Serves 6

Zuccotto is a semi-frozen Italian dessert with a rich flavour and fabulous layers of texture. Often made with brandy or liqueur it also packs a little bit of a punch.

An easy recipe to prepare in advance, this hearty Italian inspired bean soup with crispy polenta is simply mouth-watering and perfect to cosy up with on a cold day.

Soufflé must be made just before serving. Note

This creamy frozen dessert is rich in flavour, and most definitely a crowd pleasing dish.

These gorgeous tarts are perfect for special occasions; elegant afternoon tea's, high tea, dessert - anything with a touch of decadence.

A lovely strudel is delicious, easy to make, and relatively inexpensive. You can also experiment with different fillings. We've gone with basic apricot here, but all sorts of fruits and nuts make an equally yummy filling.

This recipe is best made close to serving. White balsamic vinegar is slightly sweet, and is available in the vinegar section in selected supermarkets and grocery stores. Note

Simple and elegant, these dainty little cupcakes are a delicious treat to share for dessert or a special afternoon tea.

The perfect finger food for a classy dinner party or a light and healthy snack, these crisps topped with goat’s cheese, tomato and basil are bursting full of flavour and texture.

Not suitable to microwave. Not suitable to freeze. Note

Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

This fresh zesty salad is a great side dish with lunch or dinner meals.

Crispy, flaky whiting is served here with a fresh and flavour-packed tomato and olive salsa to create a quick and tasty dinner which is both healthy and delicious.

A great French bistro classic, pepper steak is often served with fries. We love it served on a bed of creamy mash, slathered with mushroom sauce and accompanied by crisp sugar snap peas.

Barbecued chicken with a fresh, herby, minted tomato salad is a weekend lunchtime winner.

The apples can be cooked ahead of time and left in the pan, covered, in the fridge. The tarte tatin can be finished and transported in the pan if you’re picnicking – simply reheat on the barbecue or fire before turning out and serving warm.

Surprisingly light, this creamy pumpkin, artichoke and prosciutto pasta makes a great lunch or light dinner.

It's time to jazz up the classic fruit cake to be enjoyed at any time for any season or occasion.

Give your regular chicken cacciatore some pizzaz by topping it with this delicious and piquant gremolata mix. Serve with crusty bread or mashed potato for a complete and hearty meal.

Tuna sold as sashimi has to meet stringent guidelines regarding its handling and treatment after leaving the water. It is a good idea to buy it only from a fishmonger you trust, or to seek advice from local authorities before eating any raw seafood. Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

This fragrant soup has a magnificent creamy texture thanks to the addition of the tofu.

A torte is traditionally a layered cake with buttercream type frosting. Of course they can always be adapted to the size, flavours and styles you prefer.

A rich, fragrant and authentic beef madras curry for the Indian food lovers.

Chinese water spinach is a mild, versatile vegetable with crunchy white stalks and tender, dark green leaves. It resembles a bunch of spinach (which can be substituted) but has longer, more flexible leaves and thicker stems.

French for “rust”, rouille is a capsicum-and-chilli flavoured mayonnaise-like sauce often used to garnish seafood stews. Discard any mussels that do not open. Note

You need overripe, almost black, bananas for this recipe because they give the best flavour. If your bananas are not ripe enough, put them in a paper bag in a cool place (not the refrigerator) for a day or two. Note

A crispy and delicious Indian-style tandoori chicken dish; perfect for sharing with friends and family. Serve with coriander, cucumber and mint salad and mint raita.

These tasty Indian spiced patties are great enjoyed on their own with a side salad or as a side or starter to a big Indian feast.

These fragrant pies are a great savoury lunch snack.

You simply can't beat homemade ice cream, and the tofu in this recipe enhances both the flavour and texture, for something even more special.

For a tasty, healthy meat alternative to fill your burgers, try this sensational veggie patty recipe brought to you by Woman's Weekly.

A modern and delicious beef bourguignon pie with individual dishes filled with the traditional French beef stew and topped with puff pastry.

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.

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.

Our version of this classic takes its lead from the traditional versions of Languedoc and Castelnaudary, but we've given it an update to make it a simpler, quicker and healthier dish. Haricot, great northern, cannellini or navy beans can be used in this recipe.

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.

With 11 children to feed and a home-based business to support them, it’s no surprise that my husband Mick’s grandmother had one eye on economy. This recipe uses no milk or cream and hardly any butter – a couple of eggs, a couple of lemons, a handful of sugar. It costs very little to put on the table, yet it is absolutely delicious and decadent.

Suitable to freeze. Recipe can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, covered. Note

Once you have your technique sorted, these little triangles of tasty goodness can be flipped and folded and put together in no time.

Hazelnuts can be substituted for walnuts in this recipe, and, if you have hazelnut or walnut oil on hand, use one of these, rather than the olive oil. Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

Crumbles are so delicious and easy to make. There is absolutely no excuse not to whip this quick, scrumptious dessert up for any meal or season.

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

This herby spinach, chickpea and feta tart is crumbly, buttery and flaky in all the right ways.

There is a little more involved here than simply mixing berries into cupcake batter, but the results are absolutely stunning and delicious.

A fresh herb crust for lamb takes an already-succulent meat to the next level. This coating leaves out the breadcrumbs, so when you tuck in, the coating won’t crumble off, and you can savour every mouthful. All it needs is a simple side of smashed potatoes.

