Category Archives: Lunch

Potato and Pea Cutlets

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I changed my mum’s Meat Cutlets recipe to Potato and Peas Cutlets. When I was younger my mum made a similar dish.  She added mince meat and potatoes.  Rolled it into a ball and  coated it in eggs and bread crumbs and deep fried the cutlets.

I changed the recipe to a healthier version.   Instead of deep frying I baked it in the oven.  Replaced the meat and added peas and spinach and coated it in egg and breadcrumbs.

Ingredients

100g mashed potato

100g baby peas

1 cup spinach

30g bread crumbs

1 egg beaten

 

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C and line tray with baking paper.

Boil the peas and place in a bowl and gently mash the peas.  Don’t mash them to much.

Chop spinach and add to the bowl.

Add the mash potato.

Mix the ingredients until combined and roll them into 3-4 balls.

Remove two plates.  In one plate place the beaten eggs and another plate place the bread crumbs.

Coat the mixture in the egg and then the breadcrumbs.  Coat evenly.

Place in the baking tray and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

 

Note 

This dish serves 1

Use frozen mash potato and peas.

To make the mash potato healthier do not add cream or milk.  Leave the potato plain.

 

Try these potato dishes

Lamb Cutlets with Spicy Potatoes

Pea and Potato Curry

Mustard lamb with Cauliflower and Potato Mash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black bean and Buckwheat Bowl

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I usually have sandwiches or wraps for lunch and I wanted to try something different.  I came across a recipe and they had used quinoa.  I am not a fan of quinoa so I swapped the quinoa for buckwheat and used egg instead of avocado.  I also added sundried tomato pesto to the dish.

This dish is filling, the buckwheat, black beans and lettuce go well and the egg gives this dish a creamy texture.

Ingredients

125g  canned black beans drained and rinsed.

1/3 cup raw buckwheat

125g lettuce

1 boiled egg

1 tablespoon sundried tomato pesto

salt and pepper ((optional)

 

Method

Cook buckwheat according to packet instructions.  (See note)

Boil 1 egg.  (See note)

Remove a bowl.  Add chopped lettuce, black beans, buckwheat, pesto and egg.

 

Note

This dish serves 1

I use the ratio 1:3  – I cup buckwheat and three cups  waters.  Put the buckwheat in boiling water and bring to the boil.  Cover and simmer for thirty minutes.  Drain any excess liquid.

Place one egg in cold water over medium heat.  Bring to the boil, put the heat off and cover for 7 minutes or less depending on how soft you want the egg.

 

Try these lunch ideas

Buckwheat Salad

Leftover Chicken Salad

Mexican Bowl

 

 

Tortellini with Roasted Pumpkin and Mushroom

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Tortellini is a ring shape pasta that has a filling.  I added roasted vegetables to this dish and mixed it with pesto.  The pumpkin adds the sweetness, the pesto has a tangy taste and mushroom has an earthy flavour.

Ingredients

4 cups tortellini

500g pumpkin diced

500g mushroom

2 cups spinach

3 tbsp.. olive oil

2 tsp. Italian herbs

Salt to season (optional)

2 tbsp. Nutty Pesto

 

Method 

Preheat oven to 180ºC

Line two baking trays with non stick papers.  Put pumpkins in the bowl add 1 tbsp. of the olive oil and 1 tsp pf the Italian herb and mix.  Place on the tray evenly and place in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until  cooked through.

In another bowl add the 1tbsp pf olive oil and the remaining 1 tsp of  Italian herbs and mix.  Place in the oven.  Bake for  20-225 minutes or until browned.

Cook tortellini according to packet instructions.

In a saucepan heat the pesto with the remaining olive oil for a minute or two.  Make sure it doesn’t burn.  Add the pasta, mushroom and pumpkin and mix.  Put the heat off and let it cool.  Serve with spinach.

 

Note

This dish serves 4

Feel free to add other vegetables.

 

Try these pasta  dishes

Pasta with Pesto and Meatballs

Sardines & Chilli Linguine

Rigatoni with Chicken and Broccoli

 

 

 

Carrot and Lentil Soup

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Love this winter soup. it’s full of flavour and the hot curry powder gives this soup a warm kick,  This soup uses only two main ingredients, carrot and red lentils and it’s simple to make.

Ingredients

500g carrot

65g dried red lentils

I litre water

I tbsp. olive oil

1 chopped brown onion

3 tsp grated ginger

1 tbsp. hot curry powder

 

Method 

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the chopped onions and cook for5 minutes.

Add the ginger and curry powder and cook for a minute or until fragrant.

Add the carrot, lentils and water and bring to the boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and partially cover the saucepan.  Simmer for 15 minutes. Make sure the lentils and carrots are cooked.

Using a stick blender, blend until smooth or to your liking.

 

Note

This dish serves 4

 

Try these dishes

Poached Chicken Soup

Moroccan Lamb and Chickpea Soup

Turmeric Chicken and Carrot Noodle

Beetroot and Carrot Salad

Dhal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lasagne

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I had a  craving for lasagne and I decided to make one without using the white sauce and add some veggies. This dish has layers of meat, lasagne sheets and  a layer of spinach and ricotta  instead of melted cheese.  I didn’t miss the white sauce when I ate it.

