A healthy meal has never been easier than with this effortless soup. Bacon adds a crisp, salty flavour while carrots, celery and lentils pack this meal with nutrition.

Make your Easter celebrations complete by rolling out these fresh hot cross finished with a sweet glaze.

Lime, coriander and lemongrass will send you on a Thai adventure with every tantalising bite. These seafood skewers are perfect for entertaining unless you want to save them all for yourself.

Combine zesty lime with rum and the distinct aroma of mint to create this knockout, refreshing punch.

Your own homemade classic Italian pesto sauce made with basil. Take advantage of basil in season and make plenty for your friends.

Kids love this cheesy sausage bake which is quick and easy to prepare.

Ragù to riches! This versatile dish is perfect for entertaining.

Meltingly soft haloumi and herby cauliflower fritters in a soft roll make for a magic meal.

Roast with the most. Take your Sunday tradition to a tasty new yum!

The thoughtfully prepared sides make this simple chicken dish extra special.

A jalousie is a slatted window and gives its name to pies which have a pastry lattice top.

This soup is filled with ham and vegetables, a great complete meal to serve in winter.

This dish, named after the city of Sarlat in the Dordogne, France, can’t fail to taste good – the potatoes are immersed in duck fat and cooked until they emerge golden and crunchy.

The great thing about this dish, is being able to line up the ingredients and everyone makes their own taco to suit their taste. Try this zesty variation of crema with lime and jalapeno for an extra bit of heat.

Mamma would be outraged but when there’s no time to make ravioli, Asian dumpling wrappers make a fast, delicious alternative.

Soul food comes to chicken drumsticks and tahini sauce. An easy finger food solution for any party or gathering.

Use any filled pasta variety such as tortellini or ravioli for this healthy tuna pesto pasta. A side salad and lemon wedges compelte the meal.

Basil pesto is the perfect light sauce for pasta. In this recipe, silken tofu gives the sauce a wonderful creamy texture.

These savoury shortbreads are perfect for morning and afternoon tea, lunchboxes or as a snack. They can be served warm, stored in an airtight container or popped into the freezer for another day.

A lamb dinner that’s a cut above the rest.

Grate lemon or lime zest over the stew for extra zing!

To make lunchtime morsels, add a few rocket leaves to the mix with the salmon, then bake in regular-sized muffin tins.

Toppings could include pickled peppers, gherkins, Swiss cheese or herby butter.

Hook on to this Mexican wave that is sure to become a family fave.

Italian cakes are often overly sweet, but a savoury note, in this cake from rosemary, helps balance that.

By brushing the pastry with beaten egg yolk before baking, you will get a lovely golden crunch on the pie crust. Perfect pastry for a point scoring pie!

The rough translation means ‘eggs in a pot’; however these have been cooked in cute individual teacups. This creamy, rich and simple meal is great eaten with a good crusty baguette.

This is an Italian classic with a slight modern twist. As an alternative to the veal, try using pork loin or chicken breast, tenderising it as for the veal.

These slowly cooked beef cheeks have been flashed up with a dollop of good balsamic vinegar.

This creamy vegetarian risotto makes a fabulous starter or a hearty main. Served with a salad it's a complete meal.

Serving this traditional, flavoursome spanish rice dish in small bowls topped with prawns, makes it versatile for any occasion and time of year.

Cream and cheese tossed in fettucine create a delicious pasta alfredo.

Tuna, tomatoes and olives come alive in this tasty spaghetti dish.

Get a real taste of the tropics with this light, cool summer salad. The sweet chilli dressing is the perfect accompaniment.

Beef things up at home with this sizzling, delicious dinner.

Whether you’re making for family or dinner guests, warm, home-baked bread is an easy pleaser!

All you knead! You can cater for every occasion with the perfectly versatile pizza.

Light, fresh and tasty, this delicious Asian inspired prawn and edamame bean salad is beautiful for a healthy lunch or dinner.

This is a great twist on schnitzels which also works well with chicken in place of pork. Serve it with a mash of carrots and parsnips and cooked silverbeet.

Creamy mushrooms on toasted brioche with bacon, fresh herbs and goats cheese will be a hit for breakfast.

Artisan loaves form the base of many quick dinners and are an integral part of weekend breakfasts and lunches.

