Soboro don is pure comfort food and a real crowd-pleaser in my house. Soboro in Japanese means to crumble; here it refers to a protein – fish, meat, eggs or tofu – that’s cooked down to a crumbly texture. I’ve chosen beef mince, but chicken mince is a great alternative. While the traditional don (or bento) would commonly be served with scrambled eggs, I like the simplicity of half a soft-boiled egg. This sweet and salty dish loves the company of blanched vegetables, such as sugar snap peas or green beans. Serve with a leafy green of your choice: mizuna is nice, or shiso for extra flavour.
Buttery arborio rice is baked with vegetables and herbs before being topped with a trio of cheeses.
This hearty Greek dish is traditionally served piled atop crusty bread. But it’s also delicious over a mound of small pasta or rice.
A Spanish-inspired winter stew with a good hit of spice, a little heat and a subtle tang from the sherry vinegar, this is a substantial and sustaining dish but also simple and relatively quick.
Turmeric and coconut are a fabulous flavour combination found across south-east Asia. Here, they’re combined in a simple Balinese-ish pork bake that would be perfect with some steamed rice.
Honestly, it doesn’t get much easier than this. A bit of chicken in a pan plus a few seasonings equals a delicious meal with very little fuss.
Catching up with loved-ones? Spend less time cooking and more time together with these crowd-pleasing classics that only get better from being made the morning, or day, ahead.
This is the kind of “yes, I have those ingredients” curry that has an engrossing, soothing power.
Think of this dish as a cheat’s butter chicken, but without the chicken. It will feed a family of four for about $2 a serve.
The big-flavoured sauce means you can get away with using inexpensive fish in this chunky, satisfying stew.