Workday lunches

A sprinkling of feta, diced tomato and basil transform these juicy balsamic mushrooms into a tasty breakfast, brunch or lunch.

A light and flavourful Asian-style dish of udon noodle salad with buk choy and shiitake mushrooms.

Nutty sesame, sweet scallops and crisp cabbage salad make a delightful combination.

The varieties of mushrooms used in this wonderful broth make for an intense and delicious flavour. Asian flavours complete the taste sensation.

Adding salt during cooking was once thought to make pulses tough ­ it doesn't. However it does slow down the cooking time, so it's best to season this Greek lentil, spinach and dill soup at the very end.

This fresh salad is extremely good for you. Almonds are packed with good oils, fennel acts as a diuretic and helps to settle the stomach and oranges give the ultimate vitamin C shot to help protect the body from infections and viruses. Note

This vegetarian pasta dish makes a fantastic quick dinner and is also great for the lunchbox.

Grilled Indian-style chicken with spicy lentils from Australian Women's Weekly.

This easy, spicy salad is full of zesty flavour and texture.

Also known as capelli d’angelo, angel hair is sold as small, circular nests of very fine, delicate pasta strands; its cooking time is minimal because of its extremely thin nature.

Basil is one of the easiest and most useful herbs to grow. You don’t need a large kitchen garden, a pot or a window box in a protected, sunny position is sufficient. Basil will grow year-round (depending on the climate) and you can freeze the leaves for later use. Note

An exotic and exquisite salad.

If you love omelettes and are partial to a bit of heat, try this Asian-style delight. It is quick, easy and delicious. The heat in chillies comes from a chemical known as capsaicin. Chillies also contain high levels of antioxidants, so fire up!

Prawns can be shelled several hours ahead. Keep, covered in the refrigerator. Toast rolls and add filling just before serving. Note

Create this rich and luxurious veal parmesan with minimal effort. We show you the quick way with this delicious recipe.

Chicken option; cook single chicken breast fillets in lightly oiled non-stick through non-vegetarians’ portions. Note

For a tasty, healthy meat alternative to fill your burgers, try this sensational veggie patty recipe brought to you by Woman's Weekly.

Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

Dry coleslaw is coleslaw without dressing. Aïoli is a garlic mayonnaise, available in supermarkets and delicatessens; you can use mayonnaise or dijonnaise instead. To keep sandwiches moist, cover them with damp absorbent paper. Note

Algerian chicken and chickpea soup

Za'atar lamb with warm chickpea salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

This delicious olive and roasted tomato tart is equally delicious served hot or cold. Accompany with rocket salad for a light and healthy lunch.

Herb-flecked and crunchy, this easy salad makes a tasty, filling lunch or side dish.

As long as the wine you use is good enough to drink with the meal, any dry red will suffice; however, in keeping with the Italian feel of this recipe, we used a Chianti. serving suggestion Serve with baby rocket leaves sprinkled with flaked parmesan and a squeeze of lemon juice, if desired. Note

Nasi goreng, literally meaning "fried rice" in Indonesian and Malay, is a fantastic and simple stir-fry.

Roasted garlic is a delicious accompaniment to roasted or grilled meat, or squeezed from the skin and spread on croutes. To ensure a tender roast, remember to stand the meat before serving.

No antipasto plate is complete without a serving of bruschetta. This tomato version may look simple, but the addition of fresh herbs and mozzarella take this classic dish to new heights.

Spinach and ricotta filling can be prepared several hours ahead. Keep covered in the refrigerator. Fill bread, roll up and bake as required. Note

Use well-drained canned corn kernels or thawed frozen corn instead of fresh corn, if you like. Note

Crispy and tender duck breasts with green onion sauce, served on a bed of steamed rice.

The strong flavour of smoked trout makes an excellent counterpoint to the mild egg and potato base of this gorgeous frittata.

Recipe is not suitable to freeze. Note

Perfect served hot or cold, this crustless salmon and herb quiche is just the ticket when you're after a light lunch. Serve with a green salad.

For a slightly richer colour and flavour, brown the beef in a little oil in a frying pan before adding it to the slow cooker. Note

Spicy harissa makes a great marinade or rub for tender lamb loin chops. Serve with vegetables or salad for a delicious dinner.

Like a huge, plate sized piece of sushi, this free-form sushi makes a great share plate for a casual dinner party.

Simple, savoury and delicious, clear soup with prawns and spinach is quick to throw together and leaves you feeling nourished, which makes it perfect for a mid-week dinner.

Crispy and tender duck breasts with fig sauce and spinach risoni from Australian Women's Weekly.

A rich braised beef curry that will melt in your mouth; served with dhal.

