What would you make for a quick lunch with a friend?

Is she 5?

I would just do some nice chicken wraps with sweet potatoes fries. Easy to marinade the chicken the night before and 10min to airfry. Chop some salad stuff and a nice dip. The fries can go in the Airfryer too. Easy done in 15-20 mins and delicious

Sorry, I would not even make them, as I said, I would buy them, but I see what you mean!

Making sandwiches isn’t exactly cooking!

I am very shy of my culinary abilities and always worried I will f-up when I cook, so when non-family members come, I always opt for shop-bought anything. I would buy a tray of sandwiches for lunch and make tea, that is what I would do.

Avocado and toast with a side of hallomi cheese

Homemade quiche, salad,

A supermarket quiche, homemade potato salad, coleslaw (Lidl's low-fat one is creamy, delicious and looks homemade), a small side salad, fresh farmhouse loaf. For drinks, traditional lemonade (the type you can buy from a big garden centre).

Avocado on toast
Or
Ploughman's with some nice bread

Indian flat bread wraps? I made this the other day as a fakeaway street food thing for my teens, I brought the 2 giant thin naan from Aldi and they really are giant, tandoori spiced chicken breast or thigh in air fryer, sliced, then into the naans and wrapped, can also add any salady bits mint raita etc, that was a surprising hit, easy and not too expensive

I like baking so I would do a fresh loaf of sourdough and cook some sausages, bacon, eggs (DH would eat leftovers) and let them help themselves. I would have a sweet option, probably some croissants or chocolate twists out too.

I’d make a tart using a roll of puff pastry and some toppings like pesto, peppers and mozzarella with a salad.
Or a wrap which is hummus, chicken or halloumi based with a salad. Lots of nice recipes on the Internet.
Id also offer a desert like some strawberries with ice cream or slice of cheesecake. Or just the cheesecake.
You can offer tea or coffee after lunch too.

Toasted bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon

I’d buy cooked chicken joints and salad.

I’d focus on simple, fresh, quick assembly and make ahead/shop bought.

Crackers/fresh bread (or bake in the oven baguette) with cheese, pate, pickles would be lovely. Add frozen grapes - delicious.
Frittata can be made the night before & either served cold or warmed. Serve with salad & crusty bread.
Or bagels with scrambled egg - add smoked salmon if you want to make it a bit more fancy
Smoked salmon bagels with cream cheese
Make ahead chilli & rice or salad or get wraps & add cheese Greek yoghurt & salad
Homous & rocket wraps
Soup & rolls/fresh bread

ice cream & fruit or strawberries & cream followed by coffee & a biscuit or couple of chocolates.

Greek Salad. But im having it so much at the moment in this heat. Also not sad naked feta, feta with a decent dollop of olive oil and oregano xx

I wouldn’t like half of these. Just ask her

Ask her what she would like.

A good old Irish soup and a sandwich.

I make a courgette and coriander soup that is good chilled.

1 courgette per person, bunch of coriander, a drop of oil, salt and pepper, veg stock cube and optional crème fraiche to serve.

Slice the courgettes, place in a pan with the oil, turn down low, cover with a lid or baking paper leave to braise (I'm not sure if that is the right word) the courgettes you want them to be translucent, a little bit of brown is fine. That takes about 8-10 mins.

Add the torn coriander, stock cube, boiling water and seasoning.

Blend, I use a stick blender but you can use any type of blender. Actually you could do this in a soup maker.

It takes a max of 20 - 25 mins and I would do this the day before.

Allow to cool and then chill overnight, serve with a dollop of crème fraiche. Oh if you leave out the crème fraiche it is vegan which it is always useful to have up your sleeve.

For the sandwich part I would cut a baguette up and put small plates of smoked salmon, cream cheese, chopped tomato, some chopped herbs, olives, chutney maybe some pickles.

Chicken sandwiches with salad or soup or chips.

Ploughman's = now rebranded as charcuterie plate !

Do you know what food she likes? There’s some great suggestions on here but all very risky if you go with one option and she doesn’t like it. Why don’t you just text her and say I’m going shopping later what do you fancy for lunch tomorrow? I was thinking x or y?

Chopped egg salad and crusty bread. If you have one of those chopper contraptions it takes 3 minutes. Use the big square attachment and just chop everything you want in your salad along with some roughly chopped hard boiled eggs. I’d have some good balsamic as a dressing.

I’d make an Italian canellini and tuna salad

F

Quiche and salad.