The Working Lunch #22
Courgette & halloumi pitta pocket; veggie hot dogs; and a pasta frittata. It's your weekly reminder to show your lunch break some love.
I’m starting with a recommendation today, some nourishment for your ears as I’ve just finished listening to a podcast about ‘Creating a healthy freelance lifestyle’. It’s a subject close to my heart.
One of the points towards the end of the episode is about the importance of taking a break for lunch — not eating on the run or skipping meals. It’s hard to make the time when you have to do all the things running a freelance business solo. But if you can stop and think about your food as you prepare it and eat it, slow down and savour it, you’ll enjoy it more and benefit more from your break.
What are you having for lunch today?
Just a sandwich…
Minted courgette & halloumi pitta pocket
I love pitta bread, but I find it fiddly to fill the regular ones. So for this, I’ve used soft pitta pockets that have a nice neat cut edge to make them easier to split and fill.
It only takes a couple of minutes. Put the pitta in the toaster. While that’s toasting, cut the halloumi and courgette into similar sized pieces, then fry them until golden. Scatter freshly chopped mint over the courgette and a good grind of black pepper.
Assemble the sandwich by arranging the slices, alternating between courgette and halloumi to snuggly fill the toasted split pitta pocket.
Rustle up…
Veggie hot dogs with cheat’s caramelised onion
How delicious is a hot dog with fried onions? Well, I don’t have time on my lunch break to do slow-cooked onions any justice, so the jar of good old caramelised onion chutney is out once again to deliver that sweet and sour onion hit.
Vegetarian/vegan sausages are fairly quick to cook, so these were rustled up in the time it took to make a cup of tea and unload the dishwasher (real work from home talk).
I’ve pan-fried some cauliflower and chickpea sausages and added a good spoonful of caramelised onion chutney to the pan at the end so it warms through. Served in a split hot dog roll with a little grating of cheddar cheese.
Love your leftovers…
Pasta frittata
I know what you’re thinking? Pasta? In an omelette?
Trust me (and Gennaro) and give it a go if you have any leftover cooked spaghetti kicking around that needs using up.
To make this one, I’ve used:
9 eggs
300g cold cooked spaghetti
Grated Grana Padano cheese
Finely chopped spring onion and baby chard
Fresh parsley and basil
Mix all the ingredients together and cook in a non-stick frying pan on one side, until nearly set through. Using a large plate, turn it over in the pan to cook the other side, adding a bit more grated cheese on top.
This served three (two for lunch, and some leftover leftovers!)
If time is tight and you wanted to make it in advance, it would also be really good served cold.
Why only four 3 meals?
Only 3 this week, on account of the extra Jubilee bank holiday days last week here in the UK. Normal service will be resumed next week.
I know most people work 5 days a week, I do too. It’s nice to wing it one day a week. Mix it up — have breakfast for lunch, cobble together some fridge tapas from leftover bits and bobs, or pack a picnic and head out…
See you next week, lunch buddies.
Pasta frittata!??! That's nuts! I want to try it!