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White peach bellini cocktails
Here' s a simple, seasonal and refreshing idea to get your romantic night or summer party started.
In Season
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How to prepare oysters Kilpatrick
The easiest-ever summer lunch party you can have is one where you can just pull everything out of the fridge and serve. They might not be in fashion these days but I love a Kilpatrick oyster. This chilled version gives them a lighter twist. Add a dash of vodka to the mix and it's nearly a Bloody Mary.
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Rachel Khoo's no-bake praline ice-cream cake
Oven broken or don't fancy getting a sweat on in the kitchen? You can whip up this delicious dessert with just a stove top and a freezer. This decadent ice-cream cake with a crunchy hazelnut praline rippled through it makes a crowd-pleasing finale.
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Tangy berry summer pudding
There is no simpler or more delicious dessert than a tangy summer pudding. And with all the wonderful berries in season, there is no better time to be making – and eating – it.
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Peach and plum barbecue sauce recipe
With Christmas smack-bang in the middle of barbie season, there are few more perfect gifts than a home-made barbecue sauce made from summer stonefruit.
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Chicken, avocado salad with walnut vinaigrette
This super-tasty salad is perfect for a summer afternoon – just add a crisp white wine and crusty bread. If you want to make it really simple, replace the poached chicken with a bought roast chook or cooked king prawns.
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Fruit salad with champagne granita
Start this recipe the day before serving. If you're time-poor, use tinned peaches. And if you're flush, use fancy champers.
Sweet and sour crispy-skinned snapper
The best way to get fish skin nice and crispy is to scrape the skin with a sharp knife and pat dry with paper towel to help remove moisture. Placing a weight on it while frying helps to keep the skin in contact with the pan.
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Spicy chestnut ginger biscuit recipe
It wouldn't be Christmas without ginger somewhere on the table. These bikkies are peppery hot with ginger. The chestnut flour adds an earthy background flavour, but if you don't have it, replace it with rye flour or wholemeal.
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Christmas recipe: Porteno's prawn and octopus salad
We created this seafood dish for a mate’s 50th birthday earlier this year. It was such a hit that we’ll definitely be cooking it for Christmas. If you want to trick it up, replace the prawns with cooked lobster.
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Asian-style grilled pork skewers
Straightforward to prepare, these Asian-style pork skewers with dipping sauce are full of flavour and a great way to feed guests. Marinate the meat overnight for best results.
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Garlic and anchovy beef barbecue skewers
Adam Liaw: Slicing the steak thinly is the best way to ensure your skewers are tender and full of flavour. Intersperse the meat with little slices of the fat, which will render and keep the meat moist while it cooks.
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Smoked salmon and cornichon pasta salad
I think great side dishes make or break a barbecue. You can't get away with just chopping up some lettuce, tomato and cucumber any more. Here's a simple side idea for a sophisticated warm-weather feast. Pasta salads should be more pasta than salad. Leave the spirals on the shelf and use an interesting pasta shape to give this dish a little more elegance.
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Neil Perry's blueberry tart with almond pastry
While this blueberry tart is at its most delicious served with lightly whipped cream, vanilla ice-cream is pretty tasty, too.
COLLECTION
49 perfect picnic recipes
It's spring, time to dust off the picnic basket, unfurl the checked blanket and don your daintiest hat. But what to eat? With our bumper picnic recipe collection the question is 'what can't you eat in the great outdoors?'
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Spring pot au feu
You can tweak this pot au feu by leaving out the parsley and chevril and topping it with a dollop of pesto, which really brings the broth to life. I also like a good grating of fresh parmesan over the bird as well.
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Smahed broad beans with ricotta
Here's a truly smashing way of serving up seasonal vegies. You can cheat and use ready-made ricotta for this dish but once you've tasted it freshly made and still warm, you'll wonder why you ever bought it.
COLLECTION
30 spring recipes to cook right now
Not sure what to cook? Don't stress, throw some seasonal fruit and vegetables into your shopping trolley and you'll find plenty of recipes to match right here.
