An unconventional technique makes this vibrant rice – finished with dill fronds – a lower-touch dinner for weeknights

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This shortcut risotto will have purists shaking their fists, but I like to live dangerously. Unlike traditional risottos where you stir the whole time, this one gets bunged in the oven with all its liquid, then right at the end, use a whisk to release the starches for a creamy finish.

Use a microplane to grate the parmesan over the risotto. This will yield a cloud-like consistency, but you could also just blitz the parmesan to a crumb in the food processor before grating the veg. I’d avoid buying pre‑grated parmesan, as it’s kept crumby with anti-caking agent, and the aroma is … not great.

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© Photograph: Rochelle Eagle

© Photograph: Rochelle Eagle

© Photograph: Rochelle Eagle

Der Knollensellerie gewinnt keine Schönheitspreise, aber es sind die inneren Werte, die zählen. So wie in diesem Taco, in dem die Knolle gebacken zur Höchstform aufläuft.

Gnarly, shrivelly celeriac is an unconventional taco filler. But peeled and roasted in Alice Zaslavsky’s recipe, the root vegetable yields an almost carne asada-like flavour

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Could it be time to consider the celeriac? If you’re looking for a tasty and left-of-field taco combo for the cooler months that’s full of flavour, low on cost and easily veganised, then it just well might.

Celeriac is firm and fibrous enough to hold its shape under heat, sweet enough to crack some caramelisation, and its centre yields to a creamy and fluffy mashed potato texture when cooked. The flavour is surprisingly meaty, which makes more sense when you consider how the parsley and liquorice notes intensify when caramelised, a bit like a bite of steak with herby sauce, or carne asada with salsa verde.

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© Photograph: Eugene Hyland/The Guardian

© Photograph: Eugene Hyland/The Guardian

© Photograph: Eugene Hyland/The Guardian

Parsnip at a clip! The root veg is affordable now and, paired with pears, the retro combo works wonders in Alice Zaslavsky’s midweek soup

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Some vegetables are a Tuesday night no-brainer, while others feel like more of a Sunday schlep. Poor parsnip falls into the latter category, relegated to slow braises and weekend roasts.

Weather-resistant root veg such as parsnips, swedes and celeriac are affordable at this time of year but their fibrousness doesn’t yield as easily or quickly as tender, fair-weather veg.

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© Photograph: Eugene Hyland/The Guardian

© Photograph: Eugene Hyland/The Guardian

© Photograph: Eugene Hyland/The Guardian

Using store-bought deli goods, Alice Zaslavsky builds a vegetarian showstopper for the Christmas table – with minimal cooking

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So you’re hosting a festive shindig in December and there are vegetarians in the crowd – or maybe the vego is you? You want to put on a good centrepiece but you’re not feeling the nut loaf vibes. What to do?

Festive catering for vegetarians is far easier in the northern hemisphere, where you can whack on a big chunk of pumpkin or stuff some peppers, and let them bake away while you roast the chestnuts and mull the wine.

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© Photograph: Eugene Hyland/The Guardian

© Photograph: Eugene Hyland/The Guardian

© Photograph: Eugene Hyland/The Guardian

Slivers of garlicky red pepper on a creamy Balkan white bean dip known as papula

This week, I’ve been putting the finishing touches on an interview I recorded with legendary Australian cheesemaker Richard Thomas, the inventor of an ingredient you may not even realise is Australian: marinated feta, AKA “Persian fetta”. An unexpected stop on a trip to Iran in the 1970s gifted Thomas a chance meeting with a Persian doctor and his breakfast: fresh labneh with soft, still-warm lavash. It was a revelation. On his return, Thomas got to work creating a fresh cheese from goat’s milk (similar to chèvre) and from cow’s milk, marinated and preserved in oil, with an extra “t” to avert confusion with the Greek-style feta, that’s still being utilised by cooks and chefs right across the world.

Persian fetta is a shapeshifter, capable of remaining both firm and steadfast when crumbled across the top of a platter or salad, and of yielding to a soft, velvety cream, enhancing all manner of dishes from pasta to pesto to whipped dips and schmears – and, of course, as a topping for that Aussie cafe staple, avocado toast.

Alice Zaslavsky is a Guardian Australia food columnist

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© Photograph: Alice Zavlasky/PR

© Photograph: Alice Zavlasky/PR

© Photograph: Alice Zavlasky/PR