Say farewell to dull desk lunches! With these quick pasta lunchbox ideas, you’ll twirl your way through the workday with flavour and flair. Easy to prepare, fun to pack and guaranteed to make your colleagues jealous. 

5-ingredient pasta bake   

Serves 3-4   

Ingredients  

3 wheels feta 
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 
2 punnets (250g each) cherry tomatoes 
Handful fresh basil, chopped plus extra to serve 
Olive oil, for drizzling 
Salt and milled black pepper 
1 packet (500g) macaroni, rigatoni or fusilli 
Chilli flakes, to serve 

Method  

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.  
2. Arrange feta, garlic, tomatoes and basil in a deep ovenproof dish. Drizzle with oil and season.  
3. Bake for 10-12 minutes, remove from oven and use a spatula or wooden spoon to break up feta and tomatoes.  
4. Bake for another 10 minutes.  
5. Toss tomato and feta mixture through cooked pasta and season well.  
6. Serve hot and scattered with basil and chilli  

Recipe and styling: Chad January
Photographs: Zhann Solomons

Chilli oil peanut noodles  

Serves 2-3 

Ingredients  

2 cloves garlic, grated 
1 Tbsp fresh ginger 
2 Tbsp chilli flakes 
2 tsp sugar 
¾ cup vegetable oil 
1 Tbsp chilli oil 
1 cup smooth peanut butter 
3 Tbsp soy sauce 
3 Tbsp water 
2 packets (73g each) 2-minute noodles 
¼ purple cabbage, finely chopped 
3 spring onions, sliced 
1 lime, sliced into wedges 

Method  

1. Place garlic, ginger,chilliflakes and sugar into a large heat-safe bowl.  
2. Heat the oils in a pan until sizzling hot, remove and slowly pour over spices – be careful, the mixture will foam up. Cool thechillioil slightly.  
3. Whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce and water, addchillioil then whisk to combine. 
4. Cook noodles according to packet instructions (discarding theflavoursachet), drain and toss through peanut chili sauce.  
5. Toss the cabbage and spring onions through the noodles,divideinto bowls and finish with a squeeze of lime. 

Recipes and styling: Sjaan Van Der Ploeg 
Photographs: Zhann Solomons 

Cheesy bacon noodle cups  

Makes 9-12 

Ingredients  

3 Tbsp butter 
2 cloves garlic, grated 
1 Tbsp mustard powder 
Salt and milled pepper 
2 Tbsp flour 
2 cups milk 
1 cup grated cheddar + extra for topping 
2 packets (73g each) 2-minute noodles, chopped 
100g streaky bacon, cooked and chopped finely 
100g mozzarella, cut into small pieces 
Handful chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)  

Method  

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.  
2. Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. 
3. Add garlic, mustard powder and seasoning then fry until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute.  
4. Add flour and whisk to combine. Gradually pour in the milk while continuously whisking, then cook until thickened and smooth, about 8 minutes.  
5. Remove from heat, add cheddar and mix through.  
6. Cook 2-minute noodles according to packet instructions (discarding theflavour sachet), drain and toss through cheese sauce along with ¾ of the chopped bacon.  
7. Grease a 12-hole muffin tin thoroughly.  
8. Fill tin with scoops of noodle mixture, nestle pieces of mozzarella in each cup, along with final sprinkling of cheddar, bacon and seasoning.  
9. Cook for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbling.  
10. Use a knife to loosen each noodle cup, then allow them to cool in the tin before removing.  
11. Sprinkle with parsley and wrap in wax paper for your lunchbox. 

