This is a mild curry. For more heat, serve curry with some sliced fresh red chilli to sprinkle as desired. You can serve this curry with naan bread and plain yoghurt, if desired. Suitable to freeze at the end of step 1. Note

This tasty vegetarian omelette combines fresh asparagus, potato and mint to create a brilliant healthy breakfast for any day of the week.

For a variation, combine potato flesh with one finely chopped green onion and 2 tablespoons each of sour cream and sweet chilli sauce. Divide filling among potato shells and serve topped with extra green onion, sour cream and sweet chilli sauce. Note

Spring rolls are best prepared as required. Note

Uncooked pizza can be made 3 hours ahead; cover, refrigerate, until required. Note

These make a tasty after school snack with a good hit of calcium. Or, you could serve them alongside your weekly curry; add chopped mint for a fresh Indian flavour.

Do-ahead Florets can be cut 3 hours ahead. Note

The silken tofu gives this pesto a lovely creamy texture to complement its herbaceous flavours.

We used small (15cm/6 inch diameter) packaged pizza bases for this recipe. A Mexican staple, frijoles refritos (refried beans) are sold canned in supermarkets. You will also find spicy tomato salsa in supermarkets. Note

For a vegetarian breakfast that is every bit as hearty as any bacon dominated start to the day, try these delicious baked eggs with feta, leek and spinach. You won't be disappointed.

These crispy cakes and dipping sauce make a great starter or snack. Easy to and cheap to prepare, you can't go wrong with this zingy dish.

What better way to contribute to your five-a-day with this eye catching eggplant, feta and capsicum stack. It makes a perfectly healthy, light lunch on its own, or a delicious accompaniment to a tender steak.

Ravioli or gnocchi can be substituted for the tortellini, but spinach and ricotta is better than meat-based fillings for this sauce. Note

For an easy vegetarian meal, try this delicious coconut curry with pumpkin and butter beans.

Bhaji is a classic Indian snack similar to a fritter; it has several variants and is sometimes known as pakora. Onion based bhaji is very popular, but we've used zucchini and carrot here. Served with mango chutney, they're divine.

Also known as butter beans, lima beans are small and pale green if picked young or large, flat and white if picked when fully grown. The baked beans are even better if made a day in advance, as this allows the flavours to develop. Note

The addition of lentils and tomatoes makes this vegetarian pasta bake a hearty, flavoursome family meal.

Soak 8 bamboo skewers in cold water for at least an hour before using to prevent splintering and scorching. Note

Combine smooth, creamy natural yoghurt with some seasoning and dill to create this lovely sauce. It is delicious with lamb.

Serve these spiced chickpea fritters with cucumber, lettuce and a big dollop of kumara hummus wrapped in flatbread.

If you like, you can add dried smoked bonito flakes to the sesame seeds or try coating the tofu with Japanese breadcrumbs instead.

This delicious toast-topper combination is brilliant when you're craving something a little more savoury for breakfast. The protein rich mushrooms are complimented wonderfully by the creamy labne to create this tasty vegetarian dish.

Feeding a family of big eaters is expensive! When I find a meat-free meal they enjoy, it helps the weekly budget. This risotto is the kind of dish that can be made if there are the very barest of essentials in the cupboard. It has light flavours to match the season. I do have to pay attention to the pot, but only for half an hour, so it’s no drama.

These mushrooms are wonderful eaten as they are or placed on a buttered slice of grilled sourdough. You can either let everyone eat them as you cook them or add them to an antipasto platter – I usually put them alone on a plate because the juices run so much.

For a more fragrant dhal, add 6 fresh curry leaves with the split peas. Any leftover curry leaves can be frozen, then used directly from the freezer as you need them.

Delicious as a dip, or served as a side alongside chargrilled meat or chicken, this white bean puree is lovely and garlicky. For a bit of colour, top with some thinly sliced green onions just before serving.

Hearty and warming, this harissa and mint spiced veggie stew is the ultimate comfort food for a cool Winter evening in.

Sweet beetroot contrasts beautifully with sharp, salty feta and bitter leaves in this delicious salad. Perfect as a light lunch, or a side dish.

Button or portobello mushrooms can also be used in this recipe. Note

This traditional Middle Eastern favourite is a versatile vegetarian dish that everyone will love.

Bright, fruity and packed with flavour, raspberry and orange cordial is a great base for a refreshing soft drink or used as a mixer for vodka or white rum.

