Wots For Lunch?

14 Days of Zespri – Day 10

Posted on 18 September 2013 by Nicola (Wots For Lunch) | Leave a comment

Ten days into the Zespri kiwifruit fourteen day challenge, I can hardly believe it. I may not have posted every single day, but I’ve been eating at least one kiwi a day since this challenge started. I’m feeling a little lighter, a little healthier and a whole lot more inspired. I’ll definitely not overlook these fuzzy fruits with the jewelled middles if I see them when out doing our weekly grocery shopping.

I used today’s allocation of kiwifruit in an Asian flavoured coleslaw. I mixed it with sliced celery, julienne ginger, grated carrot, thinly sliced red and green cabbage, a sprinkling of sesame seeds and a drizzle of soy sauce. This is a delicious fresh version of a coleslaw, a lot lighter than mayonnaise laden variety, and is a good partner to the salty smoky kassler.

Today’s lunch:

Kiwi coleslaw with celery, ginger, carrot, red cabbage, green cabbage, kiwifruit and sesame seeds,
a little blue bear bottle filled with soy sauce to drizzle over the coleslaw just before eating,
a sliced kassler chop and
some baby tomatoes.

Leave a comment

Posted in Packed Lunches

Tagged 14daysofZespriSA, cabbage, carrot, celery, coleslaw, ginger, green cabbage, kassler, kiwi, kiwifruit, red cabbage, sesame, tomato

14 Days of Zespri – Day 9

Posted on 17 September 2013 by Nicola (Wots For Lunch) | Leave a comment

I’ve really enjoyed taking part in the Zespri Daily Scoop of Amazing challenge. I’ve learned you can do more with these fuzzy brown fruits then just peeling them, cutting them into chunks and eating them. I’ve been trying to use them in interesting ways, so far I’ve made a kiwi smoothie, face mask, salsa, kiwi squares and pancakes. As the challenge has progressed I feel like I’ve gotten my blogging mojo back, something I’m very happy to have returned.

My lunchbox today is filled with “leftovers” from a braai we had last night. (Is it still considered leftovers if you purposefully prepared an extra portion of food to stick in your lunchbox?) My boyfriend was so happy to braai that he couldn’t wait to share our interesting supper with his friends over on G+.

The ostrich cubes on these kebabs were marinated in a mixture of kiwifruit, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, chilli and olive oil. The kiwifruit in the marinade has a tenderising effect on the meat so it’s best not to let it sit for too long, an hour is perfect. I then skewered them with alternating chunks of kiwifruit and onion. The grilled fruit has a really intensified flavour and the onion turns all sweet and sticky, a yummy option for your next braai or just grilled in the oven.

Today’s lunch:

Chickpea, red onion and cucumber salad with zataar and dried apricots,
longstem broccolli and
braaied ostrich and kiwifruit kebabs.

Here is my recipe for the kiwifruit and ostrich kebabs.

Ingredients:

1 kiwifruit mashed with a fork
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp grated garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
1 chopped bird’s eye chili
6 bamboo skewers soaked in water
500g cubed ostrich steak
1 onion cut into 8 pieces
2 kiwifruit cut into 6 pieces each

Method:

Combine kiwifruit, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, ginger and chili.
Add the cubed ostrich steak and mix so that all the meat is covered in the marinade.
Set aside to marinate for about an hour.
Skewer the cubed ostrich steak interspersing with alternating pieces of kiwifruit and onion.
Grill kebabs for 5 minutes on each side.

Leave a comment

Posted in Packed Lunches

Tagged 14daysofZespriSA, broccoli, chickpea, kebabs, kiwi, kiwifruit, onion, ostrich

14 Days of Zespri – Day 8

Posted on 16 September 2013 by Nicola (Wots For Lunch) | Leave a comment

It’s day eight of the Zezpri kiwifruit challenge and today we’re being challenged to share our breakfast with you. I’ve never been able to stomach porridge, since I was a child I’ve always chosen muesli or granola over Pronutro or oats. My preferred way to eat it is with some plain yoghurt and honey. If there is any fresh fruit available that would be chopped up and added to the mix.

These days I seem to skip breakfast more often than not and a cup of coffee at the office usually lands up being the first thing that passes my lips in the morning. Taking a little time to prepare a quick breakfast makes such a big difference to the rest of my day.

Layering the kiwifruit, granola and yoghurt in a glass and calling it a parfait just makes it a little more special and really doesn’t take much more time than dumping it all into a bowl. I really need to make an effort and sacrifice ten minutes of warm bed time to make sure I’m starting my day off right.

Leave a comment

Posted in Out of the (lunch)box

Tagged 14daysofZespriSA, breakfast, granola, honey, kiwi, kiwifruit, parfait, yoghurt

14 Days of Zespri – Day 7

Posted on 15 September 2013 by Nicola (Wots For Lunch) | Leave a comment

I missed two days of posting for the Zespri Daily Scoop of Amazing challenge. But I’m back with a special treat in the form of a stack of kiwifruit pancakes.

