Starter

Puffed corn is whole grain corn steamed until it puffs up. It’s available from health food stores. Note

These delicious spiced lamb puffs are the perfect starter course.

Nutty sesame, sweet scallops and crisp cabbage salad make a delightful combination.

Try this twist on crumbed chicken, delicious crunchy parmesan and couscous chicken makes a fresh, stylish shared platter for parties.

Adding salt during cooking was once thought to make pulses tough ­ it doesn't. However it does slow down the cooking time, so it's best to season this Greek lentil, spinach and dill soup at the very end.

This warming and fragrant French style onion and fennel soup is absolutely amazing topped with melted cheddar cheese souffles. This is gourmet soup at it's finest.

Serve this salad accompanied with fine wines and good company for a perfect starter that your guests will never forget.

This beautiful dish is a great starter to impress at your next dinner party.

No antipasto plate is complete without a serving of bruschetta. This tomato version may look simple, but the addition of fresh herbs and mozzarella take this classic dish to new heights.

Use figs that are not too ripe. Overripe figs contain more moisture and will make the pastry soggy. Note

You will need 5 limes for this recipe, and to cook 1 cup uncooked rice for the 3 cups cooked rice required. Note

Lemon garlic mayonnaise can be prepared and prawns can be peeled several hours ahead. Keep, covered separately, in the refrigerator. Cook prawns as required. Note

Simple, savoury and delicious, clear soup with prawns and spinach is quick to throw together and leaves you feeling nourished, which makes it perfect for a mid-week dinner.

Onion soup with beer

Pernod is an anise-flavoured liqueur drunk straight, or diluted with ice or water, as an aperitif. The French also call it pastis, and it is popular drink in late afternoon as an appetite stimulant.

This duck liver parfait is actually quite simple, especially if you buy the livers ready trimmed. The red onion jam is so delicious you might want to make double the quantity so there's some left for sandwiches later.

Goat cheese, with its strong earthy taste, is available in both soft and firm textures, in various shapes and sizes, and often rolled in ash or herbs.

Entertain with the flavours of Spain and serve tapas to your guests. Bring the colours of the Spanish flag to your table by adding char-grilled red capsicum to these delicious smoky, garlicky prawns.

This salad takes the classic flavours of Provence and combines them to make an elegant and flavoursome starter that is still quite light. All the components can be made in advance and simply assembled when you are ready to serve.

Wrapped up like adorable bonbons, these delectable seafood parcels make a very special dinner offering for guests.

If you have an electric pressure cooker you won’t need to reduce the heat to stabilise pressure,your cooker will automatically stabilise itself. Always check with the manufacturer’s instructionsbefore using. Recipe suitable to freeze. Note

This is a quick and easy rendition of a traditional Sicilian involtini, slow-cooked meat rolls filled with vegetables served in a rich tomato sauce.

A smooth, savoury soup delicately seasoned with fresh chervil, cream of asparagus soup is silky and delicious.

If you prefer your soup spicy, you can add one finely chopped fresh red chilli or a teaspoon of dried red chilli to this recipe.

Topped with fresh chilli and spring onion, these spicy beef and eggplant cups make a tasty starter or light meal.

You can make these in a standard muffin pan; line the holes with paper cases, or a folded square of baking paper, as we did here. Note

To make this soup more fun for toddlers cut different shapes from bread like stars, hearts or animals. You could get older toddlers to cut the shapes from the bread to get them involved in the preparation of the meal. Note

Balmain bugs are similar to scampi in size and flavour, they are lovely simply grilled and used here in a salad.

Silky smooth and full of incredible flavours, this chicken liver parfait with sourdough wafers makes an excellent share plate or a starter for a dinner party.

This quick and tasty Asian inspired salad makes a brilliant mid-week dinner or dish to entertain your guests.

Vinegar cuts the sweetness of this rich onion jam, and makes it the perfect pairing for this liqueur spiked pâté.

Any thick crusty-style bread can be used for this delicious dish. Serve it as a decadent supper on cold winter nights.

This Asian savoury rice porridge is a deliciously convenient and warming breakfast that comes together in a flash thanks to a handy pressure cooker.

These tapas-style snacks make for the perfect Mexican party nibbles.

The combination of juicy citrus, spices, herbs and pistachio is irresistible in this easy chicken dish. Delicious served with warm flatbread.

