Winter

Fuel up your body and power through the winter with this delicious, health-boosting smoothie by Megan May

Reap all the benefits of this nutritionally dense, iron-loaded vegetable in this tasty spinach and cauliflower soup. Warming, healthy and delicious, this creamy soup is beautiful served with bread.

This warming winter soup by Sophie Gray will impress your friends and family

The combination of salty ham, oozy cheese, hearty eggplant and crumbed chicken is absolutely delicious. Enjoy it hot out of the oven with a fresh rocket salad for a tasty family dinner.

Chill soup overnight to thicken; bring to the boil and stir in a little more stock or water if necessary. Note

Omit shortcrust pastry and spoon beef mixture into a 21cm (base measurement) pie plate. Top with puff pastry. Cooking time will vary. Note

Vegetables add a subtle flavour and texture to these tempting baking treats by Sophie Gray

Vegetables add a subtle flavour and texture to these tempting baking treats by Sophie Gray

Serve this scrumptious, nutty cake with dollops of cream for extra decadence.

You’ll need to process 1 slice day-old bread for crumbs. Note

To freeze, place cooled soup in airtight containers; freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw soup overnight in fridge. You can use your favourite Indian curry paste; korma and balti are mild, madras and vindaloo are hot. You can use fresh onion instead of frozen. Note

Sprinkle naan with caraway seeds or cumin, if liked. Note

For vegetarian, replace sausages with 400g can drained rinsed chickpeas and 200g fried tofu. Note

Use any mixture of mushrooms in this recipe. Try flats. If sage is unavailable, use 2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary. Note

Marsala is a sweet fortified wine. You can use beef stock instead of the marsala. Note

Use beef or chicken mince instead of lamb. Price will vary. Note

Make ahead: You can make pie up to 4 hours ahead. Cover, then refrigerate. Low fat: Use reduced-fat or skim milk. We used a frozen chunky vegetable mix of cauliflower, broccoli and carrot. Choose a potato variety that’s suitable for mashing. 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

Replace asparagus with 150g green beans. You’ll find pearl barley in the canned soup aisle. Note

Ham hocks, the shank end of a leg ham, are available at delicatessens, specialty stores, and some butchers. Shop around; hocks vary greatly in price, size and ‘meatiness’. Note

Replace white wine with extra chicken stock. Brown chicken well before cooking casserole, as this adds colour and flavour to the dish. If chat (baby) red-skinned potatoes are unavailable, use medium potatoes, cut into 3cm pieces. Note

Using a V-slicer or mandolin makes slicing onions quick and easy. If slicing by hand, halve lengthwise first to make slicing easier. Note

To save time, use bought bacon bits instead of cooking bacon. You can cook soup a day ahead. Cover, then refrigerate. For a variation, stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped cooked chicken just before serving. Note

Fish and risoni soup

Ham hocks are salty so there’s no need to add extra salt. Note

Use a finely chopped onion if you don’t have a leek. Make croutons by toasting crestless bread and cutting into cubes. Alternatively, fry cubes of bread in a little oil or butter until golden. Note

If desired, use fresh or frozen corn kernels. “Egg flowers” can be omitted if preferred. Note

If you don’t have passata, combine 2 tablespoons of tomato paste with 1/3 cup water. Deglaze pan by adding remaining jam and 1/2 cup stock. Simmer until thickened. Serve over lamb. Note

Other potatoes of choice may be used in this recipe. Note

If you don’t have saffron threads, use a 1/4 teaspoon turmeric instead. Any unopened mussels should not be discarded as they are still fine to eat (despite previous concerns that suggested otherwise). The tendon connecting the shells simply needs to be slit with a small sharp knife to open the mussel. Note

For a southern Asian taste, add ground turmeric and coriander. Yoghurt can be used for the sour cream. Note

