Vegetarian

Harissa is a Moroccan sauce or paste made from dried chillies, cumin, garlic, oil and caraway seeds. Harissa paste, available in a tube. It is very hot and should not be used in large amounts. Bottled harissa sauce, while still hot, is milder. It is available from supermarkets and Middle-Eastern grocery stores. Note

Thrill the kids this Halloween with these spooky pumpkin pizzas.

Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

This alluring, creamy, sensational pasta dish fulfils your desire to be amazed with a comforting yet exciting meal experience.

If you can’t find piquillo peppers, use roasted or grilled capsicum instead. Note

Fetta cheese can be used in place of the ricotta cheese. If you have some, stir ¹/³ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves into this recipe. If you don’t have angel hair pasta, you can use thin or regular spaghetti, instead. Note

Crunch through a slice of crusty bread and enjoy the filling flavours of baked beans, fresh tomato and avocado. This vegetarian meal is the perfect way to break up your day.

The crumb mixture can be made several hours ahead; cook zucchini just before serving. If zucchini flowers are not available, substitute small zucchini, quartered lengthways. Note

These little potato cakes are as fluffy as a soufflé, with a nice crunchy golden exterior. They’re delicious served with chutneys and pickles.

Silverbeet, shallots, carrot and mushrooms can be combined several hours ahead. Keep covered in refrigerator. Add dressing and noodles just before serving. Note

The dark, smoky flavours of tea and the warm spice of star anise bring out the autumnal sweetness of poached pears.

Can be made a day ahead up to step 2, and left covered in the fridge. Note

Buy fresh local produce at farmers' markets. Not only are the fruit and vegetables fresher, they will last longer. Markets can also be cheaper than the supermarket.

The relish is best made a day or two ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator to allow the flavours to blend. You can add a finely chopped, fresh red chilli to the mixture if you want it hotter. Note

Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

This potato salad strays from the usual creamy mayonnaise dressing with a deliciously zingy balsamic and mustard combination. This healthier salad would make a great addition to your Christmas spread.

Polenta is the bread of northern Italy, particularly around Venice. One of nature's 'good' carbohydrates, it is extremely versatile; for this recipe it can be kept refrigerated and fried just when required.

Ready-steamed brown basmati rice is available in packets from the rice section of supermarkets. Use fresh ricotta, sold in wheels from delis and the deli section of supermarkets for the best taste and texture. If heirloom tomatoes are not available, use baby grape or cherry truss tomatoes. Nutty brown rice and sesame seeds replace flour […]

Lentil and garlic soup with yogurt

Loaded with peas, mushrooms, zucchini and herbs, this creamy noodle dish is delicious and filling.

Served with a cooling minted yoghurt sauce, this wholesome salad is delicious and nutritious.

Filled with fresh vegies and rice, these tasty egg rolls are similar to sushi and make an excellent vegetarian snack or light lunch.

Crisp and golden, these vegetarian sausage rolls make an excellent snack.

Served with a cucumber yoghurt dipping sauce, these crunchy Indian fritters make fantastic finger food.

Loaded with veggies, ricotta and feta, these golden frittatas make a speedy and healthy mid-week meal served with salad.

Shape mixture into larger patties to use in vegetarian burgers. Use leftover taco seasoning to make guacamole and salad dressings, or sprinkle over tofu and mixed vegetables before char-grilling. Speedy corn: Before char-grilling corn cobs, rinse them in water; the extra moisture will help them steam while char-grilling. Note

A vegetarian version of the well-loved stuffed potato.

r

Served with fresh coriander and dollops of sour cream, these light vegetarian tacos will not disappoint.

This healthy salad with crisp parmesan bread makes a lovely light lunch or dinner.

For an easy, light meal or snack, you cannot go past a delicious vegetable frittata.

Buy char-grilled vegetables in jars or from the deli, and drain on paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Note

MAKES 6 Fizzy citrus spiders: Store syrup in a sealed bottle in the fridge. Fizzy citrus spiders: Freeze the combined syrup and soda water to make ice-blocks. Note

These crispy parcels make a delicious vegetarian snack.

You won't miss the meat with these juicy mushroom burgers served with fries.

This golden dish makes an excellent main course with a dollop of pesto and salad, or as a side dish with meat. Great for the lunchbox, too!

Tzatziki – makes 4 cups Make sure excess liquid is squeezed from the grated cucumber before mixing into the yoghurt. Note

To bake blind line pastry case with baking paper with pastry weights or dried beans. Bake as directed. Note

Shucked oysters should be kept on ice and eaten as soon as possible. Keep live unshucked oysters in the fridge, covered with a damp tea towel, until ready to shuck and eat. Note

Switch things up with this spin on the classic - delicious leek and mushroom lasagne. Perfect for any occasion, and packed full of flavour!