Recipes and styling: Sjaan Van Der Ploeg 
Photographs: Zhann Solomons

Green pasta salad 

Serves 2-3  

Ingredients 

For the sauce   

1 cup plain double-cream yoghurt  
1 avocado 
Handful coriander, leaves picked  
100g spinach blanched and squeezed  
¼ cup lemon juice  
Salt and milled pepper  

100g fine green beans  
200g sugar snap peas 
120g shelled edamame beans (or use green peas)
300g pasta or pasta rice (we used orecchiette), cooked and cooled  
1 avocado, diced or quartered  
Handful toasted almonds, chopped 
Handful micro herbs or baby leaf mix   

Method 

1. Combine the sauce ingredients and blitz until smooth using a stick blender. (You can thin the sauce down with a splash of water, if you like).   
2. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil andset a separate bowl of ice water next to it.  
3. Drop the beans and peas into the boiling water and boil for 45 seconds. Then, remove the beans and peas using a slotted spoon and submerge in iced water.  
4. Toss pasta through sauce and divide between plates.  
5. Toss together the greens then dress lightly in olive oil and spoon onto pasta.  
6. To serve, sprinkle with nuts and leaves. 

Recipe & styling: Liezl Vermeulen 
Photographs: Donna Lewis

Also read: 3 Great lunchbox snacks for your little ones

The post Workday wins: Inspiration for 4 quick pasta lunches appeared first on MyKitchen.

Keep little tummies happy with these three lunchbox snack ideas that are tasty, fuss-free and parent-approved. 

Pinwheels  

Makes: 20  

Ingredients  

Flour, for dusting 
½ cup peanut or almond butter 
½ tsp cinnamon 
¼ cup brown or treacle sugar, or honey   

Method  

1. Ona lightly floured surface, roll out puff pastry into a rectangle about 3-4mm thick.   
2. Combine nut butter, cinnamon and sugar or honey.  
3. Spread mixture evenly over pastry, leaving a 2cm border on the long side furthest from you.   
4. Roll pastry up into a log, starting from the longest side.  
5. Chill pastry in the fridge until firm. 
6. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.   
7. Slice pastry roll into 20 rounds. Arrange on the baking tray, leaving 2cm between each round.  
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden.   
9. Remove from oven and sprinkle with extra cinnamon sugar if you like.   
10. Cool completely before packing into an airtight container.

Recipes & photos courtesy of Fresh Living Magazine 

Oh-so-cheesy muffins 

Makes 12   

Ingredients 

3 Tbsp (45ml) melted butter
3 cloves garlic, grated
2 cups (400g) self-raising flour
½ tsp (2.5ml) salt
Milled pepper
1 large egg
⅞ cup (220ml) milk
⅓ cup (80ml) sour cream
⅓ cup (80ml) canola oil
Handful of parsley, chopped 
1-2 sprigs thyme and/or rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
2 cups (400g) grated mature Cheddar
1 cup (110g) mozzarella, cubed  

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
2. Mix together butter and half of the garlic.Brush a 12-hole muffin pan with the garlic butter and reserve leftover butter for topping. 
3. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. 
4. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, sour cream, oil, herbs and remaining garlic. 
5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then add in Cheddar (reserving about ½ cup for topping.)
6. Use an ice-cream scoop to portion the mixture into the muffin tray. 
7. Stuff the mozzarella cubes into the centre of the batter. 
8. Drizzle with remaining garlic butter and sprinkle with reserved Cheddar. 
9. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. 
10. Serve warm or cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

Words: Lichelle May 
Photographs: Zhann Solomons 

No-bake power balls 

Makes 22-25 // Total Time 30 min 

Ingredients 

⅓ cup peanut butter 
⅓ cup honey or syrup 
1 cup rolled oats 
½ cup desiccated coconut 
½ cup almond flour 
½ cup dark chocolate, almonds or dried cranberries, chopped  

Top Tip: No almond flour on the shelf? Simply blitz a handful of almonds until it resembles flour. 

Method 

1. Combine the peanut butter and honey or syrup in a bowl. 
2. Stir through the remaining ingredients until combined. 
3. Place the mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill. 
4. Use a tablespoon to scoop portions of the mixture. 
5. Rolla portion between the palms of your hands to shape it into a ball. Repeat this process until you have 22-25 power balls. 
6. Store them in an airtight container for up to 15 days. 

Top tip: When you get to Step 2, you can fold in all sorts of dried fruit and nuts depending on what you think is yummy. 

Words by: Sjaan Van Der Ploeg
Photographs: Fresh Living Magazine, Zhann Solomons 

The post 3 Great lunchbox snacks for your little ones appeared first on MyKitchen.