Ingredients

To make the meat sauce 

500g mince beef

3 medium tomatoes chopped

213 g  canned tomatoes

40 ml tomato paste (2 tbsp.)

½ an inion’1 crushed garlic

½ a cup beef stock

1 tbsp. basil leaves

1 tbsp.. thyme

tbsp. oregano

tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper for seasoning.

 

To make the Spinach

500g frozen spinach, thawed and remove excess moisture by squeezing.

400g ricotta reduced fat

30g Parmesan cheese

1 egg

 

For the Lasagne

4 fresh lasagne sheets

 

Method

To make Meat Sauce

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic , cook until onion is soft.  Add the beef, remove any lumps, cook until browned.

Add the stock, tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and canned tomatoes. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until mixture is thick.

Put hear off and add the herbs.  Season with salt and pepper.

 

To make Spinach

Beat egg in a bowl, add spinach ricotta and 15g of the parmesan cheese.  Mix until all is combined.  Set Aside.

 

To Make Lasagne

Preheat oven to 180ºC

Remove lasagne baking dish.  Pour a bit of the meat mixture at the bottom of the dish.  Add the first layer of lasagne sheet.  Pour the mixture over the Lasagne sheet.  Make sure it’s even.  Add another layer of lasagne sheet and pour the meat mixture.  Continue for the rest.

Once you reach the top layer, add the spinach evenly on the lasagne sheet.  Sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cooked.

 

Note

This dish serves 6

If there is remaining spinach, lasagne sheet, sauce and tomatoes make Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

Try these Pasta dishes

Rigatoni with Chicken and Broccoli

Sardines & Chilli Linguine

Pasta with Pesto and Meatballs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roast Beef

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After my success with Roast Chicken I tried roast beef.  This time round, I didn’t add Indian spices, placed Italian herbs instead.  It was delicious and enjoyed the process.

Ingredient

I kg beef

1 tbsp..  rosemary leaves

1 tsp. basil leaves

1 tsp. thyme leaves

Salt and pepper for seasoning

1 tbsp. olive oil

 

Method

Mix the herbs with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Marinate for 2-4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 180ºC

Place beef in a baking tray and cover with foil.  Add the beef in the oven and cook for 1½ hours or until cooked.  (I prefer my meat well done, therefore it takes longer,  check your meat earlier if you want it rare or medium rare.).

 

Note

Try these dishes

. Roast Chicken

Roasted Pumpkin and Beef

Pumpkin Mash and Steak

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roast Chicken Pizza

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A simple and tasty lunch idea from the leftover Roast Chicken.  I had made roast chicken yesterday and there was some leftover.  So I  made a roast chicken pizza with bread instead of pizza dough.

Ingredients

Leftover roast chicken

1/3 cup mozzarella chess

Handful of spinach

1 tbsp. barbeque sauce

2 slices rye bread

 

Method

Preheat oven to 180ºC

Spread the sauce evenly on the bread.  Add pieces of chicken, spinach and the cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Note

This dish serves 1

How to make roast chicken. Roast Chicken.

Try these leftover dishes

Leftover Chicken Salad

Spicy Chicken Salad

BBQ Chicken Pizza

 

Paprika Chicken and Sweet Potato Chips

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A childhood dish reinvented.  Whenever we went out for lunch I always ordered fried chicken and chips and it came with some salad.  I swapped fried chicken for baked chicken, potato fries for sweet potatoes and added spinach.  I baked the chicken and sweet potatoes with paprika and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Ingredients

1 chicken thigh

23g of sweet potato.

½ tsp paprika

½ smoked paprika.

BBQ sauce to drizzle

Handful of spinach to serve

Salt and pepper to season

Olive oil to drizzle

 

Method

Preheat oven to 180ºC

Remove two trays. In one tray. Dry rub the chicken thigh with smoked paprika, salt and pepper.

Cut the sweet potatoes into chip shape. In the second tray sprinkle the paprika on the sweet potato and drizzle olive oil.

Bake for 25 minutes or  until cooked.

Place spinach on a bowl, add sweet potato and chicken.  Drile BBQ sauce.

Notes

This dish serves 1

To make a bigger portion increase the quantity.

 

Try these sweet potato dishes

Mexican Bowl

Cottage Pie

Spicy Chicken Salad

 

 

 

 

Cajun Chicken Lettuce Wrap

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The lettuce wrap is a fantastic idea.  Not only is it healthy but easy and fun to prepare.  I made my lettuce wrap with grilled cajun chicken, topped with sliced carrot and crushed almonds.

Ingredient

1 chicken thigh fillet

½ tsp Cajun spice (add 1 teaspoon for an extra kick)

1 carrot

2 large lettuce pieces

small handful of almonds

Salt and Peeper for seasoning

 

Method

Preheat fan force oven to 200°C.

Add the Cajun, salt and pepper to the chicken thigh.  Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Once chicken is ready slice chicken.

Meanwhile use a peeler to make long thin carrot strips.  Layer the pieces of lettuce on a plate.

Add the sliced chicken, carrot and almonds on top of the lettuce and enjoy.

 

Note

This dish serves 1

You can also use leftover chicken instead of grilling.

Feel free to add more veggies

Try another wrap recipe

Teriyaki Chicken Wrap