Side

If you don’t have a zester, peel lemon and remove the white pith. Slice the skin very thinly and soak in iced water for 10-15 minutes, until curled. Yellow beans are also called wax or butter beans. Choose crisp, unblemished pods with no swelling where the seeds are as it indicates over-maturation, meaning the beans […]

Makes 16 Note

Proving is essential for yeast to grow and give bread its characteristic texture. Note

If preferred, form dough into a round “cottage loaf” shape and place on a greased baking tray. Makes 1 loaf Note

The popular superfood quinoa dives in to save lunch yet again with this Italian style salad. Filled with tomatoes, capsicum, boccincini and a zesty dressing your taste buds and stomach will be thanking you.

Galettes are a French classic notable for their versatile filling options. These ham and cheese galettes are easy to make, and are a hearty snack alternative for extra hungry kids.

All Korean meals must feature kimchi. The most ubiquitous type is cabbage, but other ingredients, like daikon, cucumber and dried squid given the kimchi treatment create a harmonious but pungent taste.

Szechuan seasoning is available in spice section of supermarkets. Note

Lebanese eggplant may be used instead of zucchini, but allow a longer cooking time. Note

To grill pancetta, arrange on a baking tray and grill for 5-10 minutes, until crisp. Cool. Note

Peel and segment grapefruit over a bowl to catch juice. When peeling grapefruit, be sure to remove all white pith. Note

Simplicity at its best.

Choose button mushrooms for this salad as their clean taste offsets the slightly bitter flavour of radicchio and the salty romano. Note

To prepare green or purple asparagus, simply bend the spear so the woody end snaps off. White asparagus spears need to be peeled all the way down the spear. Note

Desiree potatoes have floury and waxy qualities, making them a good all-rounder. Note

This dish makes a great light lunch or first course dish for a dinner party. Note

Stir through flaked cooked chicken or canned tuna for added flavour and protein. Note

Daikon is a long white radish that’s primarily used in Japanese cooking. It tastes a lot like young turnips, which can be used as a substitute. Use a vegetable peeler to make long, thin strips for salads and garnishes. Note

Subtly spiced tasty vegetarian fried rice with vegetarian chicken-style sausages packed with fresh vegetables and topped with crispy fried shallots makes the perfect midweek meal.

These tomatoes are ideal for a buffet or picnic lunch, and can be cooked the day before. Note

If you don’t have any tamarind puree, soak 2 teaspoons tamarind pulp in 150ml warm water for 10 minutes. Strain, discard pulp and use liquid. Note

Use a small sharp knife to cut squid hoods lengthways from opening to tip. Place flat, inside up, on a clean work surface and score diagonally. Slice and marinate. Note

A traditionally French snack, gougere is a baked savoury cheese choux pastry. It is beautiful enjoyed fresh out of the oven with a cup of coffee for afternoon tea.

If you can’t find fresh peas, use frozen peas. Use about 3/4 cup and blanch as for fresh. Use a small food processor or hand blender for the dressing, if preferred. Note

This classic French egg and caper sauce can be served warm or at room temperature. Note

In this recipe, raw prawns are used with the shell intact to protect the delicate flesh and still give a delicious smoky flavour. You can secure them on metal skewers if using the grill plate, or cook them on the flat iron of the barbecue. Note

You may like to add 6 rashers of rindless bacon, grilled and broken into pieces. Caesar salad dressing is often flavoured with garlic and a few dashes of worcestershire sauce. Make the dressing without anchovies for the kids. Note

The perfect salad for those hot summer evenings with the family. Light and delicious seafood salad with fresh garlic calamari tossed together with parsley and lemon rind.

The summer hols never last long enough. Soon it’s back to school or work. Sophie Gray sends you on your way with a smile and this tasty lunch option

This satisfying salad with boiled eggs, tuna and green beans is a classic that never goes out of fashion.

This is a five-star dish – so good you might consider making double!

This is almost like a chutney in flavour; it’s tart and a little sweet and the juniper berries give a lovely, peppery, aniseed flavour.

