As we learn to live in the confines of isolation our habits are changing, from exercise to work and from socialising to eating. The limitations of our new way of life, with restaurants closed and supermarket delivery slots as rare as gold-dust, are compelling us to dig deep, use our imagination and identify ingredients that are easy to get hold of and can be re-used to make tasty and interesting lunches.
Even the Quattro Foods crew, foodies to the core, have fallen prey to a little lockdown lunch laziness. Yes, whilst we might not be home working, we’re still juggling working with home-schooling and factoring in Zoom calls with distant relatives and we’ve become complacent about what we’re eating. Hands up who has had toast for lunch more than twice this week? Thought so…
It doesn’t have to be this way!
We called our team together (adhering to social distancing rules, of course – thank heavens for WhatsApp!) and asked everyone to bring forth their go-to lockdown lunch ideas. Some are more adventurous than others, many choices took us by surprise, but they can all be made by bringing out ingredients hiding at the back of the cupboard combined with basic fresh produce that shouldn’t be too hard to source.
Here are our favourites. Enjoy!
- Baked potatoes – A crispy, oven-cooked JP with tuna and sweetcorn, baked beans and a flavoursome cheddar – student fare with a tasty twist.
- Omelette – Whisk up some eggs, spring onion and cheese and you have a protein lunch that will keep you full till dinner.
- Meatballs – Mix minced meat with breadcrumbs, an egg and some dried herbs cooked in a sauce made of tinned tomatoes, tomato puree and seasoning. Exquisite.
- Sausage and mash – Everyone has some of these in the freezer. Serve with buttery mash and everyone’s happy.
- Vegetarian chilli – Chilli spices and smoked paprika, canned beans and lentils, onion, garlic and tomatoes. It’s all you need for a taste of Mexican heaven.
- Pea soup – Chop and fry an onion, throw in a bag of frozen peas. Half an iceberg lettuce in the fridge? Chuck it in with some stock, boiling water and liquidize for a delicious, nutritious soup.
- Tuna salad – Fresh, zesty and easy peasy. A tin of tuna from the cupboard, salad leaves, celery, carrots, spring onions, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. Luscious lunch!
- Sweetcorn and black bean salad – Find two tins in the cupboard – black beans and sweetcorn. Add spring onion and lime juice. Voila! The perfect bbq salad.
Happy lockdown lunching!