Make sure the beans are well covered with water while they are soaking. Note

If liked, retain celery leaves and fry for 30 seconds to use as a garnish. Note

Suitable to freeze separately. Not suitable to microwave. Note

Try adding other vegetables of choice. Note

GARLIC TURKISH FINGERS: Brush turkish bread pieces with olive oil, rub with a garlic clove and sprinkle with seasoning. Grill for 2-3 minutes, until golden. Red, brown or white onions can be used for this. Cook them slowly, stirring. Note

MAKES 6 CUPS You can freeze this soup without the cream. Add when reheating. Note

Sliced fresh chilli could be added to this. Add more stock or water if soup is too thick. Note

This North African soup recipe is packed full of delicious flavours and spices to create a comforting and hearty winter meal

You can use prepared chopped garlic in this recipe; 1 teaspoon equals 1 clove. Note

Wonton wrappers are available from the refrigerator section of selected supermarkets and Asian grocery stores. Note

Chipotle peppers have a distinct, smoky flavour and can be found in specialty food stores. Otherwise, you can use 1 tablespoon of chopped jalapeno chilli or 2 chopped birdseye chillies. Note

A turkey buffe is a turkey with the legs removed. It takes a shorter time to cook than a whole turkey and has white meat only If preferred, use a boned turkey buffe only (without chicken and duck), and follow the same instructions for stuffing and baking. Your butcher can bone and butterfly the meat […]

To prepare pappadums quickly and easily, spray with oil and arrange on the turntable of your microwave oven. Cook on high (100%) power 1 minute, until puffed and crisp. Cool before serving. Note

Easy bouillabaisse recipe brought to you by Woman's Day - fresh fish, mussels, clams and shrimp in a rich broth. Serve sprinkled with parsley and accompanied with garlic bread.

Serve this with plenty of fresh crusty bread for dipping. Change the seafood to a mixture of your choice or simply use a marinara mix. Note

With macaroni, melted cheese, garlic and butter there is absolutely no way this hearty Italian meal could possibly disappoint.

Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

Make yourself toasty warm with this thick, creamy mushroom soup, infused with garlic and olive oil.

With a thick slice of toasted bread topped with melted gruyere cheese, there is nothing more warming on a cold winter�s night than a delicious hot bowl of French onion soup.

For a really flavoursome stock, heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a pot on high. Fry prawn heads and shells for 3-4 minutes. Pour in stock. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer gently for 15 minutes. Strain through a large sieve. Note

Use a salad of thinly sliced cucumber, red capsicum strips and parsley leaves, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. Note

To toast almonds, heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add almonds and cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes, or until golden. Note

For a healthier option to this pilaf, you could use brown rice instead of white. Note

We used amber ale as our beer of choice, but you could use any type you prefer. Note

Oxtail makes a very rich sauce, so a little goes a long way. This recipe makes enough sauce for 750g of dried fettuccine. Note

Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

Turmeric has been used in natural medicine for thousands of years as an anti-inflammatory and also aids digestion. Fresh turmeric looks similar to ginger with a bright orange flesh. If the fresh root is unavailable, you could substitute 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric. Note

Preserved lemon can be replaced with 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest and 1 tablespoon juice. Note

Add 1/2 teaspoon dried chiili flakes to breadcrumb topping, if liked. Note

To make ahead of time, wrap log of dumpling mix in plastic wrap and keep chilled with chicken mixture. Note

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

For poached meatballs, cook in simmering soup for 10-12 minutes. You can add a green vegetable of choice … spinach, kale or cabbage, for example … towards the end of cooking time. Note

Indulgent layers of juicy minced beef are cooked in a tomato-based sauce with pasta and creamy b�chamel sauce and all baked together until perfectly golden - simply irresistible!

You can use 750g cubed, skinless firm white fish in place of the marianara mix. Note

Substitute beef for lamb leg or mince, celery with frozen peas or green beans (add at the end of cooking time). Note

Use any type of dried or frozen fruit you already have. Note