You will need about half a small bunch of snake beans. Note

Just a little seasoning, a splash of olive oil and some lemon juice is all you need with freshly steamed spinach.

These steamed Asian vegetables are low in fat and calories but big on flavour, with chilli, ginger and soy.

Ideal as part of a low-fat diet, this salad is satisfying, tasty and healthy.

We used dried haricot beans in this recipe; you can use two 400g cans cannellini beans instead. If using canned beans, delete step 1, and add the rinsed, drained canned beans to salad in step 5.

Dhal and paneer vegetable curry, cheese recipe, brought to you by Australian Women's Weekly

There's nothing like a bowl of mixed dhal when you need a nourishing, easy and inexpensive meal that doesn't compromise on flavour.

Creamy and delicious, when it comes to side dishes this celeriac mash is a star.

Kidney beans are a great source of protein, complex carbohydrates, minerals and several vitamins. However, they do lack the full spectrum of essential amino acids, so­ serve the frittata with a slice of wholegrain bread or scatter it with sesame seeds to get them all.

Sweet, tender beetroot tastes fantastic paired with a punchy Greek skordalia.

Ok, there is a slight art to making thin and perfect crêpes, but there should be enough batter here for you to make a couple of mistakes. Resting the mixture before using it will make them nice and smooth, as will using a well oiled crêpe pan. Plus, the melted cheese will hide any rough edges!

Chopped macadamias add crunch to this colourful, healthy stir-fry.

This vegetarian fry-up is perfect for a lazy weekend.

To make the classic quattro stagione(Italian for `four seasons’) pizza, keep theolives, ham, mushrooms and artichokes onseparate quarters of the pizzas. Note

This creamy dip combines broad beans and ricotta and is best served with crunchy vegetables.

Slow cooking the tomatoes draws out both their flavour and their sweetness, leading to a rich, caramelised topping on the crisp base of this tart.

Many varieties of already cooked white beans are available canned, among them cannellini, butter and haricot beans; any of these is suitable for this salad. Note

Accompany fritters with a salad for a light meal or serve them as a side dish if preferred. Fritters can be cooked a day ahead. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Place fritters on an oven tray and reheat in a 150°C oven as required. Note

Okra, also called bamia, bhindi or ladies fingers. Are an African vegetable transported throughout the world by African slaves and traders. Okra resembles a large green chilli having outside ribs and many edible, gummy seeds inside. It can be stewed, as here, roasted or deep-fried, and is as good eaten on its own as it […]

Stacks can be prepared several hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate on an oven tray. Uncover and bake as required. Note

In the English-speaking world, the hard, slightly yellow root vegetable that slightly resembles a large dried turnip is called a swede in England and Australia, a neep in Scotland and rutabaga in the United States. Because this vegetable thrives in the cold, it has always been popular in Scandinavia, especially in Sweden, hence the name. […]

Cherry tomatoes can be substituted for grape tomatoes. Note

There's no need to ever serve a boring side, these oregano potatoes will spice up any spread.

Bitter, sweet and salty. What more could you want in a salad?

A spicy and light pasta dish with wide ribbons of pappardelle, the sweet and robust flavour of capsicum and finished with creamy ricotta; a perfect vegetarian family meal. Serve with crusty garlic bread.

If you fancy a cleansing broth, look no further than this ginger and vegetable soba soup. Soba is a Japanese noodle, similar in appearance to spaghetti, made from buckwheat.

We used iceberg lettuce in this recipe as it is important to use a crisp variety of lettuce; you could also use cos (romaine) lettuce.> Note

Uncooked spring rolls can be prepared 3 hours ahead; cover, refrigerate until required. Bake just before serving. Note

You can serve the felafel with a rocket and tomato salad. If you like hummus then you’ll love this Middle-Eastern vegetarian specialty, which is also made from chickpeas. Note

This creamy pasta is so simple to make and bursting with flavour.

This substantial potato, olive and sun-dried tomato loaf coupled with a pot of homemade pureed soup (think tomato, broccoli or pumpkin) makes the perfect meal for a cold winter's night. It's also a great way to use up leftover mashed potato.

lemony dressing Note

This coconut noodle salad would be an excellent accompaniment to poached salmon.

Clockwise from top left: lemon lentils; spiced potatoes, cauliflower and peas; tomato lamb curry; Ishmael’s egg salad Note