What to cook for lunch is one of those questions that require at least half an hour of web browsing!
The last time I did a search on what to cook for lunch I could only see pages of disparate recipes collated together without a specific structure. Then I found plenty of slideshows with fancy pictures and links to further pages. By the time you reach a page with an actual recipe you have lost the will to live… So here are 5 easy recipes that take about half an hour or less to prepare (so you can spend less time browsing and more time eating!).
These recipes can be handy when you are stuck for ideas on what to bring as a packed lunch, so if you are tired of sandwiches you will find some interesting options.
Contents
Apple Salad
You can use any combination of ingredients – this is a great way to use up apples when you have too many. You will find that they have a satisfying crunch and mouth feel that will keep you full for hours.
This recipe uses foraged ingredients but I am also showing replacements with bought ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
1 apple
2 tablespoons nettle seeds (substitute with sunflower seeds, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds)
2.5 tablespoons olive oil
1.5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 bunch wild rocket
5-10 sow thistle leaves (substitute with lettuce)
5 young runner beans
METHOD
In a salad bowl mix the oil, vinegar, salt and nettle seeds together and leave to infuse for 5 minutes. Cut the apple in thin slices keeping the peel and discarding the core. Cook the runner beans in boiling water for 5 minutes then drain and cut into 1 cm slices. Toss the apple, beans and the salad leaves in the dressing and serve. For extra protein add some chicken, cheese or a boiled egg.
Mushroom Base Pizza
I hope you like mushrooms because here they are again! I used foraged field mushrooms which are the wild equivalent of portobello mushrooms from the supermarket.
INGREDIENTS
2 portobello mushrooms
2 tablespoons tomato passata
1 teaspoon fresh or dried oregano
2 slices cooked ham
6 black olives
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
1 pinch salt
1 mozzarella ball
METHOD
Clean the mushrooms with a damp towel, then, using a knife, scrape out the brown gills under the cap and remove the stem (you can reuse it for mushroom soup). In a frying pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil and cook the mushroom caps for 2 minutes on each side.
Cut the ham slices into bitesize pieces and the mozzarella into small cubes.
Heat up the grill.
Have the mushroom caps with the underside facing up so that they become a vessel for the toppings.
Spread some tomato passata on each mushroom then cover with the ham, mozzarella and olives. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and the oregano and drizzle half a tablespoon of olive oil.
Cook under the grill for 5-10 minutes until the mozzarella is melted and serve.
Spicy Mushroom Soup
You can find the recipe for mushroom soup here.