If, like us, you’re prone to hitting a wall come mid-afternoon, we highly recommend this spiced popcorn snack. With its peppery hit, citrus kick and fennel-flavoured “phwoar!”, the simple Italian recipe will shhh the stomach rumbles and boost your popularity, too.
Give corn thins and rice cakes the Yotam Ottolenghi treatment with this broad bean and roasted garlic ricotta spread. Fresh, flavourful and carrying that ‘feel good’ factor, it’s a savoury special to look forward to.
Kappacasein’s famous cheese sandwich mustn’t be lumped together with ordinary office toasties. It is an artwork; a flavour sensation; a celebration of sourdough, leek and aged cheddar. After munching one of these sangers, not only will your stomach be satiated, your soul will be satisfied.
Kappacasein’s famous cheese sandwich Source: Feast Magazine
Give vegetarian slice a South African-Indian feel with our carrot and sweetcorn bakro. This recipe covers many bases: it's creamy thanks to the Greek yoghurt; flavour-packed through myriad spices; hunger-quelling due to the addition of besan (chickpea flour); and filled with nutrient-rich vegetables.
Source: Alan Benson
This dip recipe goes out to those with dairy and nut allergies. If you don’t have the time or inclination to make Lola Berry’s fennel-dusted “veggie chip dippers” (pictured) - easy and delicious as they are! - serve her coriander pesto with raw vegetables or crackers instead.
Source: Armelle Habib
6. Real deal tuna rice
Despite what your colleagues might think, microwavable rice and a tin of tuna does not equate to ‘tuna rice’. Take Poh Ling Yeow’s lead and prepare this dish at home – spicing it up with cumin seeds and coriander, adding about-to-perish herbs and vegies and sealing the deal with your favourite (sustainable) canned fish.
Source: Randy Larcombe Photography
7. One way to clear a conference room
This Italian garlic and anchovy dip from Feast, known as bagna cauda, will not only cure you from erratic 3pm behaviour, it will bestow you with not-so-nice breath. Managers and fellow employees are bound to steer clear, so use free time to your advantage.
Hungry, but not hungry enough for a sandwich? Do dainty instead. Matt Evans recommends topping teeny-tiny rye slices with smoked trevally or hot-smoked trout, dill and horseradish cream. Three of these babies and you’ll be set until dinner.
Source: Feast / Alan Benson
9. A sugar fix to smile about
Some of us need sustenance in an afternoon slump, others - sugar! We’re not condoning a chocolate bar binge or fizzy cola. Nope, we think you should bake Anneka Manning’s coconut-banana bread on the weekend and portion it up your work days. When 3pm comes, run to the kitchen and plonk it on that sandwich press. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, top with honey and Greek yoghurt.
Photo credit: Alan Benson Source: Alan Benson
10. Head to the seedy side
Stay clear of store-bought substitutes, homemade crackers are supreme in the health and taste stakes. These ‘free from lots’ crackers from Alexx Stuart combine a medley of hemp, sunflower, pumpkin and fennel seeds, with thyme, sea salt and a healthy eater's best friend, coconut oil.
For more reasons to stay awake, see our snack, dip and sandwich recipe collections.
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