Healthy snacks are part of a balanced diet. They can keep your energy levels up, give you extra nutrients and keep your glucose levels stable. But it’s crucial to plan them well so they don’t interfere with main meals. Here are some simple solutions:  

Dried fruit slices  

Thinly slice your fruit of choice. Spread them on a lined baking tray and place in an oven at 100°C for 1 1/2 hours. Once cool, keep the slices in a sealed bag or container. If stored correctly, they can last up to 6 months.  

Roasted chickpeas  

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Drain, rinse and dry a tin of chickpeas. Put them in a bowl with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add half a teaspoon each of paprika, cumin, ground coriander and black pepper then toss. Bake the chickpeas on a roasting tray for 15–20 minutes, shaking every 5–10 minutes to help them to cook evenly.  

Apple ‘donuts’  

Slice a few apples into thick rounds. Set them in a bowl of lemon water for a few seconds. Pat them dry and garnish with dollops of peanut butter, chopped dried fruit or nuts and a drizzle of honey. These should be served and eaten immediately.  

Veggie crisps  

Preheat the oven to 150°C. Add a glug of olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt to veggies like torn kale or spinach, thinly sliced sweet potato, beetroot or carrots in a bowl. Bake for 20–25 minutes, removing and shaking the pan often to ensure even cooking. Cool and store in an airtight container.  

Kit out the kiddie’s lunchbox  

– When it comes to putting a balanced lunchbox together for little ones, a visual guide can be incredibly helpful.  

– For a balanced diet, it is important that one meal serving contains the following:  40% fruit and vegetables,  25% carbs and  25% protein.  

– The remaining 10% should be allocated to good fats and oils like avocado, nuts or seeds.  

– Make sure to incorporate lots of colourful food with plenty of textures, shapes and flavours to make each lunchbox interesting. Swap out the usual sugary drinks for flavoured waters (using mint, lemon or cucumber) or try a homemade iced tea. 

Cook once, eat twice  

If you’re looking to spend more time out of the kitchen, try doubling your dinner recipe. This means that you’ll have leftovers for the following day’s lunch or dinner. If you’re a single person living alone, and your doubled recipe serves four, then you have an extra three lunches or dinners ready for you with only some heating up required.  

Dishes such as traybakes, pastas, roasts, rice dishes and curries will only become richer in flavour. Make it happen by buying the extra ingredients you need as well as the correct storage containers.  

Easy ways to sneak vegetables into meals  

Introducing more vegetables into our diet can be difficult for adults and kids alike — even though we are well-aware of how important they are. Rome wasn’t built in a day though, so here are a few ideas for how you can subtly (and not-so-subtly) sneak veggies into your meals.  

Sneaky ways to include veg 

The idea is to mask the flavours of vegetables by cooking or baking them within something that has a stronger (and subjectively) more tempting flavour. Grate broccoli into your favourite mac ‘n’ cheese recipe or incorporate peas and grated baby marrow into a savoury muffin butter. 

Not-so-sneaky ways to include veg 

The focus here is on showing people that vegetables are delicious. Try zoodles (spiralised strips of zucchini) served with a Bolognese sauce; a stir-fry with edamame beans, cabbage and cashews; or red peppers stuffed with rice, bacon and feta. You might even get away with serving cauliflower rice with chicken tikka masala!   

How to reduce your ‘carb footprint’  

Carbs are often the easiest treats to grab when we want something filling and tasty. Nonetheless, there are many low or no-carb alternatives that are more nutritious and delicious. If you’re looking to reduce your carb intake, these options are worth trying out:  

* Seed crackers instead of slices of bread  

* Lettuce cups as buns on Friday Burger Night with the family  

* Zoodles instead of pasta  

* Thinly sliced aubergine as lasagne sheets  

* Veggie wraps, like beetroot wraps, are not only pretty to look at but delicious too  

* Wholegrains such as brown rice, bulgur wheat and quinoa might contain carbs, but they’ve got way more nutrients than their more processed counterparts   

Word by Sjaan Van Der Ploeg
Photography: Getty Images, Shutterstock, Zhann Solomons

The post Healthy Snack Hacks For 2023 appeared first on MyKitchen.