Lunchtime easy preps?

[HavenSprings]

Hi there. I'm trying to find new recipes and change my diet a bit. Specifically, I'm trying some easy prep lunchtime meals (for when I work from home, but I haven't got a big break so I can't take too long) that would not include pasta. I eat too much of that already!

Can you suggest any recipes for this? A few pointers that might help:

I like: all kinds of veg, beef/pork/lamb meat, most fish, eggs
I don't like: curry, hot spices in general (but I can happily make a recipe non-spicy if the recipe itself is worth it and doesn't go tasteless without the spices), chicken (not a huge fan unless the recipe is intriguing and transforms it?), salmon (can't eat it unless smoked - weird I know)

Examples of lunchtime meals I eat already: tuna/mayo/corn sandwich, omelette (open to new omelette recipes!), soups (same here as long as it's an easy prep!)

Hit me with your best shots!

I like a mini pizza occasionally.

I've tried making them with little tortillas, but then discovered that you can buy a pack of Pizza Express dough.
1/4 pack is just the right size for my lunch & the Air Fryer.
Packet says you can't freeze it, but you can.

I sometimes use toaster bags to make a sandwich feel more like a meal.

My soup repertoire is huge!

With winter coming I make homemade soup in a soup maker.

Winter Vegetable Soup
Chop 1/2 onion
Chop 2 carrots
Chop a chunk of swede
Chop 1/2 parsnip
Chop 1 potato

Put 1 teaspoon of olive oil in super and add onion first, then rest of the vegetable on top with 1 vegetable stock cube, salt and pepper to taste. Switch on for 22 minutes while it cooks then blends. It will ping and you just pour out and grab a chunk of French bread.

There will be 4 portions. Very quick and very cheap plus you can freeze it.

I like to do meat and veg all in one pots that I can just zap in the microwave so:

• chilli
• casserole
• shepherds pie

That kind of thing. I make up a batch on Sunday, put half in the freezer and half in the fridge. First week that gives me 2 or 3 meals to use during the week. If I do the same the next Sunday and split between fridge freezer, then the next week I have 2 diffferent meals to choose from for lunch, repeat it for a few weeks and you end up with a selection of frozen meals that can just be moved to the fridge the night before you want to eat them and then zapped at lunch time.

Noodles? I do a very quick onion, pepper and ginger and garlic fried and then add some frozen peas and sweetcorn and add soy sauce and sesame oil (the sesame oil is the bit that makes it yummy) then stir in cooked noodles. Takes no more than 10 mins start to finish

Very quick feta couscous https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10minute-couscous-salad
Beans on toast
Homemade pot noodle https://www.myfussyeater.com/healthier-homemade-pot-noodle/
Falafel, humous and veg wraps
Cottage cheese open sandwich https://www.wsbentley.co.uk/radish-cottage-cress-cheese-open-sandwich/ or this version https://www.marksandspencer.com/c/food-and-wine/cooking/recipes/198790/hot-honey-cottage-cheese-toasts/

Beans?

I do artichoke (jar is fine), fennel, shallots, lemon, garlic, capers, bake, chuck in a tin of white beans (whatever you fancy really) to warm through.

Marry me beans (sun dried tomatoes, onion, garlic, cherry tomatoes, beans, cream)

burrito

Wow, thank you all for your input!

I was beginning to look through noodles recipes - good shout about the sesame oil, I have it but I'd have only added the soy sauce to be honest! Can't wait to try.

I also like the idea of using cottage cheese to make it a sandwich - I'll try the honey/avocado combo for sure!

Artichokes I love, pizza I love (a bit too much actually!), the soup I'll try. @InfoSecInTheCity if you have any tips on a specific casserole you prefer I'd love to hear them! There are so many that I just made myself hungry now😂

Minestrone 😍

Rather than prep lunchtime meals, I like to prep extra components of meals at the weekend, eg if we're having a Sunday roast I'll make sure it results in leftover cooked meat & veg for quick soups, big sandwiches and rice/noodles stirfrys.

