Tag Archives: broccoli

#448 – Smoky Noodles and Veg Lunch

It’s been a good long while since there was a new blog post around these parts and even longer since there was a packed lunch. This year I want to get back to sharing my packed lunches here with you. I’m going to start slowly. I’m out of practice so it’ll be almost like starting from scratch. I hope you’ll stick with me as I find my blogging feet again.

#448 - Smoky Noodles and Veg Lunch

This meal, as with most of my packed lunches, is basically leftovers from dinner the night before. It was meant to be a chicken noodle stir-fry. But the chicken I had waiting in the fridge had crossed over to the dark side. So I bumped up the veggie content and added roasted cashews for some varied texture and sriracha chilli sauce for some flavour.

Today’s Lunch:

  • Smoky stir-fried noodles,
  • steamed sugar snap peas, rainbow carrots and broccoli,
  • crushed roasted cashew nuts,
  • some sriracha and
  • two nectarines cut into quarters.

14 Days of Zespri – Day 9

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+.

Kiwi Kebab Lunch

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:

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

#425 – Choppy Choppy Pasta Lunch

#426 - Choppy Choppy Pasta

I was recently asked to write a guest post by the lovely Lady Raven for her blog Add to Taste and it was published this past Friday. My very first guest post! Be sure to check it out and then come back to see what is on the menu today.

Today’s Lunch:

  • Maize ditalini tossed with Rosey’s Choppy Choppy,
  • broccoli,
  • minneola segments and
  • some baby tomatoes

#417 – Chicken and Mushroom Lunch

#417 - Chicken and Mushroom

Today’s Lunch:

  • Chicken and mushrooms in a creamy sauce,
  • butternut,
  • pattypan squash,
  • broccoli and
  • couscous

#414 – Broccoli Blue Cheese Soup Lunch

#414 - Broccoli Blue Cheese Soup

Awhile back Sigrid from Cooking and Eating with Polkadotcupcake and Marisa from The Creative Pot where chatting about Mexican food on Twitter.  Their conversation escalated into a cheese slut confessional and the creation of the #cheeseslut tag. Soon bloggers started coming out of the woodwork (including myself) declaring their love for all things cheesy.  Check out Browniegirl, Cook sister! and My easy cooking for more #cheeseslut posts.

#cheeseslut

This soup was my contribution to a weekend #cheeseslut cooking challenge and also to Mothers’ Day lunch. I made sure I had some leftover for lunch the next day too though.

Today’s Lunch:

  • Broccoli and blue cheese soup,
  • an avocado sandwich with red pepper and lettuce and
  • an apple.

Here is my recipe for the soup

Ingredients:

  • 1l vegetable stock,
  • 300g broccoli florets,
  • 2 small potatoes peeled and cubed,
  • 125g creamy blue cheese,
  • 125ml milk

Method:

  1. Place vegetable stock, broccoli and potato in a pot, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until potato is tender.
  2. Crumble blue cheese into pot, add milk and blend till smooth.
  3. Serve immediately with warm slices of toasted bread or croutons.

#412 – Broccoli and Blue Cheese Pasta Lunch

#412 - Broccoli and Blue Cheese Pasta
I assimilated this pasta dish into my repertoire after reading the recipe in the Slow Food Cape Town CSA newsletter. It’s one of my favourite weekday meals to make, all you need is three ingredients and about fifteen minutes and supper is ready. Just perfect.

Today’s Lunch:

  • Broccoli and blue cheese pasta,
  • melon balls and
  • cucumber, baby tomato and baby corn skewers.

Did you notice the little octopus food picks in my lunch box? Aren’t they cute?  Here’s a close-up of the little smiling faces.

Octopus Food Picks

#406 – Grilled Pork Chop Lunch

#406 - Grilled Pork Chop

I received a bottle of lemon olive oil cranberry balsamic reduction pomegranate splash made by Verlaque in my goodie bag from the SA Food Bloggers Conference. For something a little different I used the splash to marinate a few pork chops before adding some freshly ground black pepper and grilling in the oven.  The lemon and other fruit flavours lend a tangy punch to the chops, definitely a meal I’ll repeat in the near future.

Today’s Lunch:

  • Grilled pork chop (deboned and cut into strips),
  • roasted butternut,
  • cucumber and radish salad,
  • broccoli and
  • some pineapple.

#396 – Chicken Fried Rice Lunch

#396 - Chicken Fried Rice

The little panda shaped soy sauce bottle in today’s lunch is part of a small package of bento goodies a friend brought back from Japan for me after a recent visit. I’ve been eyeing these little bottles for awhile, but the price of buying them over the internet is a big prohibiting factor. Especially when I know that they are not that expensive to buy in Japan itself. I feel very lucky to have gotten my hands on some now and am going to have lots of fun using them in the future.

Today’s Lunch:

  • Chicken and mushroom fried rice with short grain brown rice, shredded roast chicken, sliced mushrooms, diced yellow and orange peppers and some chives,
  • broccoli,
  • a panda bottle filled with ponzu and
  • some grapes.