This vegetarian noodle dish is packed with flavour.

Serve this delicious vegetarian curry with rice and warmed chapatis.

This Asian-inspired vegetarian noodle dish is easy to make and brimming with flavour.

This green pea soup couldn't be easier to make, and is livened up immeasurably with the addition of mint pistou. A great light supper on a warm summer evening.

For a fresh, fabulous and easy mid-week dinner you can't go past these roasted beetroot, feta and rocket pitta bread pizzas. They're easy to throw together and simply delicious.

Super healthy and easy to make, tahini dressing is the making of this simple brown rice and vegetables dish.

A rich, smooth and warming soup that makes a great starter, a lovely light dinner or a warming winter weekend lunch. This roasted capsicum soup goes well with fried polenta slices.

Fresh, plump figs stuffed with nuts and cheese and then baked. Finish this gorgeous walnut and ricotta stuffed figs recipe with a drizzle of warm caramel sauce for a luscious dessert.

Roasting really intensifies the flavour of tomatoes, so one of the delights of this roasted tomato salad is actually being able to taste the subtle differences between different varieties of tomato.

You get a double berry hit with these fat little hotcakes studded with strawberries and slathered with blueberry sauce. Perfect for an indulgent brunch or special breakfast.

These tasty little spinach and corn pasties are sure to be a firm favourite with young and old. Great for lunches, after-school snacks and lunchboxes.

There's not too much spice in this flavorsome and colourful vegetarian curry. Photography by Rob Shaw/bauersyndication.com.au

To add real zing to a pile of fluffy mashed potatoes, there's nothing like adding a handful of freshly-grated parmesan cheese. The better the cheese, the better the mash will be. In a pinch, you can use ready flaked parmesan from a packet, but the ready-grated stuff doesn't really cut the mustard here.

Piquant tomato vinaigrette makes a wonderful dressing for tender steamed asparagus spears. Serve as a starter, or as a side dish for a meat, chicken or fish main.

Look away, paleo devotees! Our ancestors would never have indulged in this decadent carb-on-carb fest, but we're sure glad we can. This potato and rosemary pizza served with a herb dressing is so wonderful you won't want to share.

This savoury and delicately spiced Moroccan-style vegetables with couscous makes a hearty, healthy and delicious vegetarian meal.

Crunchy golden coconut, pecans and brown sugar make a divine topping for this luscious pineapple cake. It's lovely served still warm with a drizzle of cream.

The trick to making really smooth mashed potatoes is to use hot milk. For a mildly garlicky version, add some peeled cloves to the water with the potatoes and mash through.

Nutty parmesan is the perfect accompaniment to fresh, crisp sliced fennel.

Grilling peaches and nectarines brings out the intense flavour of the fruit, which is beautifully complemented by the nougat mascarpone.

A fragrant and bright Moroccan salad with crisp carrots and an orange flower water dressing.

Crisp, aniseedy fennel and earthy brown lentils are fabulous combined with sweet beetroot and peppery rocket.

Really, you can add any mushroom you like to this dish, and all mushroom lovers will have a favourite or three they can't go past. Mixed garlic mushrooms is an earthy, garlicky dish to savour.

The melt-in-the-mouth pastry is irresistible in this asparagus and gruyere tart and easier to work with than you might imagine.

A light and flavoursome Middle Eastern couscous dish with olives and herbs that can be served as a side or as a light meal.

This fresh, protein-packed pasta with zucchini, tomato and ricotta is an easy, tasty mid-week dinner that makes it easy to stick to your meat-free quotient.

Bruschetta is one of those classic dishes that's welcome at just about any meal, from a late breakfast to a late night snack. This garlicky goat's cheese version is a creamy, tasty winner.

Spaghettini is just spaghetti cut finer, and it makes a wonderful base for this vibrant freshly made pesto sauce. The more strands of pesto-coated pasta there are in every mouthful, the better.

This simple little bitter lettuce salad is the perfect side dish to serve with rich stews and pies.

Also known as a jelly roll in the United States, this filled and rolled sponge cake has long been a favourite in Britain and Australia, although its true origins are obscure. Quick and easy to make yet very impressive-looking, slices of the roll are good served warm or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream.

This capsicum, fennel and red onion salad is delicious served warm as a side dish with a roast joint of meat. If you prefer capsicum skinned prior to cooking, just hold over a gas flame, using tongs, until the skin blackens, allow to cool and slide off.

Three fabulous greens in one dish, this buttery, herby dish of leeks, zucchini and asparagus is an ideal side dish for almost any meat-based main.

For an easy, elegant dessert, try these decadent sandwiches of golden puff pastry, juicy berries and custard cream.