This is gorgeous – deep golden brown skin, plump and succulent. If you forget to soak the apricots, put them in a small saucepan with the water and cook gently for 10 minutes, until plump and tender.

This is hardly a pie – it’s really a stew with a crusty scone topping – but it does the job of a good meat pie; that is, it fills you up with warming inexpensive food.

This classic winter warmer will fill your home with delicious aromas while it slowly cooks to perfection. Serve on its own, or with crusty bread.

Use regular red tomatoes if you can’t find orange – just make sure they’re ripe and tasty. Note

To ensure egg yolks remain centred during cooking, first bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Remove from the heat and add eggs one at a time, gently stirring with a metal spoon from side to side before returning to the heat to simmer according to the recipe. Note

Try threading the tenderloins onto skewers to keep them from falling through the barbecue grill. Note

The super bowl! Curl up on cold nights with a heart-warming meal in hand

Catch of the day! Reel in your guests with dinner and dessert made on the barbie

This salad makes a simple lunch or supper that’s sure to satisfy.

Use the best pork sausages you can afford for this fragrant, rustic dish.

Mushrooms or tomatoes work well with this dish for a simple side or entrée.

Light, fresh and healthy, this tasty Asian salad is full of beautiful ingredients. Enjoy it on it's own or as a side to your next dinner spead.

Kid-friendly variation: if your children don’t like eggplant, chargrill a vegetable they do like, such as capsicum, asparagus or zucchini. Note

If desired, place a lemon slice under each salmon fillet. Note

If desired, cover fish with plastic wrap and microwave on high for about 3 minutes. Note

This recipe is a personal favourite. If you are in a rush, it’s quick to cook for the family - Mike Van de Elzen

When renovating a house one of the most unsettling things is having to make do without a kitchen. Rather than resigning yourself to takeaways every night, borrow an electric frying pan and a gas ring if you don’t already have them and have a go at turning out these dishes. It’ll keep you healthy, sane and on budget.

Alexa Johnston transforms basic dough into buns and herb bread

Roasted pumpkin has a subtle sweetness, which makes it a perfect filling for ravioli.

A roasted fillet of beef is best served rare to medium rare. For those who like it well done, take slices from ends of fillet. Avoid cooking beef day before, as flavour is lost once it has been refrigerated. Note

If using bamboo skewers, soak in cold water for 20 minutes before using to stop them burning. Note

The popular superfood quinoa dives in to save lunch yet again with this Italian style salad. Filled with tomatoes, capsicum, boccincini and a zesty dressing your taste buds and stomach will be thanking you.

It’s rich but utterly delicious. To cut back on the calories, use a light stock to finish the sauce instead of cream.

We like to serve this with a salad of leaves from the garden and some form of roasted crunchy potatoes.

Choose from swiss brown, enoki, shiitake, shimeji, white fungus, oyster, flat or button mushrooms. Note

Stir through flaked cooked chicken or canned tuna for added flavour and protein. Note

These tomatoes are ideal for a buffet or picnic lunch, and can be cooked the day before. Note

It’s important not to overcook fish as it becomes very dry. Note

Scrumptious golden chicken parmigiana is a quick family meal that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. A crisp salad dressed with oil and vinegar is the ideal accompaniment.

This sophisticated take on the classic chicken parma will delight adults and kids alike. The addition of salty prosciutto and creamy bocconcini goes perfectly with the tender, golden chicken.

Here’s a French style fish soup that’s bursting with aniseed flavours and fresh herbs, that’s still light enough to enjoy when the weather is a little warmer.

A mango lassi is refreshing on a hot summer’s day, and this light version – made from skimmed milk and yoghurt – is guilt-free! Some freshly chopped mint gives this Indian classic a twist.

Many countries claim dolmas or dolmades as their own. What makes this version Armenian is the addition of dill and cinnamon. Vary this dish with either sultanas or chopped dried apricots instead of currants, and oregano in place of dill. Note

For an extra flavour and fibre boost, add 1 1/2 cups of frozen peas to the boiling pasta 1 minute before the end of the cooking time. Note

This bread is called fougasse, and is the French equivalent of Italian focaccia. If you don’t like olives or rosemary, simply leave them out and have it plain. You could also try adding other flavourings, such as sun-dried tomatoes, anchovies, cocked bacon, ham, cheese, thyme or oregano. Makes 2 loaves Note