The Working Lunch #6
Your weekly reminder to show your lunchbreak some love. This week: tartiflette toasties, filo tarts, miso aubergine rolls, and roasted vegetable cous cous.
Hello again,
It’s Monday. It’s lunchtime. What are you making?
Whether it’s just a sandwich or you’re foraging in the fridge for some leftovers to shove in the microwave, I hope you enjoy it and take the time out to savour this little break in your day.
I’ll be the first to admit that I got carried away making the aubergine sandwich in this week’s offering. I needed a distraction from work, so some extra time in the kitchen was just enough to snap me out of it.
There’s also a roasted vegetable couscous, and a TWL take on two French classics. Bon appetit. 💝
Just a sandwich…
Miso Aubergine with Sesame Carrot Slaw
I really love a hot sandwich this time of year. I also can’t get enough of soy, miso and sesame flavours. This sandwich has everything — hot, sweet, sour, crunch.
For the aubergine:
Make a spreadable paste by mixing some miso paste with oil and a little honey.
Cut the aubergine into slices, brush on the miso mix, then fry on each side until cooked and soft.
For the carrot slaw:
Shred or grate one peeled carrot.
Dress with a little sesame oil, vegetarian fish sauce and toasted sesame seeds.
To assemble the sandwich:
Split the roll (I’ve used ciabatta. Toasted brioche would also be 👌🏻).
Spread the base of the roll with soy ketchup (ketjap manis)
Then layer up salad leaves, aubergine, carrot slaw, a few mint leaves and some slices of pickled red onion. 😍
Simple swaps: Try kimchi instead of the carrot slaw and pickled red onion.
Cook while you work…
Roasted Vegetable Couscous
This is so simple and is a nice warm alternative to a salad. Maybe it is still a salad.
It’s a warm salad.
You know the extra bits of aubergine that I didn’t use in the sandwich, the end side bits that don’t slice well? I’ve used them here.
To make:
Simply cube up aubergine, courgette, red onion, pepper, tomato and toss in a little oil.
Season well and chuck it in the oven.
Quickly prepare the couscous. Cover it and leave it on the side to do its thing while you pop back to work for 25 minutes.
Take the vegetables out of the oven after about 30 minutes (or once they’re cooked).
Add the fluffy couscous to the vegetables.
Stir in chopped up sun-dried tomatoes, using the oil from the jar to drizzle over to give it a bit of a dressing.
Throw in chopped fresh mint, parsley, salt & pepper to finish.
Get ahead: Prep the veg the night before or in the morning, and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready.
Simple swap: Use pre-cooked quinoa instead of couscous.
Something on toast…
Tartiflette Toasties
I saw this idea in The River Cottage Everyday. My version isn’t quite the same, but that’s where I got the idea and the name from.
It takes the basic elements of tartiflette and simply puts them on toast.
Potato, cheese, bacon and onion.
I’ve used a leftover jacket spud. Some cooked streaky bacon and onions. and some good old cheddar (rather than go out and buy Reblochon especially for this).
Pop it on the toast. Stick it under the grill until it’s done.
Make ahead…
Filo Tartes Lorraines
Swapping to filo pastry makes these little tarts lighter than a traditional quiche lorraine. And using a muffin tray means they’re smaller, so great for lunch or packed lunch even.
To make them, I lined a muffin tray with the small squares of filo, layering up three sheets per tart.
Then I added in some cooked, chopped streaky bacon, cooked diced onion and grated cheese.
Poured over a mix of eggs and little milk, salt and pepper. To make 12, I used 4 eggs.
Baked them for around 25 minutes at 190.
Why only four meals?
I know most people work 5 days a week, I do too. It’s nice to wing it one day a week—meet a friend for lunch, walk to your local coffee shop, use up some leftovers…
See you next week, lunch buddies.
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