Emma Knowles

Light, simple and deceptively easy to make.

Our variation of light and zesty Mexican aguachile, a dish that's perfect for warm nights or those days when you're seeking a substantial salad.

These beans are no afterthought: their smoky flavour rivals that of the steak. We guarantee you'll be charring all your greens once you try this recipe.

Eating your greens has never been so easy.

A Middle Eastern-inspired bowl perfect for breakfast or any time of the day.

If you're after a salad with spice, acidity, sweetness and smokiness, we have you covered.

This vegetarian twist on an old favourite uses broccoli and shiitake mushrooms to create a textural, light filling.

A simple dessert with minimal fuss and maximum flavour.

What goes better than lamb with mint? A preserved lemon dressing makes a fine addition.

This recipe packs a smoky punch - no woodchips required.

Making poke at home has never been this easy.

Rice pudding makes a gorgeous chilled dessert, particularly topped with honeyed figs.

Balmy weather calls for light and bright salads with crunch, acid and fresh herbs.

This barbecued quail with a light, nutty salad is a quick and easy recipe for any time of year.

Strawberry ice-cream without a need for a machine? Yes, please.

If you're not smoking your own fish, you're missing out.

No barbecue is complete without a mix of excellent salads. This one makes the most of summer tomatoes and the freshest of herbs, but don't be fooled - it's no lightweight.

These pineapple-lime icy poles are offset by a creamy coconut base. The addition of a lemon myrtle and mint dip is the finishing touch you never knew you needed - until now.

Dark chocolate semifreddo is topped with a cinnamon, clove and nutmeg-spiced pavlova for a show-stopping finish to a meal.

Keep things simple with a lemon and garlic butter that allows the sweet lobster to shine through.

Tofu adds protein to this super-quick refreshing salad, but if you'd like to bulk it up a bit more, add some sliced raw salmon or barbecued prawns,

We've given the Basque piperade a Christmas twist with spices that compliment the sweetness of the onion and capsicum.

No stress and no fuss. This dessert can be whipped up with minimal effort.

A tarter-than-usual lemon curd offsets pavlova's sweetness, while blackberries add a delightful summer fragrance.

The freshness of this sesame-crusted kingfish sashimi is amplified by a light ponzu dressing and accompanying greens.

These luxe sandwiches are a treat for lunch or dinner, but can easily morph into a cocktail snack. That's versatile.

Pork works well with most fruit, and we've added a curry dressing for a touch of spice. Leftover ham (from Christmas, say) would work well in place of the pork.

This recipe features a crisp, lime-scented meringue topped with layers of tart passionfruit curd. The finishing touch? Summer's sweetest mangoes, of course.

Peaches and raspberries are the backbone of a Peach Melba. Here we've reimagined this classic Australian dessert in icy-pole form, with a few tweaks along the way (such as roasting the peaches) for an even more memorable finish to a meal.

Watermelon makes for a refreshing summer treat on its own but with the addition of basil, its flavour is transformed into something altogether more delicious. Try this powerful combination in a shaved ice dessert.

The warm and toasty notes of chermoula bring zing to this otherwise simple dish of roast vegetables and grilled chicken.

This dense lime and coconut cake is perfect for picnics: it travels well and can be made ahead.

A whole roasted fish is a fuss-free way to cook seafood for a crowd. We like to marinate the fish overnight so the flavour gets right into the flesh, plus it means one less thing to do on the day.

This saltbush-rubbed lamb is paired with a simple yoghurt-lemon sauce. Make it the star at your next barbecue.

Breakfast or dessert, this fruit salad is a refreshing sugary hit at any time of day.

Pastrami-spiced pork ribs with potato salad and pickles recipe - For pastrami spice rub, crush whole spices and 1 tbsp sea salt with a mortar and pestle, then combine with paprika, cayenne and sugar.

A no-cook starter that's a little bit Mexican, a little bit Japanese and a lot of fun.

It's a cultural mash-up of the best kind - try it for yourself and see.

This pavlova recipe is a pure taste of the tropics, with a coconut yoghurt taking the place of the usual whipped cream. Be creative with your toppings, whether that means lychee, mangosteen or another summer favourite.

These tasty quesadillas are vegetarian but meat can easily be added to the recipe to keep carnivores happy. Serve for dinner, lunch or as a party snack.

