Ask your butcher to cut shanks in half. To prepare couscous, place 1 cup couscous in a medium heatproof bowl; stir in 1 cup boiling water. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside 5 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Using a fork, fluff and separate grains. Note

Make polenta just before serving. Try goulash served with cooked rice or crusty bread instead of polenta. Make ahead: Cook goulash a day ahead. Cover, then refrigerate. Note

Soup will thicken on standing. For a thinner consistency, stir in 1/2 cup stock. Note

Like more dumplings? Double dumpling mixture; spoon the extra 16 measures onto a baking paper-lined baking tray, then bake on bottom shelf as goulash cooks. Note

You’ll need to cook 1 cup jasmine rice. Note

Seasoned flour is plain flour with added seasoning’s to taste. Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water 10-12 minutes, until tender. Drain well. Toss with a little butter, if desired. Note

Casseroles can also be cooked on top of the stove – and it take a little less time. Note

Cooking time will depend on the size of the lamb shanks. The meat should almost be falling off the bone when they are ready. Use good-quality wine – if you can’t drink it, you shouldn’t cook with it either. Note

Seasoned flour is plain flour with added salt, pepper or herbs. Note

Seasoned flour is plain flour with added seasoning to taste. Note

Terrine must be weighed down to achieve correct texture. Note

To make chocolate curls, melt 1 cup white chocolate melts. Cut out several 8 x 10cm squares of baking paper. Spread or pipe (in a lacy pattern) a thin layer of chocolate onto paper in an oval shape. Fold over and carefully press tips of chocolate together to create a hollow loop. Support loops on […]

For quality beef, look for the meat-Standards Australia (MBA) symbol at participating butchers and supermarkets. You can also cook casseroles in a slow oven, 150°C, 3 hours. Note

If you’re cooking this soup in a pressure cooker or slow cooker, soak and drain the noodles following packet instructions and add to the soup before serving. Note

To reduce the preparation time, use 2 x 400g cans of chickpeas instead. They will only need a few minutes of cooking once added to the heat. Note

If you don’t like capers, try replacing them with 2 tablespoons of chopped pickled gherkins for tang. Note

Add 1 tablespoon moroccan spice mix with onion for a flavour variation. Note

This slow-cooked beef curry is a perennial favourite in Thai restaurants. When you cook it at home, it may take a while but the aroma and melt-in-the-mouth flavour makes the time spent worthwhile.

Lamb shanks are cooked for over six hours in a slow cooker to produce this incredibly rich and delicious lamb dish. Served with instant polenta and crisp greens

This hearty bolognese cannelloni will have the entire family running to the dinner table. It is comfort food at its best and tastes just as good the next day. Enjoy with a side salad and a glass of red.

Make your own stock to transform your stews and soups and dinner dishes. It's really incredibly simple, cost effective and a great way to use up vegetables and vegie scraps.

Stay cosy indoors this weekend with this hearty, slow-cooked beef casserole topped with dumplings. A side order of mash and greens completes the meal.

You can quickly peel the capsicum with a vegetable peeler if you don’t like the skin peeling off when it’s cooked. Suitable to freeze at the end of step 2. Pack into freezer-proof containers, leaving 2.5cm (1-inch) space to allow for expansion. Seal, label and freeze for up to 3 months. Sprinkle with oregano after […]

Confit is a cooking term for foods that are preserved either by being salted and cooked slowly in their fat, or are cooked and preserved in oil in a similar method. You can use ocean trout instead of the salmon. Note

Place a piece of baking paper, cut to fit inside the dish, onto the surface of the food before it goes into the oven. This will stop the food from browning too much. Cover the dish itself with a lid or foil. Use a casserole dish big enough to fit one layer of the tightly-packed […]

Pickled pork is delicious served hot with mashed potato, wilted cabbage and mustard or it can be served cold (like ham) with potato salad or coleslaw.

A Valencian rice dish of chicken and chorizo with olives and roasted red peppers.

Make sure the meatballs are completely submerged in the liquid during cooking. To freeze; complete recipe to end of step 2. Pack into freezer-proof containers, leaving a 2.5cm (1 inch) space to allow for expansion. Seal, label and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a saucepan or microwave […]

A rich, fragrant lamb and baby eggplant curry with cashew and coconut from Australian Women's Weekly.

A hearty stew for cold winter nights.

Israeli couscous, also known as pearl couscous, is made of baked wheat rather than semolina (like the couscous from North Africa). Its granules are much larger (its size and shape is similar to a pearl) and it maintains its texture and firmness without sticking. It is available from most major supermarkets. Note

Tart passionfruit give these rich crème caramels a fruity lift.

Warm up on a cold winter's evening with this melt-in-your-mouth stew.

A slowcooked beef that will melt in your mouth in a rich and herbaceous coriander curry.

