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Test by spooning 1 teaspoon of marmalade onto a cold plate. Push with your fingertip and if it wrinkles it is ready. If not, continue boiling until setting point is reached. Alternatively, if setting is taking too long, it may be that the fruit is slightly over or under- ripe, affecting the amount of pectin […]

Add some extra chopped walnuts or pecans to cake mixture if desired – but remember this will increase the fat content. Light evaporated milk, thickened with cornflour, can be substituted for cream in many dishes, sweet and savoury. Note

You will need about 1 1/2 cups of biscuit crumbs for this recipe – use your favourites. Note

Make this into a tasty salad by tossing the cooked prawns through a mix of salad leaves, along with a 100g packet of cooked vermicelli rice noodles. Freeze prawn heads and shells to make stock for risotto or paella. Note

Make sandwich fingers using white and multigrain bread. Fill with your choice of: Shaved ham, tomatoes, swiss cheese and seeded mustard Aioli, cucumber and rocket Chicken mayo – mix shredded meat from half a barbecued chicken, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 finely chopped celery stalk, 1/2 finely chopped red onion and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard. Note

If liked, drain a little of the oil from the marinade and fry the garlic and thyme in a small frying pan, until garlic is crisp. Sprinkle over steaks to serve. If snake beans are unavailable, use plain green beans instead. Note

If short on time, use your favourite ready-made jam. Note

Buy pre-made jars of caramelised onion from your supermarket or deli, or make your own by slowly sauteing sliced onion and adding a little balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Note

Reduce hazelnuts to 1/2 cup and add 1/2 cup choc chips. Note

Don’t have the heat up too high as the hotcakes will brown on the outside but will be uncooked in the middle. Note

This lasagne will become a favourite for Saturday night dinners with friends. Serve with a green salad and a glass of Pinot Noir...

This is perfect for a weekend dinner and the leftover meat makes the best sandwiches – just use a little pickle and lettuce on soft bread with the beef.

This is one of the most delicious and popular potato dishes for a gathering. Bake more than is needed and bundle in tinfoil packs for guests to take home.

Without a doubt, this is the best fruit pudding I’ve ever made – without all the hassles of topping up water in a large pot on the stove.

Ready in 20 minutes, serves 4. 800g agria potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes; 1 tsp salt; 50g butter; 1 cup milk...

While baking the tomatoes, add some sliced zucchini or eggplant drizzled with olive oil. They make a delicious addition to the dish. Note

Make delicious ice-cream to accompany the tarts by softening 1 litre of good- quality vanilla ice-cream and blending in 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Return to the freezer until firm. Note

If you don’t have a pan that will go in the oven, simply wrap the handle of your pan in foil or transfer the pork to a foil-lined baking tray before baking. Note

Use scissors to easily snip chives. Note

Try half potato and half sweet potato. Note

Potted farmhouse terrines

A great way to use up leftover roast pumpkin. To roast pumpkin, toss in oil and bake in moderate oven for 20-25 minutes until tender and golden. Note

You can use 250g frozen corn kernels, thawed, in place of fresh. Roast cumin seeds by tossing in a dry frying pan until aromatic-grind in a mortar and pestle. Note

Line pudding moulds with a small square of baking paper – it can even extend up the sides. Wrap each pudding in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of foil. Freeze for up to six months. Defrost overnight at room temperature. To reheat, remove foil and heat in microwave on Medium (50% power), […]

Handling frozen pastry is easier if you let it just partially thaw. Tarts can be dusted with a little nutmeg before the final baking, or with icing sugar before serving. Accompany with cream if liked. Note

For a more elaborate cake, add some chocolate shells (or make your own using melted chocolate and chocolate shell moulds). Note

For a traditional shepherd’s pie, use leftover mashed potato, sprinkled with parmesan, and bake. For a complete meal, serve with vegetables or salad. Note

It is a good idea to mark 8 segments on the round with a knife before baking to make it easier to cut. Note

If using frozen smoked cod, thaw first. Equipment: You will need 4, 1-cup ramekins. Note

If you don’t have an ice-cream machine, combine all ingredients and freeze until mixture is almost set. Process to remove ice crystals and refreeze. Note

Use creamed corn instead of kernels. A little chopped chilli can be added to the salsa for added bite. Note

For a seafood lover’s stew, add fresh scrubbed mussels and peeled prawns with the fish in step 3. Marinara mix can be used. Note

To ensure the best flavour and texture, tuna should be cooked until still pink in the centre. If preferred, swordfish can be used in place of tuna. Note

16 strokes is usually enough when mixing muffin batter. Over-mixing the batter will result in dry, rubbery muffins. Note

The pork shoulder is such a sweet cut of meat and long slow cooking really suits it and brings out it’s flavour.

