The Working Lunch #49
A pot noodle by any other name
Hello
Have you had much rain?
I can’t stand the rain. The deluge. The grey. 😩 I’m sure it wasn’t raining all of last week. It can’t rain all the time. But it does feel like it…How long until spring?
Somedays you need a lunch that you can prep ahead of time. Suppose you have a busy day in store, you’re at the mercy of someone else’s schedule, or, shock horror, someone suggests a lunch meeting. Having lunch ready to go on standby could save the day.
Get this one ready in the morning, and then all you’ll have to do is pop the kettle on.
Make ahead….
Jam jar noodles
instant noodles with fresh ingredients that you can make in the morning ready for lunch
Who doesn’t love a pot noodle? Quick, easy, tasty. I’m saying “Pot Noodle”, but my favourites are Kabuto. Wherever your allegiance, we’re probably all agreed that instant noodles are brilliant.
This lunch idea is more of a method than a recipe because honestly it could go in many different flavour directions. I’ve gone with miso as the soup base, as I had the dregs of a jar to use up, but I’ve seen others with Oyster Sauce, bouillon and a curry & paneer DIY pot noodle.
Ingredients:
Miso paste
Grated carrot
Shredded spinach
Smoked tofu, finely diced
Sliced mushrooms
Instant vermicelli noodles
Soy sauce or soy ketchup to season
To make:
Layer up the fresh ingredients in the bottom of the clean jar, leaving enough room for the noodles.
When you’re ready to eat, add in the noodles and top with the boiled water. Careful — let the boiling water cool a little first and the jar warm up. Pour slowly as glass can crack when hot water is poured into it. If you’re in any doubt about how well your jar will fare, just use a bowl.
Leave the noodles to sit for 5 or so minutes until they are cooked. Season with soy or soy ketchup, give it a good mix up, and they’re ready to eat.
Simple swaps
Bouillon or stock instead of miso
Shredded cabbage or sweetcorn instead of carrot and spinach
Add in some aromatics such as chilli, ginger, or garlic - I would do this next time!
Paneer or shredded chicken in place of tofu
Egg noodles instead of vermicelli. As long as they’re “quick” or “instant” i.e. they cook while sitting in boiled water, rather than being boiled, they should work.
And yes, you might want to use a fancy Kilner or mason jar for yours or at least a wider jar. The narrow opening on this Dolmio jar made for compromised eating. I did have one saved that was much wider, but it got filled with homemade kimchi.
Lunch chat
On the other days last week I ate a tuna mayo on white with ready-salted crisps; kimchi fried rice (I’ll be making that again soon); a grain & halloumi bowl with chickpeas and peppers when a friend came round for lunch; and a bowl of roasted sweet potato, chickpeas & broccoli (a variation on this warm sweet potato & chickpea salad).
Lunchtime walks were a bit of a struggle on account of all that rain. How about you, what have you been doing to make the most of your lunch break?
If you’re not feeling the lunchtime love with this week’s idea, don’t forget that you can tuck into the archives at any time.
Type an ingredient, meal or edition number in the ‘search box 🔍’
This is such a fab idea! Thank you :-)
Oh I LOVE the jar lunch idea! Must try