The Australian Women's Weekly Lunch Box

Lunch Ideas For Kids & Adults

As lunch time rolls around and you (and your stomach) start thinking about food, it's all too easy to grab takeaway or eat something unhealthy on-the-go.

Eating a delicious and nutritious lunch require a little thought and pre-planning – which The Australian Women's Weekly have done for you!

Recipes in The Australian Women's Weekly LUNCH BOX are healthy, designed to travel, stay fresh and nourish you throughout the day.

Whether you're an adult, big kid or little kid, the recipes in this book have you covered.

So pack your lunch box with recipes from this book – and feel better for it!

This book includes:
100 recipes designed to store and travel
Nutritious sandwiches & wraps, jaffles & melts
Satisfying salads, tasty snacks & soups
Tips for prepping and swapping out ingredients
Options for cheap eats, meat free, gluten free or nut free

The Australian Women's Weekly Lunch Box
ISBN: 9781925695311
RRP: $24.99

Vegie Nachos Wraps

Prep + Cook Time: 25 minutes
Makes 2

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
½ small red onion (50g), chopped finely
1 tbsp burrito spice mix
½ cup finely chopped coriander leaves and stems
400g can four-bean mix, drained, rinsed
⅓ cup (85g) chunky tomato salsa
2 tbsp smoky chipotle sauce
½ cup (60g) grated smoked cheese
2 wholegrain wraps
½ cup (40g) finely shredded red cabbage
2 tbsp sour cream
¼ cup coriander leaves, extra

Guacamole:
1 avocado, mashed
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves and stems

Method
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat; cook onion for 3 minutes or until softened. Add spice mix and coriander; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add beans, salsa, sauce and cheese; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Cool.
Meanwhile, make guacamole.
Place wraps on a chopping board; spread guacamole down centre of each wrap. Top with bean mixture, cabbage, sour cream and extra coriander. Fold in sides and wrap up tightly to enclose filling; cut in half.

Guacamole: Combine ingredients in a small bowl; season to taste.

Swap it: Use smaller wraps for kids, if you like.
Prep it: Make wraps the night before or in the morning.
Take it: Enclose wraps in baking paper tied with kitchen string, plastic wrap or foil, or pack in reusable sandwich containers. Transport in cooler bags. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pork and Apple Sausage Rolls

Prep + Cook Time: 55 Minutes (+ refrigeration)
Makes 36

Ingredients
2 shallots, chopped coarsely
1 medium fennel bulb, chopped coarsely
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium green apples, cored, grated
1 medium carrot, grated
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1kg minced pork
⅓ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp thyme leaves, chopped
6 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 eggs, beaten lightly
3 tsp white sesame seeds

Method
Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Grease and line two large oven trays with baking paper.
Process shallot and fennel in a food processor, using the pulse button, until chopped finely.
Heat oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Cook shallot and fennel for 4 minutes or until golden. Place apple in a colander; squeeze out all the excess liquid. Add apple, carrot and garlic to pan; cook for 2 minutes. Transfer to a sieve; press down to remove excess liquid.
Place pork mince, parsley, thyme and cooled vegetable mixture in a large bowl; season. Using clean hands, mix ingredients until well combined.
Cut pastry sheets in half lengthways. Spoon ⅓ cup of the mince mixture lengthways along centre of each pastry piece. Turn one long side of pastry over mince mixture. Brush pastry flap with a little of the egg. Turn over other long side of pastry to enclose mince mixture. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cut each roll into thirds using a small sharp knife. Make two shallow cuts in the top of each sausage roll to allow steam to escape during baking. Place rolls, seam-side down, on tray; brush rolls with egg and scatter with sesame seeds.
Bake sausage rolls for 30 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden and pork mixture is cooked through. Transfer to wire racks to cool, if not serving straight away.

Prep it: Sausage rolls can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated in a paper-towel-lined airtight container. They will also freeze for up to 3 months; thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Take it: Pack sausage rolls in airtight containers. Transport in cooler bags. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Reheat in a microwave or eat at room temperature.

Choc-Beetroot Slab Cake

Prep + Cook Time: 50 minutes
Makes: 18 pieces

Ingredients
2 large beetroot (400g), peeled
1 cup (250ml) buttermilk
¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil
1½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
125g butter
1½ cups (330g) caster sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
2½ cups (375g) plain flour
¼ cup (30g) dutch-processed cocoa powder
1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp fine sea salt

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 25cm x 37cm slice pan; line with baking paper, extending paper 5cm over long sides.
Grate beetroot; you need 2½ cups grated beetroot. Transfer to a food processor and add buttermilk, oil and vinegar; process until as smooth as possible.
Meanwhile, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and pale; add one egg at a time, beating well after each addition. With motor operating, add vanilla.
Fold in beetroot mixture to combine. Sift flour, cocoa powder, soda and salt into a clean bowl. Add sifted dry ingredients to the beetroot and butter mixture until just incorporated; do not over-mix.
Spoon batter into slice pan; bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the centre.
Stand cake in pan for 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut cake into 18 pieces.
Prep it: Cake can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in an airtight container, or wrap pieces individually in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.

The Australian Women's Weekly Lunch Box
ISBN: 9781925695311
RRP: $24.99