This slow-cooked lamb takes nearly 10 hours to cook, making it a great weekend recipe. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Enjoy these puddings as soon as they come out of the oven.

Everyone loves this combination – the sweetness of the prawns is perfectly complemented by the peas.

Choc-coconut is a classic combo – popular because it's so delicious!

Check the water level in the saucepan halfway through cooking and top up with more boiling water if needed. Note

To use a pudding basin with no lid, cover the mixture with baking paper and foil, making a pleat in the centre of both to allow for expansion. Secure with string. Note

The Italian pairing of canned tuna and cannellini beans makes a super-simple yet satisfying lunch. Serve over salad greens and with a toasted pita bread to create a nourishing meal.

We used medium grain brown rice for this recipe, but you could use long grain rice if preferred. If liked, you could add some chopped char-grilled vegetables, available in jars or from the deli. Note

The most luxurious and deeply satisfying vanilla ice cream. Perfect by itself or as an accompaniment to any dessert, this rich and creamy vanilla bean ice-cream is quite special and indulgent.

This is a superb casserole for vegetarians and so adaptable-other vegetables and beans of choice may he used. Note

This is a great snack with drinks. Use a mandolin or v-slicer to cut the vegetables thinly – you want the slices to be as thin as possible. Pat vegetable slices dry on paper towel before cooking. Note

Drained chick peas can be added. Okra is good in this dish when available. Note

If preferred, use a warm barbecued chicken with the skin removed and omit the cooking process. Note

Try replacing the sultanas with chopped dried apricots, figs, apples, dates or chocolate chips. Note

Skewer will be clean and dry if cake is cooked. When beating egg-whites, soft-peak stage is when the peaks formed in the foam bend at the top when beater is removed. Makes 16 Note

Light and fluffy corn and zucchini fritters are a scrumptious way to make a vege-packed meal. Serve with sour cream and sweet chilli sauce for a great light meal for the family.

We used a mixture of peaches, nectarines and plums. We used Speculaa biscuits, bur these can be replaced with ginger nuts or almond thins. Note

To caramelise orange slices, preheat grill to high. Slice 1 orange and arrange on a foil-lined grill tray. Sprinkle over 1/3 cup sugar to cover slices. Grill 5-8 minutes, until caramelised. Cool orange before arranging on top of cheesecake. Note

This is a lovely gluten-free banana cake with a light lemon icing. For a nut-free version, replace the almond meal with buckwheat flour, millet flour or quinoa flour.

Banana choc pops

Rum can be replaced with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon mixed spice, if preferred. Note

If the octopuses are large, cut them into segments. Octopus is cooked when flesh is opaque and tender. Note

This is our go-to basic muffin recipe that works every time! Add whatever ingredients you like to mix up the flavour combinations. These baked treats are perfect for a morning or afternoon tea snack.

This blueberry and nut loaf benfits from the crunch of hazelnuts. The fresh blueberries make this homemade loaf simply irresistible. Serve sliced with cream cheese and berry compote.

For creamy polenta, make the polenta packet instructions, but use half hot milk and half hot stock in place of water. Stir in 60g chopped butter, 1/2 cup grated parmesan and season to taste. Note

Makes 6 Note

Balsamic vinegar can be used instead of white-wine vinegar; it will give a darker end result. Note

Caramelised onions are perfect in sausage or steak sandwiches, quiche fillings or pizza toppings. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week. Note

Like many children of the 1960s and 1970s, award-winning chef Mark Gregory has lasting childhood food memories of baked beans on toast.

This is the simplest dish – essentially softly cooked tomatoes, cheese and toast.

We served this with a fresh berry salsa, but any combination of seasonal fresh fruit is ideal – even the humble sliced banana will taste delicious.