Lunchbox ideas for grown ups please

[clemette]

I have recently finished teaching after twelve years. In those twelve years I ALWAYS had school dinners (partly because I was ravenous at lunchtime, partly because I am slightly lazy/disorganised).
I have now become a student again and need to take my own lunches. We have no microwave so it will need to be cold (though I do have a flask suitable for soup). I don't really like bread so sandwiches are out.
So apart from soup, doea anyone have any brilliant recipes/ideas for cold, interesting lunches I can take in my lunchbox? Or are there any good recipe books that I could try?
Thank you.

salads

loads of them

they have to be large to fill you up but are brilliant for leftover meat

my fave is a chicken and mango one but basically I just shove together leftovers in a pot

sainsburys make a really nice cous cous chicken salad (and I normally HATE cous cous). It's spicy chicken with a yoghurt dressing and plain (but slightly spicy) cous cous with spinach leaves.

cold pasta salads good too (though get v boring)

Thank you.
I just lack inspiration I think.

Salad with cold meat or tuna/salmon. Include hardboiled egg, avocado, cheese and a dressing

Pasta - cook and allow to cool then add - sweetcorn, mushroom, spring onion, apple, peach (or anything else you like) with some mayo or salad cream and some natural yoghurt

You can do the same with cold rice

How about pitta bread or wraps. Put cheese, sweetcorn, mushroom, onion etc on a wrap and grill it for a few minutes. Its nice hot or cold

A few ideas HERE for pasta salads - I searched for these the other day as me and the dc are fed up of our normal packed lunches so we are going to give a few of these a try

Mini pot of Philly, some oatcakes and some carrot sticks.

Greek salad and a pitta bread - yum.

Croissant with cheese.

Cold veggie sausage rolls (!) and salad.

Yoghurt, fruit and seeds.

any of these any good to you?

What about lentil or chickpea salads? Add vinaigrette and chopped spring onion and diced tomato to cooked lentils or chick-peas, with a dash of lemon juice.

Thats what my dh some times takes.

Or leftover pasta in sauce (usually tomato)

Quiche

Spanish omelette

Sausage rolls

Pasty

Pizza

I'm not big on sandwiches but I love wraps. Among others, for ease I like smoked turkey and coleslaw, or seafood sticks with a bit of seafood sauce and rocket salad. I also pack things like cherry tomatoes, raw veg sticks and fruit. I also like cous cous with chick peas.

Thank you for all the ideas - I feel inspired.
And thanks for the link thereis - note to self, search threads before posting

Cut a pack of flour tortillas in to triangles, put on a baking tray and bake on high until just turning golden. Cool and store in an airtight tin.

Eat as they are or use to scoop up humous / salads etc.

I quite like noodles with soya beans and chicken or cooked salmon, plus a dash of soya sauce and mirin, plus some sesame seeds. You can make it the night before and its nice to eat at room temperature.

You can use rice or soba noodles if you're not big on wheaty egg noodles....

(Could also do the above with rice...)

my favourite is couscous with tsp of harrisa mixed in with tuna mayo plus sweetcorn/spring onion and cucumber mixed in on a bed of salad leaves.

Or I take home made soup in (watercress this week).

Couscous is always a good one as you can add loads of yummy things. I like to add spring onions, toms, coriander, lemon juice and zest and some tabasco.

Roast chicke salad or pasta. Roast a chicken. Chop up and add, skin on, with juices to either pasta (penne is good) or salad (leaves and red onion). Add capers, pine nuts and parsley.

Potato salads are good. I have two. One with sping onions, chives and a dressing of lemon juice and zest, olive oil, wholegrain mustard and garlic. One with red onion, capers and a dressing of mayo, olive oil and Dijon mustard.

One of may fave salads with with butter beans, toms, red onion, parsley, wilted spinach, capers and feta.

I also love leaves with red onion, bacon, avocado and a dressing of single cream, olive oil, sherry vinegar and blue cheese.

Salad of pear, buffalo, mozarella sprinkled with chopped chilli and basil and a really good olive oil.

My fave sandwich, on farmhouse bread, is pesto chicken (griddle chicken breast, chop up and mix with pesto and mayo), red onion, avocado and pea shoots.

Hope this helps.

Quinoa
Pomegranate seeds
Toasted pine nuts
coriander
mint
lemon juice
olive oil

Fantastic ideas - thank you so much for all of this.