Text: Daria Bigun
Even for those who are not used to taking lunches with them to work, can get bored with the choice of food in the office canteen or in the surrounding cafes. We've selected nine balanced and fun recipes to make your dinner more interesting - and perhaps spend less on it. As a reminder, good rest helps you to be productive - so it's better not to dine at the computer, but take a walk to the nearest park. And one more thing: it is completely unnecessary to cook early in the morning - part of yesterday's dinner can serve as lunch.
Omelet with fresh herbs and feta cheese
The period of fresh herbs is not that long, so it's better to seize the moment and add them to your most common dishes. You can modify a regular omelet with aromatic herbs like tarragon or basil.
Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 bunches of fresh herbs (to taste: mint, parsley, tarragon, onion, spinach)
100 g feta cheese
zest of one lemon
a piece of butter for frying
salt pepper
Preparation:
Beat 4 eggs with salt and pepper with a fork. Chop the herbs and add to the egg mass.
Preheat a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter in it, add the beaten egg mass with herbs. Cook over low heat for a few minutes.
Visually divide the omelet into two parts, chop the feta and lemon zest into one half. Cook for another half minute. Fold the omelet in half in the pan and remove from heat. Take along with lettuce leaves.
Quinoa with cherry tomatoes, zucchini and basil
Quinoa has become fashionable as another "superfood", and although it does not have magical healing properties, this cereal with a mass of vitamins and minerals helps to diversify the menu, replacing pasta, buckwheat and rice. Plus, quinoa is easy to cook and can be eaten hot or cold and added to salads or tarts.
Ingredients (for 2 servings):
200 g quinoa
2 small zucchini
100 g cherry tomatoes
1 yellow pepper
dried basil
salt pepper
Preparation:
Rinse the quinoa, fill the pot with water, add the cereals (the proportions should be indicated on the package, usually 1: 2), and salt. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, until water is absorbed.
Wash the courgettes, peel, cut into small cubes. Place in a suitable container and microwave for about 7 minutes at maximum power.
Wash the peppers and tomatoes and chop finely.
Add the courgettes, peppers, tomatoes to the cooked quinoa and stir. Season with basil, salt and pepper.
Pasta, tomato, tuna and corn salad
A universal option: the day before, you can cook a double portion of pasta, half of which is enough for a hot dinner. The other half in the form of a salad can be taken to work.
Ingredients:
250 g short durum wheat pasta
200 g cherry tomatoes
1 cucumber
a glass of canned corn
200 g canned tuna
bunch of green onions
a bunch of basil or parsley
100 g feta cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt pepper
Preparation:
Add pasta to salted boiling water and cook according to the instructions. Place the finished pasta in a large bowl and season with olive oil.
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, cut the cucumber.
Add cherry, cucumber, corn, tuna, finely chopped green onions, basil, salt and pepper to the pasta. To stir thoroughly.
Pita with chicken and yoghurt dressing
You can diversify your usual sandwiches by switching from regular bread to pita bread. You can experiment and make pita every day with a new filling or dressing.
Ingredients:
chicken breast
2 ready-made pits
clove of garlic
juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
a teaspoon of ground coriander and cumin
bunch of cilantro
a glass of natural yogurt
1 cucumber
1 tomato
lettuce mix
Preparation:
Mix a tablespoon of olive oil with lemon juice, garlic, coriander, cumin, chopped cilantro leaves, salt and pepper. Beat until smooth in a blender.
Cut the chicken fillet into thin slices, brush with the resulting spice mixture and leave in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Peel the cucumber, chop finely, mix with yogurt. Separately, finely chop the tomato.
Heat a skillet with olive oil, place the marinated chicken and cook for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally.
Heat the pitas slightly in the microwave (being careful not to dry them out), cut them to form pockets. Put chicken, tomato slices, lettuce inside, add dressing, salt and pepper to taste.
Bowl
Bowls are a constructor set that you can assemble to your taste: with meat or vegetarian, with your favorite cereals, raw or cooked vegetables. The same principles apply to the sauce - variations from tahini or mustard to guacamole are possible.
Ingredients:
quinoa (can be substituted for couscous, buckwheat, or rice)
lettuce leaves
cucumber tomato
100 g tofu
avocado
celery stalk
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons natural yogurt
a tablespoon of lemon juice
a teaspoon of grain mustard
olive oil
Preparation:
Prepare the selected cereal according to the instructions on the package. Cut the tofu into cubes, dip in soy sauce and fry in a dry skillet until thin.
Peel the avocado and cut into slices. Chop celery, cucumber and tomato.
Combine soy sauce, yogurt, lemon juice, mustard and olive oil.
Put the food in the lunch box, defining a sector for each and not stirring. Put the sauce in the middle.
Unsweetened cottage cheese
Cottage cheese is great for a late breakfast to go - and you don't have to eat it with the usual sweet ingredients like raisins, honey, or jam. Cottage cheese goes well with, for example, tomatoes, herbs and salt.
Ingredients:
300 g cottage cheese
a bunch of favorite herbs (cilantro, dill, basil, parsley)
10 cherry tomatoes
100 ml olive oil
salt pepper
Preparation:
Thinly chop the tomatoes, season with salt, pepper, drizzle with olive oil.
Chop the herbs and beat in a blender with olive oil.
Put the cottage cheese in the lunch box, put the tomatoes on it, pour over with green butter.
Buckwheat with Adyghe cheese
If you are fed up with ordinary buckwheat, we suggest making a sweeter dish out of it, and instead of a salad, accompany it with fresh berries or fruits.
Ingredients:
a glass of buckwheat
300 ml cream, 20% fat
100 g of Adyghe cheese
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
1 tablespoon ghee
salt
honey, berries, fruits (to taste)
Preparation:
Heat ghee in a saucepan with a thick bottom, add buckwheat, salt, stir quickly. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over.
After boiling, close the pan tightly with a lid and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
Pour cream into another saucepan, add vanilla sugar, a spoonful of honey. Bring the cream to a boil over medium heat and remove from heat.
Sprinkle the finished buckwheat with chopped Adyghe cheese, pour cream on top. Add honey, berries or fruits if desired.
Roll with beetroot hummus and spinach
Beet hummus is quickly prepared and stored in the refrigerator for a week - useful to eat with vegetables or take to work as a sauce for your favorite cereals.
Ingredients:
2 pita bread
1 boiled beetroot, finely diced
1 can of canned chickpeas
1 red onion
fresh mint
2 bunches of spinach
carrot
cucumber tomato
2 tablespoons lemon juice
a handful of pumpkin seeds
pepper and salt
Preparation:
In a blender, combine chopped beets, canned chickpeas and lemon juice.
Spread the hummus gently over the pita bread.
Cut the onion, carrot, cucumber and tomato into thin slices and place on top.
Add mint, spinach leaves, pumpkin seeds and roll.
Salad in a jar
Canned salad is a versatile dining option. Dressings and herbs can be changed to your liking, adding nuts or dried fruits for variety. When it's time for lunch, turn the contents of the jar onto a plate and mix the ingredients.
Ingredients:
chicken fillet
packaging of mozzarella (small balls)
a bunch of basil
a bunch of parsley
romano lettuce leaves
150 g cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
clove of garlic
a tablespoon of lemon juice
salt pepper
Preparation:
Cook chicken fillet.
To make the dressing: finely chop the parsley, basil and garlic, mix with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
On the bottom of the jar, put the dressing in the first layer, then the chopped ready-made chicken fillet, halved tomatoes, mozzarella, and lettuce leaves on top.
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