After a long day of work and in need of a much longer summer break, the last thing you feel like doing is making dinner.

It’s the beginning of the year and almost everyone is back at work and children are about to go back to school so here are a few easy, affordable and healthy ideas to help you get an evening meal on the table for the whole family to enjoy.

“In terms of creating easy and affordable meals, I have a few favourites,” said Instagram foodie and recipe developer Olivia Moore.

Taupō foodie and recipe developer Olivia Moore. Photo / Supplied

At 22, Moore has her very own cookbook “That Green Olive” loaded with easy and healthy recipes to help feed you and your family.

So put down your phone with the food delivery app open, save some money, and enjoy some home-cooked meals.

“Traybakes are great,” said Moore. “They simply involve combining vegetables and protein together in a roasting tray, adding your oil, seasoning and perhaps some herbs and spices, mixing together and roasting.

“You can use a variety of vegetables for roasting, from broccoli and cauliflower in the summertime, and kumara and pumpkin in the winter.

“As for meat, sausages, meatballs, tofu and halloumi are great, and you can mix in your favourite sauces and seasonings such as pesto or soy sauce, depending on the flavours you’re using.”

Another suggestion Moore makes is to make one-pan curries and stews as she said they are easy to put together, leave in the oven, and require very minimal washing up afterwards.

“I would also recommend substantial salads – any salad that contains a good balance of vegetables with protein, carbs and healthy fats.

“Think noodle or quinoa salads with fresh vegies and seafood in the summertime, or perhaps rice and legume salads with roast vegetables and chicken in the winter.”

Moore said these salads are easy to throw together, and you can use whatever you have in the fridge, “keeping in mind to include a good ratio of protein, carbs, fats and green vegetables”.

For families with picky eaters, it can be tricky to entice them to eat their vegies. Moore suggests disguising them in a dish.

“I’m a huge fan of saag – an Indian curry whose sauce consists mainly of spinach that has been cooked down with spices and blended.

“It is absolutely packed with flavour and has a beautiful silky texture.

“My Lamb and Halloumi Saag is such a great way of packing in a huge amount of spinach, in a way that is just so tasty.”

Moore has provided some recipes below to provide you with some healthy and easy dinner ideas straight from her cookbook “That Green Olive”.

The full version with a large array of recipes can be purchased here. More recipes and ideas from her website can be found here.

If you try out some of her recipes, she would love to see your photos and hear your feedback. You can contact her by emailing oliviamoore@thatgreenolive.com or messaging her on Instagram @thatgreenolive.

Sausage and kūmara traybake with sticky maple, jalapeno and chia seed jam. Photo / Olivia Moore @thatgreenolive

Sausage and Kūmara Traybake with Sticky Maple, Jalapeno and Chia Seed Jam

Serves 4

8 sausages (I used venison)

1 large red capsicum, cored, deseeded and sliced into 8 wedges

2 medium-sized onions, peeled and each cut into 6 wedges

250g (1 medium or 2 small) kūmara, washed and cut into 3cm wedges

6 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tbsp finely sliced sage leaves

4 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp fennel seeds

½ tsp salt

75g cavolo nero, stems removed and leaves roughly torn

Sticky maple, jalapeno and chia seed jam

60ml (1/4 cup) maple syrup

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 jalapeño, finely chopped

¼ tsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 180C fan bake.

Arrange the sausages, capsicum, onion, kūmara, garlic and sage leaves in a large roasting tray.

Mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fennel seeds and salt in a small bowl, then pour into the tray and mix everything around.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 40 minutes, then remove foil and add cavolo nero. Stir once more and put back in the oven, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes until nicely browned, kūmara is tender and cavolo nero has wilted.

Meanwhile, mix together all ingredients for the sticky maple, jalapeno and chia seed jam in a small bowl. Set aside and allow the chia seeds to swell.

When the traybake has finished cooking, spoon over the jam and enjoy warm.

Lamb and Halloumi Saag. Photo / Olivia Moore @thatgreenolive

Lamb and Halloumi Saag

Serves 4

450g lamb shoulder or leg meat, cut into 4cm chunks

150g (½ cup + 2 tbsp) natural yoghurt

5 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

15g fresh ginger (about 4cm piece), peeled and finely grated

3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tsp garam masala

1½ tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground turmeric

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground chilli

½ tsp fennel seeds

300g fresh spinach leaves, washed and roughly torn

1 large tomato, roughly chopped

4 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp sugar

2 cups water

100g halloumi, sliced

2 tsp white vinegar

2 tbsp cream, to serve

Put lamb and yoghurt in a container and stir to fully coat. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for 2–4 hours.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until fragrant. Stir through spices and fennel seeds and cook, stirring frequently, for another 2 minutes, or until spices are fragrant. Remove from the heat and tip into the cup of a blender.

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to a simmer over medium heat. Add the spinach leaves and cook for 7 minutes, or until wilted, then drain. Allow to cool slightly before adding to the blender along with the tomato, fenugreek leaves, salt, sugar and water. Blend until smooth and set aside.

Return the saucepan to medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the marinated lamb and yoghurt mixture, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the lamb is nicely browned.

Add the pureed spinach sauce and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the remaining oil in a large frying pan and set over medium-high heat. Add the halloumi and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crisp.

When the curry has simmered for 45 minutes, remove the lid and add the halloumi. Continue simmering until thickened to your liking, then remove from the heat and stir through the vinegar.

Divide the saag among your serving dishes. Drizzle over the cream, and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with rice and flatbread.