Ask the butcher to cut the beef shank into 6 equal pieces for you, or you could use 6 x 300g (10 ounce) pieces beef osso buco. Dry red wine can be used instead of port. serving suggestion Serve shanks with risotto, mashed potato or soft polenta. Note

If you don’t have a slow cooker, simmer on a low heat, covered, in a large heavy-based saucepan on the stove top for approximately 1 hour. Note

A slow-cooked butter chicken topped with ricotta and coriander leaves. Serve with steamed basmati rice and warm naan bread, if you like

This slow-cooker chicken with leeks and artichokes is succulent and gorgeous served on a bed of mashed potatoes and drizzled with the cooking juices.

A rich stew of veal with parsley and capers from Australian Women's Weekly.

Fragrant and delicious slow-cooked massaman beef curry from Australian Women's Weekly.

Lemon thyme has a delicate perfume that infuses the chicken as it slowly cooks down, creating a tender, aromatic dish.

Slow cooker: suitable to the end of step 3. Pressure cooker: suitable to the end of step 3. Suitable to freeze at the end of step 3. Note

Kaffir lime leaves are sold fresh, dried or frozen. The dried leaves are less potent so double the number called for in a recipe if you substitute them for fresh leaves. Note

So tender, so sweet and so sticky - just try to resist these american-style ribs.

This mouth-watering dish uses preserved lemons, a prominent ingredient in North African cooking. The flavour is salty, unique and perfumed.

to freeze Complete the recipe to the end of step 3. Pack into freezer-proof containers, leaving a 2.5cm (1 inch) space to allow for expansion. Seal, label and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a saucepan or microwave on medium power (50%) until heated through. Tomato passata is […]

Peking duck is Beijing's most famous dish. Traditionally, this dish is served with peking duck pancakes and hoisin sauce.

This cousin to the apple is always eaten cooked, as it is too hard and acidic to be enjoyed raw. It takes a long time to cook, but its glorious scent and lovely musky flavour are worth it. Its flesh is cream when raw, but turns a deep rosy pink as it is cooked.

Anchovy and chilli add flavour and spice to these delicious lamb chops, served with cavolo nero and smooth mashed potatoes.

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

For a delicious, warming winter meal, serve this creamy cauliflower and parsnip soup with hot rosemary bread.

Serve with couscous. Note

Rich with the distinctive flavours of paprika and sour cream, this Hungarian goulash makes for a hearty and delicious meal.

The ginger broth can be made ahead and kept, covered, for several days in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to six months. Note

Poaching whole pears in champagne allows the flavour of the wine to seep into the flesh of the fruit, so use the best quality champagne that you can afford.

A colourful lamb stew packed full of big flavours.

Heavely succulent braised lamb shanks with creamy polenta - dinner is sorted! Warm up the family with this deliciously satisfying and comforting dish!

Served over crispy grilled polenta, this rich beef ragu is comforting and perfect for the cooler weather.

store Recipe best made just before serving. Note

Served with pistachio yoghurt, this Moroccan-inspired lamb shoulder is melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Take your stew to the next level with this slow-cooked beef tagine.

As with the word casserole, tagine also has two different culinary meanings. Originally from Moroccan kitchens and now found in many of ours, a tagine is the earthenware, cone-lidded vessel in which the spicy, fragrant North African stew with the same name is cooked. The lid serves as a vent, allowing the steam to escape, […]

This recipe serves 4 as a vegetarian main meal with rice, but you can also serve it as part of an Indian banquet to serve 8. Okra, also known as lady fingers, is a green, ridged, oblong pod with a furry skin. While native to Africa, this vegetable is used in Indian, Middle-Eastern and southern […]

A rich, slow-cooked chicken, sausage and bean cassoulet originating in the south of France.

Beggar's chicken is a dish from Changshu, Jiangsu province. The chicken is stuffed, wrapped in clay-like dough, and roasted.

suitable to freeze at the end of step 3. Note

Brimming with flavour, this slow-cooked curry is perfect for the cooler weather.

Chops are suitable to freeze at the end of step 3. However, to make the sauce, the onion and pan juices need to be frozen separately to the meat; reheat in saucepan before starting at step 4. Note

Your mouth will be watering in anticipation by the time you serve up this divine slow-roasted lamb shoulder, thanks to the good smells that will fill the house as it cooks.

Food referred to as "à la bourguignon" is food cooked in the style of the famous French wine region of Burgundy, and is instantly recognisable by its red wine sauce containing mushrooms, bacon and onions.

Tender slices of slow-cooked lamb are delicious served with these savoury braised white beans.

Roasted garlic is a delicious accompaniment to roasted or grilled meat, or squeezed from the skin and spread on croutes. To ensure a tender roast, remember to stand the meat before serving.