Tag Archives: tomato

#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

#421 – Greek Pasta Salad Lunch

#421 - Greek Pasta Salad

If you follow me on Twitter you probably read my tweets about my newly acquired bento from The Crazy Store.  Fellow Tweeter and bento fan Amanda pointed it out to me and I’m so glad she did! It’s a great little set and I got to take it out on it’s maiden voyage today.

Today’s Lunch:

  • Greek flavoured pasta salad: pasta tossed with garlicky braised tomatoes, feta cheese, cucumber and yoghurt dressing (recipe below) topped with wilted pea shoots,
  • apple slices,
  • almonds and
  • wasabi peas.

I received a jar of Kara’s Original Greek Herb Dressing in my goodie bag at the SA Food Bloggers Conference earlier this year and since the conference I’ve used it to dress leafy salads and steamed vegetables with great results.  Here is my simple recipe for a Greek flavoured yoghurt dressing using this herb mix.

Ingredients:

  • 3 tsp Kara’s Original Greek Herb Dressing Mix
  • 6 tsp warm water
  • 1/2 tsp celery salt
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 150ml plain yoghurt

Method:

  1. Add warm water to herb mixture and leave to rehydrate for a few minutes
  2. Add celery salt and lemon juice
  3. Stir into plain yoghurt

This is enough to dress half a packet of pasta (250g dried). I think it would also make a great marinade or dip, although if you plan to use it as a dip you may want to use less salt.

#418 – Butternut and Feta Couscous Salad Lunch

#418 - Butternut and Feta Couscous Salad

You may have noticed the last few lunches I’ve posted have all had couscous in them, it’s quite the staple in my kitchen and often comes to the rescue when I’m too lazy to cook rice or other starch to round out a meal.  Today’s lunch also contains couscous, surprise surprise, in one of my favourite lunch box additions.  This salad (containing couscous, butternut, feta cheese, dukkah and rocket) is really easy to throw together and always pleases.

Today’s Lunch:

  • Butternut and feta couscous salad,
  • hummus topped with some harrief from Oded’s Kitchen,
  • cucumber sticks and
  • some baby tomatoes.
Harrief

#416 – Chorizo and Vegetables Lunch

#416 - Chorizo and Vegetables

I made this braised red cabbage as part of Mothers’ Day lunch and it was a big success.  It is equally delicious hot or cold, so it makes a great addition to a packed lunch or picnic.

Today’s Lunch:

  • Sliced chorizo from Rudi’s Sausage Deli,
  • sliced tomato,
  • green beans,
  • braised red cabbage and
  • couscous.

Braised red cabbage – recipe from Best Food Fast Christmas Made Easy

Ingredients:

  • 450g red cabbage, sliced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 Bramley apple, peeled, cored and chopped
  • 4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp muscovado sugar
  • 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
  • 1 Tbsp redcurrant jelly
  • 25g butter

Method:

  1. Put the cabbage, onion and apple in a flame-proof casserole.
  2. Stir in the red wine vinegar, the sugar, nutmeg and redcurrant jelly. Cut the butter into pieces and dot all over the top of the cabbage.
  3. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, bring to the boil, then simmer gently for about 1 hour, stirring now and again.  The cabbage should be tender and most of the liquid evaporated.

I substituted a granny smith apple and balsamic style vinegar for the Bramley apple and red wine vinegar.  I also omitted the red currant jelly and used about half the amount of butter listed.

Makes enough to serve 8 people as a side dish.

#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

#409 – Beef and Watercress Sandwich Lunch

#409 - Beef and Watercress Sandwich

I bought some porcini butter from the Funki Fungi stand at the Neighbourgoods Market awhile ago. I’ve been using it for all sorts of dishes, but my favourite way to use it is in a simple sandwich where it’s subtle flavour really gets to shine.

Today’s Lunch:

  • Sliced silverside, watercress and porcini butter sandwich on rye bread,
  • baby tomatoes,
  • baby corn,
  • orange, radish. mint and toasted almond salad and
  • some grapes

#408 – Tuna and Tomato Pasta Lunch

#408 - Tuna and Tomato Pasta

This pasta sauce is a great pantry staple creation: a box of passata, a tin of tuna and a handful of salty capers cooked together for a few minutes and then spooned over pasta. You can completely change the flavour by adding (think chilli, olives and anchovies) or subtracting an ingredient or two.

Today’s Lunch:

  • Wholewheat penne topped with a tuna, caper and tomato sauce and
  • some grated Parmesan style cheese.

#405 – Risotto Lunch

#405 - Risotto

I have plenty of leftovers from this month’s daring cooks challenge, so you know some inevitably land up in my lunch box.  Both versions seemed more tasty after sitting over night letting all the flavours mingle.

Today’s Lunch:

  • Mushroom risotto,
  • sausage, pea and red pepper risotto and
  • a salad with lettuce, cucumber, baby tomatoes, red pepper and spring onions.

#404 – Paprika Potato Salad Lunch

#404 - Paprika Potato Salad

This salad started out as my attempt to recreate Primi Piatti‘s hot beef salad, I didn’t quite manage the recreation but the salad was still very tasty.

Today’s Lunch:

  • Salad with lettuce,baby tomatoes, baby marrow ribbons, red pepper, cubes of beef and potato slices sautéed with smoked paprika and
  • yoghurt and smoked paprika dressing.

#401 – Pasta and Salad Lunch

#401 - Pasta and Salad

Today’s Lunch:

  • Wholewheat penne tossed with tomato sauce and crumbled feta and
  • a salad with baby cabbage leaves, mixed sprouts, cucumber, tomato and carrot.