Yesterday was a full day of cookieswapping and evening at the Madame Zingara Theatre of Dreams, my first visit and an amazing night out. So today I just wanted to stay in and take it easy. These American style pancakes are a great thing to make for a breakfast at home. I took it so easy that we actually ate them for lunch. A perfectly acceptable Sunday lunch don’t you think?

I made the pancakes using this recipe on Instructables. I halved the recipe as I was only cooking for two people and added pieces of kiwifruit before flipping them. I served them with maple flavoured syrup and the leftover bits of kiwifruit that didn’t make it into the pancakes. You could of course serve them with honey, real maple syrup or just plain if you prefer.

Leave a comment

Posted in Out of the (lunch)box

Tagged 14daysofZespriSA, breakfast, kiwi, kiwifruit, pancakes

14 Days of Zespri – Day 4

Posted on 12 September 2013 by Nicola (Wots For Lunch) | Leave a comment

Today’s lunch is another kiwifruit laced affair, I’m having fun finding different ways to enjoy my stash of kiwis. I’m supposed to be sharing a recipe with you today, but honestly the salsa in my lunchbox today is so simple it’s hardly a recipe at all. I combined equal parts of diced kiwifruit, red onion and yellow pepper, a handful of chopped coriander and squeezed over the juice of half a lemon. That’s it! The kiwifruit adds a lovely sweet tang to the salsa that is a great accompaniment to the smoked chicken in the wraps. I loosely rolled the tortillas around the chicken and salad so that I had enough room to spoon in the salsa when I was ready to eat it. That way the tortillas don’t get all soggy and are easier to eat.

Today’s lunch:

Smoked chicken tortilla wraps with rocket, grated carrot and coriander,
celery sticks,
a tub of kiwifruit salsa and
a few strawberries.

This coming Saturday I’ll be participating in my third annual cookie swap. It’s the third year running in Cape Town and this year there are going to be events in Joburg and Durban too. Seeing as we’re well into our Zespri challenge I thought I’d attempt a cookie with kiwifruit in it and share the recipe with you. Most of the recipes I came across required dried kiwifruit and I don’t own a dehydrator or a very reliable oven so that wasn’t going to happen. I did come across this interesting recipe in an old edition of Lawrence Journal-World from 1987. How retro! The recipe is a variation of a tray bake that you cut into bars once cooled and I think pretty ideal for when you need to bake for a crowd.

Leave a comment

Posted in Packed Lunches

Tagged 14daysofZespriSA, carrot, celery, chicken, CookieSwap3, coriander, kiwi, kiwifruit, onion, rocket, salsa, strawberry, tortilla, wrap, yellow pepper

14 Days Of Zespri – Day 3

Posted on 11 September 2013 by Nicola (Wots For Lunch) | 1 comment

For day three of the Zespri kiwifruit challenge I have something a little different for you. It’s made with items you may already have in your fridge or pantry, but it’s not something for you to eat. It’s a brightening kiwifruit mask for your face.

In their raw state kiwifruit are rich in an enzyme called Actinidin. This enzyme helps break down proteins and thus makes kiwifruit a good addition to marinades when you are looking to add flavour and simultaneously tenderize cuts of meat. The Actinidin in raw kiwifruit will also help clean and exfoliate when applied to your skin.

My face mask only uses half a kiwifruit and makes more than enough for two or more applications. It’s best used as fresh as possible, so why not grab a friend and have a little DIY home spa session. While the mask is working it’s magic on your face you can eat the other kiwifruit half and let that Actinidin enzyme aid your digestive system at the same time. This mask left my skin feeling really soft and smooth but it did sting a bit, so if your skin doesn’t react well to fruit acids perhaps give this a skip.

20130910_204749 20130910_204832

Some not so flattering pics of me, face mask and all. Don’t mind the chunky look of the mask, it’s all part of the DIY home spa experience. 🙂 If you prefer your mask chunk free just puree the kiwifruit instead of mashing it.

Ingredients:

half a kiwifruit peeled and cut into chunks
2 Tbsp plain yoghurt
1 tsp honey

Method:

Mash the kiwifruit with the back of a fork. Stir in the yoghurt and honey.
Cleanse your face, neck and décolletage, pat dry and then spread a thin layer of the mixture over this area.
Leave for 10/15 minutes before wiping off with a damp cloth.

If you have very sensitive skin, please do a patch test before applying the mask to your face. Also remember to try and avoid direct sunlight after use and apply a decent sunscreen if you can’t avoid being out in the sun.

1 Comment

Posted in Out of the (lunch)box

Tagged 14daysofZespriSA, face mask, honey, kiwi, kiwifuit, yoghurt

14 Days Of Zespri – Day 2

Posted on 10 September 2013 by Nicola (Wots For Lunch) | 1 comment

It’s challenge day two and I get to show off this Zespri happy yellow kiwifruit lunchbox. If you are a regular reader of my blog you’ll know I’m a sucker for a cute lunchbox. With it’s integrated kiwi side cart and slot to store a spife, this one is pretty nifty.

