Workday lunches

What better way to enjoy the delights of fresh spring vegetables than this pasta primavera with its tangy herb and mustard dressing. Store leftovers in a tupperware container for a delicious and healthy lunch the next day.

This steak sandwich with tomato and avocado salsa served on fresh Turkish pide is sure to satisfy the biggest of appetites. Experiment with adding a touch of chilli to the salsa for an extra kick.

We used blue-eye fillets in this recipe, but you can use any firm white fish fillets you like. Serve with fresh lime slices, and accompany with fresh rice noodles stir-fried with grated zucchini and cabbage.

Snugly wrapped in banana leaves, these fragrant fish parcels are tender, spicy and perfumed with lime and lemongrass. Serve with steamed rice and Asian greens.

We used blue-eye fillets here, but any firm white fish fillets will go beautifully with this crisp Asian inspired salad.

Fish fingers are is an easy and delicious way to get some fish into the kids. Yes, you can buy them from the supermarket, but our version taste a whole lot better, and are much healthier.

Everybody loves a bagel. For this recipe, we've included pastrami, capsicum and onion jam, but don't stop there; try smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers, or chicken and avocado for an equally delicious lunch.

Serve these baked mussels topped with this delicious crispy tomato topping as part of your hors-d'oeuvre platter at your next gathering.

Small baked pies filled with a rich beef stew infused with the deep and dark flavours of stout beer.

Nothing adds flavour quite like tarragon does. This delicious chicken with tarragon and peppercorn dressing recipe will prove just how perfectly this herb can finish off a dish. Chicken and chips never tasted so good.

Fried rice is the perfect way to use up leftover rice. A few minutes in the frypan, together with some fresh and healthy ingredients, and you'll soon have a filling and healthy dish for the kids.

We adore these crispy skinned fish fillets nestled on a pile of colourful vegetable ribbons and finished with a drizzle of lemon caper butter. We've used bream, but snapper or sea bass will do the trick just as well.

Make your own delicious and healthy treats of zucchini lentil pasties. Have them cold on a picnic or warm for a meat-free dinner or after school snack. Smaller ones can be made for cocktail parties.

Mozzarella is rather delightfully known as 'fior di latte', literally meaning 'flower of the milk'. It provides a wonderfully creamy and mild balance to the spice in this rosemary and tomato barley risotto.

Perhaps the most famous of Russian soups, borscht can be served in a variety of ways. When the Ukraine was the beet-growing centre of the Russias in centuries past, this soup became a traditional part of the region's daily diet.

The Thai name for this crying tiger dish is 'seua rong hai'. It translates to ‘crying tiger’, as the dipping sauce is supposed to bring tears to your eyes. But don’t be nervous! It's actually not that hot.

The utterly delicious iskender kebab is most famous in northwestern Turkey, and is traditionally served on a bed of lavash bread and smothered in a spicy tomato sauce and yoghurt.

This Asian-style sweet corn soup is based on a clear broth made fragrant with fresh ginger and bulked up with ribbons of egg and green onions.

The kingfish is deservedly known for its sweet, rich flavour and firm flesh with few bones. It is well suited to a range of cooking methods. Here, it is grilled and served with tamarind flavoured vegetables.

Prawns are packed with protein, a good source of omega 3 fatty acids and a delicious way to increase your intake of iron, zinc and vitamin E. Try these prawns with fennel salad and mustard dressing, alfresco style.

This relish is sweet and tangy with a nice note of ginger. It's perfect for jarring up and handing out as a lovely gift to family and friends. Serve it with cold meats such as ham or pork.

Beautifully light yet perfectly hearty, consider this char-grilled chicken, vegetables and haloumi salad as slightly more exciting mediterranean alternative to your meat and three veg family meal.

If you're looking to splash out and spoil that special someone, what better way than to prepare this delicious lobster with champagne sauce? The sprinkle of chopped dill adds the perfect finish to this luxurious dish.

Not only are these Italian-style lamb cutlets served with mediterranean vegetables packed full of vitamins, they are a one pot dish. Win, win.

Fried rice is a traditional dish of pre-cooked rice stir-fried in a wok, often mixed with other ingredients, such as eggs, vegetables, and meat. We think our best ever pork fried rice is as good as any you'll find at a Chinese banquet.

