2 good Lunch Box/Fridge ideas.
fififox
Posts: 360 Member
I am currently trying to organise myself to have about 6 different lunch box fillers in my fridge that will be versatile enought to adapt a bit, have different bases (e.g. chick peas, lentils, maybe noodles, rice, aubergines, etc) so that I won't get bored. I am hoping that they will run out at different rates so that I will only have to make one at a time once I get the system up and running. My husband likes to put salad leavesin his lunch box and then add portions of the different ones. To date these have been Hummus, Aubergine and coriander dip, roasted red pepper and mint dip, the lentil salad below, a big bowl of roasted vegetables and a basil pesto. The variety is great. Some are much lower cal than others so in filling the lunch box/plate I bear that in mind and eat more of the lower cal ones. I will dip into this stuff at lunch time if I am at home as well.
I made this on Sunday - basically finely chopping chilli, making dressing with chilli, oil, juice, honey, seasoning and tossing the lentils, spring onion and lemon zest in this. (I tend to taste and make up as I go along so amounts may be slightly off - my advice would be to do the same and just make a nice dressing to your taste) It was just an experiment but really nice. The lemon zest gives a lovely fresh twist. I reckon you could play with it a bit and add roasted peppers, maybe chickpeas, onion, corn.....whatever you like. I hope to try variations myself. I would prefer to use lentils I boiled myself as the tinned are quite soft, but as I had to do 5 or 6 salads choices on Sunday I used a tin.
Green Lentil Salad.
Tesco - Green Lentils (Drained), 1 can 200cal
Onions - Spring or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw, 2 medium (4-1/8" long) 10 cal
Vegetables - Red Chilli Peppers, Raw, 4 g/1 pepper 5cal I didn't use a whole chilli
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Oil, 1 Tbsp 119cal
Generic - Fresh Lemon Juice, 20 g 5cal
Generic - Honey, 0.75 teaspoon 15 cal
Generic - Lemon Zest, 1 tsp 2 cal
Generic - Dash Ground Black Pepper, 0.25 dash 0 cal
Generic - Table Salt, 0.1 tsp 0 cal
Generic table salt a pinch 0 cal
Total 356 cals. 6 portions? Roughly 60 cal per portion. I put as 6 portions which might seem small, but that is presuming it is just part of a mixed plate.
Spiced Roasted Vegetables. (Cold)
This is my favourite lunch item at the moment. I use teh same spice mix as I use up for the Kashmiri butter chicken. You can do a count on what ever veg you use yourself but I have been varying with some of the following cut into batons in a large oven tray - carrots, sweet potato, onions, peppers, parsnips (I also add finely chopped garlic). Toss the veg in about 1 tbsp of the spice mix and about 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Roast in a highish oven. I have drissled a little maple syrup over them a few times if I fancied them sweeter. This is a great filler if you have the oven on to cook something else and have a free shelf.
I grind the spices in coffee grinder in the proportions below. I make up in greater quantity as I use it a fair bit. It is very versatile. If you do make it try the Kashmiri Butter Chicken. It is fab.
1tsp cumin seeds crushed
1tsp fennel seeds crushed
4 green cardamom pods crushed
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Can be served hot but is great kept in the fridge and used as part of a lunch box filler. I think I have a portion at about 150 cal - again not a huge portion but I balance the cal count with other lower cal stuff. To me this is like a meat substitute as it so tasty.
I made this on Sunday - basically finely chopping chilli, making dressing with chilli, oil, juice, honey, seasoning and tossing the lentils, spring onion and lemon zest in this. (I tend to taste and make up as I go along so amounts may be slightly off - my advice would be to do the same and just make a nice dressing to your taste) It was just an experiment but really nice. The lemon zest gives a lovely fresh twist. I reckon you could play with it a bit and add roasted peppers, maybe chickpeas, onion, corn.....whatever you like. I hope to try variations myself. I would prefer to use lentils I boiled myself as the tinned are quite soft, but as I had to do 5 or 6 salads choices on Sunday I used a tin.
Green Lentil Salad.
Tesco - Green Lentils (Drained), 1 can 200cal
Onions - Spring or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw, 2 medium (4-1/8" long) 10 cal
Vegetables - Red Chilli Peppers, Raw, 4 g/1 pepper 5cal I didn't use a whole chilli
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Oil, 1 Tbsp 119cal
Generic - Fresh Lemon Juice, 20 g 5cal
Generic - Honey, 0.75 teaspoon 15 cal
Generic - Lemon Zest, 1 tsp 2 cal
Generic - Dash Ground Black Pepper, 0.25 dash 0 cal
Generic - Table Salt, 0.1 tsp 0 cal
Generic table salt a pinch 0 cal
Total 356 cals. 6 portions? Roughly 60 cal per portion. I put as 6 portions which might seem small, but that is presuming it is just part of a mixed plate.
Spiced Roasted Vegetables. (Cold)
This is my favourite lunch item at the moment. I use teh same spice mix as I use up for the Kashmiri butter chicken. You can do a count on what ever veg you use yourself but I have been varying with some of the following cut into batons in a large oven tray - carrots, sweet potato, onions, peppers, parsnips (I also add finely chopped garlic). Toss the veg in about 1 tbsp of the spice mix and about 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Roast in a highish oven. I have drissled a little maple syrup over them a few times if I fancied them sweeter. This is a great filler if you have the oven on to cook something else and have a free shelf.
I grind the spices in coffee grinder in the proportions below. I make up in greater quantity as I use it a fair bit. It is very versatile. If you do make it try the Kashmiri Butter Chicken. It is fab.
1tsp cumin seeds crushed
1tsp fennel seeds crushed
4 green cardamom pods crushed
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Can be served hot but is great kept in the fridge and used as part of a lunch box filler. I think I have a portion at about 150 cal - again not a huge portion but I balance the cal count with other lower cal stuff. To me this is like a meat substitute as it so tasty.
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