Quick & Easy

The Italian name for this tasty treat is Mozzarella in Carrozza. Instead of fresh basil leaves, try spreading bread with bought basil pesto. Note

Overlap rice paper to create an even layer; it will soften during baking. Note

For a thicker smoothie, use a frozen banana. Try vanilla ice-cream instead of yogurt. Note

Use pecans instead of walnuts. Note

You can bulk up this salad with shredded lettuce. Instead of cherry tomatoes, you can use 1 large tomato. White balsamic has a slightly milder taste than dark balsamic. Use any leftovers as a condiment or drizzle over grilled chicken. Note

Budget tip: Use neapolitan ice-cream or limit ice-cream and gelato to 2 colours. Scoop gelato and ice-cream and freeze on a tray lined with foil. Rollettes are small sponge rolls available from the bread and cake aisle at the supermarket. Note

Legumes are low GI. Vinegar helps lower the GI of the meal. Note

Clever idea: To melt chocolate for drizzling, chop chocolate, then seal in a small, resealable food storage bag. Place bag in a small heatproof bowl of boiling water; stand for 5 minutes or until chocolate melts. Remove bag from water carefully. Snip a small corner to drizzle. To add a Christmas touch, add some mixed […]

Makes 18 We’ve made these brownies healthier by using poly- or mono-unsaturated margarine instead of butter, thus lowering saturated fat; used less chocolate and sugar; added walnuts for “better” fats and prunes for taste and fibre. Note

Makes 12 Note

Haloumi only needs a quick sear – be careful not to overcook it. Note

You can use sour cream instead of buttermilk. Muffins are great for Lunch boxes. Try fresh ricotta instead of feta. You’ll need about 2 zucchini. Note

Passata is Italian tomato cooking sauce. It can be found it all good supermarkets. Note

Use canned corned beef instead of ham. Top with any of your favourite pizza toppings. You can cook the pizza on a baking tray in the oven. Note

Piece 100g chocolate in a small zip-lock bag. Microwave on High (100%) in 30-second bursts. Snip a corner to form a piping bag. Drizzle over slice. Note

Instead of using M&M’s, simply bake, ice with glace icing and sprinkle with 100s & 1000s. Note

Use rubber gloves to avoid staining hands. Try using strips of sticky tape instead of elastic bands, which can be tricky to keep on. No elastic bands? No problem, just dye eggs as instructed. Note

Stand ice-cream at room temperature for 15-25 minutes to soften. Don’t let ice-cream soften too much or the cake will have an ice-like texture. Note

Add a can of drained flaked tuna, if desired. Note

Made in advance, this is the perfect dipping sauce for tapas.

Spice up the kitchen with methods from the Middle East

It's a labour of love.

A smooth French soup with creamed crab.

These hearty and healthy soups combine practicality with great taste.

Bubbling hot shoulder chops are one of the most flavoursome cuts of lamb – and friendly on the budget.

Serve with your favourite mash – carrot and parnsip, pea and potato or kumara and ginger

This pork dish is meltingly tender after 90 minutes in the oven. The crisp freshness of the red pepper salsa, scattered over the finished pork, takes this from a good dish to a great one.

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

Big flavour comes in small sizes

Experience the tastes and textures of fresh Asian greens

Big flavour comes in small sizes

Big flavour comes in small sizes

Big flavour comes in small sizes

Julie Biuso creates a midweek masterpiece for your dinner table

Big flavour comes in small sizes

Experience the tastes and textures of fresh Asian greens

Alexa Johnston bakes a reliable sweet treat to keep you stocked for the cold months ahead.

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

Big flavour comes in small sizes

Julie Biuso creates a midweek masterpiece for your dinner table

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

Alexa Johnston bakes a reliable sweet treat to keep you stocked for the cold months ahead.

Julie Biuso creates a midweek masterpiece for your dinner table

Julie Biuso creates a midweek masterpiece for your dinner table

Megan May unravels a classic dolma recipe and ‘uncooks’ a delicious raw alternative

Experience the tastes and textures of fresh Asian greens in this fragrant, filling soup.

Big flavour comes in small sizes

Packed full of goodness and delicious flavours, this sausage and cheese omelette is a hearty breakfast that is sure to set your day off to a good start.

