Workday lunches

Dressing can be made 1 day ahead; chill, covered. Recipe can be 3 days ahead up to step 3; store in airtight container. Note

You'll never have plain old mashed potato again after this delicious bacon and cheesy potato bake.

This recipe is inspired by the Russian passion for kasha, cooked grains such as buckwheat, millet or oats. Buckwheat kernels or groats are available from health-food stores. Note

Asian-style stir-fried beef with thin hokkien noodles from Australian Women's Weekly.

You need to purchase a large barbecued chicken weighing about 900g for this recipe. Note

Delicious and warming garlic chicken stir-fry with buk choy from Australian Women's Weekly.

We used cryovac-packed ready-to-serve sweet chilli tofu, available from many supermarkets and Asian food stores. Note

You could buy 4 x 75g salmon fillets instead of the larger fillet. The yellow beans add some colour to the dish; if unavailable use green beans. Note

Spicy vegetable and lentil salad packed full of char-grilled capsicum, carrot, pumpkin and red onion.

A deep purple-red spice ground from berries grown on a Mediterranean coastal shrub, sumac adds an astringent flavour to both raw and cooked food. It suits poultry, meat and fish as well as it does a salad. Its piquancy was long only associated with Middle Eastern foods, but these days it is used in many […]

Deliciously tender pork, fennel and olive ragout that can be done in a pressure cooker in no time.

You will need about 1⅓ cups (265g) of uncooked rice for this recipe. Note

You can buy the roast beef, already cooked and sliced, from any deli. Make the coleslaw the night before, and make the sandwich at lunch time the next day. Use whatever cabbage you like; we used red cabbage, but try the chinese variety (wombok),it’s easy to shred finely. Note

Salted cod, also called salt cod, baccala, bacalhau, bacalao and morue, is available from Italian, Spanish and Portuguese delicatessens and some specialty food stores. Note

Sumac is a purple-red, astringent spice ground from berries growing on shrubs around the Mediterranean; it has a tart, lemony flavour. It can be found in Middle-Eastern food stores and major supermarkets. Note

This Asian-style sesame noodle salad is sticky, sweet and utterly delicious.

Velouté, a white sauce made from roux (a cooked butter and flour mixture) and stock, is one of the five “mother” sauces in French cooking from which all other sauces are derived. Note

A rich and creamy red Thai-style curry from Australian Women's Weekly.

Adding avocado to this open sandwich not only adds a rich creamy flavour, it also increases its nutritional value. Avocados are a rich source of potassium and healthy monounsaturated fats that help to lower cholesterol. Use a loaf of ciabatta bread if turkish bread is not available. Note

As easy as raita is to make, if you are in a hurry you can cheat and buy tzatziki, which is the Greek eqivalent of the Indian raita. Note

This delicious summer sandwich tastes fantastic and looks beautiful too.

A quick, easy and flavour-packed Mexican beef stir-fry from Australian Women's Weekly.

If kipfler potatoes are unavailable you can use baby new potatoes. You could also use aïoli, a garlic mayonnaise, instead of plain mayonnaise, and lemon juice instead of warm water to jazz this salad up. Note

Cool the quiches before packing into airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. They are not suitable to freeze. You need four 10cm (4-inch) spring-form tins for this recipe. Note

Coulibiac is a Russian fish pie stuffed with spinach, rice and brown mushrooms.

Thai basil, also known as horapa, is available from greengrocers and Asian supermarkets. To freeze; pack into freezerproof containers, leaving a 2.5cm space to allow for expansion. Seal, label and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a saucepan or microwave on medium power (50%) until heated through. Note

A light and healthy Indian-style breakfast dish that packs a real flavour punch.

I sometimes make vegetarian minestrone but it’s never as tasty as this version, which relies on a really rich beef stock. Taking the trouble to make good stock makes all the difference to the end result. Note

This spiced coriander, lentil and barley soup is creamy, delicious and filling.

A healthy and filling vegetarian casserole packed full of flavour.

A colourful salad of crispy roasted vegetables and grill haloumi salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

We used large (25cm diameter) packaged pizza bases for this recipe. Note

Soak bamboo skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes before using to prevent them scorching during cooking. Note

With a name that loosely translates as "top of the shelf", ras el hanout is a Moroccan blend of the best a spice merchant has to offer.

This rocket and blue cheese salad is packed full of big flavours and will be an instant favourite.

Tasty, simple and spicy little lamb kofta that are great for summer lunches, cocktail parties or as spicy snacks.