A warming wintery roast lemon and garlic lamb rack from Australian Women's Weekly.

Onion soup with beer

These tasty chicken, raisin and pine nut empanadas are packed full of flavour and spice. Enjoy them as a snack, light lunch or finger food for your next dinner party.

A traditional Sunday lunch for many Italian families - this ragu is a flavour-filled delight.

A meal in its own right, this warm egg, potato and spinach salad with shards of crisp bacon makes a great lunch.

Creamy and fragrant tofu and Thai eggplant massaman curry from Australian Women's Weekly.

You can use a large barbecued chicken instead of the breast fillets, if you prefer; discard bones and skin, then shred meat coarsely before tossing with remaining salad ingredients. Note

Cut part of one of the schnitzels into finger-size pieces and serve with tomato sauce instead of the capsicum and caper mayonnaise. Note

Sharp feta and crisp pear make a fabulous combination with leaves, sprouts and walnuts in this sophisticated salad.

You'll be a star when you serve up this slow-roasted lamb with garlicky skordalia and lemon potatoes for Sunday lunch.

The beef roulade is very popular meat dish in the Viennese cuisine.

Smoked paprika and barbecue sauce both lend their smoky flavours to these delicious barbecued steaks. Fabulous served with baked potatoes, corn on the cob and lots of salad.

Wrapped up like adorable bonbons, these delectable seafood parcels make a very special dinner offering for guests.

A healthy, light and delicious watermelon, raspberry and cranberry salad.

Chicken mulligatawny, literally meaning 'pepper water', is an English interpretation of an Indian dish.

These herby goat's cheese tarts make a delicious and elegant brunch or lunch with a crisp green salad.

The chilli and lime zest marinade add heat to the baby octopus and help tenderise the meat, the chilli and lime dressing adds depth to the flavour of the dish.

If you have an electric pressure cooker you won’t need to reduce the heat to stabilise pressure,your cooker will automatically stabilise itself. Always check with the manufacturer’s instructionsbefore using. Recipe suitable to freeze. Note

Butter beans are also known as lima beans; you can use cannellini or similar white beans. Note

We've used salmon for this recipe, but tarragon compliments seafood beautifully. You could use tuna, flathead, ling, trout or any firm fleshed fish.

A smooth, savoury soup delicately seasoned with fresh chervil, cream of asparagus soup is silky and delicious.

Frittata can be made a day ahead; keep, covered, in refrigerator. Note

A meat-free meal to feast on, these spicy Mexican beans with cornbread and avocado salsa are delicious.

If you prefer your soup spicy, you can add one finely chopped fresh red chilli or a teaspoon of dried red chilli to this recipe.

The simple, clean flavours of this seared snapper with ginger and soy are uplifting.

Bring Paris into your kitchen with this classic French bistro version of steak and chips (pommes frites): a tender piece of beef, grilled to perfection, served with freshly made skinny fries, twice cooked to crispy goodness.

This gnocchi dough is very soft, so you’ll need an extra ½ cup of plain (all-purpose) flour for the board when kneading and rolling to prevent it from sticking. Note

This colourful pasta salad is easy, delicious and great for the lunchbox.

An Asian-style spicy, sweet and sour green papaya salad topped with crunchy peanuts.

Tender lamb wrapped in banana leaf with a fresh and fragrant Thai salad.

The food of Thailand takes first prize in the popularity stakes these days and no wonder: quick and easy to prepare, delicious recipes such as this are every cook's dream

You can use these divine little curried lamb pasties in so many ways, as a shared platter for parties, for lunch or as an after school snack.

Impress your dinner guests with this deliciously tender braised pork with pancetta and fennel.

Crunchy croutons and dill add bite to this luxurious smoked salmon salad.

Ossobuco is a Milanese speciality of veal shanks braised with vegetables and white wine topped with a polenta crust.

A fresh and light Thai chicken noodle salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

To make this soup more fun for toddlers cut different shapes from bread like stars, hearts or animals. You could get older toddlers to cut the shapes from the bread to get them involved in the preparation of the meal. Note

Few soups pack the punchy flavour of a delicious savoury miso. Yellow miso (shinshu), is a smooth, deep-yellow, fairly salty, tart, fermented soya bean paste. Teamed with tofu and spinach it makes a delicious, fresh and healthy broth.

Traditionally harira is a Moroccan soup of lamb, vegetables and pulses, popularly served to break the fast of Ramadan.

A fresh and bright apple and seed slaw with macadamia dressing; the perfect summer salad.

Balmain bugs are similar to scampi in size and flavour, they are lovely simply grilled and used here in a salad.

Yellow dhal with spinach is a fragrant and delicious north Indian comfort curry.