Work lunchbox

Homemade salmon and cucumber sushi are a delicious way to celebrate fresh seafood over the summer. Kept chilled, they also make a delicious quick lunchbox filler too.

For the perfect balanced lunch, add fresh fruit, grissini (bread sticks) and water. Not suitable to freeze. Pasta suitable to microwave. Note

If you have the time, drain the ricotta through cheesecloth to prevent the bake being too wet. If the bake is set but the top isn’t quite golden, pop it under a hot grill for a minute or so to give it a bit more colour. For the meat-lovers in your household, you can add […]

A feast for the eyes as well as the tongue, this slightly posh spinach roulade is the perfect dish for when you have guests. Make it in advance and enjoy your lunch party.

Don’t discard the baking paper used for rolling out pastry. Use one to bake pastry blind, the other to line the tray for roasting the vegetables. Quiche is cooked when a knife inserted at centre comes out clean. Note

3 medium mashed bananas equals 1 1/2 cups. Note

Use a finely chopped onion if you don’t have a leek. Make croutons by toasting crestless bread and cutting into cubes. Alternatively, fry cubes of bread in a little oil or butter until golden. Note

Of all the fruit and nut loaf recipes, this one by Woman's Day has to be in the top 5. Gluten-free, stuffed with your favourite dried fruits and richly sweetened with brown sugar, it's irresistible.

Rich in both flavour and texture and delicious hot or cold, enjoy this quiche with a side salad. For a milder version, substitite the greens with English spinach.

If liked, this quiche can be made in a 23cm quiche pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Note

If you prefer, add 1 cup grated carrot to the mixture in place of 1 banana. Note

Cut pancetta in half, cook in frying pan 2-3 minutes each side, until crisp, drain on paper towel. Leftover risotto can be pressed into lightly greased muffin pan and baked for 15-20 minutes, until golden, to make risotto cakes. Note

To roast tomatoes, arrange cherry tomatoes in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season to taste. Roast in a moderate oven, 180°C, for 15-20 minutes, until they begin to collapse. Note

This quiche can also be made in a 23cm quiche pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Note

This delicious vegetarian quiche is packed full of flavour from the salty haloumi, hearty eggplant and divine golden crust. Cut yourself a slice and enjoy warm or cool.

This beautiful beetroot and roasted pumpkin salad is filling enough to enjoy as a healthy vegetarian dinner, or served alongside some freshly grilled lamb. You can take any leftovers to work or school, too.

Zucchini can be replaced with mashed banana if preferred. Note

Serve this with a fresh green salad, avocado and shaved parmesan for a tasty and gluten-free lunch or dinner. Note

Spread bread with a little fig jam when fresh figs are not available. Note

Make these ahead of time and cook when ready to serve. Great for lunchboxes. Note

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.

For a milder pesto, substitute baby spinach leaves for rocket. Note

Perfect for an after school snack, or school and work lunches these mini ham and corn quiches are easy and tasty and appealing.

Speedy and moreish, the whole family will love this easy chicken pasta.

Delicious hot or cold, for breakfast, lunch or dinner, a frittata is the way to go for a quick and easy meal.

If the handle of your frying pan is not heatproof, cover it with aluminium foil before placing it under the grill. Frittata is delicious served warm, but if you like it cold or want to take it to work, make it the evening before, keep it in the fridge overnight, then wrap it in plastic […]

Not suitable to freeze. Note

Add a dash of sweet chilli sauce to the chicken mix when making these delicious sandwiches if you want to dial up the drama.

The second best part of making my own snacks is that I know exactly what goes into them - the best part is how they taste. The muesli bars in this recipe can be changed to suit any needs. I put linseed and sesame seeds in them, mostly so I can convince myself that I should eat them. Nuts are lovely, although the boys’ school, as well as many others I am sure, has a peanut ban because of serious allergies. Good additions include slivered almonds, pine nuts, choc chips or chopped apricot pieces.

This is also a great family meal served with rice or bread. The tandoori paste is found in the Asian section of the supermarket. Serve the salad in an airtight container that fits inside the lunchbox with a freezer block. Put the dressing into a smaller container to be put on the salad (or dunked into) at lunchtime – if it's put on in the morning, it will become soggy. If your kids are little gourmets, throw a wedge of lemon in as well.

With the added crunch of walnuts, these tasty wraps make a satisfying and simple lunch.

You could use turkey pastrami as an alternative and add 2 teaspoons of cranberry sauce to the coleslaw. If taking to work for lunch, package coleslaw in a separate container and assemble the sandwich just before eating. If you have one, use a mandoline to cut the vegetables into matchsticks, or you can coarsely grate them.