For a vegetarian option, add extra beans in place of the chicken. You need to cook ⅓ cup (65g) raw rice to get the amount of cooked rice used here. You could also use the microwave rice now available in most supermarkets. Note

Red cabbage is good both raw in salads and cooked lightly. Cook in a minimum of water to which an acid ingredient, such as lemon juice, apple, vinegar or wine, has been added. The acid component is needed because plain water can be alkaline, which turns red cabbage an awful blue-green colour. Note

Ask the butcher for lamb shoulder, as what is sold as diced lamb is sometimes from the leg and will not be as tender. Note

Pickling spice is a mixture of mustard seeds, black peppercorns, dill seeds, allspice and bay leaves. It is available from the spice section in most supermarkets. Note

Chickpea flour (besan) is available from the health food aisle of supermarkets or health food stores. Note

To make tomato salsa; quarter tomatoes. Squeeze out seeds; finely chop. Combine tomato with remaining ingredients in a small bowl; season to taste. You can substitute either one fresh red bird’s-eye chilli or ½ teaspoon chilli flakes for pickled jalapeño if you like. For a lower fat version, use reduced-fat cheeses and sour cream. Note

Pepitas, dried pumpkin seeds, are available hulled or unhulled, raw or roasted. Most people here usually eat them as a snack or in a homemade muesli, but in many other countries they are commonly ground into meal for use as a sauce thickener. Note

An exquisite, slowcooked Greek-style dish with dill and lemon lamb shoulder.

We used agnolotti, but any vegetarian-style pasta will work well in this dish. We used a white cheese from the Castello range; it has a mild, slightly tart, flavour. As it matures, it becomes creamier, and develops a fuller flavour. Note

With the help of a pressure cooker, this Mexican dish of tender chicken & chorizo sausages with kidney beans can be whipped up in no time.

This recipe is best made on day of serving. Not suitable to freeze or microwave. Note

This is a delicious and budget-friendly family meal; substitute lamb or chicken sausages to suit your family’s tastes.

Late morning is a good time to serve this country breakfast, skipping lunch and going for a long afternoon walk before dinner.

Line quiche pans one at a time. Keep the remaining pastry sheet covered with a damp clean tea towel, to stop it drying out while lining the first quiche pan. Note

Bean thread vermicelli is called win sen in Thailand and fun si in China. While it resembles rice vermicelli in appearance, it is tougher and can be quite hard. Soak the vermicelli only long enough to soften otherwise it will become stodgy or start to fragment. This is also a good vermicelli to deep-fry to […]

A bright and summery salad packed full of healthy and crunchy raw vegetables.

Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 1 hour to prevent them burning during cooking. We used ling for this recipe but you can use any firm white fish fillets. Note

Use a good quality whole-egg mayonnaise. Note

Aïoli can be made easily at home: Combine ½ cup whole-egg mayonnaise and 1 crushed garlic clove in a small bowl. Season to taste. Note

The richness of pork works perfectly with fresh and aromatic flavours, as in the coating mixture and salad for this recipe. Loin chops have a fatty edge ­ trim it if you wish, but don’t remove it as it makes the meat flavoursome and luscious. Note

A quick and easy Italian-style pizza with roast garlic and crispy potato.

Treacle can be used in place of molasses. Note

You can also use coliban or sebago potatoes for this recipe. Note

We used blue-eye fillets in this recipe. Note

Delicious summer rolls with red wine marinated sausages and a parsley and chervil salad.

To segment the lemon, use a small sharp knife to cut the top and bottom from lemon. Cut off the rind with the white pith, following the curve of the fruit. Holding the lemon over a bowl, cut down both sides of the white membrane to release each segment. If you don’t have an ovenproof […]

Grilled sausages with a colourful and delicious pear and witlof salad.

This recipe would also be delicious using cauliflower instead of broccoli, or a mixture of both. Note

The pasta cases can be made, cooled and removed from the pans one day before the party. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The bolognese sauce can be made two days ahead; keep it covered in the fridge. Assemble the baskets up to 3 hours before the party. Note

Peri-peri (piri-piri) is a hot Portuguese sauce made of chilli, garlic, ginger, oil and herbs, and is available from supermarkets. You can also use pontiac potatoes for this recipe. Note

If you’ve ever brunched on yum cha, you’ve probably eaten gai lan and loved it; stir-fried or steamed then splashed with a little sesame oil and oyster sauce. This deliciously crunchy vegetable is the perfect accompaniment to our crisp-skinned chicken. Note

These pork buns are the perfect fusion of French and Vietnamese cooking.

A bright and colourful roasted cherry tomatoes, broccolini and pepitas salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

Soak bamboo skewers in cold water for at least an hour prior to use, to prevent splintering or scorching. Note

Ramen is a very popular Japanese noodle soup consisting of Chinese wheat noodles and a broth usually flavoured with meats and soy.