This Lebanese white fish en papillote (i.e. cooked in paper) is a very easy recipe that, with the right side dishes, creates a very interesting meal, no mean feat if you also want to keep it very low-fat, as it is here. Rich, deeply flavoured regional grains and a succulent side salad offset the simple, delicate flavours of the fish.

Cantonese glazed pork belly with vegetables, served with egg fried rice, is a dish from the archive of recipes my father collected in Hong Kong in the 1960s. The pork belly is first roasted or grilled with a glaze, very similar to char siu, before adding to wokked green vegetables and bamboo shoots and serving with egg fried rice.

This Cantonese chicken with mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and a lot of other tasty ingredients was a dish my father learned in Hong Kong in the 1960s . It was one of the first Chinese recipes he taught me. Thus, it occupies a special place in my heart and memory. An easy, no-fuss wok meal. it's simple to knock up in practically no time at all.

An Indonesian chicken and cashew curry that will delight those who enjoy a little spiciness. Originally from Western Sumatra, the "wet" curry paste in this dish packs a punch, balanced by the citrus of lime and lemongrass, and the smoothness of coconut and cashews. Better still, it's quick to cook. Easily be adapted for seafood or vegan versions too.

A Mexican chilli and chocolate chicken dish not be confused with the better known mole sauces that contain some of the same ingredients, but are cooked in a different way. This is a dish that is slow-cooked in the oven that and adaptable to different ways of serving it.

Tiger prawn nasi goreng, a version of this Indonesian quick-to-cook crowd pleaser of spiced fried rice, seafood, egg, salad and pickles

Kung Poa, the chicken that sitcoms made famous. But this Kung Pao chicken with fried rice is the recipe from my dad's travels in Asia

Zero-fat vegetarian chilli served with rice or tortillas, easily adapted to serve with chicken

A Cantonese dish of seafood—in this case prawns and fish balls—cooked in a Hoisin sauce and served with egg fried rice

Another South African Indian diasporan dish, this pumpkin and mushroom curry with eggs is easily turned vegan—just leave out the eggs.

Roast pimentón chicken with apricots is a delicious dish from the northwest of Spain served with a number of delicious side dishes,

Forget the apocryphal legends behind how risotto was born. This is the real story behind the Italian rice staple, warts and all