When it comes to mealtimes, a lot of us just settle for a sandwich or a cup of soup, but there are thousands of different and easy ways to enjoy lunch and be more adventurous with it.
To help inspire people to try something new and spice up their lunchtimes, Off The Eaten Path has collaborated with renowned chef Deborah Thompson.
Off The Eaten Path is a range of new and delicious snacks made with real vegetables. Ideal as a tasty snack in your bag at work, they can also compliment your lunch; especially with the below recipes crafted in collaboration with Deborah.
Each dish includes unusual ingredients that you might not have tried before, or thought were hard to incorporate into a meal – together they’ve also constructed 10 simple hacks to make ensure your food is fresh, fast and exciting, so when it comes to mealtimes you won’t be dreading a dreary sandwich!
Top tips for adventurous eating:
- Get your adventure on by updating classics like the egg salad sandwich. Deconstruct it and add some exotic spices like dukkah to liven it up.
- Swap out traditional ingredients like noodles and lettuce for courgette and kale to keep things light and full of vitamins and minerals.
- Pack snacks that you will actually want to eat. Off the Eaten Path is perfect for this. They’re delicious and great for popping in a lunch bag or a handbag for that snack craving.
- Blend sauces and infuse flavours to create new salad dressings and marinades, like the Thai peanut dipping sauce – but keep them on the side until you’re ready to eat.
- Pair fruit with savoury foods to create a whole new flavour profile and make the most of seasonal fruit.
- Pick foods that can withstand a few hours without refrigeration, like kale for salads and veggie noodles rather than pasta that can go soggy, so that you can get out there adventuring and still enjoy a stellar lunch.
- Add micro greens to your dishes. Usually reserved for fancy restaurants, these micro greens, widely available in supermarkets now, pack a flavour and jazz up your meal.
- Incorporate baby vegetables and multi-coloured veggies into your lunches such as candy beetroot and rainbow carrots. These all have different flavours than the regular varieties that are widely available.
- Use things like carrot tops or beetroot tops to make sauces like pesto. Eliminate waste and create a totally different and adventurous dip/sauce.
- Add sliced cucumber and mint to water, rather than lemon for a change.
Three recipes to make mealtimes memorable
Six Minute Dukkah Egg Salad Box
An exciting (deconstructed) take on the boring old egg salad sandwich. Made with mixed baby greens, a boiled egg, and pistachio dukkah dressing with slices of rye bread.
Recipe:
- Cook an egg in boiling water for 6 minutes and cool in a bowl of cold water for 2-3 minutes.
- Whilst its cooling, pull together a pistachio dukkah dressing by mixing together
- 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp. coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp. cumin seeds
- 50g chopped pistachios
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- The juice and zest of half a lemon
- Set aside the dressing and toss some baby greens, cucumber, onion, baby radish and baby beetroot together.
- Slice the boiled egg in half, drizzle with the dukkah dressing and serve with fresh rye bread.
Spicy Mango and Cranberry Courgetti Noodle Bowl
Noodle bowls satisfy hunger pangs without the carb coma at lunch time. This sweet, sour and spicy noodle bowl is fresh and flavoursome to get you through the rest of the day.
Recipe:
- Spiralise 1 courgette and heat the courgetti noodles in a pan for 2 minutes.
- Add 1 tsp of grated fresh ginger, ½ a red chilli pepper, 1 tsp of sesame oil and 1 tsp soy sauce to add flavour.
- Remove from the heat, and place in a bowl. Toss with ½ a mango, peeled and cubed, with 1 tsp of dried cranberries and 2 tbsp. of chopped coriander.
- Add some sesame seeds to finish the dish.
Rainbow Veggie Wraps with Thai Peanut Dipping Sauce
Vibrant, colourful and perfectly packable, this handheld lunch to take to work or for when you’re on the go.
- Prepare all your vegetables by slicing carrots, cucumber and red cabbage
- Blend together a sauce of ingredients in the blender or in a bowl with a whisk with a combination of Thai peanut dipping sauce, 3 tbsp. smooth peanut butter ½ tbsp. red Thai curry paste, 1 tbsp. lime juice and a dash of fish sauce
- Set aside and lay some chard leaves flat ready to fill
- Layer 100g of pre-cooked brown rice, then the veggies and roll the leaves up. Into wraps
- Slice in half and dip into the peanut sauce
