Matt Preston celebrates everything there is to love about winter cooking with this warming and comforting recipe.

Matt Preston makes mince shine in this spicy Thai classic.

The mission to reduce food waste is inspiring some highly creative solutions, both at home and across the broader food supply chain. Here day-old bread and broccoli leaves, often discarded, make the basis of a nutritious gnocchi dish that will stand up as well for a family weeknight dinner as it will for lunch at work the following day.

Birria is a dish that was trending well before ‘going viral’ was a thing. Here, it gets a modern-day, cheese-laden upgrade.

“Anchovies, tomato paste, port, bacon and parmesan all boost umami” – Matt Preston

“All the flavours of Spain in a pasta. You could throw in calamari or mussels, too” – Matt Preston

Your choice of cheese is crucial for this recipe. Go with manchego, Gouda or Gruyere and turn an average cheese toastie into something special.

“Cooking leeks in the microwave is one of my favourite kitchen hacks, as it delivers deliciously creamy richness in no time” – Matt Preston

“I reckon a chicken breast is too cumbersome to go in a roll. The solution is to cube the chicken and set these cubes into patties mortared together with softened butter that then sets in the fridge. The result is a super-juicy, decadent burger that won’t explode all over you, and much of the butter melts away during cooking,” says Matt Preston.

This recipe is just about the tastiest thing you can do with a couple of hunks of white fish, according to Matt Preston. This is an edited extract from The Simple Secrets To Cooking Everything Better by Matt Preston (Pan Macmillan, $39.99).

Making vegetable pasta with the kids is a perfect Sunday activity – just like making playdough, except you can eat it, says Matt Preston.

“This sauce also works with kale or chicken” – Matt Preston

Matt Preston shows you how to not only whip up a tasty dinner for the family but also a cheats way of making homemade mayonnaise!

“This is an homage to Sydney chef Alex Herbert’s prawns with burnt butter” – Matt Preston

Matt Preston proves that frugal food can be fantastic with this cheap but fulfilling soup.