Monday 24 May 2021

Lunch pots


 Whilst in hospital in March, my daughter was keen to try some of the rather delicious Bol lunch pots / salad jars available in the newsagents on site. Problem is, with her collection of food reactions this was unlikely to be possible. We did however discover that one was safe, as long as we discarded the sealed dressing inside. *

It was OK, but nothing special and to be honest, not as filling as it could be. But it got me thinking! So I bought another, saved the pots and created a couple of my own!

The idea is really simple. First you add a grain/carbohydrate layer. We've used different kinds of rice (long grain works very well, as does wild rice) and free from couscous. The current favourite is quinoa, you could use pasta too if you didn't mind breaking it up a little at lunchtime. 


I then add roasted vegetables. I use Marks and Spencer's frozen chargrilled veg, as they have nothing else added - no wheat, no garlic. I pan fry some with olive oil and mixed herbs, layer them on top and leave the contents to cool.


Next you choose your protein layer. This can be tofu - plain or marinated, tempeh, cubes of "cheese" such as coconut based "feta"cheese. You can use chicken and we've also used tuna or beans. Whatever takes your fancy really! If I'm using tofu or tempeh, I always use the same pan I cooked the veg in, it helps give it flavour. I often add gluten free soy sauce, or other flavours.



Lastly, once it's all cool (be patient here, otherwise your leaves will wilt and you will have condensation inside the pot...) add spinach leaves, salad leaves and sprinkle with seeds of your choice, we use sunflower and pumpkin seeds. I also have a few tiny dressing bottles from the Sistema range, perfect for popping in the top filled with your safe dressing!

Lastly, don't be fooled. These are really very filling, if tipped out into a bowl or onto a plate you will see there is a significant meal here. It's perfect for packed lunches, for adults and teens, and means they are getting a balanced and nutritious meal. I make them up twice a week, two days at a time. Then for Day 5 we do something different. Enjoy!


*NB We have NOT been advised to avoid items labelled "may contain",  neither does my daughter suffer from IgE allergies nor carry an Epipen. This was a personal choice, which I would NOT advise others to make without first checking with their health professional.


No comments:

Post a Comment

Many thanks for taking the time to comment!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...