There’s no need to follow this recipe slavishly. Feel free to add shredded purple cabbage, snow pea pods, sliced water chestnuts, and so on. You can even turn the salad into a light lunch or dinner entrée by topping it with shredded rotisserie chicken or thinly sliced grilled steak.

This meatless, keto-friendly frittata can be thrown together in minutes, perfect for times when you have unexpected lunch or overnight guests. For a carnivorous version, add diced ham, cooked bacon, cooked breakfast sausage, or even slivered pepperoni. Great served with a simple green salad.

The appeal of this autumnal soup lies in its simplicity. The sweetness of the butternut squash is enhanced by roasting and by the addition of a small amount of maple syrup.

Shrimp cocktail gets a much-needed makeover! Make the dip just before serving.

One of the most pleasurable evenings on this trip was cooking dinner in the kitchen of food entrepreneur Melissa Wong and her husband, Robert. A simple vinaigrette whipped up in minutes became the unifying factor in this dish, serving as a salad dressing, a marinade, and a sauce. If you can’t find barramundi (a popular fish in Australia), substitute halibut or other mild white fish.

This is a great casserole to make while gardens are still yielding—substantial enough to serve as a vegetarian main course. We love recipes that command you to drizzle extra virgin olive oil straight from the bottle! Yes, I’m a profligate drizzler.

Australians love their lamb, eating more than ten times per year the amount Americans eat. “Scottadito” translates from the Italian as “burned fingers,” as these chops are so good, people eat them with their fingers as soon as they come off the hot grill.

This recipe was recommended to us by a talented baker who pronounced it a keeper, one of the best cake recipes in her files.

If you typically accompany your beef with Port wine or horseradish sauce, trade those for this bright, Asian-inflected “dressing” from Australian chef and restaurateur Kylie Kwong.

Australian celebrity chef Curtis Stone champions healthy eating while minimizing dinner dishes with this recipe. Generally, we’ve noticed Aussies love their beets, even putting them on hamburgers.

Halloumi, a brined goat’s milk cheese from Cyprus, is having a moment in Australia. On my most recent trip, it seemed to be everywhere! Because it has a high melting point, this firm, somewhat salty cheese can be grilled, fried, or sautéed without losing its shape. You can cut it into cubes, sauté it, then anoint with EVOO and coarse salt. Voila! An easy appetizer.