Monday 27 February 2012

Lunch Box ideas

A day on the tractor or out on the hill needs to be accompanied by a nice full lunch box. I sometimes feel like the farmer must get bored with the same old things in his lunch but he assures me that he would eat B&E pie every meal if I let him!

Despite my feeling of a severe lack in creativity most days, I have compiled a list of some of the ideas I use for work lunches. We don't have any little people in our house, but these would be great for school lunches too (smaller portions that what the farmer gets tho!?).

Please do not be under the illusion that I am up at 5am each morning creating great feasts for the farmer, most days he gets sent with a water bottle and a frozen slice of Bacon and Egg pie (given the lack of complaints, I assume it defrosts by lunch time).

Morning tea:

  • savoury and sweet muffins
  • scones (cheese, savoury or date)
  • banana bread
  • un-iced cake (make one on the weekend, slice and freeze ready to be thrown in the lunch box)
  • pikelets with butter and jam
Fruit:

  • Anything as long as it is in season
  • I sometimes put a handful of frozen berries in a drink bottle of water. It makes the water taste good, keep cold (for a while anyway) and you are getting some of the goodies out of it in each sip!
Sandwich fillings:  
Don't forget to change the type of bread that you use, ciabatta is great and so is Turkish and home-made is best!
  • Vegemite & cheese
  • Steak leftover from BBQ with some lettuce and onion relish
  • boiled egg mashed with a little egg mayonnaise, season and add some fresh, finely chopped chives and/or parsley
  • canned tuna mashed with a little whole egg mayonnaise, squeeze of lemon juice and fresh, finely chopped parsley
  • grated cheese and grated carrot and a light spread of avocado
  • leftovers – chicken, roast beef, corned beef, meatballs, rissoles or sliced sausages
  • Sliced sausages, cheese and red capsicum
  • chicken leftovers go well with just some avocado or mayo and salad leaves
  • chicken, mayonnaise and a yummy salad of lettuce, tomato and grapes
  • cream cheese, grated carrot and shredded lettuce
  • hummus, sliced tomato, grated carrot and salad leaves
  • bacon, lettuce, tomato with a light spread of avocado (the farmer likes cheese with this)
  • sliced ham and cheese with thinly sliced pickled onions
  • ricotta, semi sun-dried tomatoes and rocket leaves
  • mix some fresh herbs into cottage cheese and top with ham or chicken
  • cheese and honey (yes, together! Go on, try it- I dare you!)
  • sliced leftover corned beef with some BBQ sauce and rocket leaves
  • sliced left over corned beef with wholegrain mustard
  • banana and honey (this is best made fresh, but making the honey sandwich and adding the banana later works fine too)
  • Ham, cream cheese and capsicum & apricot chutney
  • tomato relish and cheese
Sandwich alternatives:
  • make a big pasta salad and it will last for a couple of days
  • leftover pasta tossed with some cooked bacon, halved cherry tomatoes and grated cheese
  • leftover pasta, diced ham, cooked corn kernels, grated cheese and a little mayo
  • fresh spring rolls – shredded chicken, bean sprouts, grated carrot, crushed peanuts and fresh coriander and mint
  • bread cups – butter bread and place into a muffin tin hole, butter side down to use as the pastry for a mini quiche. Great fillings are bacon and egg, corn cheese and bacon, leek, spinach and egg
  • home-made sausage rolls
  • ploughman's lunch – bread roll, cubes of cheese, sliced corned beef, sticks of carrot and dip
  • Frittatas, quiches or vegetable slices
  • Cold meat patties left over from a BBQ with some cheese slices and tomato sauce
  • hot soups or leftovers in little flasks for cold Winter days

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