These delicious and crunchy little garlic and chive croûtons will spruce up any leafy salad.

other ideas: tiny blini or rösti, polenta squares, upturned mushrooms, baby cos or betel leaves, crisped won-ton wrappers or tortilla wedges. Note

Peanut butter sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead. Leftover sauce can be used over ice-cream. Note

The tin needs to be coated thickly with melted butter so the roll won’t stick to the inside of the tin. Don’t use cooking-oil spray, as this doesn’t give a good enough coating and the roll will stick and be hard to turn out. If you can’t find nut roll tins, this mixture can be […]

Panettone are easy to find around Christmas time, at other times they may not be as readily available. You can use brioche instead, adding a handful of sultanas, or thick-cut fruit bread. Note

This is a very quick and easy cake to make that only involves hand-mixing in one bowl. It is very important to thoroughly drain the pineapple, or else the cake will be doughy and heavy. Toasting macadamias brings out the flavour. There are two ways to toast them: spread macadamias onto an oven tray, toast […]

Dressing can be made 1 day ahead; chill, covered. Recipe can be 3 days ahead up to step 3; store in airtight container. Note

Adding avocado to this open sandwich not only adds a rich creamy flavour, it also increases its nutritional value. Avocados are a rich source of potassium and healthy monounsaturated fats that help to lower cholesterol. Use a loaf of ciabatta bread if turkish bread is not available. Note

If buying prawns in the shell, you will need to buy about 185g uncooked prawns. Note

For a vegetarian option, add extra beans in place of the chicken. You need to cook ⅓ cup (65g) raw rice to get the amount of cooked rice used here. You could also use the microwave rice now available in most supermarkets. Note

Potted prawns can be made a day before the picnic, keep well-iced during transportation. Make crostini close to departure time. Note

Pizza fingers can be prepared the day before; put the toppings on, then cover them with plastic wrap and store them in the fridge. Bake when ready to eat. Note

You could poach or fry the eggs, if you like. Note

Chipotle chillies in adobo sauce are sold in small cans from delicatessens and specialist food stores; they have a medium-hot smoky taste. Any leftover chillies will keep with their sauce in a small screw-top jar in the fridge for up to 3 months. Substitute with a teaspoon of smoked paprika and a pinch of chilli […]

If you have an electric mixer with a dough hook you can use it to knead the dough for 5 minutes. Rolls are best served slightly warm on the day of baking. They are not suitable to freeze. Note