The yoghurt helps slowly tenderise the chook, producing super-moist, pull-apart chicken flesh with a caramelised skin. You'll never look back.

Crowd-pleasing main courses needn't be complicated. This single piece of tuna is more than up to the job and much of the work can be done ahead of time.

Miso-cured salmon bowls with green-tea noodles recipe - For miso-cured salmon, mix miso, sake, mirin and ginger in a bowl. Place a large piece of plastic wrap on a work surface.

Barbecued butterflied lamb leg with smoky eggplant recipe - Combine spices, garlic, lemon rind and oil in a small bowl, then rub mixture all over lamb, cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 3 hours or overnight.

Gazpacho with pickled celery and oysters recipe - For quick-pickled celery, combine ingredients in a small bowl, season to taste and set aside to pickle until required. Combine bread, shallot, vinegar and 125ml water in a bowl and leave briefly to soften (2-3 minutes). Transfer to a blender, add tomato, garlic, olive oil, tarragon and oyster juice.

Elegant and full of great textures, serve this dish at your next dinner party or quickly whip it up for a midweek meal. To keep things extra simple, strip the herb salad back to just two herbs.

Chicken ssäm skewers recipe - For chicken ssäm, combine all ingredients except chicken in a large bowl, then add chicken and mix well to coat. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight to marinate.

An easy way to feed a crowd.

Devilled ham with cornichons and cheddar recipe - Combine ingredients (except cornichons, cheddar and bread) in a bowl, season to taste and press into a jar.

Crisp-skin duck with green papaya salad recipe - Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Season duck well and place skin-side down in pan.

Pairing strawberries with goat's curd makes for a different take on strawberries and cream. Basil, pepper and balsamic join the party, too, for a simple and refined dessert.

Using radicchio instead of butter lettuce leaves to wrap the pork adds a pleasing bitter touch, balancing the sweet pork and the spicy tofu. If bitterness isn't your thing, use cos leaves instead.

Packed lunch, picnic salad or as part of a barbecue - there's not much this salad can't handle.

Porchetta panini with fennel and mustard fruits recipe - Preheat oven to 220°C. Place pork skin-side up on a wire rack in the sink, carefully pour boiling kettle over skin to help the score marks open, then stand for 10 minutes to dry out.

Prawn rolls with pickled tomatoes and celery recipe - For pickled tomatoes, blanch tomatoes until skins split (30 seconds) refresh in iced water, drain and peel.

This might just trump your best hummus.

Cassata recipe - For sponge cake, preheat oven to 180°C and butter a 21cm-diameter cake tin and a 27cm x 37cm Swiss roll tin and line each with baking paper. Whisk eggs, sugar and a pinch of salt

To add that hibachi flavour without the fuss, char the marinated chicken on a wire rack set over a gas flame instead of in a pan before you roast it (it will need a little longer in the oven).

Combining bacon, eggs, avocado and charred sourdough, this twist on a Caesar salad works as breakfast, lunch or dinner. The creamy avocado is a good foil for the smoky bacon and piquant anchovies.

Mozzarella in carrozza recipe - Place bread slices on a work surface and arrange mozzarella on half, leaving a small border.

Char-grilled sausages paired with a robust salad makes for a perfect autumn meal.

Chocolate cannoli recipe - Pulse flour, sugar, cocoa and cinnamon in a food processor to combine, then add butter and whole beaten egg and process until a soft dough forms.

Prosciutto, peperonata and provolone rolls recipe - For peperonata, heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent (4-5 minutes).

Get that sought-after crisp skin every time with this trick.

Source top-shelf anchovies for these sandwiches, and you'll be handsomely rewarded.

Ricotta gelato with espresso praline recipe - Bring milk, cream, lemon rind and nutmeg to a simmer in a saucepan. Meanwhile, whisk yolks and sugar in a bowl until thick and pale (4-5 minutes), then gradually whisk in milk mixture.

Use whatever stale sourdough you have on hand for the panzanella - dark rye, for instance, will add extra complexity to this simple Tuscan tomato and bread salad.

A juicy chicken cotoletta makes an excellent chicken schnitzel sandwich. We've paired ours with plenty of bright and crunchy slaw and, of course, mayonnaise.

Fresh fish, earthy beans and winter produce make this simple, light salad.