Couscous is generally served with a savoury stew on top, but it’s also delicious eaten for dessert. Note

Crispy roast potatoes

These popular pickled vegetables are great served as part of an antipasto selection or with boiled meats or ham. Try giardiniera on beef or sausage sandwiches, and with cheese, dips, in pasta sauces, or even as a homemade pizza topping. Note

Smoked fish is first salted, then either “hot smoked” (cooked close to the heat source, becoming opaque) or “cold smoked” (not smoked close to the heat source therefore not heated, so it’s translucent). You can use other types of hot-smoked fish for this recipe too, such as salmon, trout, cod or mackerel. Note

Warm, and zesty, these flavoursome potatoes are crispy on the outside, fluffy on the middle, and are the ultimate comfort food or warming side dish for your next roast dinner.

Makes 1 loaf This bread, adapted from a recipe by Jim Lahey of New York’s famous Sullivan Street Bakery, calls for very little yeast, a soft, slack dough, a long rising time and baking in a covered preheated pot. For a crisper crust, reduce the length of time the pot is covered to 20 minutes, […]

Sumac is tangy. If you don’t have any, squeeze a lemon over the dish to serve. Note

We’ve used oil as well as butter – the oil cooks the potatoes while butter adds a nutty flavour. In France, potatoes are often pan-fried in duck or goose fat for their taste. Lard could also be used. Note

These are a great lower-fat alternative to deep-fried chips. For added flavour, before baking toss wedges with freshly chopped herbs, rind and juice of 1 lemon and a grinding of pepper, or 2 teaspoons cajun or mexican seasoning mix. Note

To ensure the radish retains its colour and crunch, dress this salad at the last possible moment before serving. Note

A simple but sophisticated starter or side dish, this classic combination of fresh pumpkin, creamy mozzarella and tangy crispy prosciutto is stylish but easy and quick to make.

Classic and delicious combination of fresh pumpkin, creamy mozzarella and tangy crispy prosciutto topped with crisp sage leaves creates a simple but sophisticated starter or side dish.

Lovers of blue cheese, rejoice! This creamy dressing is a natural match for pear and toasted walnut salad.

Glazing a ham is a Christmas rite of passage for the home cook. You can’t beat the look of a nice ham all dressed up in cherries or pineapple. It makes you look like a whiz in the kitchen and it’s dead easy.

Packed full of flavour, this Swedish potato gratin is the ultimate comfort food for the whole family. Serve on it's own straight from the oven, or enjoy as a side dish with your favorite roast meat.

In these enlightened times we feast in all manner of ways on the 25th. But the traditional New Zealand Christmas dinner of a perfectly glazed ham, carrots, spuds and peas followed by a berry-packed and boozily indulgent trifle is still incredibly hard to beat. Sophie Gray aces a classic

Light, fresh and tasty, this healthy zucchini, asparagus and broad bean salad makes the perfect side dish for an outdoor Summer dinner party.

Add a dash of pizazz to your table with this colourful, fresh and healthy layered vegie dish.

This simple and beautiful apple and sage dish is the perfect side dish to serve alongside dessert or a family roast dinner.

Eleanor Ozich adds a gluten-free twist to traditional Christmas fare

The perfect side dish to any roast dinner, these gorgeous brown sugar and orange glazed carrots are wonderfully sweet and packed full of flavour. You'll have the whole family reaching for more!

Julie Biuso adds a dash of pizazz to vegetable sides, ensuring your summer dining table is alive with colourful, fresh and healthy flavours. Imaginative vegetable sides can turn a meal into a fabulous feast. We’re not talking plain boiled carrots – we’re talking flavour, colour and attitude. Bring in ginger, spices and chilli for a little zing; nuts for the crunch factor; edible flower petals for colour; then yellow and red capsicum to contrast with the green vegetables.

Julie Biuso adds a dash of pizazz to vegetable sides, ensuring your summer dining table is alive with colourful, fresh and healthy flavours. Imaginative vegetable sides can turn a meal into a fabulous feast. We’re not talking plain boiled carrots – we’re talking flavour, colour and attitude. Bring in ginger, spices and chilli for a little zing; nuts for the crunch factor; edible flower petals for colour; then yellow and red capsicum to contrast with the green vegetables.

This is a simple salad that is packed full of flavor.