One dozen work-from-home lunches you'll love

Take advantage of easy access to your kitchen to make work from home lunches that are easy but full of flavour, from flatbreads from the fridge to spicy noodles.

Source: Donal's Meals in Minutes

--- The Cook Up with Adam Liaw's fourth season airs weeknights on SBS Food (Ch.33) at 7.00pm. All episodes available anytime on SBS On Demand. See Adam making and guests making great meals in the 'Hot lunches' episode on 30 March --- 

 

Working from home means there's not far to go to enjoy a great lunch. We're with Adam Liaw when he says "throw out those soggy sandwiches, cast aside those bad salads" when it comes to an uplifting lunchtime. With your fridge, pantry, stove and oven to hand, there are so many more options. 

Here are some great ideas that you can easily fit into a working day, or whip up quickly in your lunch break. There are quick recipes, a flavour-packed salad that will turn leftovers into a meal and a toasted sandwich that is far from soggy!

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Egg bowl (tamago-don)

Egg bowl (tamago-don) Source: Kitti Gould

"Tamago-don in Japanese, this simple egg bowl is an express lunch or dinner that takes some beating," says Adam Liaw of this quick recipe, shared in a "hot lunches" episode of The Cook Up (the same episode where he urges his guests and viewers to avoid the soggy sangers and sad salads). Pop the dried shiitake mushrooms in water to soak 15 minutes before you need to start cooking, and then the dish itself is ready in 10 minutes.

Crustless zucchini pie (Batzina)

Crustless zucchini pie (Batzina) Source: Jeremy Simons

Batzina is a crustless pie originating from Epirus and Thessaly in Northern Greece. "Greeks refer to it as the 'lazy pie' because you don't need to worry about prepping the dough – it can be thrown together quickly and easily," explains Helen Tzouganatos of this recipe, which has a lot going for it. Not only is it gluten-free, but it's the sort of thing you can do in quick breaks from the desk if you have a job where that is OK. Or make it in advance and reheat it for a quick meal, as leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Iceberg salad with green goddess dressing

Iceberg salad with green goddess dressing Source: Kitti Gould

The dressing in this recipe is a perfectly balanced blend of creamy, tart and herbaceous elements, with mayonnaise, lemon juice, anchovies and fresh herbs. Drizzle it over an iceberg salad, or whatever salad greens you have on hand, and serve alongside leftovers to make them feel fresh and new, or if you haven't got quite enough left over to make a full meal.

Three-cheese and spinach 'gozleme'

Three-cheese and spinach gozleme Source: Adam Liaw

You can't whip up the real deal gozleme in your lunch hour, but you take the express route to a satisfying version where large pita bread stands in for the traditional thin pastry case. Filled with a cheese and spinach mixture and pan-fried until golden outside and oozy inside, this is a delicious lunch for one. And if those flavours inspire you to try making your own gozleme pastry on a day when you have more time, try this recipe, which has spinach, herb and cheese, or spiced meat, filling options; or this one, with a lamb, silverbeet and feta filling.

Spicy peanut butter noodles

Spicy peanut butter noodles Source: Donal's Meals in Minutes

Looking for an easy but filling lunch for two? Try Donal Skehan's nutty noodles. "Lots of different noodles would no doubt be delicious coated in this nutty sauce, but I do love those packets of thick udon noodles which just need a quick blast in a pot of boiling water," he says.

Piadina Romagnola

Piadina romagnola Source: Jono Fleming

If you think you don't have time in your lunch break for the glory of homemade flatbreads filled with delicious deli ingredients, Silvia Colloca has the recipe to make it happen. The dough can be made and rolled out in advance, and then the uncooked piadina is kept in the fridge for 2-3 days, so you can cook and fill them as you need them. Stuff with whatever delicious combination of antipasti ingredients you like, such as prosciutto, pickled vegetables, cheese, greens and sliced stone fruit.

Middle Eastern chicken and bread salad

Middle Eastern chicken and bread salad Source: Donal's Meals in Minutes

Turn leftover chicken and bread into a super-fast salad with crunchy croutons and a flavour-packed dressing. This is ready in about 10 minutes, even quicker if you make the dressing ahead of time. This serves one or two depending on how hungry you are, or whether you serve it with other leftovers.

Kimchi cheese toastie

Kimchi cheese toastie Source: Adam Liaw

When you're craving the simple comfort of a toastie, but you want flavour... Remy Hii says this crowd-pleaser is perfect for breakfast or lunch. It's a combo that makes sure there's no chance of lunch boredom!

Tortellini spring drop soup

Tortellini spring drop soup Source: Donal's Meals in Minutes

In the mood for soup? This has plenty of great greens - including cabbage, peas and asparagus - and is a lunch-friendly meal in minutes thanks to the use of store-bought tortellini, which get dropped into the soup just before it’s ready to serve.

Pasta with ricotta and prosciutto

Pasta with ricotta and proscuitto Source: Donna Hay: Fast, Fresh, Simple

Donna Hay knows all about great flavour with little fuss, and this pasta recipe is no exception. A simple combination of chunky pasta with salty prosciutto and creamy ricotta, with some basil and garlic, it's a simple lunch that requires very little hands-on time to make.

Poké bowl

Poké bowl Source: Bondi Harvest

If you can work some poké prep into your morning (including 30 minutes of marinating time for the fish), this makes a perfect lunch. It's fresh, fun and full of flavour. You can swap up the grain you use as the base and toppings to suit what you have on hand, too.

Quinoa chaufa (chaufa de quinoa)

Quinoa chaufa (chaufa de quinoa) Source: Peru: The Cookbook

This Peruvian dish is easy to make and while the recipe uses three kinds of quinoa, you can use whatever you have. Asparagus and broccoli add green crunch, and sesame oil, ginger and garlic add plenty of flavour. It's ready in 20 minutes if you have cooked quinoa ready to go and serves 4 (so it's also a good option if you make it the night before and want tasty leftovers for the easiest of all work-from-home lunches).