.

Wrapped in crisp prosciutto, this creamy vegetable terrine would make a delicious side dish or lunch served with salad.

The tart, exotic flavours in the salad are enhanced by the creamy, nuttiness of the fried halloumi cheese. A wonderful combination.

A simple mix of spicy chorizo, vinegary artichoke, sweet capsicum and fresh tomato and leaves, this flavourful salad is a perfect side for a summer barbecue.

Ready-made tzatziki is available from the refrigerated dip section of large supermarkets.You can also make your own. Note

Bake pine nuts on oven tray in moderate oven about 5 minutes or until toasted. Note

Forget strawberyy or raspberry jam, kiwi fruit and apple jam is the perfect preserve. Elevate your dishes in four simple steps.

This risoni and bean salad is robust enough for a light yet satisfying vegetarian lunch, or perfect as a side dish for grilled chicken or steak.

Lamb’s lettuce, also known as mache or corn salad, has a mild, almost nutty flavour and tender dark-green leaves. It’s commonly sold in 125g punnets; you will need four punnets for this recipe. Note

Separate chicken livers into halves by cutting lobes apart. Note

If roasted hazelnuts are unavailable, you can roast your own. Place nuts on an oven tray; roast at 200°C about 5 minutes or until the skins begin to split. Rub hazelnuts in a tea towel to remove most of the skins. Cool. Fresh pomegranate seeds can sometimes be found in packs in the fridge section […]

The humble and misunderstood cabbage is put to good use with these Japanese inspired cabbage rolls. Dunk them generously in the dipping sauce and experience the uniquely and delicately flavoured pork filling.

Spiced with nutmeg and dressed with lemon, this spinach with mint makes a fabulously simple side dish.

The salad, without the dressing, can be made several hours ahead and refrigerated, covered. Toss the dressing through the salad just before serving. For an even more Mediterranean touch, add about 200g of diced fetta cheese to the salad. Note

Koshumbir, sometimes spelled koshambir, is a fresh shredded vegetable salad that is served in India alongside curries. Note

This salad is simple and delicious with warm slices of haloumi cheese, wedges of avocado, asparagus and a zingy chive dressing.

The ultimate comfort food, this cauliflower cheese has a crunchy cheese and herb topping.

Radicchio has a bold, somewhat bitter taste that comes into its own when contrasted with more subtle flavours. This is a simple salad, but an elegant one.

This chutney is an excellent accompaniment to cheese or cold meats, and is also delicious served with a curry.

Be aware that chapatis need to be cooked over a flame to achieve the blistered appearance. Note

The sweetness of the dates and the sourness of the tamarind combine to give you wonderful for a sandwich or burger condiment. It is packed full of flavour and spice to create a real taste sensation.

Be careful when taking the pumpkin out of the microwave as the bowl will be very hot. Note

A dish that looks wonderful doesn't need to be difficult, as is shown by this mushroom tart recipe.

Crunchy iceberg cups filled with Thai-style soy and chilli infused chicken salad.

You need to cut the kernels from two small corn cobs for this recipe. Fritters and tomatoes can be made 6 hours ahead and reheated in a slow (150°C/(130°C fan forced). Note

Campari is an alcoholic apéritif (served before a meal to stimulate the appetite) made from an infusion of herbs and fruit in alcohol and water. Note

If making the salad ahead of time, dress the salad just before serving. You could use thick rice noodles instead of the rice vermicelli. Note