I’m a determined packed-lunch maker, though my approach to preparation varies week-to-week. More often than not, I realise all too late that I’m lacking fresh veg and all I have in the fridge are wilted spring onions (I always have spring onions). But with a little preparation and planning, making packed lunch is a great way to avoid waste, be a little bit more sustainable, and it saves a few pennies!
Here are a few recipes to inspire you and get you going on your packed lunch adventure …
Quick and Easy – can make the morning before:
A speedy one to make in the morning, I can normally have this ready in around 15-20 minutes. You don’t have to boil your peas, as they’ll defrost by lunch time. Just be careful if you’re cooking the rice the night before to wash it under cold water and drain it before putting it in the fridge.
Ingredients:
1 clove of garlic, chopped
2cm knob of fresh ginger, skin removed, finely chopped or grated
4 sprigs fresh coriander, washed and chopped (keep the stalks!)
70g smoked tofu, patted dry and sliced
0.5 tsp tamari sauce (or soy if you don’t have it)
1 spring onion, sliced into rounds
80g frozen peas
Rice or Noodles (whatever you’ve got in the cupboard!)
Sauce:
1 tsp Peanut Butter (preferably smooth)
0.5 soy sauce tsp
0.25 tsp Chilli sauce/paste of your choosing
0.5 tsp Lemon juice or white wine vinegar
Recipe:
1. Boil your rice or noodles according to the pack instructions
2. Fry the garlic, ginger and chopped coriander stalks in a small oiled pan and fry on a medium heat for a couple of minutes.
3. Add the sliced tofu and tamari sauce to the pan, continue to fry for about 5 more minutes.
4. Combine the rice, frozen peas, spring onions and fried tofu mix.
5. To make the sauce, combine all of the ingredients, and then stir in a little water to reach a desired “saucy” consistency – the sauce will look curdled when you add the water at first, but keep stirring and it will look a lot more appealing!
6. Pour the sauce over the top of your lunch, and top with the coriander leaves.
This is one of my favourite speedy meals – I love the smoky flavour of the beans. It’s a brilliant amalgamation of store cupboard bits, too. I think the butter beans add a great texture but if you don’t have any to hand and still want to try this, use any other tinned beans or chickpeas that you have! If you’re eating this at home, you could try it on a piece of toast instead.
Ingredients:
2 baking potatoes (Maris Piper, Desiree and King Edward)
Olive oil to fry
1 large garlic clove, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
0.5 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp tomato puree
0.75 tin butter beans, drained
Salt and pepper
Fresh Basil/Coriander
Recipe:
1. Make your jacket potatoes by either baking in the oven for 2 hours at 190C, or, if you’re in a hurry, pop them in the microwave for 10 minutes.
2. Put the chopped tomatoes and garlic in a frying pan and add a generous glug of olive oil. Put on a medium high heat for about 5 mins, jiggling the pan every now and again.
3. Once the tomatoes have well and truly broken down and the skins are looking a little caramelised, add the smoked paprika, tomato puree, and vinegar. Cook for a further minute.
4. Add the butter beans and a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan and cook for 3 more minutes on a medium high heat until you have a thick sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Put the butter bean mix inside a halved jacket potato and top with basil or coriander.
Slow and steady - make the night before:
A good winter warmer, you can switch this around and use pumpkin as an alternative to squash – whatever is easier to get your hands on!
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash (sliced in half lengthways, seeds removed and reserved)
1.5 tbsp olive oil
1 heaped tsp soft brown sugar
0.5 tsp cinnamon
0.5 tsp ground cumin
0.5 tsp ground ginger
4 servings of Penne or Fusilli Pasta
Quarter of a bag of Kale (around 50g)
1 tbsp Pesto (I use Sacla – its in the ‘free-from’ section of most shops)
Handful of walnuts, toasted
Salt and Pepper
Recipe:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 190C
2. Mix the olive oil, cinnamon, cumin and ginger together, then pour onto the exposed, flat side of the butternut squash.
3. Put the squash skin side down in a large oiled roasting tin, and roast at 190C for 40 mins, until the flesh is soft.
4. Put the seeds in a separate oiled tray, and pop them in the oven for the last 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, cook your pasta according to pack instructions. Once cooked, strain the pasta into a colander containing your kale (this will soften it!).
6. Run the pasta/kale under cold water and leave to drain.
7. Stir the pesto into the pasta.
8. Scoop the cooled butternut squash flesh out of the skins and mix with the pasta.
9. Put it in a tupperware and top with the toasted walnuts and some salt and pepper.
As for those seeds – mix them with a pinch of salt and smoked paprika and have them as a snack!
A seasonal pud to warm your bones, this crumble uses plums and bramley apples. Bramleys are cooking apples that are perfect for crumble and currently in season. You can find them in Lidl or your local greengrocer, where-ever is closest. They’re much bigger and wonkier than your average eating apple - and a lot cheaper! Plums are phasing out as their peak time is in September. Pear season is around the corner so if you can’t find plums, put a few slices of those in instead. This goes for all year round, just use whatever seasonal fruit you can get your hands on!
This is also a great pud for flat meals or dinner parties! I serve it with oatly crème fraîche or their custard.
Filling Ingredients:
3 x Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced into 1cm thickness 5 x plums (or 4 x pears), each sliced into 6 2 tbsp sugar (preferably caster or granulated) Juice from half an orange 1 tsp ground ginger 0.5 tbsp vanilla
Crumble Ingredients:
120g jumbo oats (they’re more substantial than the porridge variety) 80g soft brown sugar 100g golden granulated sugar 50g ground almonds 140g plain flour
0.5tsp cinnamon 50g pecans/walnuts/almonds, roughly chopped Large pinch sea salt (smoked is even better) 60ml olive oil 60ml vegetable/sunflower oil
Recipe:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Put all the filling ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss to combine. Add to a 24cm x 24cm baking dish, greased with vegan butter or oil.
3. In another bowl, mix together all the dry crumble ingredients, crushing any clumps of sugar.
4. Add the oils to the crumble last and stir with a knife.
5. Pour the crumble over the filling and spread it out to form an even layer.
6. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the topping is a deep golden brown.
7. Let the crumble rest for 10 minutes before serving.
These meals can be eaten cold but might be tastier warmed up. Luckily, there are lots of microwaves around campus. Just have a look and you’ll have a delicious hot meal to help you get through the long days hunched over your laptop in no time.
Enjoy!
Post written by Phoebe Baker
Comments