When it comes to this chilli crab dish, the reward is worth the effort of getting to that sweet and tender meat, which is deliciously complimented by the spices and fresh coriander. For best results, serve with plenty of napkins and a crisp white wine.

This tofu and vegie burger recipe is a great stand-by for nights when you want or need to produce a vegetarian meal. They're packed with protein and totally yum.

Offer your guests this seafood platter as part of a selection of tapas or share plate dishes at your next gathering. Serve with a bowl of olives, crusty bread and a glass of icy cold, crisp white wine.

Poaching chicken in this way guarantees a tender and moist result. Served on ciabatta, this lemon garlic chicken is a perfect protein filled lunch with a tangy finish, and just the right amount of heat from the chilli.

Cioppino is an Italian-American fish stew originating in San Francisco's fishing community. It is traditionally made from 'catch of the day' seafood and has become a popular staple at Italian restaurants in the area, and for good reason. It's delicious!

The citrus flavour in this beautiful salad, together with the unique blend of fennel and haloumi make for a delightfully tangy dish with more than just a hint of the Mediterranean.

Caperberries, although from the same plant, are quite different to capers. Don't be tempted to omit them. Scattered over this rustic ham, mustard and parsley terrine, they add a delightful piquancy to this dish.

Apple sauce certainly has its place when it comes to roast pork, but our pork loin with fresh peach chutney will give you a new twist on this old favourite. Don't worry, we haven't forgotten the crackling!

Any pretence of refined dining can be abandoned when it comes to these succulent spicy pork ribs. Cutlery will only hinder your enjoyment so dig in with fingers, make sure there are plenty of napkins, and enjoy!

There's no need to restrict baked ham to Christmas, this cherry-glazed baked ham makes a magnificent centrepiece for any party or celebration.

Fill up on something substantial and incredibly tasty after a long weekend walk with this warm potato and chorizo salad. With spinach, red onion and cherry tomato too, it's full of nutrients as well as energy.

Smoked chicken has a lovely robust flavour and a soft texture. It marries beautifully with the white wine risotto cakes. This dish makes a lovely light lunch and is perfect for dining alfresco style.

Lamb cutlets go beautifully with this black-eyed bean salad. The beans are the dried seed of a variant of the snake or yard bean, and can be found at your local supermarket.

This lean and tender baked eye fillet will literally melt in your mouth, while the herbs and spices that make up chermoulla are busy having a party there.

This spinach, bacon and pine nut pasta can be on the table in under 20 minutes. Pappardelle is a wide ribbon pasta perfect for this kind of dish but you can substitute fettuccine or tagliatelle, if preferred.

Delicious seafood chowder, rich with all the flavours of the ocean and spiced with hot paprika makes a deeply satisfying lunch dish. Definitely serve with crusty bread to help you wipe the platter clean.

Serve this healthy and delicious crisp-skinned snapper with stir-fried vegetables and black beans accompanied with a small bowl of finely chopped red chilli in soy sauce. It will add some extra zip to the fish.

It doesn't get much better than our roasted pork belly with plum sauce. The added aromatics and spices result in a rich and exotic sauce with a depth of flavour you just don't get with a regular gravy. Oh, and crackling. Enough said.

Home made puree is a great first food for babies, and apple is an eternal favourite. You can make this same recipe using pear if you prefer.

These tasty smoked trout fish cakes are delicious served with a big wedge of lime to squeeze all over them. With salad and bread on the side, they make a great lunch or light dinner.

This baked potato packed with salmon and peas constitutes a great little meal combining all the 4 food groups in one stomach satisfying, kid friendly package. Smoked or tinned salmon works equally well.

Soupe au pistou is a classic Provençale recipe, usually made with white and green beans, and flavoured with pistou, a French spin-off of its near-neighbour Italy's pesto. Not dissimilar to Italian minestrone, this soup also benefits from being made a day in advance.

Quick, simple, tangy and delicious, this scallop and lime salad is a perfect accompaniment to summer days. Serve as a starter at your next barbecue alongside a glass of icy cold, crisp white wine.

These delightful beef and mushroom pies are the ultimate comfort food.

Nutritionists suggest that we consume at least two servings of fish per week. What better way than these individual fish pies, topped with creamy mash.

Perfect for passing around as finger food at a cocktail party or other celebration, these delicious little sushi bites are given added bite by their pickled green onion topper.