You can substitute vegetables and fillings in this recipe; for example, grated carrot for spinach, grated cheese for ricotta. You can use a 1/3-cup muffin tray; cooking time will vary. These are great for school lunch boxes. Note

Make your own meatballs; you’ll need 600g mince. Use chopped green onion or parsley instead of coriander. Note

Prepare treasure bags ahead. Cover with plastic food wrap; chill until required. Cook just before serving. Note

Place glasses in the freezer to chill for 5 minutes before serving. Note

We used forequarter chops; shop around for any type of chop on special. Note

Whatever you do, don’t overcook broccoli! To make sure it retains its crisp texture and vibrant green colour, trim florets to uniform size and stir-fry, steam, boil or microwave. Note

Ensure the broccoli is well coated with the crumb mixture so it does not dry out during cooking. Process 3 slices of bread to make crumbs. Note

Replace bacon with chopped paricetta or smoked ham. For a vegetarian main meal, omit bacon; add 2/3 cap chopped toasted hazelnuts. Tortiglioni is large tube-style pasta; you can use perme or rigatoni if you like. Serve topped with flaked parmesari. Note

To avoid overcooked, rubbery eggs, remove from heat while still creamy. Note

Strawberry crepes

Drain sun-dried tomato on paper towels to remove as much oil as possible. This recipe is a good source of calcium. Note

Use the breast of a barbecued chicken. Serve topped with thinly sliced green onions. Fried shallots are available from Asian food stores and some supermarkets. Note

Blend soup with an electric stick mixer. Note

Make ahead: Prepare biscuit dough and store in fridge for up to 2 days. Note

Choc Peppermint Creams: Makes 16 Peppermint Cream: Makes 1 cup Bake small cut-out shapes for 5 minutes – kids will love them. Cut as many biscuits as possible from first rolling of dough. To make more rounds from dough off-cuts, gently pash dough back together and re-roll. You can freeze unfilled biscuits. Triple this recipe, […]

Use Italian-style woodfired bread or brioche if you like. This version of French toast works well as a quick and delicious dessert; serve it up with yoghurt for brunch. Serve with fresh seasonal fruit. Note

Zucchini is also delicious at room temperature for a picnic or barbecue. Use the scooped out zucchini flesh in savoury muffins or frittatas. Note

Try this sensational quick and easy yellow fish curry infused with Asian spices. This simple dish takes no more than 15 minutes, but is bursting with vivid and intense flavours.

Use sliced strawberries instead of banana. Note

Mexican tortilla stack recipe that children will love and that takes less than 30 minutes to cook. This recipe combines chicken mince, tortillas, a tomato-based sauce, grated cheese and served with sour cream.

Try a combination of hoisin and plum sauce. Use bought crepes or serve meatballs in lettuce cups. You can freeze cooked pancakes; wrap in stacks of 5 for easy thawing. Note

You can use any marinated vegetables, such as mushrooms, zucchinis and sun-dried tomatoes. Serve on garlic bread or bruschetta. Note

For richer flavour, marinate chicken overnight. Note

Pepperoni sausage is in the deli section; if unavailable, replace with cabanossi. And you can use 4 small round pizza bases instead of English muffins. Note

Chorizo and haloumi can be salty, so taste dish before adding salt to season. Note

The packet of instant noodles we used in this recipe contained 2 sachets; one was a dry flavour sachet and the other comprised oil, sweet soy sauce and chilli sauce. If you use noodles without the second sachet, add 1/2 teaspoon each of oil, soy sauce and chilli sauce to salad. Note

You can add frozen vegies to curry at end of cooking. Note

You can replace pecans with walnuts, macadarnias or coconut. You’ll need 4 overripe bananas. Make ahead Make this cake up to 3 days ahead. Note

To make chocolate shavings, run a vegie peeler along the length of a block of chocolate. Note

Make ahead: Make filling a day ahead; assemble and cook gyoza just before serving. Note

You’ll find tempura flour in most supermarkets and Asian grocery stores. Note

Chocolate rollettes are mini chocolate sponge rolls; if unavailable, you can use regular mini sponge rolls. Note