The same weight of prawns can be used instead of lobster. You will need about six witlof for this recipe. Note

Plump, juicy and fragrant with sesame oil, these sea scallops make a delightful starter for a special dinner.

Crisp bacon, pesto and ripe tomatoes add oodles of flavour to these delicious sweetcorn pancakes.

Brilliant as a starter, serve this lemongrass pork stir fry in lettuce cups and sprinkled with crushed peanuts.

If you don't have aioli to hand when you're making this prosciutto-wrapped prawns with bean salad recipe, you can add a teaspoon of crushed garlic to good quality mayonnaise to make your own.

This rich and hearty spiced chickpea and broad bean soup is served with eggs and cumin salt to create a flavour-packed, warming vegetarian dish the whole family will love!

Fragrant, fresh and packed with crunch, heat and flavour, pho makes an excellent healthy lunch.

Creamy and punchy, this spinach and artichoke dip works wonderfully with crunchy Turkish toast for a moreish share platter addition.

Reheat soup in a microwave oven on HIGH (100%) for about 1½ minutes, stirring halfway through heating. Note

Sweet and fiery, these plump scallops make an excellent starter for an Asian-themed dinner.

Warm and tender lamb fillets are dressed with a warm citrusy walnut dressing and served on a bed of crunchy witlof and baby spinach to make this delicious salad.

Yellow miso (yellow bean paste), a golden yellow colour, is made from soya beans and rice, and is aged briefly. It’s salty, but mild and quite versatile. It is available from Asian food stores. Note

Also known as needlefish, thanks to their long jaw, and with their unusual green bones, garfish are not the prettiest of the sea's offerings, but they are delicious.

With the perfect amount of spice, these tasty Turkish chicken kebabs are great for a family dinner or barbecue with friends.

Light and refreshing entrée of Thai coconut scallops for sharing with friends and family.

Vietnamese summer rolls with a coconut twist.

If you love prawns, you'll love this incredibly zesty prawn salad with a mint and lemon dressing.

Use smaller rice paper rounds for finger-food sized rolls. You can use chicken mince instead of turkey, if you like. Note

This delicious chilled soup is so easy to prepare and makes the most refreshing lunch on a hot summer's day.

Brown rice adds bit and basil adds flavour to this delicious prawn risotto.

These tasty sticks are a perfect finger food, starter or nibble to serve with a glass of wine.

French-style green lentils are related to the famous French lentils du puy; these green-blue, tiny lentils have a nutty, earthy flavour and a hardy nature that allows them to be rapidly cooked without disintegrating. Also known as australian, bondi or matilda lentils. Note

This rustic terrine makes a lovely lunch or starter. Serve with crusty french bread and cornichons (gherkins), if desired.

Spicy barbecued squid and cooling cucumber make a mouth-watering pair in this easy salad.

low GI Cooked rösti can be stored in the refrigerator overnight and reheated in a sandwich press. Note

Depending on how many you share it with it's a snack, it's a meal or it's a starter. Whatever you call it, just one bite of that fragrant mexican spiced meat and bean combo on a crispy, hot, cheesy corn chip and you'll surely be calling it delicious.

This delicious salad is bursting with bright Spanish-inspired flavours.

Antipasto literally translates to "before the meal" and is the catchall name for pre-dinner nibbles, usually including cured meats, and all sorts of delicious morsels. This one fits the bill, nicely.

Topped with a fiery cucumber salsa, this chilled beetroot soup makes a delicious summer lunch.

Fried shallot (homm jiew) and fried garlic (kratiem jiew) are used as condiments on the table or sprinkled over cooked dishes. Both can be purchased canned or in cellophane bags at Asian grocery stores; once opened, leftovers will keep for months if tightly sealed. Make your own by slicing shallots or garlic thinly and shallow-frying […]

An exquisite tapas or sharing dish for impressing your dinner guests.

If you want to reduce the intensity of the chillies, remove the seeds and membranes. Note

Make your own healthy and wholesome wheatmeal rolls from Australian Women's Weekly.

Iceberg lettuce cups and crispy fried noodles add delicious crunch to this quick and easy crispy beef san choy bow recipe.

This incredibly tasty dip goes well with crusty bread and crackers. Serve sprinkled with extra finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, if you like.

Kalonji are also known as Nigella seeds, which taste like someone combined onions, black pepper and oregano.

You can make these lemongrass and beef rice paper rolls ahead of time, just place them seam-side down on a tray lined with plastic wrap, cover with damp paper towel and refrigerate until ready to serve.