Vegetables are the heroes of Hetty Lui McKinnon's new collection of 180 recipes inspired by family, connection and the legacy of food. Each chapter of Tenderheart is devoted to one McKinnon's 22 favourite vegetables. Here are four recipes to try at home.

Like dumplings, making wontons is a mindful ritual, an exercise of patience. Folding wontons would take up an entire afternoon for my mother, as she always made them in bulk, ready for freezing. With some planning, wontons are a wonderful last-minute meal. Broccoli once again flexes its versatility, providing bright-green notes, which make every mouthful a delight. The potato performs two vital functions: it provides body to the filling, while also binding the ingredients together. Here, I have served the wontons simply, blanketed in my umami crisp (recipe here), but you could also serve them in a broth. 

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Peanut butter is the base of the ramen broth. Photo: Supplied

The smell of satay takes me right back to childhood barbecues, when my mother would make satay chicken skewers, and the aroma of them cooking would waft over the entire neighbourhood. Here, I've used satay as the inspiration for this carrot-laden ramen. Peanut butter is the base of this broth, which is combined with grated carrots to provide heat and flavour, both thickening it up and adding a natural sweetness. You can blitz it up if you prefer a smooth broth, but I enjoy the occasional specks of carrot while I'm slurping the noodles.

Torn lasagne is ready in three steps. Photo: Supplied

Nothing beats a well-constructed, meticulously composed lasagne, but for times when you just want the taste of this dish without the preparation time (and ingredients), this is a smart alternative. The dish is ready in three steps: wilt the kale; make a tomato sauce base; and combine the torn fresh lasagne sheets with cheese. There is no construction at all, you just bring the elements together in a deep dish and bake until golden. I often turn to kimchi to inject fast flavour and complexity to a dish, and here it does the job neatly. Gochugaru brings a sweet smokiness to the sauce. If you prefer, you could omit both the kimchi and gochugaru, which would give you more traditional lasagne flavours. I like to eat this with a green salad.

Shortcut: Skip the smoky gochugaru sauce and use a store-bought tomato-based pasta sauce. You can add gochugaru and spices to the sauce or use it plain.

When rhubarb makes its annual cameo during the spring, it means baking is imminent. Photo: Supplied

Rhubarb perfectly captures the transience of time, the fickleness of the seasons. When this fugacious fruit makes its annual cameo during the spring, it means baking is imminent (though it can also be used in savoury dishes). Rhubarb is naturally tart, but sugar will bring relief and extract its jaunty fruitiness. Ginger is a natural foil to rhubarb's astringency, bringing a touch of heat and spice. In this classic upside-down cake, the rhubarb is lightly stewed in a ginger syrup – take care not to overcook as you want the rhubarb to hold its shape. I use both fresh and ground ginger in this recipe – they each bring slightly different characteristics: the former adds texture and a bright spicy hum, while the latter has a stronger, more emphatic, gingery kick.

This is an edited extract from Tenderheart by Hetty Lui McKinnon, published by Plum, RRP $59.99. Photography by Hetty Lui McKinnon and Shirley Cai. Buy now