Share plate / tapas

Classic Indian finger food that no one can resist! Crisp and golden mixed vegetable bites cooked with a selection of spices in a chickpea flour batter which are deep fried.

Use any flavoured coating mix. Freeze croquettes for up to 3 months. Note

Mexican chilli powder is a combination of chilli, paprika, cumin, oregano and garlic, it adds a fabulous flavour hit. You can use chicken breast instead of turkey. Note

Prawn mixture can keep in the freezer for up to three months. Note

Baking ensures a low-fat wonton. Serve wontons with your favourite dipping sauce. To make traditional wontons, brush edges of wonton wrappers with a little water, top with filling then pinch wanton to enclose filling. Steam or deep-fry. Note

Replace pizza cheese with grated cheddar, if desired. Pizza cheese contains grated cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan. Add a little butter and milk to scooped-out cooked potato; mash. Cover and refrigerate. Use the next day. Make salsa just before serving to prevent avocado discolouring. Note

Makes 2/3 cup of corn salsa. Note

Swap tart shells for vol-au-vent cases. Use sweet chilli sauce instead of tomato paste. Make ahead: Prepare vegetable mixture a day ahead. Cover, then refrigerate. Note

Make ahead Prepare croquettes to the end of Step 2 a day ahead. To shallow-fry, add oil to a depth of 4cm. Kumara is orange sweet potato. Note

Replace sprouts with 1 cup finely shredded cooked chicken. Note

You could use two 400g Turkish pide, cut in half crosswise, then thinly sliced lengthwise. You can macerate figs up to a day ahead. Cover, then refrigerate. Note

Use bamboo skewers instead of rosemary. Make ahead: You can prepare an hour ahead; keep, covered, in the fridge. Cook just before serving. Add different vegetables, such as zucchini and capsicum. Note

For maximum flavour, marinate chicken a day ahead; keep covered in the fridge. Note

Flatbread suitable to freeze. Butter mixture suitable to microwave. Note

Mexican food is hot, hot, hot! Surrender to its exotic flavours – sweet, sharp, smoky, hot, fragrant and fruity, sometimes all together on the one plate

To make chicken mince, finely chop breast fillets, then process in a food processor until minced. To shallow-fry nuggets, add oil to 4cm deep. Note

Fresh and delicious!

To prevent bamboo skewers scorching during cooking, soak them in cold water for 20 minutes before using. Note

Makes 8 Note

Beef minute steak, also known as barbecue steak, is thin scotch fillet or porterhouse steak pounded to 1cm thickness. Try chicken tenderloins or lamb leg steak instead of beef. Reduce fat: Use light sour cream. Note

Use pork mince instead of leg steaks. Make ahead: You can make salsa a day ahead. Cover, then refrigerate. Note

You can buy all-season spice mix in the spice aisle. If unavailable, use any spice combination, such as Moroccan, Middle Eastern or Italian. Try chicken, lamb or pork mince instead of beef mince. Price will vary. Note

Replace tenderloins with sliced chicken thigh fillets. Replace the chicken with diced beef or lamb. Price will vary. Use your favourite Indian curry paste. To prevent bamboo skewers scorching during cooking, soak them in cold water for 20 minutes before using. Note

Gow gee wrappers are with the refrigerated or frozen foods section of supermarkets. Note

Vegetable spring rolls brought to you by Recipes+

To make vegetarian, use 250g mashed firm tofu instead of chicken, and swap fish sauce for soy sauce. Don’t overfill dumplings, as some fillings expand during cooking. Note

Make ahead: Prepare a day ahead. Cover, then refrigerate. You can double quantities. Sprinkle your favourite spice on pita crisps before baking. Try serving with 1 long loaf sliced Turkish pide instead. Note

Vegetarian: Use vegetable stock cubes instead of chicken. Note

You could use grated cheddar cheese instead of feta, if preferred. Note

Use tasty cheese instead of pizza cheese. Only have one baking tray? Bake one pizza at a time. Add crisp bacon to the topping. Try baby spinach leaves instead of rocket. Note

Make ahead: Prepare recipe up to end of Step 2 a day ahead. Cover, then refrigerate. Note

You’ll need 8 skewers. To prevent bamboo skewers scorching during cooking, soak them in cold water for 20 minutes before using. To get more juice from a lime, use your palm to roll it back and forth on the kitchen bench before juicing. Buy limes in season, then freeze the juice in ice-cube trays. Store […]

If bites burst during cooking, tum oven temperature to a lower heat; cook until golden. You’ll need 1/4 small barbecued chicken, skin and bones removed. Note

You’ll find all-purpose seasoning in the spice aisle. Note

Discard oil after frying as it will have a fishy flavour and can’t be used again. Fish sauce is salty, so there’s no need to add extra salt. Use chicken breast fillets instead of fish. Cooking time and price will vary. Note

You’ll need 8 skewers. Soak bamboo skewers in water before using. Note

Make the shortcrust pastry. Omit thyme. Thaw pastry at room temperature. Note

To make ahead, prepare patties to end of Step 1. Cover, then refrigerate (with remaining egg). Crumb and cook the next day. Dry potato before mashing, then Let patty mixture stand for 10 minutes so it’s easier to handle. Swap canned tuna for the salmon. Note

Risotto for making arancini is best cooked the day before. Arancini makes great finger food when you serve it with a spicy tomato relish. Perfect for parties. Note

If preferred, you can make prawn toasts up to 2 hours ahead. Cover, then refrigerate. Reheat in a slow oven. Note

Use puff pastry instead of butter puff. To deep-fry, add oil to 8cm deep. Note

Use grated cheddar cheese instead of parmesan. Note

Garam masala is an Indian spice blend in the spice aisle; you can use mild curry powder instead. To shallow-fry, add oil to a depth of 4cm. Note

This is a delicious quick and easy starter or side for any meal. The combination of salty, crisp bacon with sweet honey roasted carrots is a match made in heaven.

