The Working Lunch #44

A delicious eggy taco, quick prawn soup, warm veggie salad and re-purposed schnitzel plate – it’s your weekly reminder to show your lunchbreak some love

Hi everybody!

Susanne was on holiday last week so I’m in the hot seat, sharing some of my favourite quick lunch ideas. I’m a freelance journo and copywriter from Australia and I also run a jobs board and community for creatives called Rachel’s List.

And, after 25 years working for myself, I’ve gotten into a rhythm with lunches. Sure, the sad desk lunch still sneaks through (vegemite toast, I’m looking at you) but for the most part I look forward to planning my lunches and breaking up the day with something delish.

I hope you find some inspo in these ideas, and thanks again Susanne for letting me take over for a week!

---

5 minute one-pan wonder…

Crispy potato, egg & cheese taco

I spotted this delight on Alexandra Cooks’ Instagram reels and immediately hunted down the recipe, which is from Ali Slagle’s I Dream of Dinner cook book. It’s become a quick go-to lunch for me – sometimes I skip the tortilla if don’t have any; it’s just as good without.

You’ll need one small potato, grated (enough to fill half a cup). Squeeze any water out, and in a non-stick pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil or butter and create two ‘nests’ of grated potato with an indent in the middle if you can manage it – and make the layers thin, so the potato has a chance to cook evenly. Season with salt.

Next, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of any cheese you like over each pile of grated potato as it cooks in the pan. I usually just use cheddar. Then, crack an egg into each indent in your ‘nests’ (so you’ll have two potato nests and two eggs).

Season your eggs with salt and pepper, cover with a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes, then slide each potato-cheese-egg nest onto a small warmed tortilla (or just onto a plate, if you want to skip the tortilla). Season with whatever condiments float your boat (I love it with a bit of pesto or you could pimp it with sriracha and a handful of coriander leaves.)

This is so deliciously moreish – with the crunchy potato base, and cheesy, eggy top. The benefit of having a tortilla beneath is you can fold it and eat it like a taco, of course.

---

Giving cooked chook a new spin…

Leftover chicken schnitzel & salad

I’m big on repurposing leftovers, whether it’s smooshing cooked pork balls and tomato sauce into a baguette, or pimping last night’s cooked chicken schnitzel into something new.

Schnitzel is so versatile, though. If I’m busy I’ll just heat it in the microwave and serve with a quick rocket salad and a wedge of lemon. But if I have time, I might re-purpose my schnitzel into a quick chicken parmi by topping it with a thin layer of passata and grated mozzarella. Pop under the grill until the schnitzel is hot all the way through and the cheese is bubbling. Nom!

Simple swaps: Leftover schnitzel can be turned into so many things – sliced, heated in the microwave and tossed through a warm veggie salad; sliced and made into a chicken toastie with avocado, mayo and cheese – or stirred through leftover risotto. Mmmmm.

---

A warming, 5-minute bowl of yum…

Quick one-pot prawn miso soup

Limited time to eat? This prawn pak choy soup is a total winner.

Defrost a handful of prawns in the fridge. At lunchtime, fill a medium-sized saucepan half-full with water, and stir in 3 tsp white miso paste to flavour the broth.

Bring to a simmer, tip in your greens (beans, bok choy, broccoli – whatever you like) and cook for 3 mins. You could also throw some noodles in at this stage for a more substantial soup. Pop your defrosted prawns in at the end and when they go pink, turn the heat off (about 1-2 mins – prawns cook so fast).

Ladle the prawns and greens into a bowl and pour the soup over the top. Finish it with whatever you like: soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil, thinly sliced spring onions, a sliced leftover boiled egg, or pickled bamboo. It’s so good and a super speedy option on a cold or rainy day when you’d rather not trudge down to your local Thai or Chinese!

Quick swap: No prawns? Sub in frozen dumplings instead and cook to packet instructions (mine take about 7 mins in boiling water). Just as good!

---

A warm veggie salad…

Roasted cauliflower, chickpea & carrot salad

I love trying to recreate café dishes at home. This roasted cauli and carrot salad was one of these. It’s one of those salads that you can add numerous ingredients to or keep it simple, but whoever I make it for wants the recipe – it’s just so tasty and filling. (You can easily prep the veggies beforehand, mix with the spices and oil and store in the fridge ready to roast.)

To make it, chop half a small cauliflower into florets. Slice two carrots into long, chunky pieces (not too thin, or they’ll burn before the cauliflower has a chance to roast). In a bowl, mix your veg well with 1-2 tbs of olive oil, 1 tsp of turmeric, 1 tsp of cumin, ½ tsp chilli flakes (if you like) and salt and pepper. (It’s forgiving though, use whatever spices you like.) Lay veg on a roasting tray and bake (200 degrees C, 392 degrees F) for about 20-25 mins.

While that’s cooking, make a Minimalist Baker’s 3-ingredient tahini dressing: mix 1 tbs of tahini, a sprinkle of garlic powder, salt and pepper and water. Whisk into a runny drizzle, adding more water if it thickens too much.

Tumble your cooked veg onto a big plate and stir through a handful of rocket or baby spinach, chickpeas (I love these for extra crunch), walnuts and some kind of cheese (I love feta cubes, or flaked parmesan). Drizzle your sauce over everything and eat!

Pimp it with: Cooked halloumi, warmed felafel, cooked pearl barley or canned lentils.  

---

Why only four meals?

Like Susanne, I’m a big believer in winging your lunch one day a week – I’ll always try to meet a friend for lunch, or sometimes my husband and I will order chicken fajitas from our local Mexican. We also live in Newtown in Sydney’s inner west so we’re lucky to be surrounded by a heap of good eateries whenever we step out the front door.

Susanne’s back next week! Thanks for indulging me and my lunch ideas. If you’d like to connect, find me on Instagram, or sign up to my weekly newsletter, The Wrap-Up – it goes to thousands of journalists, copywriters, editors, social media peeps and other creatives.

Bye, lunch buddies!