I am always looking for new lunch ideas, so when my sister and I thought of salmon patties I knew I had to do something a little different! Combining it with the sweet potato gives it a deliciously sweet flavour and hide some of the ‘fishy’ taste – so it is sure to be a favourite with everyone! Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze them and take them out for lunches when you need!
Peel and roughly chop the sweet potato. Steam in the microwave or over the stove for 15mins or until soft. Then place into a large bowl and mash. Add in salmon and mash together with a fork. Add in remaining ingredients to form a thick, but wet mixture.
Roll mixture into the size of golf balls and flatten slightly on a lined baking tray. Bake in the oven for 15-20mins, turning over once.
Notes
Nut Free version, swap the almond meal for ½ cup plain flour
- Swap the tuna for salmon for something different.
We are coming into the holiday seasons – aka a month of a whole lot of entertaining so I like to make some delicious healthy treats for my usual cheese platters.
But dips are just for entertaining OR cheese platters. They are a great sensory experience for your kids. No only do they provide great colour and a different texture to their plates it also provides a different ‘action’ for finger food! So here are my favourite three dips this summer – which all provide another serve of veg or legumes as well!
Roast pumpkin packs this dip with flavour for the perfect mix of sweet, savoury and creamy!
Course Snack
Cuisine Australian
Keyword dip, hummus, pumpkin soup
Prep Time 10minutes
Cook Time 30minutes
Servings 6
Ingredients
400gwhite beans
400gbutternut pumpkinroasted
2tspcumin
2tsppaprika
Salt and pepper to taste
2tbspolive oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200C. Spread the cubed pumpkin over a tray. Roast in the oven for 30mins and then allow to cool slightly.
Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender and blend on high for 2-3mins until smooth. Top with a little olive oil and hemp seeds.
Fresh Beetroot Dip
Serve it up with fresh veggies of your choosing, or slathered on toast and topped with an egg.
Fresh Vibrant beetroots make for a 'fun coloured dip for yum kids, or a delicious addition to your cheese platter.
Course Snack
Cuisine Australian
Keyword beetroot, dip, Snack
Prep Time 10minutes
Cook Time 30minutes
Servings 6
Ingredients
3large beetroots
2tspcumin
1tspcorriander
3/4cupGreek yoghurt
1/4cupmint leaves
1/4tspsalt
Instructions
Place the beetroots in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil for 30mins. Remove from the water and allow to cool for 5mins, then use paper towel to rub the skin off the beetroot. Place the beetroot and remaining ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and blend on high for 2-3min until smooth.
Classic Hummus
Serve them up with the incredible zaartar pita chips for something extra delicious!
Drain the chickpeas and pour them into a saucepan. Top with water until chickpeas are covered. Bring the chickpeas to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 10mins. This step is optional, but makes for the creamiest hummus!
Drain the chickpeas through a colander with a jug beneath it to capture ½ cup of the cooking water.
Add your chickpeas, tahini, and cooking water to the food processor. Processes for 1min until smooth and then add in remaining ingredients and process on high for 2mins until creamy!
Serve with crunch pita chips.
To prepare the pita chips:
Preheat the oven to 170Lightly spray the pita breads with spray oil and then sprinkle with zaartar. Bake in the pita chips straight on the wire oven wracks for 7-10min until golden and crunchy. Allow cooling for 5min and then using your hands break them up into rough chips.
Notes
*(or 1tsp sesame seeds, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, salt and pepper if you can’t find zaatar in your local supermarket!)
Soft savoury pumpkin scones perfect warm with a little butter or just as is for a tasty snack.
Course Breakfast, lunch, Snack
Cuisine Australian, english
Keyword pumpkin soup, savoury, scones
Prep Time 10minutes
Cook Time 15minutes
Servings 8scones
Ingredients
3/4cupPumpkin Puree
2cupSR Flour
1tspBaking Powder
1tspCumin
55gButtercubed and chilled
3/4CupChedder CheeseGrated
1TbspChives
1/4cupMilk
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Sift the flour, salt and cumin into a bowl. Then rub the chilled butter into the flour to create a fine crumb. Mix in the cheese and chives. Then add in the warm milk and pumpkin puree to bring the mixture together to form a smooth dough. Dust with flour. Form a round disc (about 8inch wide) and cut into 8 wedges, alternatively use a scone cutter!
Bake in the oven for 15-17min until they have risen and are golden.
Notes
To make your own pumpkin puree steam or roast some pumpkin and blend for 1min until smooth.
you can you gluten free flour for these scones as well!
Gluten free crackers that are perfect for your weekend cheese platter, or for the kids lunchbox during the week!
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine Australian
Keyword buckwheat, cracker, rosemary, savoury
Prep Time 20minutes
Cook Time 25minutes
Resting Time 1hour
Servings 6
Ingredients
2cupsBuckwheat flour
1.5TbspFlaxseed meal
1/3cupSesame seeds
2tspRosemary
1tspGarlic salt
3TbspOlive oil
8TbspCold water
Instructions
In a bowl combine the flour, flaxseed, sesame seeds, rosemary (fresh or dried!) and garlic salt. Stir in the olive oil. Then add cold water 1 Tbsp at a time until it forms a smooth dough. Form the dough into a ball and wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30min-1hr.
Preheat the oven to 180C. Roll out the dough on a piece of baking paper until it is 2mm thick. Trim to make sides straight. Slide baking paper onto a baking tray. Use a large knife to cut dough into desired cracker size. Repeat with any remaining off cuts of dough.
