The lifestyle section includes excellent cooking inspiration and ideas, with fresh and tasty recipes for families and empty-nesters alike, headed up by Nici Wickes.
For more New Zealand Woman’s Weekly and Nici Wickes recipes, find the latest issue in stores now, or get your subscription here.
Sign up to the New Zealand Woman’s Weekly newsletter and get selected offers delivered straight to your inbox.
Pistachio and goji berry biscotti
Homemade biscotti makes a wonderful Christmas gift, as it keeps well and it’s much better than the store-bought variety. Your friends and family will definitely be impressed!
Christmas crisps
Decadent as well as pretty, these Christmas crisps are a real treat to gift to friends. Although you might want to keep a few for yourself too – these little sweets are too good to give up!
Homemade bliss balls and truffles
Buy cute little boxes, or recycle some, and gift these gorgeous flavour bombs to your friends and family for Christmas. They couldn’t be easier to make or more delicious to eat!
Festive plum and strawberry jam
This is such a lovely Nici Wickes jam recipe! It’s so seasonal and great as a little Christmas gift for anyone. And it can be made ahead of time, so you won’t get stuck in the Christmas rush.
.jpg?ssl=1&w=760&crop=0,0,100,608px)
After-dinner mint bark
The texture of this after-dinner mint bark is a real winner. It’s crispy and crunchy to bite into, while being smooth and creamy to eat – a late-night delicacy you won’t be able to pass up.
Mini fruit and custard tarts
These delicious mini fruit and custard tarts are incredibly easy to make, but will make you the star of your next dinner party. Could dessert get any cuter?
Doughnuts with caramel sauce
Whip up a batch of these while your guests hover to gobble them up! Make the batter and sauce ahead of time, then it’s a quick cook to serve them up freshly fried.
Citrus coconut balls
These little balls are a fantastic standby for an after-dinner sweet treat, and great to have on hand for unexpected guests.
Nici’s festive tarragon butter roast chicken
This roast chicken from Nici Wickes is crammed full of butter and tarragon, served with caramelised shallots and after one tender, succulent mouthful no-one will miss the Christmas turkey!
Roasted potatoes with crispy herbs
It may seem like sacrilege to roast new-season jersey bennes, but we urge you to do it! They’re crunchy, buttery and just magical – perfect for a side dish at Christmas.
Beef fillet with parmesan basil béarnaise
A beef fillet is as impressive as it is easy to cook and serve for a crowd. Nici has paired it with a unique take on a béarnaise, which goes beautifully with the beef for a great Christmas meal.
Stuffed capsicum
Beautifully colourful and festive, these stuffed capsicums are a perfect side for Christmas. This simple dish can be made a day ahead and reheated for ultimate convenience.
Chargrilled asparagus with mustard crème
Here is a delicious plateful of summer to freshen up your Christmas table. This chargrilled asparagus dish with mustard crème is delightfully zingy – a festive side everyone will love.
Meringue and berry layer cake
This impressive dessert is the perfect centrepiece for your Christmas table. The best part is, the meringues and fruit can be made ahead of time, then it’s just a quick assemble on the day.
Raspberry and white chocolate tiramisu
This raspberry and white chocolate tiramisu is extremely easy to put together as it’s an assembly job, as opposed to cooking. The flavours are heavenly too – the perfect dessert treat!
Cherry and coconut tart
Fresh cherries burst with deliciousness in this tart. Covered with beautifully crispy shredded coconut, the flavours melt perfectly together to create a tasty festive dessert.
Christmas pudding with honeycomb
This Nici Wickes Christmas pudding is crammed full of cranberries, currants and raisins, and topped with homemade honeycomb for wow factor. Impress your guests with this incredible creation.
Asian-style crispy duck
A barbecue is great for cooking crispy-skinned duck breasts. Teamed with edamame beans, broccoli and nori-buttered sweetcorn, this dish will have you wishing BBQ season lasted all year.
Spiced lamb cutlets with crispy chickpeas
Impress your guests with this spiced lamb cutlets with crispy chickpeas dish at your next BBQ. Served with spinach, yoghurt and fresh herbs, it’s a step up from the usual sausages and steak!
Crispy-skinned fish with harissa dressing
Fish pairs wonderfully in this Nici Wickes recipe with smoked mussels and spicy harissa dressing. Fire up the barbie and get these delicious North African flavours cooking.
