Workday lunches

Sick of grandma's roast? Try this exquisite Moroccan roast chicken with olives and preserved lemon.

A flavour-packed Provençal salad with eggplant, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, haloumi, olives and garlic croutons.

Refried beans are sold, canned, in most supermarkets, as are packaged flour tortillas. Made of pinto beans that are just parboiled then fried with various seasonings, refried beans are also known by their Mexican name of frijoles refritos. You will need to purchase one small iceberg lettuce for this recipe. Note

A hearty cassoulet with delicate chicken breast and merguez, a spicy North African sausage.

If fresh mango is not available, you can use 800g canned mango cheeks instead; drain them well, then slice thinly. Note

Asian-style pork and chicken stir-fry with a wonderfully rich black bean sauce.

A quick and easy authentic Italian pasta with sausage meatballs and cannelloni.

A traditional Sunday dinner dish in the French countryside that literally means, 'chicken in a pot'.

Sumac is a spice that adds a tart, lemony flavour and can be found in Middle Eastern food stores. Note

Tender pork loin stuffed with capsicum and ciabatta crumb and served with a rosemary gravy.

Use the freshest, sashimi-quality fish you can find. Raw fish sold as sashimi has to meet stringent guidelines regarding its handling and treatment after leaving the water. We suggest you seek advice from local authorities before eating raw seafood. Recipe not suitable to freeze. This is the perfect dish if you love sushi but haven’t […]

A fragrant and simple spiced lamb dish with rice and lentil from Australian Women's Weekly.

Be careful when frying mint as it will spit. Note

We used hard (stir-frying) tofu; you can substitute firm tofu, if you prefer. Note

This deliciously tender slowcooked spiced chicken in coconut sauce from Australian Women's Weekly.

Dry sherry can be used instead of mirin. Note

Roasting makes both the parsnip and garlic wonderfully sweet and mellow. When preparing the parsnips, be sure to peel thickly enough to remove all the bitter outer layer, and also to cut off any woody core. Note

Spice-rubbed lamb salad with roast capsicum, red onion and dutch carrots.

Pre-baked, packaged pizza bases first appeared in supermarkets during the 1980s. They come in various sizes, some with cheese already in the mix. You need to purchase a large barbecued chicken weighing approximately 900g to get the amount of shredded meat required for this recipe. Note

Pork cutlets like you've never seen before with the sweet and smokey flavours of maple, bourbon and pear.

Make sure to always use the freshest eggs when poaching, as the thick egg white clings tightly to the yolk. Old eggs don’t hold their shape because the whites are thin and runny, so they tend to spread out in the water. Note

An exquisitely Mediterranean breakfast dish served with a gorgeous capsicum olive relish.

A simple yet gourmet salad with an exquisitely sweet raspberry macadamia dressing,

If you prefer, you can make a mustard sauce for the chicken, replace marsala with dry white wine and stir in 2 teaspoons of whole grain mustard into the finished sauce. Note

Instead of individual dishes, use a single large shallow 3-litre (12-cup) baking dish for this recipe. The cooking time will be the same. Note

Some butchers sell a pork and veal mince mixture, which is what we call for here. If it is not available as a mixture, buy 500g pork mince and 500g veal or lean beef mince. This recipe is suitable to freeze at the end of step 4. Note

Make your roast Mediterranean style with this delicious spiced and zesty rub.

Substitute pork with chicken. This recipe is best made just before serving. Note

A super-fast version of the Southern-Indian madras curry that packs a chilli punch.

A delicious side dish of spicy couscous salad packed with pine nuts, red onion, currants and harissa.

Micro cress and herbs are available from gourmet green grocers and some growers’ markets. If unavailable, use small coriander leaves or chopped chives. Note

If taking this meal to work, roast tomato and prosciutto the night before; store in the fridge. Reheat in a microwave oven, on HIGH (100%), about 1 minute or until heated through. Toast the bread and assemble just before serving. Note

Asian-style noodles and chicken with kecap manis, also known as ketjap manis, a dark, thick, sweet soy sauce.