Cover wonton wrappers with a damp tea-towel to prevent drying out. Use Chinese cabbage (wombok) instead of regular cabbage. Ketjap manis is an Indonesian sweet soy sauce available in the Asian food section. You can use 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce combined with 1 teaspoon brown sugar instead. Note

You’ll need 8 skewers. To prevent scorching bamboo skewers during cooking, soak them in cold water for 20 minutes before threading. When serving to kids, remember to use strong kitchen scissors to remove the sharp end of skewers. Note

Goat cheese has a distinctive taste. If you’re not a fan, you can use fresh ricotta. Buttermilk is slightly soured milk. If unavailable you can make your own by stirring 1 tablespoon lemon juice into 1 cup skim milk and letting it stand for 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Note

You can add thawed frozen peas with the last cup of hot stock. Make sure oil is hot enough before frying the balls so they stay intact. Note

Add scrambled egg for a delicious breakfast or brunch. Top potatoes with bought salsa. You can use parsley instead of chives. Note

Makes 24 To freeze, place uncooked rolls in resealable food storage bags, then freeze for up to 3 months. You can cook them from frozen. Just increase cooking time to 30 minutes. Note

makes 24 To ensure croquettes don’t split when cooking, give them a thick coating of breadcrumbs. You’ll need 6 slices of day-old bread to make 3 cups breadcrumbs. Note

For maximum flavour, use juicy ripe tomatoes. Replace bacon with crumbled fetta. Note

Make ahead: Prepare pita chips a day ahead; store in an airtight container at room temperature. Make dip a day ahead. Cover, then refrigerate. Buy char-grilled capsicum at the deli counter or in jars from the condiment aisle of the supermarket. Tahini (sesame seed paste) is in the health food aisle. If unavailable, use smooth […]

Fried crunchy noodles are in the Asian food aisle. Our raw nibble mix contained almonds, sunflower kemels, pepitas, raisins and sultanas. You can use any combination you like. Note

Makes 32 Sushi rolls can be made up to one day ahead of time and kept uncut and tightly wrapped in the fridge. Note

Use bought marinara mix instead of prawns. Cooking time will vary. Leftovers: Use canned tomatoes in soups and casseroles. Note

Allow beetroot to drain on kitchen paper before arranging on tart to prevent excess ‘bleeding’ of juices. Note

Always cover yeast mixtures with a clean tea towel or plastic wrap, and place in a warm, but not hot, place. Note

Parcels can be made ahead; cover and chill until required. Note

Bake blind by lining pastry cases with baking paper. Fill with dried beans, rice or pasta. Continue as directed. Note

makes 16 Note

Cooked bugs, lobster, scampi or king prawns can be halved and cooked in the same way. For cooked bugs, barbecue for 1-2 minutes to heat through and colour up. Drizzle with any leftover butter mixture. Note

Tomato ‘passsata’ is a cooked tomato concentrate. Tomato paste can be substituted. Lebanese bread, pita bread or naan make good alternative pizza bases. Note

makes 12 Note

Chicken, spinach and feta parcels

Not suitable to freeze or microwave. Note

Eggplants are especially delicious fried. These indulgent eggplant fingers with homemade aioli are sure to go down a treat and are an alternative to regular potato fries.

With a delicious smokiness, these tasty grilled garlic mussels are a fantastic recipe for entertaining. They're perfect served at your next dinner party or special occasion

You can use shredded barbecue chicken in place of the duck. Keep it warm in a slow oven, 150°C. Note

makes 24 USe a wide-bladed vegetable peeler to cut cucumber strips. Cut into pieces, then fold in half to place on patties. Note

Prepare up to 1 hour ahead and keep chilled. Note

Slice cucumber with a vegetable peeler or mandolin. Make your own melba toasts by slicing a baguette and baking in a moderate oven, 180°C, for 4-5 minutes, until crisp. Note

Soak skewers in a dish of water for 20 minutes before threading to prevent scorching. Note

To “butterfly” the prawns, cut along the back of the prawn, but not all the way through, and flatten like a book. Remove vein, rinse and pat dry. Eggs age more in a day at room temperature than a week in the fridge. Note

You can also make these cases using soft tortillas in place of the filo pastry. Spray with oil and press into the holes in the muffin pans. Make the cases in advance, but don’t fill them until you’re ready to eat or they’ll go soggy. Note

Do not make batter until you are ready to cook the puddings. Put them into a hot oven. Puddings will deflate to make a perfect case for the salsa. Note

Larger ribs may need to finish cooking in a moderate oven, 180°C. Note

For lemon mayonnaise, combine 1/2 cup whole-egg mayonnaise with 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest and a little lemon juice. Season to taste. You could coat the cakes in dried breadcrumbs in place of flour if preferred. Note

When deep frying, so not fill your pan more than about half way. Note