March 19, 2022

Quick Lunch Recipes

Sometimes, we need a quick lunch to eat on a busy day, so the best kind of lunches are the ones that are easy to make. Prepping your lunches at the beginning of the week is the best way to go. The recipes below are a mixture of re-heatable lunches and ones to eat cold.

Eat Cold

Salad is a great lunchtime meal and you don’t have to have the same salad every time. There are so many toppings you can have on a salad. There is also salad doesn’t mean just lettuce leaves, it can be couscous, quinoa or pasta. So, prepping them ahead of time in separate boxes in your fridge, you can put together a different salad every morning.

○ Base - Iceberg, kale, arugula, little gem, romaine, quinoa, couscous, pasta

○ Vegetables - carrots, tomatoes, butternut, avocado, onions

○ Fruit - apple, strawberries, mango, pear, pomegranate seeds, orange

○ Protein - eggs, chicken, mozzarella, feta, bacon, goats cheese

○ Extras - walnuts, croutons, parmesan, olives, pine nuts

○ Dressings - Caesar, Balsamic, Ranch, Italian, blue cheese, vinaigrette, mayo.

Prep time: 15 minutes, Construction time: 5 minutes

Burrito Bowls are just like salads, there are so many different variations you can do to make your lunches new and interesting. Cooking your base will help with assembling your lunch the following day.

○ Base - brown rice, white rice, basmati rice, noodles

○ Vegetables - carrots, tomatoes, butternut, avocado, onions, corn, broccoli, green onions

○ Fruit - pineapple, mango

○ Protein - beef, salmon, chicken, tofu, tuna, beans, shrimp

○ Extras - cheese, cilantro

○ Dressings - Chipotle mayo, soy sauce, salsa

Prep time: 30 minutes, Construction time: 5 minutes

Chicken Fajitas - This is a great on the go meal. You can make these ahead of time and put them in the fridge so you can quickly grab and go.

● Filling

○ 500g chicken breasts

○ 4 peppers

○ 2 onions

○ 2 sachets of fajita seasoning mix

○ Wraps

● Toppings

○ Sour cream

○ Salsa

○ Guacamole

○ Cheese

● Cut your chicken into strips or chunks, then place it in a pan with some oil. Fry it off until it is nearly cooked then add your onions and peppers. Let that cook down (Put a lid on it and let it steam/cook).

● Once it is all cooked you just have to make them however you like.

Prep time: 30 minutes, Construction time: 5 minutes

Reheat

Soup - nothing beats a homemade soup on a cold day. So here are some easy recipes to make so you can eat them throughout the week.

● Carrot and Parsnip Soup

○ ½ tbsp olive oil

○ 2 onions, finely chopped

○ 2 celery sticks, finely chopped

○ 2 garlic cloves, crushed

○ ½ small bunch thyme leaves picked

○ 3 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

○ 2 large parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped

○ 1-litre vegetable stock

○ 100ml double cream

○ ¼ bunch parsley, finely chopped (optional)

● Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion and celery for 10 mins, stirring occasionally until softened. Add a small splash of water, add the garlic, thyme and ½ tsp black pepper and cook for 2 mins. Add the carrots, parsnips and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 mins until the vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally.

● Blend using a stick blender until smooth. Add the cream and blitz again until combined, then taste for seasoning. To serve, ladle into bowls and scatter over a little chopped parsley if you like

Prep time: 20 minutes, Cook time: 35 minutes

● Tomato Soup

○ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine

○ 1 tablespoon olive oil

○ 1 onion, thinly sliced

○ 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

○ 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes

○ 1 cup water

○ 1 tablespoon sugar

○ 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

○ freshly ground black pepper to taste

○ 1 pinch red pepper flakes

○ ¼ teaspoon celery seed

○ ¼ teaspoon dried oregano

● Heat butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and cook onion and garlic until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, water, sugar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, celery seed, and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

● Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender. Reheat soup until warm and season with more salt and pepper if desired.

Prep time: 10 minutes, Cook time: 20 minutes

Chilli - nothing is easier than a recipe that you can put in the crockpot and leave alone while you do other jobs so here is a crockpot chilli recipe.

○ 1.5 lbs beef mince

○ 2 cans of whole tomatoes

○ 1 can of stewed tomatoes

○ 1 can of dark red kidney beans (rinsed and drained)

○ 1 medium yellow onion (chopped into small pieces)

○ 3 tbs chilli powder

○ 1- tsp cumin

○ 1-tbs Cajun seasoning

○ 1-tsp diced garlic

○ 1-tbs salt

○ Rice

● Brown ground beef in a large saucepan with onion and garlic. Then drain off any excess grease