The inspiration for this tasty salad is that famous New York deli sandwich, the Reuben, a universal favourite ever since its creation in the early 1900s.

Filling can be made a day ahead. Store, covered, in the fridge. Note

Pulled beef, or pork, comes from pulling extremely tender pieces of meat apart­ rather than cutting it into slices usually with two forks, which separates the meat into strands. Low, slow cooking is required to produce meat tender enough to pull apart into pieces. Note

Variously called sfinciuni or sfincione in Sicily, we call it delicious - a double-decker pizza with its aromatic filling hidden between the layers.

A sweet, sour, fresh and fragrant Asian-style rice noodle salad with wasabi dressing.

Exquisite and delicate smoked chicken and peach salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

Rollmops are herring fillets wrapped around a slice of gherkin, red capsium and/or onion preserved in a spiced vinegar brine. Note

Soak 8 bamboo skewers in water for about 30 minutes before use to prevent splintering and scorching during cooking. Note

Char-siu sauce is a Chinese barbecue sauce made from sugar, water, salt, fermented soya bean paste, honey, soy sauce, malt syrup and spices. A little something out of the ordinary for those times when you feel you’ve cooked it all before. Note

You can use any firm white-fleshed fish fillets. Note

A classic hearty chicken stew that originated in southern Louisiana.

Crispy and delicious pork rack with a sweet apple sage sauce from Australian Women's Weekly.

Warm sabayon must be served immediately. Note

The black beans used in this recipe are also known as turtle beans, and are Cuban and Latin American rather than Chinese in origin. Jet black with a tiny white eye, black beans can be found in most greengrocers and delicatessens. Note

Use any rice you like for this recipe, just make sure it’s cooked properly so every grain is separate. You could use about 3½ cups of cold leftover rice if you happen to have it, if not cook, rinse and drain the rice the day before the picnic. Keep the rice in the fridge. Assemble […]

To save time, omit step 1 and use bottled massaman curry paste, available from supermarkets. Note

A rich, fragrant and warming slow-cooked lamb and eggplant curry that will melt in your mouth.

Cook the chicken the night before. Note

Suitable to freeze at the end of step 3. Note

The same amount of ingredients used to top a 30cm pizza will top four mini pizza bases. Note

Crispy pork belly and nashi salad with a plum and five-spice dressing from Australian Women's Weekly.

This popular noodle dish uses thin, vermicelli-like noodles in a spicy and aromatic stir-fry.

You need 12 skewers; if using bamboo skewers, soak them in water 1 hour before use to prevent splintering or scorching. Note

We used a greek feta, which crumbles well and has a sharp taste. Note

You can use a lamb backstrap instead of cutlets. Cook for 3-4 minutes each side and then slice thickly. If fresh broad beans are in season, you can use them instead of frozen ones. Note

Use a mandoline or V-slicer, available from kitchenware and department stores, to slice the fennel and radishes. Substitute salmon fillets for the ocean trout, if you prefer. For decoration and ease of handling either tie the rolls with kitchen string or secure them with toothpicks. Note

Chicken can be coated with parmesan several hours ahead. Place in a single layer on a plate and keep refrigerated. Cook chicken and prepare salad as required. Note

Use focaccia, bagels, bread rolls or any other kind of bread. Note

We used flathead fillets but use any firm white fish fillets you like; blue eye, bream, ling, whiting or snapper are all fine. Remove the fish when it is almost cooked; it will continue to cook off the heat. Recipe not suitable to freeze. Note

Potato starch is similar to cornflour but stronger, so use a little more cornflour if you cannot find any potato starch Note

Ask the butcher to cut the ribs into pieces that will fit into your slow cooker. Note

A bright, colourful and healthy modern Asian dish.

Delicious Asian-style main dish of sticky pork with wilted gai lan.

A quick and easy Asian-style beef stir fry for busy midweek dinners.

A rich and delicious spinach and three cheese cannelloni that is a truly Italian dish.

These sesame and chilli lamb skewers are the perfect starter dish for Asian-styled evenings.