Cooking with the Australian Womens Weekly issue 91

It’s not always easy to pull together a smart and inspiring dinner on a weeknight, so this month we’re looking at meal solutions through a wide lens. Try our Vegetarian ‘Not’-Dogs (page 52), spicy any-night barbecue ideas (page 30), or the recipes we tested with a multi-function cooker (page 76). I’m thrilled to share recipes from one of the brightest and most delicious cookbooks of the year, Everyday Not-So-Crap Family Meals, from the multitalented broadcaster, journalist, TV host, podcaster and author, Jessica Rowe. In her own inimitable style and joyful approach to cooking, Jessica takes the pressure off with low-fuss meals. And she doesn’t shy away from cooking hacks or the convenience of pre-prepared ingredients either – think salad mixes, pasta sauces and barbecue chooks. Find her on page 20. There’s just…

IN SEASON March Vegetables Asian greens (bok choy) Beans Broccoli Capsicum Chestnut Cucumber Eggplant Eschalot Kale Lettuce Mushroom Okra Onion Potato Pumpkin Sweet corn Swiss chard Tomato Witlof Zucchini Fruit Apple Banana Date Fig Finger lime Grape Guava Kiwifruit Lime Mangosteen Nashi Orange (Valencia) Passionfruit Pawpaw Pear Plum Pomegranate Quince Tamarillo HOW TO Make mayonnaise Mayonnaise is so easy to make at home and that fresh taste is something you just can’t get from the bottled stuff. Coil up a small tea towel and sit a bowl in the centre – this will keep the bowl steady while you whisk. Whisk 2 egg yolks and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard in the bowl until combined. As you continue whisking add ½ cup olive oil, drop by drop at first, until mixture thickens, then in a steady stream until thick and pale. Stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice; season with salt and pepper to taste. And voila – classic homemade mayonnaise. HOT PRODUCT A pop of colour KitchenAid have announced their colour of the year for 2023 – hibiscus…

How to cut capsicum Cut around the stalk to release it from the capsicum, then discard. Cut the capsicum in half lengthways; cut away the white membrane and remove the seeds. Cut lengthways into quarters or long strips. For dice, cut the strips into small even-sized pieces. Roasting capsicum Preheat a grill to high. Quarter capsicums; discard seeds and membranes. Place on a foil-lined oven tray, skin-side up. Cook under grill for 5 minutes or until skin blisters and blackens. Fold foil over capsicum; stand for 5 minutes to let skins soften and cool, then peel away.…

Use good-quality charcoal Always try and buy good-quality sustainably produced charcoal – look for charcoal made from coppiced wood or Forestry Commission-approved wood. This charcoal lights easily, burns better and won’t taint the flavour of the food, unlike charcoals containing accelerants. Chimney or stack? A CHARCOAL CHIMNEY is a metal cylinder with a grate at the bottom, holes in the side, and a handle on the side. Once the coals are ready, you can safely and easily tip them into the barbecue. STACK Arrange your charcoal in a stack in the barbecue or pit. Light paper or firelighters and allow the flames to catch, then let them die down again – you need ashen coals to cook on. Direct or indirect? How you arrange your coals will give you different heat zones and more control over your barbecue. DIRECT…

Linguine with green sauce PREP + COOK TIME 20 MINUTES SERVES 4 3 cups firmly packed baby spinach1 cup firmly packed basil leaves2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan, plus extra to serve⅓ cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil¼ cup (25g) walnuts, roasted, chopped coarsely, plus extra to serve460g fresh linguine 1 Blanch spinach and basil in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 20 seconds; remove with a slotted spoon and refresh in ice water. Drain well, then squeeze out excess water. Reserve pan of water. 2 Process spinach and basil with parmesan, olive oil and walnuts until smooth. Transfer to a bowl; season to taste. 3 Return reserved saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Cook fresh pasta for 2 minutes or until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup (250ml) pasta water. 4…

ALL ABOUT CAPSICUMS • There is technically no difference between a red, green, orange or yellow capsicum. They’re all picked from the same plant at different stages of ripeness once they reach maturity. • Each stage of ripeness holds different flavours and uses in the kitchen: Green capsicums are the most bitter of the four colours with yellow being a close second, both are best used in stir-fries or similar savoury recipes. Orange and red capsicums are sweeter and more appropriate for “summery” dishes like salads. • You can also get vine sweet mini capsicums, which are yellow, orange or red. As the name implies, they are small and sweet! They are perfect for snacking on, and they are great in dishes where you want a sweeter capsicum flavour. • Capsicums are a great…