What’s for lunch?
Although September might feel like it’s about endings and summer is almost over, it’s also about new starts, new terms, whether that be at a new school, a new class, or just going back to work.
I try hard to hold onto that holiday feeling and not let go! I refuse to feel sad that the school holidays have ended, that our holidays have been packed away, the sand shaken out of shoes, the swimsuits hung to dry and the time together we have enjoyed consigned to photos and memories.
My challenge is to blend our return to routine with adventures and fun. One of the things I love to do is to try to recreate holiday recipes at home, flavours we have loved, pastries we have nibbled over and over again and tastes that remind us of carefree days, and to combine these with the abundant produce available locally in September.
I hope you will enjoy making some of my holiday-inspired recipes. They’re simple to make and perfect for everyone’s lunch boxes so a homemade parcel of the taste of the holidays can fill your lunchtime at work or school!
If you need more inspirations, here are some are tips on how to make your lunch box more interesting.
Make one recipe on a Sunday and slice or portion this up ready for the week ahead – both the tortilla and the Greek pasties are brilliant for thisOr, if you are even more organised than me, bake a bigger batch and freeze so you have a good stockpile in the freezer.
Be creative with leftovers, chop roast chicken and add to quinoa, couscous or rice. Be experimental and make your own tubs of homemade hummus and dips from broad beans or beetroot.
Be environmentally aware – use beeswax wraps, bamboo or wooden cutlery and Bento boxes to avoid unnecessary cling film and foil wrap.
Put in handfuls of peas in their pods, chopped raw vegetables and fruits.
Make pudding or yogurt tubs – perfect for breakfast or lunch on the go and far cheaper than buying them en-route. Layer yogurt, granola, seeds and honey and spoon into little pots with lots of berries. Leave them ready in the fridge to grab and go.
Make your own energy balls. Melt 70% cocoa chocolate or cacao with a little sunflower spread and stir in nuts, seeds, desiccated coconut and finely chopped or whizzed dried fruits. Use an ice cream scoop to spoon onto a lined baking tray and pop into the fridge to set.
If you have time, put in a little note for the recipient of the lunchbox to find as a surprise when they open it up. A note to say good luck or that you have remembered an exam or something important that’s happening in their day. Maybe they will surprise you when it’s their turn to make yours!
