Work lunches can often get a bit repetitive.
Most of the time, we tend to go for the same sort of thing over and over again.
In fact, recent research has shown that a third of Britons get bored of their lunch after eating the same dish, four days a week.
And the dullest lunches turned out to be salads (22%), sandwiches (21%) and soup (20%), despite most people eating these every day.
So maybe you want to spice up your lunch routine a bit?
You can still make lunch exciting and still keep it relatively simple – which is why we asked chefs to share some easy yet delicious recipes.
Potato pancakes with asparagus and poached eggs recipe
This Tommy Banks recipe serves two.
Ingredients:
- 12 asparagus, ends trimmed
- 400 g mashed potatoes
- 40 g flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp oil
- poached eggs
- Small handful of chives, finely chopped, to garnish
Method:
1. In a medium saucepan, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and blanch for about a minute. Remove, drain and set aside. Preheat grill.
2. In a large bowl, combine puree, flour and egg and season generously with salt and pepper. Form the potato mixture into pancakes, size according to appetite, and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, mix asparagus with 1 tbsp oil and season with salt and pepper. Place under the broiler for about five minutes, or until they begin to char and blister.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbsp oil and fry until golden brown, about two minutes on each side.
5. Before serving, place two warm pancakes in the center of your plate, topped with poached eggs and grilled asparagus, and finish with a sprinkling of chives.
Roasted pumpkin and mozzarella salad recipe
This salad recipe, courtesy of Munchy Seeds, serves two as a main course.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into half moons
- 1 large ball of buffalo mozzarella, drained
- A mix of fresh lettuce leaves, arugula and spinach salad
- 2 tablespoons seeds, such as Munchy Seeds Sesame Sprinkles
- Drizzle olive oil, to serve
- Squeeze lemon, to serve
- 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped, to garnish
For the marinade:
- 1 small red pepper, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp honey
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 190C. Mix all marinade ingredients in a bowl and add sliced pumpkin to coat. Transfer to a baking dish and bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a plate and divide the pumpkin over it. Place the buffalo mozzarella in the center.
3. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, the finely chopped mint and a dash of olive oil with a squeeze of lemon.
roasted cauliflowersalade recipe
This recipe comes from Romain Bourrillon, of Cocotte.
Ingredients:
- 200 g cauliflower heads
- 5g ground cumin
- 50 ml sunflower oil
- 35 g oyster mushrooms
- 3g rocket
- 8 g cashew nuts, roasted
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the coconut coriander sauce†
- 10 g coconut yogurt
- 5 g cashew nuts
- Handful of fresh coriander
- Splash of lime juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method†
1. Slice the oyster mushrooms and place them in a roasting pan. Lightly grease the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Place them in the oven and roast them at 180 degrees for 7 minutes.
2. Once cooked, remove from oven and roasting pan and let cool in a heatproof bowl. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
3. Cut the cauliflower heads into quarters, mix well with oil and ground cumin.
4. Place on a baking tray and roast for 15-20 minutes at 200 degrees. Once removed from the oven, allow to cool on the baking sheet and reduce the oven temperature to 180 degrees.
5. Place coconut yogurt, cashew nuts, fresh coriander, lime juice and salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth.
6. Return the cooked cauliflower to the oven for 5 minutes before serving. Once heated, add the cooked oyster mushroom to continue heating in the oven for 1-2 minutes. Keep the cauliflower and mushroom separate in the container.
7. When both are heated, remove them from the oven. Spoon two tablespoons of sauce onto a serving platter and spread with the back of a spoon. Place the cauliflower on top and sprinkle the oyster mushrooms over and around the cauliflower.
8. Crush the roasted cashew nuts and divide over the cauliflower and finish with the arugula and a dash of oil.
Whipped miso tofu with grilled zucchini, peas and mint recipe
This recipe, from Shuko at Koya, serves 6-8, so can be made as a batch and eaten all week.
Ingredients:
- 3 courgettes
- Handful of fresh peas
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pinches of salt
For the miso tofu:
- one and a half pack of tofu
- 40 g white miso
- 25 ml extra virgin olive oil
- a pinch of salt
To finish†
Method†
1. Bring a pan of water and salt to a boil and add fresh peas, turn off the heat while adding the peas and let it cool in the water and drain just before serving.
2. For the whipped miso tofu, mix all ingredients together with an electric hand mixer or food processor.
3. Brush the whole zucchini with olive oil and a few pinches of salt and grill. Keep turning the zucchini until the surface is charred. Cut at an angle to 0.5mm thickness.
4. Spread the miso tofu on a large plate, place the courgettes on top and sprinkle with peas. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, coarsely chopped mint and a squeeze of lemon.
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