Lunches

every week as i make my shopping list i ask the same question: 'what the hell am i going to make for lunches this week?'. so i've decided to start sharing what i make and hopefully whoever is out there can send me back some more inspiration.
i try to make them as healthy and balanced as possible, with as little meat as possible and something exciting enough that i still want to eat it on day four. (only four days needed as i usually take a jaunt out for lunch of a friday.)i believe any disadvantage in taking a little time out to make the lunches is counteracted with a saving of money and time during the week. also i think that what you can make at home, no matter how simple, is for the most part, better than what you can buy. ok so here goes week one of lunch reporting:



cheats quiche pie thing with roasted vegtable lemon couscous (and leftover tarts).

quiche/pie:

3 eggs
half a container cottage cheese
1 courgette, sliced finely
6 asparagus spears, into bite size chunks
1/2 an onion
1 clove of garlic
1 packet frozen puff pastry, defrosted
salt and pepper

- roll out pastry to fit 8in tin, you will have some left over, and blind bake for about 10 mintes at 180.
- meanwhile saute onions, garlic and courgette until soft and cook the asparagus in boiling water for about 5 minutes.
- in a bowl combine the three eggs and the cottage cheese, season.
- take the pastry out of the oven and put in the vegtables, then pour on the egg mixture. put it back into the oven for around 30 minutes or until the centre is firm and the crust is golden.


roasted vegtable lemon couscous

1/2 cup couscous
1 courgette
1 pepper
1/2 onion
tin of black beans
chilli flakes
salt and pepper
olive oil
lemon
boiling water

- chop vegtables roughly, season them with chilli flakes, salt/pepper and drizzle over olive oil. put them in the oven at 180 for about 25 minutes or until brown at the edges.
- meanwhile put the couscous in a bowl and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over it and then cover with boiling water (coming a little over the top of the couscous) and put a towel over the bowl. leave it to do its thing for about 10 minutes. fluff it up with a fork when its done.
- once the veg are done, slice them and add to the couscous with the black beans, mixing through well, adding more lemon juice and seasoning if needed.


left over tarts (makes about 6)

with the left over pastry from the quiche use a cookie cutters (or a mug!) to cut out circles and out them into a bun tray. i put a teaspoon full of my homemade apple and blackcurrant jam in half of them and lemon curd with a sprinkling of brown sugar in the other half. if you think of it brush the pastry with milk or egg wash to help it brown up. put them in the oven at the same time as the quiche. they're done when the jam is bubbling (hmmm) and the pastry is golden.