Showcase the jewels of the ocean at your next gathering with this magnificent seafood platter. The spicy harissa and fresh salsa verde dipping sauces provide the perfect accompaniment. Serve with chilled white wine.

This bright and zesty salad will tickle your taste buds. Smoked chicken and asparagus salad with a buttermilk dressing makes a great lunch or light dinner.

Get a good portion of your five-a-day along with a healthy dose of protein with this vegetarian Mexican extravaganza. Serve soup with warmed or toasted tortillas and if you like, a dollop of sour cream.

Chive wontons in Asian broth is surely the perfect example of Chinese comfort food. One taste of this soup, and you'll understand precisely why 'wonton' translates, quite literally, to 'swallowing a cloud'.

This traditional Indonesian vegetable salad is a great snack to include in kids' lunchboxes. Fried firm tofu can be included in gado gado, making this a perfectly substantial meal for vegetarians, too.

The elegant taste of veal is perfectly offset by this salsa verde accompaniment. The key to cooking this tender meat is not to overdo it. Fry until just done, and you'll be rewarded with the most delicate of flavours.

Serve these crispy Asian-style fish cakes with spicy dipping sauce for a tantalising starter or light meal. If you like the extra kick, add some more chilli.

This pasta with smoked salmon is a quick and easy go-to dish when you're after something speedy. Smoked salmon off-cuts are inexpensive and sometimes available from seafood stores, some supermarkets and delicatessens.

These stir-fried greens with mixed mushrooms are deliciously healthy. The unmistakeable Asian flavours lift an otherwise ordinary dish to a tasty and satisfying light lunch or dinner.

Risoni is a small, rice-sized pasta often used in Italian soups; it goes perfectly with a marinara sauce accompaniment as its texture allows the delicious seafood to remain the 'hero' of the dish.

You can whip up these Asian fish patties in no time. Served with a sweet chilli dipping sauce, they are sure to please even the fussiest of eaters. We've used blue-eye, but any firm white fish will do.

Affectionately known in some parts as 'chops with handles' or 'meat lollipops', lamb cutlets are always a hit with the kids. Accompanied here with the Greek style mashed potato dip, skordalia, there'll be no complaints.

Poaching chicken in this way keeps the meat lovely and moist. Make sure you cover with a tightly fitting lid to prevent too much liquid from evaporating, and simmer, rather than boil. Boiling will make the chicken tough.

Salsa verde compliments meat or fish beautifully, and gives a really punchy flavour to this salad. Smoked trout is a delicious and convenient ingredient and is widely available. Make sure you remove any bones during preparation.

This healthy and filling warm beef and rice salad packs a punch with a chilli soy dressing and crisp vegetables. It makes a great lunch, and packs well if you're looking for something to pop in a lunch box.

As a side dish, or light and healthy lunch or dinner, try out this roast pumpkin and goat cheese salad. It's a perfectly satisfying meat-free dish, packed full of vitamins, minerals and flavour.

These marinated Mongolian lamb cutlets are beautifully succulent and full of flavour. Serve them with a fresh green salad or grilled vegetables for an easy mid-week meal.

Bring a burst of colour and light, fresh flavour to your dinner party table with this prawn ravioli and mint and pea puree. There will be some fancy finger work involved but just look at this delightful result.

There is nothing quite like the aroma of this beef and vegetable curry simmering on the stove, except perhaps the satisfaction of having made it yourself from scratch.

Lentils have a nutty, earthy flavour that helps ground the strident richness of the sausages and pungency of the mustard and spices in this robust salad.

Angel hair pasta, also known as barbina, or "capelli d'angelo" in Italian, are long, delicate strands of spaghetti-like pasta. This tomato, tuna and capers angel hair pasta recipe is fresh and tasty.

Make the most of alfresco dining with this simple and healthy chilli prawn salad with noodles. It is packed full of the fresh, distinctive flavours of Asia and makes a healthy and delicious light lunch or supper.

This easy beetroot, asparagus and feta salad is packed full of colour and goodness and makes an appetising addition to the barbecue table. The tangy dressing and walnuts add an extra depth of flavour and texture.

These lamb kebabs are perfect for a lazy summer barbecue. The addition of a fresh mediterranean style tomato, olive and fetta salad completes the dish.