Tomato, ricotta and fregola salad recipe - Preheat oven to 200°C. Crumble half the ricotta over a baking tray, drizzle with 2 tbsp oil, scatter with chilli and half the lemon rind, season to taste and bake until golden on the edges (10-12 minutes). Cool.

Preserved tuna and tomato open-faced panini recipe - For preserved tuna, place tuna in a saucepan that fits it with just a little room around the sides.

Simple blanched asparagus makes a no-fuss accompaniment to this steak, but for a smokier, nuttier flavour, toss the spears on the grill while the T-bones are cooking.

Turin's pillowy sandwich, the tramezzino, is the perfect vehicle for crunchy asparagus and soft egg.

Cooked and raw ingredients combine in this green salad, where the idea is to use the recipe as a guide and follow your nose to the freshest spring produce you can find.

Asparagus and ricotta pizze bianche recipe - For pizza dough, combine olive oil, yeast, sugar, ½ tsp salt and 320ml lukewarm water in a bowl and set aside until foamy (2-3 minutes).

This is far from the traditional basil pesto, but it has nuts and parmesan in the mix. The name derives from the Italian word "pestare", to pound. We've sped things up with a food processor.

These individual serves of tiramisù with a twist are ready to eat straight away, but are also good a day or two later when the flavours have melded.

This versatile spring salad mixes and matches seasonal green vegetables for the optimal combination of textures and flavours. Experiment to your heart's content.

These deep-fried puffs of ricotta, flecked with mint and peas, are a wonderful combination of crunchy exterior and light, fluffy filling.

A simple but elegant dish that works beautifully as either a main or a side.

Cooking the leek in the sopressa oil adds extra flavour to this Italianate spin on a bacon and egg roll. If spice isn't your thing, use flat pancetta in place of sopressa.

The toasted walnuts in this rice bowl offer not only delicious nuttiness, but also great texture with the cauliflower and the silken tofu - a vegetarian weeknight winner.

Scallop poke with pickled ginger dressing recipe - Bring rice, 500ml water and 1 tsp sea salt to a simmer in a saucepan, then reduce heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook without uncovering for 20 minutes.

You can't go wrong with pesto pasta. In this take on the Ligurian classic, we've swapped pine nuts for pistachios and we think it's better - don't tell Nonna.

Ocean trout poke on matcha rice recipe - Place rice, 500ml water and 1 tsp sea salt in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook without uncovering for 20 minutes.

Blood oranges, if they're around, are beautiful here, but navels or even grapefruit work well.

Char-grilled spatchcock, celery heart, fennel and spring onions with lemon sauce - Remove the backbones from spatchcock with kitchen shears, press on breastbone to flatten them

This is probably one of the quickest desserts to make and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. If you're in a rush, drop the candied hazelnuts and add grated coffee beans on top instead.

Spicy prawn and pineapple poke recipe - Bring rice, coconut milk, 250ml water and 1 tsp sea salt to a simmer in a saucepan, then reduce heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook without uncovering for 20 minutes.

Add extra char to your tortillas by toasting them over a stove flame for a few seconds each side, then microwave them covered with a tea towel for 10 seconds to keep them nice and soft.

Chamomile-scented custard tart topped with tender roasted rhubarb makes for a stunning finale.

Tofu poke bowl with pickled carrot recipe - For pickled carrot, combine ingredients in a bowl, season to taste and stand at room temperature to pickle for 1 hour.

Cured leatherjacket with horseradish vinaigrette recipe - Trim fish into 8 portions and transfer to plates. Combine salt and sugar, scatter over both sides of fish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Wow your dinner guests with this dish.

Black and white kingfish bowl recipe - Place rice, 1 litre water and 1 tsp sea salt in a saucepan and soak for 1 hour. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook without uncovering for 25 minutes.

Lamb, pea and mint are a perfect combination for spring. We've given this dish a Lebanese (and gluten-free) twist.

We've spiked this larb with aniseed. It's a natural partner to pork and adds an extra flavour dimension to this simple dish.

Labne with salt-roasted beetroot, pickled onions and peas recipe - For labne, place yoghurt in a fine sieve lined with muslin placed over a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight to drain.

Green bomb snapper poke recipe - Bring rice, 500ml water and 1 tsp salt to a simmer in a saucepan, then reduce heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook without uncovering for 20 minutes.