Here's a fresh idea for beef mince - try Valli Little's fast and fabulous Asian char siu beef with broccolini.

With fragrant sesame oil and ginger, congee is the ideal base for prawns, chicken and salty-sweet lap cheong.

From the tender slithers of beef to the slippery broth-soaked noodles, every spoonful of this Matt Moran creation will go down a treat in winter.

"The air fryer, the microwave and the rice cooker are the holy trinity of quick and easy midweek meals." - Matt Preston  

New to salted duck? Just wing it! The salted duck yolk adds a moreish umami flavour.

This is marylands chicken like you've never had it before. Handy tip: use the rich remaining master stock as a base for other soups!

“This is my Mum’s recipe. Our family meals usually consisted of three dishes and one soup each night. There was always one vegetarian, one meat and one seafood dish. This dish was a hero when Mum was on a budget, or if we needed an extra dish. It put a smile on my face every time.” – Sam Young

“Tangy, sweet, salty, crunchy and finger-lickin’ sticky - it’s the perfect combination for a great family meal!” – Tracey Pattison

This take on a classic carbonara comes with loads of crispy garlic, Chinese sausage and fish sauce for extra umami, and a touch of sweetness for balance.

“Long life noodles is what we eat every Chinese New Year – the longer the noodles the better, as they represent long life. It’s one of the very first dishes I learned how to cook when I arrived in Australia. I cook it every year at Chinese New Year for all my staff and my family, but I think I could eat this dish every day!” – Sam Young

Sugar is sweet and spice brings the heat, but when you put the two together, you get a flavour combination that hits all the right notes – 'swicy'. “This simple dinner of spicy Chinese prawn dumplings is a current fave in my house. The sauce is built around spicy bean paste and crispy chilli oil sweetened with a little caster sugar.” – Matt Preston

“This is a family recipe, which celebrates the cooking techniques that Chinese migrants brought to Thailand. Chinese and Thai people celebrate Lunar New Year together, and we developed this recipe for our Chinese friends. A top tip is to stir-fry the garlic chives at a very high heat for a short period, to let the chives stay crunchy.” – Narin Kulasai

"This is a wholesome staple when I’m feeling down, and definitely a ‘warm your belly and heart’ kind of dish," says Khanh Ong. This is an edited extract from A Gay Guy's Guide to Life, Love, Food by Khanh Ong. Published by Plum, RRP $34.99, photography by Lauren Bamford.

This is an edited extract from the e-book One Leaf At A Time by Kirsten Jenkins, $10, available at kirstenjenkins.com.au

Long summer days call for a speedy dinner. Caramelised pork and crunchy noodles, with a big hit of lime and chilli, make this a winner.