With the roadmap now announced, there are still many more lunches to be made at home until some sort of 'normality' can resume. If you are tired of the same mundane midday meal, perhaps have a crack at try these two easy lunchtime saviours, courtesy of California Walnuts.

The unique taste and texture of walnuts means they can be used to add crunch, sweetness, colour and more, to sweet and savoury recipes. California Walnuts are also the only tree nut to contain a significant amount of the plant-based omega-3. So, on your next at-home lunch break, why not try adding a handful of walnuts to salads, trying them as a topping on toast, or blending into soups?

Chicken, California Walnut & Grape Salad

Prep: 10 minutes. Cook: 10 minutes. Serves: 2

Ingredients

½ ciabatta, torn into bite sized pieces

100g California Walnut Halves

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

100g low fat natural yogurt

1 tbsp chopped chives

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

100g rocket

200g roast chicken breast, shredded

150g red seedless grapes, halved

Method:

- Preheat the oven to 200oC, gas mark 6.

- Place the bread and walnuts on a baking tray and toss in the oil to coat, season and bake for 10 minutes until golden.

- Mix together the yogurt, chives and vinegar, season. Place the rocket on 2 plates, drizzle with a little dressing, top with the croutons and walnuts then scatter over the chicken and grapes, then drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad to serve.

Creamy California Walnut & Tomato Soup

Serves: 4. Prep: 10 minutes. Cook: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

450ml vegetable stock

1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste

400g can chopped tomatoes

Pepper to taste

100g California Walnuts

3 tbsp basil, shredded

Method:

- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.

- Add vegetable stock, salt, sugar and tomatoes, cover and cook over low heat for 35-40 minutes. Season with pepper.

- Meanwhile make walnut cream by placing the walnuts and 125ml water in a blender and blitz until smooth and creamy, set aside.

- Add basil to the tomato soup and puree with stick blender until very smooth.

- Stir in walnut cream and garnish with additional basil.

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