For a light and refreshing weeknight meal, try this fragrant beef and noodle salad.

Whip up something healthy and filling for lunch with this spiced chicken sandwich with apricot and kumara.

Tossed with omelette strips and hot chilli, this gingery fried rice makes a speedy, delicious weeknight dinner.

You can use 1 teaspoon of worcestershire sauce instead of the anchovy fillets. This salad is a great way to use up leftover roast chicken. Shred the chicken and add to the salad instead of the poached chicken breasts. Note

This moreish salad makes a great weeknight meal and is also fantastic for the lunchbox.

Enjoy this classic flavour combination in salad form.

Put the kettle on and treat yourself to one of these fluffy, spiced apple muffins.

Depending on size of the food processor, the apricots can be processed in two batches. Place saucepan over a small gas jet or element to prevent burning mixture on edge of pan. Note

These moreish cookies go perfectly with a cold glass of milk.

This spiced walnut cake with a brandy syrup is rich with the fragrance of cloves, cinnamon and orange.

This coconut noodle salad would be an excellent accompaniment to poached salmon.

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

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

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

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

Ideal for the lunchbox, both kids and adults will love this cheesy broccoli frittata.

Whip up a batch of these fluffy savoury muffins with crunchy cheese topping. They're great served warm with butter or packed in a lunchbox.

With the perfect amount of spice, these tasty Turkish chicken kebabs are great for a family dinner or barbecue with friends.

Cranberries are very high in antioxidants and nutrients, giving them superfood status. They go perfectly as a sauce with chicken and melted cheese.

These little fibre-packed cookies are the perfect treat to add to a school lunch box or for an afternoon treat.

These muesli bars are the perfect after-school snack for kids on the go. They are packed full of the protein of peanut butter and energy-boosting honey.

Loaded with roasted kumara and pan-fried mushrooms, this healthy pilaf is great for a mid-week dinner and also makes for a tasty packed lunch.

You can also bake this mixture in one loaf pan;­ it will take about 45 minutes to cook. Loaves are best made on the day of serving. Note

These flapjacks make a great snack for lunchboxes or to serve as morning tea. We used dried pineapple, papaya and mango in this recipe. You could also try chopped dates or figs.

Perfect for the lunchbox, these easy berry muffins make a delicious morning or afternoon snack.

Broad beans are also known as fava beans. They are high in fibre and a good source of vitamin C and folate. This recipe is delicious, and would also be excellent with a good squeeze of lemon on top.

You can use any type of sliced bread. Note

For a packed lunch, prepare this salad the night before; it is best dressed just before serving. Place beetroot in base of lunch container, top with mesclun, potato and beef; pack dressing separately. Store in the fridge; bring to room temperature before serving. Note

Full of flavour, colour and crunch, this Asian-inspired salad is a cinch to make and perfect for a speedy mid-week meal.

A crumbly topping hides a surprise in these fluffy apple muffins.

This delicious, filling sandwich is perfect for the lunchbox.

Serve this salad warm or cold for a light, healthy and satisfying lunch. It is also perfect for work or school lunch boxes.

Perfect for school lunches, picnics or after-school snacks and equally delicious hot or cold, these mini leek and parmesan fritters will always satisfy hungry mouths.

Loaded with olives, herbs and juicy capsicum, this crunchy salad is easy to whip up and great for a packed lunch.

Kids will love these fluffy apple and cinnamon muffins.

This easy quiche will be a sure-fire winner with your family.

This refreshing salad is perfect for the lunchbox.

The beauty of this meat loaf is that you can use regular sausage mince, or buy your favourite sausages and simply squeeze the mince from the skins. We love it with creamy mash and greens.

Whip up these mouth-watering beef sandwiches for a hearty packed lunch or light dinner.

Topped with fresh spinach and dollops of horseradish cream, this easy salmon frittata is perfect for a busy, hungry cook.

This sandwich is at its best eaten warm, but if you don't have the right facilities to cook the chicken and bacon at lunch time, then cook the chicken and bacon in the morning and assemble the sandwich at work.

If using frozen raspberries, don’t thaw them, as the colour will run. Granny smith or golden delicious apples are both good varieties to use in this recipe. Note

Tasty tuna mixed with mayonnaise and sweet corn, plus ripe avocado and baby spinach, make this delicious lunch wrap a great way to get a protein hit with a side of iron in the middle of the day.