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Lunch

Lunch

5-minute soup

When home late for lunch or dinner and the boys are hungry and impatient, I can rustle this up in five minutes. The boys like it. I don’t liquidize it but you could. Quick food doesn’t need to be unhealthy- you just need to think on your feet, look in the cupboards and get creating. Egg and toast is a great accompaniment.

5-minute soup

Print Recipe
Serves: 4 Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • Knob of butter Cook time 5 minutes
  • 1 fat garlic clove (crushed)
  • 1x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1x 400g tin kidney beans
  • 1 tablespoon of pesto (any kind)
  • Tablespoon of dried basil or mixed herbs
  • Half a tin of water (fill the tin from the chopped tomatoes half way)
  • 4 heaped tablespoons of left over rice or pasta
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or balsamic

Instructions

1

Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan, add the garlic and sizzle for 1 minute without letting the garlic brown.

2

Add all the other ingredients and mix well.

3

Gently bring to the boil and simmer for 4 minutes with the lid on. The soup should be steaming hot and left to cool before serving.

Notes

You could use quick noodles/pasta instead of left overs, just place the same amount in the saucepan and cook for an extra minute or so. Replace kidney beans for any other type preferred. Keeps for- Serve straight away Freezes well for up to 6 months.

January 26, 2018
Lunch

Turkey, Garlic and Tarragon Pitta

turkey pitta

Turkey is a favourite of mine and I wanted to try and get my children to like it a little more than they do- this dish did the trick. It’s a quick and tasty meal for all the family to enjoy. Turkey is a great source of protein and B vitamins and is definitely not just for Christmas. Hands up winner!

Turkey, garlic and tarragon pitta

Print Recipe
Serves: 4 Cooking Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 3 large cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 500g turkey mince
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried tarragon
  • 4 x Pitta bread

Instructions

1

Heat a little olive oil or butter in a large saucepan or deep frying pan, chop the onion and lightly fry for 5 minutes, add the garlic and fry for 1 minute before adding the mince, keep turning the mince over until it is white all over.

2

Add the salt, pepper and tarragon, continue to cook for 10-15 minutes on a medium heat until piping hot and cooked through.

3

Place the pitta bread in a toaster for 1 minute, slice the top of the pitta and add the mince.

Notes

* If your child is stuck on white bread, face one challenge at a time, so use a white pitta first time round and the wholemeal pitta the next time.

November 1, 2017
Lunch

Egg and Cheese Bake

egg cheese bake

A quick meal packed with lots goodness, this is very quick to prepare, and then just stick it in the oven and you have a cooked lunch or dinner for the children before you know it. You could either make it in single ramekins or use a bigger Pyrex dish and make one big one…which will also save on washing up and it will cool down quicker.

Egg and Cheese Bake

Print Recipe
Serves: 4 Cooking Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

  • 2 x 120g tins mackerel in tomato sauce
  • 2 chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and mashed
  • Squeeze of a lemon (1 tablespoon)
  • 3-4 tomatoes, sliced
  • 4 eggs
  • handful of breadcrumbs (optional)
  • 50g Cheddar cheese, grated

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/Gas 5.

2

Flake the mackerel out with a fork and spread over the bottom of a 20cm square baking dish and mix with the mushrooms. Mash the avocado with the back of a fork and add the squeeze of a lemon then add to the dish followed by the tomatoes.

3

Now, crack the eggs on top (one is each corner) and swivel the dish around so that the egg white covers its corner well or beat the eggs first and then add to the dish (for a scrambled affect)

4

Finally, sprinkle over the breadcrumbs, if using, and the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until the eggs are cooked on top and the cheese is bubbling.

Notes

* For a vegetarian dish, lightly fry some quorn mince with ½ tin of chopped tomatoes and 1 teaspoon of tamari and add in place of the mackerel * Keeps for up to 2 days in the fridge * Freezable for up to 3 months

November 1, 2017