Cooked rice freezes well, so if you don't fancy the microwave pouches you can batch cook extra one night, freeze as single portions (obvs you can't leave cooked rice in the fridge for long) and microwave to reheat.

I put some veg into roast in the morning while I eat breakfast or at some point the day. Have with lentils from pouch or tin, dressing and cheese like feta or halloumi.

Fish finger wraps.

Beans on toast with cheese.

Noodle stuffy with prawns.

Sardines on toast and salad.

Sweet potato cooked in the microwave with scrambled eggs and some easy raw veg like avo/tomato/raw spinach. Add cheese if you feel like it. Done in 5 minutes.

I'm not a follower of recipes because I'm not organised enough to actually have a solid plan before I start cooking so my casserole usually goes something along the lines of:

• beef stewing steak browned off in a pan with a bit of oil
• cook onion till translucent
• chuck in a couple of packs of washed button mushrooms whole because I can't be bothered to cut them. Let them soften a bit.
• put meat back in
• tin of chopped tomatoes
• tin of sliced carrots
• fill one of the tins with hot water and put that in too
• casserole seasoning mix
• get it to the point it's bubbling then turn it down to a simmer
• stir it every now and then
• keep cooking till the liquid is a nice thickish gravy

The benefit of casserole and chilli is that it gets better if you let it cool and reheat it. It gets more and more flavourful and the meat more tender.

I eat it by itself but you could always get some nice fresh bread, slather it in butter and dunk it in the gravy.

Thank you @InfoSecInTheCity !

Prepping on the Sunday is another good shout - although there are some weekends when I really just need to rest! But feasible every other weekend for sure. Thanks!

Quick pea soup: gently fry an onion. If you have garlic to hand that's a nice addition. Add frozen peas, frozen Edamame beans, hot stock (chicken or veg) and boil until the peas are cooked. Blitz with stick blender. Garnish with fresh mint and chilli if you have any, or some olive oil or creme fraiche.

Golden syrup broccoli noodles on bbc food website.

I also love a salad - blue cheese, walnuts, sundried tomatoes, lettuce (plus any other leaves etc you have in the fridge). That works as a main.

Grated carrot with pine nuts, lemon and olive oil makes a cheery side to an omelette or quiche

MIne vary massively but a few I do when I'm trying to be a bit more proactive vs a sandwich:

Fried rice- I use packet rice and make enough for me and DH. Usually just any veg lying aroudn in the fridge, chopped. if I have a bit of chicken or prawns, I add those too.

Roasted tomatoes garlic and onion in the air fryer on couscous and topped with feta.

Jacket potato in the airfryer.

Sometimes I like to take thigns like onion/red onion, leeks, tenderstem broccoli, and/or any type of cabbage (asparagus in season) and sort of stir fry so they get a bit charred and then add some honey, garlic and lemon juice to the man and eat all that in a wrap or pita.

I haven't done it in a while but winter is coming s might try again - Jamie Oliver did one where you sort of make a bread batter and then add fillings in a frying man. That's always a win and Ds loves it so it's one I do if he's here in particular.

Tuna, mayo with avocado - usually with a bit of bread.
Tomato, avo, mozarella salad - also with a bit of bread

My lunchtime standard is miso noodles with whatever toppings I fancy usually with a salad of veg on the side.

You get the ready to wok noodles that can be microwaved. I like udon. Microwave for a minute, add miso paste, pour water from kettle over to make broth, add soy sauce, sesame oil, chilli flakes and whatever protein or veg toppings. I often have it with tofu or boiled or fried egg. Sometimes with fish. Today I’ve added sautéed kale (with fried egg). Salad is usually cucumber and carrots, sometimes kimchi, with Asian dressing (carrot and ginger is good if you find it in the store or feel motivated to make).