I don’t know about you but this year the seasonal flu bug hit me hard. It’s been weeks since I had the aches and chills, but I still have a lingering cough. With a double dose of vitamin C when compared to oranges, if I’d had a stash of kiwifruit then I could have kicked the flu’s butt.

Today’s Lunch:

Three smiley ham and cheese sandwiches on brown bread,
carrots sticks,
sugar snap peas,
a little tub of plain yoghurt flavoured with chopped coriander and a little celery salt and
a green kiwifruit.

I made sure to pack a spife too, so I can eat the kiwifruit easily.

1 Comment

Posted in Packed Lunches

Tagged 14daysofZespriSA, carrot, kiwi, kiwifruit, sandwich, smile, sugar snap peas, yoghurt

14 Days Of Zespri – Day 1

Posted on 9 September 2013 by Nicola (Wots For Lunch) | 1 comment

Today marks the beginning of a two week challenge I’m participating in sponsored by Zespri kiwifruit. For the next fourteen days myself and seven other South African bloggers with be sharing different ways we are incorporating kiwifruit into our diets. Keep an eye out towards the end of the week for a nice little giveaway I’ll be holding where you can win a kiwifruit themed hamper and a Fruit & Veg City voucher.

Kiwifruit are perfectly portable little fuzzy snacks. They taste pretty good and with high levels of vitamin C, potassium and omega-3 fatty acids are really good for you too.

To start things off I thought I’d share a breakfast (or any other time of the day) idea, a simple kiwifruit smoothie. All you need to make this are three ingredients and a blender. This takes just a few minutes to make, but if your mornings (like mine) are frantic and hurried you can also make this in the evening and store in the fridge until needed. Just don’t forget to grab your smoothie from the fridge before you fly out the door.

Ingredients:

1 kiwifruit peeled and cut into chunks
200ml plain yoghurt
1 teaspoon honey

Method:

Place all ingredients into the jug of your blender or a tall glass if you are using a slick blender. Blend thoroughly until all the chunks of kiwifruit are broken down. Once blended you can strain the mixture if you don’t like the little black seeds, alternatively leave them in for an interesting crunch.

This makes one serving, but you can double up the ingredients if you prefer a larger portion or are making enough to serve more than one person. You can add anything you like to this basic smoothie, additional fruit, oats, granola or a spoon of cocoa powder. The possibilities are endless.

1 Comment

Posted in Out of the (lunch)box

Tagged 14daysofZespriSA, kiwi, kiwifruit, smoothie, yoghurt

Instagram Roundup – June 2013

Posted on 15 July 2013 by Nicola (Wots For Lunch) | Leave a comment

Not too much happened in the way of foodish Instagrams in June and there’s no real linking theme to the things I posted. If my feed is to be believed my June was all about gluhwein, sliders, spekbooms, coffee and ice lollies.

Here is my Instagram roundup for June.

Top: Gluhwein at Alexander Bar, Slider trio at Hudson’s, My invite to the Freshly Blogged competition
Bottom: Coffee with love, A raspberry, yoghurt & kiwi ice lolly from Las Paletas

Leave a comment

Posted in Instagram Roundups

Tagged instagram, roundup

Instagram Roundup – May 2013

Posted on 4 June 2013 by Nicola (Wots For Lunch) | Leave a comment

Wow, May just whooshed by and it’s June already! Although it sped by May was not without it’s highlights. I attended La Mouette‘s 3rd birthday party, took part in the Fat Mum Slim photo a day challenge (check out my Instagram feed and the #fmsphotoaday hashtag) and I attended the Good Food & Wine Show plus got to meet Bill Granger thanks to Checkers (post coming soon! So keep a look out for that).

Here is my Instagram roundup for May.

Top: Lonely La Mouette croquette, 3rd birthday cupcake, Care for Coffee flat white at City Bowl Market
Middle: Crave carrot & orange soup, Love Hearts flower, tiny single serve avocado
Bottom: Salad Lover salad plate, my attempt at Bill Granger’s courgette fritters, Crumbs iced biscuits

Leave a comment

Posted in Instagram Roundups

Tagged instagram, roundup

Wots For Lunch?

14 Days of Zespri – Day 10

14 Days of Zespri – Day 9

14 Days of Zespri – Day 8

14 Days of Zespri – Day 7

14 Days of Zespri – Day 4

14 Days Of Zespri – Day 3

14 Days Of Zespri – Day 2

14 Days Of Zespri – Day 1

Instagram Roundup – June 2013

Instagram Roundup – May 2013

South African COVID-19 Resource Portal

Most Recent Posts

Search WFL?

Post Categories

Post Tags

WFL? Elsewhere

Some Interesting Links