Tomato

A rich, slowcooked French casserole with lamb, white beans, streaky bacon and crushed tomatoes.

A rich and delicious Moroccan vegetable soup with a spicy hit of harissa.

Semi-dried tomatoes bought by weight from a delicatessen are best for this recipe. If you use those sold packaged in oil, drain well and pat with absorbent paper before use. Also goes well with grilled sirloin steaks; grilled pork cutlets; pan-fried chicken breasts. Note

Piri piri sauce is a spicy Afro-Portuguese chilli sauce available from Middle-Eastern food stores and most major supermarkets. Note

Stories vary on the true origin of the margherita pizza - but at least we can all agree that when it comes to pizza, nothing beats a classic.

Chicken drumettes are drumsticks with the end of the bone chopped off. They are also sold as “lovely legs”. 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.

Each of these four recipes makes 24 shooters so you need a minimum 24 (40ml) shot glasses. Note

We used small (15cm/6-inch diameter) packaged pizza bases for this recipe. Note

It’s easy to make pesto from different herbs or green leaves and with other nuts. A great combination is baby rocket and pistachio (it goes beautifully with chicken). A few other enticing blends include fresh coriander leaves with chilli instead of nuts, or sun-dried tomatoes processed with olives and walnuts. Note

Russet burbank potatoes were used to make this dish, however substituting with Agria or other boiling potatoes is fine. Note

A healthy and rich vegetable dish with smoky baked beans and tomato from Australian Women's Weekly.

A healthy and filling Mexican vegetarian dish with a rich and delicious spiced tomato and avocado salsa.

You could use pastrami, shaved turkey or chicken breast instead of the beef. Note

A modern take on the traditional French method of cooking “en papillote” (in sealed paper packets), this recipe uses aluminium foil rather than parchment to enclose the ingredients. Cooking this way intensifies the contained flavours. Note

Recipe is best prepared as required. Note

Create delicious Italian pasta at home with this beautiful ricotta and silverbeet gnocchi. Served in a fragrant tomato sauce, it's the ultimate comfort food for a cool evening in.

A classic Italian pasta dish with spaghetti alla napoletana sauce from Australian Women's Weekly.

Spice up your night with this Mexican chilli con carne with guacamole.

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 […]

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

Rigatoni, a ridged, tube-shaped pasta, is ideal for baked dishes because it is wide and the hearty fillings cling to the indentations around the edges. Note

Hearty and warming, this delicious stew is packed full of fresh seafood to nourish your body and soul.

We cooked this recipe in two ovenproof dishes,­ each dish will serve three. We have deliberately used dried, uncooked pasta in this dish. The texture of the final dish is a little chewy, but still tender. Note

This Italian-style seafood, bean and tomato stew has a delicious combination of flavours and textures.

Crispy potato wedges with a light and summery sun-dried tomato pesto.

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

If taking this meal to work, roast tomato and prosciutto the night before; store in the fridge. Reheat in a microwave oven, on HIGH (100%), about 1 minute or until heated through. Toast the bread and assemble just before serving. Note

Variously called sfinciuni or sfincione in Sicily, we call it delicious - a double-decker pizza with its aromatic filling hidden between the layers.

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

We used flathead fillets but use any firm white fish fillets you like; blue eye, bream, ling, whiting or snapper are all fine. Remove the fish when it is almost cooked; it will continue to cook off the heat. Recipe not suitable to freeze. Note

A classic hearty chicken stew that originated in southern Louisiana.

Roast the tomatoes in a baking dish with deep sides; this shields them from the heat so they won’t burn. Note

You need 12 skewers; if using bamboo skewers, soak them in water 1 hour before use to prevent splintering or scorching. Note

Salted cod, also called salt cod, baccala, bacalhau, bacalao and morue, is available from Italian, Spanish and Portuguese delicatessens and some specialty food stores. Note

Adding avocado to this open sandwich not only adds a rich creamy flavour, it also increases its nutritional value. Avocados are a rich source of potassium and healthy monounsaturated fats that help to lower cholesterol. Use a loaf of ciabatta bread if turkish bread is not available. Note

As easy as raita is to make, if you are in a hurry you can cheat and buy tzatziki, which is the Greek eqivalent of the Indian raita. Note

A quick, easy and flavour-packed Mexican beef stir-fry from Australian Women's Weekly.

Panzanella is a traditional Italian bread salad. As a variation, cut the soft white centre of the bread into small cubes, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil; toss until well coated. Place the bread cubes on an oven tray, sprinkle on 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan and toast in a moderate oven for about 10 […]

Literally meaning “composed salad”, the ingredients in this dish are layered on top of each other, rather than being tossed together, and the dressing is drizzled over the top. Note

With the help of a pressure cooker, this Mexican dish of tender chicken & chorizo sausages with kidney beans can be whipped up in no time.

Late morning is a good time to serve this country breakfast, skipping lunch and going for a long afternoon walk before dinner.

A bright and summery salad packed full of healthy and crunchy raw vegetables.

For this recipe we used small (15cm diameter) packaged pizza bases for this recipe. Note

A quick and easy Italian-style pizza with roast garlic and crispy potato.

The pasta cases can be made, cooled and removed from the pans one day before the party. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The bolognese sauce can be made two days ahead; keep it covered in the fridge. Assemble the baskets up to 3 hours before the party. Note

Peri-peri (piri-piri) is a hot Portuguese sauce made of chilli, garlic, ginger, oil and herbs, and is available from supermarkets. You can also use pontiac potatoes for this recipe. Note

A bright and colourful roasted cherry tomatoes, broccolini and pepitas salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

We used large (25cm diameter) packaged pizza bases for this recipe. Note

Danish salami is a smoked, delicately spiced salami; you can use another variety if you wish. Note

You can substitute any pasta for the penne in this recipe. The Italian name of this pasta (penne) means ‘pen’, a reference to the nib-like, pointy ends. Penne comes in both smooth (lisce) or ridged (rigate) versions, and a variety of sizes. Note

Spaghettini is a very thin spaghetti. It is available from Italian grocery stores and most large supermarkets. Note

This tomato chilli jam is deliciously versatile ­use it as a condiment in sandwiches, to pep-up stir-fries or as a glaze for chicken, fish or lamb fillets or skewers. Note

Some butchers sell a pork and veal mince mixture; you could buy 500g of this, if it’s available. Note

A fish burger makes a delicious alternative to a beef burger. You can use white-fleshed fish, or even prawns, instead of the salmon for something different. Note

Any kind of dried beans can be substituted for canned beans, if preferred. Soak beans overnight. Boil until tender; drain. Use patience when spreading polenta into prepared pan; it tends to move and slip but can eventually be worked into corners of pan. Polenta can be made 1 day ahead to the refrigeration stage. Note

Pizza fingers can be prepared the day before; put the toppings on, then cover them with plastic wrap and store them in the fridge. Bake when ready to eat. Note

Green lentils can be substituted for red lentils. Note