The Working Lunch #8
Your weekly reminder to show your lunch break some love. This week: mozzarella & tomato panini, pepper & tomato soup, smashed cannellini beans on toast and a lunchtime get together.
Hello,
Usual seat?
This way then.
Nice weather we’re having.
That’s enough of the small talk. I’m a little lost for words today, so I’ll just get straight to the food.
This week there’s another instalment in soup season, a different take on beans on toast, a pizza-style panini and a lunchtime get-together.
Get stuck in.
Make ahead…
Pepper & tomato soup
Even though we’ve seen signs of the pre-spring sunshine this weekend, we’re still firmly in soup season. This pepper and tomato soup uses tinned tomatoes for ease and a good depth of flavour. It reheated well when I made it early in the morning and warmed it back up for lunch.
To keep it simple, there’s no roasting of peppers in the oven first, it’s all in one pot. Even when you’re making food ahead of time, it’s still good to not overcomplicate it. It’s only lunch!
To make:
3x peppers, chopped
Tin tomatoes
1 vegetable stock cube
2x small red onions, diced
Garlic clove, sliced
Salt & pepper
Fresh basil to taste
Oil
Sauté the chopped vegetables and garlic in a little oil to start the cooking process.
Add a tin of chopped tomatoes and the equivalent volume of water, by refilling the tin, along with the vegetable stock cube and salt and pepper.
Bring just to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave on a simmer for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
Blitz with a stick blender, adding in fresh basil and checking the seasoning to taste.
Allow to cool completely. Refrigerate. Reheat.
Just a sandwich…
Mozzarella & sun-dried tomato panini
This one’s a bit of a cheat. I’ve used a stir-thru sun-dried tomato and black olive paste. I’d like to say it’s because it offers better flavour than regular tomatoes, or is less oily than regular sun-dried tomatoes, both of which could be true, but it’s basically what I had in the cupboard.
I’ve paired that with mozzarella, fresh basil and a scattering of rocket, spinach and watercress leaves in the panini. Then toasted it on each side in a dry pan until the cheese melts.
Getting the right heat for the panini to cook through with melted cheese without burning the bread is a constant challenge. Having the ingredients at room temperature helps. Unless you have a panini press. In which case, you’re all good. I haven’t, so it’s usually a saucepan squashing down on top of the panini and turning it over halfway.
Something on toast…
Smashed cannellini beans
I’m a big fan of beans on toast. This just rings the changes a little for just a little bit more effort.
Warm a drizzle of oil in a saucepan, then add garlic. Add to that a drained tin of cannellini beans along with a pinch of chilli powder, a teaspoon of tahini and some lemon juice.
Once they’re warmed through, they’ll start to smash up a bit.
Take off the heat and finish with chopped fresh parsley and salt and pepper.
Pile it onto hot toast.
This is so filling! One tin of beans would easily serve 2. Or 1, if you’re hungry.
Cook together…
Chilli-glazed halloumi flatbread
Wanna hang out at lunchtime and cook together?
I’m so excited to be taking part in Freelancer Magazine’s first season of events.
We’ll be cooking homemade flatbreads with chilli-glazed halloumi, tzatziki and quick-pickled red onion.
See you there. You’ll need to register here.
Why only four meals?
Because you might want to have pancakes on Tuesday…🥞 ?
See you next week, lunch buddies.
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