Liven up your lunch
Generally, I work from home, but every once in a while I do some freelance ‘‘office work’’, which got me thinking about brightening up the work-day packed lunch.
Lamb and couscous salad is perfect to serve for dinner then use the leftovers for lunch the next day. Double the quantities to turn it into a family meal.
The second recipe is for a super-quick chicken and egg salad. Leftover roast or poached chicken can be used here, or store-bought pre-shredded chicken.
The salad can be served as is or in a sandwich, and works really well in the barbecue season.
Lamb & couscous with Moroccan spiced vegetables
Serves: 2-3 Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 38 minutes
❚ 300g lamb fillets
❚ 3 tablespoons olive oil
❚ 2 teaspoons ground cumin
❚ 1 teaspoon ground coriander
❚ 1 large kumara, peeled and roughly chopped
❚ 1 small red onion, cut into 2cm wedges
❚ 1⁄2 small cauliflower, cut into florets
❚ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
❚ Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
❚ 1 cup Israeli couscous, uncooked
❚ 1⁄2 cup black olives (not pitted)
❚ 1⁄4 cup plain hummus
❚ 1⁄4 cup Greek natural yoghurt
❚ 1 tablespoon lemon juice ❚ 1 small clove garlic, crushed
❚ 200g feta, crumbled
❚ 1⁄4 cup finely chopped parsley
❚ 1 cup semi-dried tomatoes, halved
❚ 1⁄4 cup coriander leaves, to garnish
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius, and line a roasting dish with baking paper. Rub the lamb with one tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle over one teaspoon of ground cumin and the coriander. Put the kumara, onion and cauliflower in the roasting dish and drizzle with another tablespoon of oil. Sprinkle over cumin seeds and season well with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning once during cooking, until cooked through.
Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over a medium high heat. Cook the lamb for 3-4 minutes each side then rest. (Three minutes for rare and four for pink).
Cook the couscous according to packet instructions. I always use black olives that haven’t already been destoned to ensure maximum flavour. To de-stone, bang each olive hard using a flat-bottomed object (I use a large ramekin), this will split it open so you can remove the stone.
Whisk the hummus, yoghurt, lemon juice, and garlic in a small bowl. Once the meat has rested for five minutes, slice it thickly across the grain.
To serve, toss the vegetables, semi-dried tomatoes and meat through the couscous, stir through the herbs and feta, and drizzle with the dressing.
Quick chicken and egg salad
Serves: 2-3 Preparation 10 minutes Cooking: 8 minutes
❚ 300g shredded chicken
❚ 3 soft boiled eggs
❚ 1⁄3 cup good-quality egg mayonnaise
❚ Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
❚ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
❚ 1 romaine or baby cos lettuce
❚ 1 stick celery
❚ 3 radishes
❚ 1⁄4 cup finely chopped parsley
❚ Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
❚ 1⁄3 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
❚ Wholegrain bread to serve
Bring a pot of water to a rolling bowl, add eggs and boil for eight minutes. Drain and put in a bowl of cold water.
Whisk the mayonnaise with the lemon zest and juice. Finely shred the lettuce and finely slice the celery and radishes. Peel and chop the eggs. Toss the chicken, eggs, lettuce, celery and radishes together. Stir through dressing and parsley, and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
The salad can be eaten as is with fresh bread on the side, but also makes a great sandwich filling.