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Adam Liaw's almond milk panna cotta
An attractive glass or mould can give dramatic shape to a simple set dessert, and you don't need to spend a lot of time artfully placing ingredients and fussing over presentation. These are fantastic for a dinner party.
COLLECTION
23 amazing asparagus recipes
Spring time means asparagus! Here are some great asparagus recipes to help incorporate the bright, healthy green into easy dinners, salads and party platters.
COLLECTION
19 excellent zucchini recipes
Zucchini is one versatile vegetable – it can be anything you want it to be. Turn it into zucchetti, add it to a cake, stuff the flowers with cheese and deep-fry until golden, or serve it in a fresh spring salad. Make the most of spring's bounty and get cooking.
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Rachel Khoo's rosé spring stew
I am a firm believer that stews shouldn't be restricted to cosy winter nights. A light summer broth, like this one made from rosé and packed with spring vegetables, makes for a great dinner party dish.
How to choose the best fruit and vegetables
These simple rules are mighty useful when visiting a market or grocer.
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Smoky chickpea, eggplant, tomato stew
This recipe makes for a great batch cook, the flavours even intensify when left overnight, so you'll take even greater pleasure from it the next day. Chipotle chillies add a brilliant depth of smokiness.
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Poached chicken with sauce gribiche
Propel the humble poached chook into culinary orbit with a super-savoury classic French sauce that’s so easy to make. Sauce gribiche goes with so many springtime dishes, whether hot or cold.
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Neil Perry's king prawn salad
Start this recipe two days in advance to pickle the prawns. There are lots of flavours in this pickling brine mix; if you wish, take a few ingredients out – just make sure the lime juice and lemon juice are included. These prawns also work well served on vegies such as green beans, broccolini or asparagus.
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Slow-cooked duck with beans and pancetta
With a little forward planning, this simple recipe will bring sublime, intense new flavours to your table. It's best served with a simple green salad.
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Herbed fish cakes with kohlrabi slaw
Use your favourite seafood in these versatile favourites: play around with hot smoked salmon, barramundi, snapper, leatherjacket and flathead, sometimes even a few prawns. . Serve with a fresh crunch slaw and dinner is done!
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Saltimbocca-style pork with potato and onion gratin
It's not going to win you any points with your doctor or personal trainer, but once in a while an indulgent dish like this is good for the soul.
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The Blue Ducks' bread 'n' butter pudding
We've revved it up with chocolate and burnt orange, but try it with chopped dates and walnuts, poach. We've revved it up with chocolate and burnt orange, but try it with chopped dates and walnuts, poached pears and almonds, or just flavoured with a simple spice*.
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Sauternes cake with maple roasted pears
The olive oil cake is delicious with vanilla ice-cream and any poached or seasonal fruit. Using oil helps achieve a moist crumb and with the wine and fruit this makes a great dinner-party finisher.
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Neil perry's winter fish cakes
Looking for a lighter winter meal? Swap those rich glazes for a no less delicious winter meal of fish cakes - a perennial winner.
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Pickled beet salad with pearl barley, pumpkin seeds, feta and almonds
Solve your winter salad dilemma with this delicious, healthy and filling beet and grain salad. If pickling beets sounds like too much trouble, freshly grated beets are just as delicious.
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Neil Perry's braised chicken with lentils
With this chicken recipe, you could try duck legs instead of chicken. They will take a little longer and should be cooked until the meat is falling off the bone. You can also add heat with a couple of chopped red chillies or a teaspoon of chilli flakes. And if you want to save time, use tinned lentils – just drain, wash and add at the end.
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Fillet steak with crispy onions
Food doesn't have to be fancy to be good. The creamy, cheesy spinach is part sauce and part side dish for the steak. Top off with crispy onion for texture - a great meal.
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Roast broccoli with ricotta and lemon
Meals that make the most of what you have at home is a great way to save money. A cheesy, seasonal salad is a great example because it's easy to adapt to whatever vegetable, cheese, nuts or dried fruit you have to hand.