A roast joint should be rested before serving to allow the meat to relax. The heat of the oven causes the meat fibres to tighten, so as meat rests the fibres will relax, allowing the meat juices to redistribute themselves throughout the joint. Try to carve the joint across the grain so that each slice has short fibres which feel tender to eat.

Compote is traditionally a dessert, but as shown here it can also be served over warm porridge as a breakfast dish.

For this recipe, we deboned a whole chinese barbecued duck, available from Asian barbecue takeaway stores. Choy sum, also known as chinese flowering cabbage, and tat soi, chinese flat cabbage, can be found at most greengrocers as well as Asian supermarkets

These delicious lasagne stacks use grilled eggplant slices instead of lasagne sheets, making it a lighter version of the usually heavy traditional lasagne.

The tart cases we used were bought frozen and unbaked; they come ready-to-bake in foil cases and measure 6.5cm in diameter. They are available from supermarkets. Tartlets can be made a day ahead, keep refrigerated.

Verjuice dressing strikes the perfect savoury note to lift this seared tuna on potatoes, eggs and vegetables out of the realm of the ordinary. A deconstructed salad nicoise that makes the perfect lunch to serve friends on the weekend.

The barbecue is the perfect way to cook a butterflied leg of lamb. Have your butcher trim, split, and debone a whole leg for you.

These smoked trout tarts with peas and dill make a great lunch. If you'd like to make finger food sized versions for a party, just quarter the filo sheets at the beginning, use a mini-muffin tin and cut the cooking time to 10-12 minutes.

Mexican food is a mid-week meal choice. It is easy to prepare, affordable, fresh and delicious!

This beautiful dessert couldn't be more simple to make, and can be easily adapted for any of your favourite candy bars.

You will never want store-bought again after trying this delicious recipe for moist date rolls.

A classic winter warmer, these individual beef and red wine pies combine tender morsels of meat in a rich, savoury sauce.

This is, quite possibly, the best omelette ever. It's like a breakfast burrito, gift wrapped in fluffy, eggy goodness. Serve with a tomato basil salad.

Cheese lover? This recipe is absolutely the one for you. Flavoursome gorgonzola, nutty parmesan, and creamy bocconcini are Italian favourites and are calling your name!

Draining the tofu is an important step to ensure there isn't too much moisture while deep frying. The result is delicious, golden, crispy tofu bites.

Stir fries are a great healthy meal option, and easy to throw together on a busy weeknight.

These impressive desserts are a lot simpler to make that they look, and give the final course a little glamour.

Step one of the recipe can be made 1 day ahead and covered, refrigerated; until required. The tomato sauce can be made 1 day ahead then covered; refrigerated; until required. Sauce can be frozen up to 6 months. Note

Flummery originated in rural Britain, where it was made with oatmeal or wheat ears soaked in warm water for up to three days. Over time, fruit and gelatine (or 'isinglass', before gelatine was invented) were used instead of grain, turning it into a jelly-like dessert.

Don't let the cook time dishearten you, this dish is very simple to prepare, and the flavours are well worth the wait!

Made completely from scratch, the dough is the key component to this tasty double-crust pizza.

We used packham pears in this recipe. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to the reduced syrup if it is too sweet. Note

Try this recipe for a roast with a twist. Beer finds it's place in yet another crowd pleasing dish.

Veal chops, cooked pink, are never better than when paired with a classic French caper sauce.

This gluten-free, dairy-free macaroni cheese with peas means nobody needs to miss out on the ultimate comfort food.

Originally, ballotine was a boned leg of poultry that was stuffed with other ingredients; these days, it can mean any type of meat, fish or poultry that is boned, stuffed, rolled and tied into a bundle.

These mini banana loaves with muesli topping by the Australian Women's Weekly make a perfect nut-free addition to the kids' lunch boxes or even a delicious and nutritious breakfast on the run.

Gremolata is a condiment made with a garlic, herb and lemon zest base. It adds real zing to a meat dish like osso buco and cuts through the richness. Gremolata can be made a day or two ahead and kept in the fridge.

Shoulder is a great cut for a recipe like this Italian braised pork as it stays tender and moist without being fatty. Ask your butcher to bone, roll and tie the cut for you.

There is nothing quite as comforting as a warm, fragrant, melt-in-your-mouth homemade sweet pie, and this recipe exceeds expectations.

These rice-paper rolls because they have a fresh flavour, use healthy ingredients and can be made ahead of time, a real bonus!

Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

Accurately named in French as crème brûlée literally meaning 'burnt cream', this fabulous dessert is oozing goodness under that crunchy top.

These flavour filled little tarts make a great shared platter for a cocktail party, or a starter for a special meal.

Spice up a dull evening with this nourishing and tasty lentil and garlic soup with yogurt.

Get your iron Popeye-style with this cream of spinach soup with lemon fetta toasts.

Garlic and rosemary smoked lamb is delicious served cold the next day, as well as while still hot.

A true classic of British cooking, steak and kidney pie is a rich and sumptuous dish. If you haven't cooked with kidneys before you could ask your butcher to prepare them for you.

This classic dish is comforting, dependable and delicious. No wonder it is so popular in so many cultures around the world.

Spiced with cinnamon, star anise and red chilli, this homemade plum sauce is a revelation in terms of complexity and depth of flavours. Use as a dipping sauce to spice up braised Asian greens or serve alongside beautifully roasted meats.

A little different from your usual soup with crunchy toast, this curried parsnip soup is the perfect hearty dish to go with deliciously dense soda bread.