These elegant, simple little finger sandwiches are easy to make and full of flavour, the chives and shallots cutting through the rich oiliness of smoked salmon. Perfect for an afternoon-tea party, or when you fancy something small and tasty for lunch.

Hoisin sauce is a thick, strongly flavoured sauce that is very common in Chinese cuisine. Its sweet and salty taste works well as a glaze for meat, an addition to stir fries, or as dipping sauce. It is perfect with grilled chicken.

This traditional South African bean curry is a wonderfully warming vegetarian dish that is packed full of flavour and goodness to keep you fueled for longer.

Give your meat and three veg a facelift with this delicious and healthy plate of lamb cutlets and char-grilled vegetables. Full of colour and flavour, this dish will have the kids running to the table.

Just a few moments on the grill and these perfectly spiced lamb koftas will fill your senses with the smells of a Middle Eastern celebration. Team them with traditional dips and warm pita, and you'll have a platter fit for a king.

Frittata is an excellent option for a light, yet satisfying lunch enriched with healthy ingredients. For a low-carb option try this version with kumara, rocket, and pine nuts.

Paleo devotees look away! This delicious carb on carb fest would have had our ancestors rolling in their graves, but oh, how we love the combination of potato and rosemary on a crisp pizza base.

Coppa is a traditional Italian pork cold cut and is delicious with ricotta on this toasted panini. Experiment with different fillings like pastrami, sun dried tomato, mushroom and different types of cheese.

At a minimum you'll need plenty of napkins, and possibly a bib for these delicious honey and tamarind pork spare ribs. Don't scrimp on the marinading time, because that is what gives these ribs their amazing flavour.

Tempura is a popular Japanese dish in Australia, and for good reason. This seafood and vegetable version, done well, results in the merest hint of light, crisp batter coating that melts on the tongue.

Kids will love this cheesy, speedy pizza made with pita bread. If you want to add more protein, make a hollow in the centre and crack an egg into it, then bake.

Simple and delicious, this pasta dish can be on the dinner table in just half an hour. Don't be frightened of the anchovies; topped with the garlic breadcrumbs, they give a wonderful flavour.

This tender, aromatic beef in an Asian broth can be on your dinner table in under half an hour and is packed full of goodness and flavour that the family will love. It's a tasty and easy mid-week meal.

These delicious, tender sumac-spiced lamb and eggplant stacks with salad and baby truss tomatoes make a fabulous starter or light dinner.

This tandoori salmon pilaf is a healthy and delicious Indian inspired family meal. The fragrant spices of the tandoori are perfectly balanced alongside the fresh and creamy raita.

This fresh tomato and chilli pasta is the perfect midweek family meal that will satisfy everyone. Serve alongside some crusty garlic bread and the kids will be at the table before you can say "dinner's ready!"

This sweet and fragrant Thai beef and coconut curry is spicy without being too hot, with tender morsels of beef and vegetables in a rich, creamy curry sauce.

A delicious white bean, leek and garlic sausage soup with pistou that will warm you up and fill you up on a cold winters day. Especially if you've got plenty of good bread to dunk in it as you go.

This Thai chicken noodle soup is full of all those lovely and distinctive Asian flavours and will not fail to please. Best of all, you can be enjoying a steaming bowl in under 15 minutes. What's not to love?

Do you fancy busting out the antioxidants while enjoying a delicious feast? Look no further than these grilled vegetables with ricotta. They'll have your free-radicals shaking in their boots.

These traditional Vietnamese rice paper rolls (gỏi cuốn) are a fresh and healthy option to share with family and friends. Served alongside the classic dipping sauce, they'll be gone in no time.

Chicken livers have a strong, yet delicious flavour that marries beautifully with a sweet accompaniment like sherry. Their delicate texture is perfect for crusty bread.

Every body loves a curry, and while there are some very good quality curry pastes on the market, nothing quite beats the kick and flavour of making your own. It's surprisingly easy.

Originally invented in New York at the hotel of its namesake, this traditional Waldorf salad contains all of the original elements. Later editions include raisins and chicken, but we've stuck with the classic recipe, here.

These are not your average chilli prawns. We've added plenty of garlic and some black mustard seeds which add a delightful piquancy and spice. If you want to really crank up the heat, don't de-seed the chilli.