Bake in the oven for 20-25min. All to cool completely.
Like this recipe? Why not try some other delicious lunch box additions!
Pizza has NEVER been so easy!! With just 2 ingredients and 5mins you can make your very own dough. So there is no reason not to whip it up for a Friday night family pizza night!
I like to set out all the toppings and make mini pizza’s so that everyone can choose exactly what goes on theirs! This not only stops the fights, but also empowers your kids to have choice over what they eat!
Pizza has always been one of the foods referred to as ‘bad’ or ‘unhealthy’ but this is anything but! So this is the perfect meal to practice quitting the negative talk, If you have no clue what I am talking about watch this youtube clip!
You can choose your own but I have also included some of my favourite topping variations to get you started:
With just 2 ingredients and 5mins you can make your very own pizza dough! Never think pizza is unhealthy again!
Course Dinner, lunch, Snack
Cuisine American, Australian
Keyword pizza, savoury
Prep Time 5minutes
Cook Time 15minutes
Servings 3people
Ingredients
1cupyoghurt
1cupSR flour
Toppings – Choose your own:
¼cupPesto
¼cupPizza sauce
50gHamshredded
50gchicken breastcooked and shredded
50gtin Pineapple pieces
½Red onionthinly sliced
100gMushroomthinly sliced
1Zucchinishaved
1cupmozzarellagrated
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 230C. Place a pizza stone or baking tray in the oven to start heating up. This is the key to a crisp base.
In a bowl combine the yoghurt and SR flour. Use a wooden spoon to start, but as it comes together it is best to use your hands.
Tip the dough out onto a flour surface. There is no need to knead this dough! Cut the ball of dough into 3 pieces. Roll each piece out to 7inch wide. Carefully place them on baking paper.
Now its time to top them with your favourite things! My suggestions:
Classic Ham and pineapple: Spread the pizza with 1 tbsp of pizza sauce, top with 1/3 cup mozzarella, Ham, Pineapple and red onion.
Pesto Chicken: Spread 1 Tbsp pesto on the pizza, top with 1/3 cup mozzarella, mushrooms, shredded chicken, zucchini ribbons
Veggie Loaded: Spread with 1 Tbsp pizza sauce, top with 1/3 cup mozzarella, mushrooms, red onion, zucchini ribbons. After cooking drizzle with pesto.
To cook place on a hot pizza stone or baking tray in the oven and bake for 10min, until the cheese is golden and base is crisp.
Notes
*Alternatively if you have a mix master with a dough hook you can use that.
** if you have a pizza stone, you can also cook these in the bbq.
Like this recipe? Why not try some other delicious lunch box additions!
Mix it up, Roll it, slice it and then into the oven! Don’t be intimidated by this pinwheels they are super easy to make and loaded with vegetables for a delicious healthy lunch box Snack. I love to freeze the pinwheels before I cook them so you can pull out however many you like and have a freshly baked snack in just 20mins! All you need to do is lay them out on a lined baking tray and freeze for 30min/1hr. Then pop them in a container or zip lock bags and put them back in the freezer!
Bacon and egg pinwheels loaded with vegetables for a tasty snack that the whole family will love.
Course Appetizer, lunch, Snack
Cuisine American, Australian
Keyword bacon and eggs, pastry, pinwheels, Snack
Prep Time 20minutes
Cook Time 25minutes
Servings 33pinwheels
Ingredients
1brown Onionfinely chopped
4rashers Baconfinely chopped
1Zucchinigrated
1carrotgrated
1red capsicumfinely chopped
2Eggs
½cupchedder cheesegrated
3sheets Puff Pastryfrozen
Instructions
Heat a large non-stick pan on medium heat. Add in the onion and bacon and fry for 5min until it begins to soften and brown. Then add in the zucchini, carrot and capsicum. Fry for another 2-3min. Set aside and allow to cool for 10min.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180And lay out 3 sheets of puff pastry on the bench to allow them to defrost.
Stir the egg and cheese through the bacon mixture and then spread a thin layer over each of the puff pastry sheets. Carefully roll each sheet of pastry up tightly. Then use a sharp knife to cut the rolled pastry in to 1cm thick pin wheels. Spread over a baking tray and bake in the oven for 20mins.
Tip: if the pastry is too soft to cut, put it in the freezer for 20mins before cutting.
Alternatively, you can freeze the pinwheels prior to cooking. Spread them out of a baking tray and freeze on tray for 1hr. Remove from tray and put them in zip lock bags or a container and return to the freezer. When you are ready to eat them place them frozen into the oven and cook for 25min.
Like this recipe? Why not try some other delicious lunch box additions!
Food and Nutrition are my absolute jam and bringing them to you is an easy, bite sized way is what I live for!
I am the clumsiest person you will ever meet, often finding myself on the floor – usually a result of tripping over my own feet. This might have something to do with the fact that I am 6’3 (or 190cm) aka a giant amongst most of my friends.
I love to make a mess in the kitchen, writing isn’t really my thing, but I have vowed to get better so that I can share my journey and passion with all you of amazing people!!
I like to set out all the toppings and make mini pizza’s so that everyone can choose exactly what goes on theirs! This not only stops the fights, but also empowers your kids to have choice over what they eat!
I love to freeze the pinwheels before I cook them so you can pull out however many you like and have a freshly baked snack in just 20mins! All you need to do is lay them out on a lined baking tray and freeze for 30min/1hr. Then pop them in a container or zip lock bags and put them back in the freezer! 
