Red lentil & sweet potato pâté

Red lentil & sweet potato pâté

Rosie Clewlow's vegetarian dip is a healthy alternative to houmous and great with crudités in a lunchbox.\

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp smoked paprika, plus a little extra
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 140g red lentil
• 3 thyme sprigs, leaves chopped, plus a little extra to decorate (optional)
• 500ml low-sodium vegetable stock
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• pitta bread and vegetable sticks, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook slowly until soft and golden. Tip in the paprika and cook for a further 2 mins, then add the sweet potato, lentils, thyme and stock. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 20 mins or until the potato and lentils are tender.
2. Add the vinegar and some seasoning, and roughly mash the mixture until you get a texture you like. Chill for 1 hr, then drizzle with olive oil, dust with the extra paprika and sprinkle with thyme sprigs, if you like. Serve with pitta bread and vegetable sticks.
   
   source: bbcgoodfood

Melon & crunchy bran pots Melon & crunchy bran pots

 Melon & crunchy bran pots Melon & crunchy bran pots

Not just for breakfast, this healthy pot of yoghurt, fruit and seeds is a real mid-afternoon hunger booster and ready in 10 minutes.

Ingredients

• ½ x 200g pack melon medley
• 150g pot fat-free yogurt
• 2 tbsp fruit & fibre cereal
• 1 tbsp mixed seed
• 1 tsp clear honey

Method

1. Top melon medley with yogurt, then sprinkle over cereal mixed with seeds. Drizzle over honey and eat immediately.
   
   source:  bbcgoodfood

Storecupboard pasta salad

Storecupboard pasta salad

This pasta salad makes a quick and healthy lunch, or is perfect prepared ahead for a picnic or lunchbox.\

Ingredients

• 2 tsp finely chopped red onion
• 1 tsp caper
• 1 tbsp pesto
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 185g can of tuna in spring water, drained
• 100g leftover pasta shapes
• 3 sundried tomatoes, chopped

Method

1. Mix the onion, capers, pesto and oil. Flake the tuna into a bowl with the pasta and tomatoes, then stir in the pesto mix.
   
   source: bbcgoodfood

Asian chicken salad

 Asian chicken salad

This easy-to-prepare salad is filled with zingy flavours - the simplified version is great for kids' lunchboxes too.

Ingredients

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• zest and juice ½ lime(about 1 tbsp)
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 100g bag mixed salad leaves
• large handful coriander, roughly chopped
• ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
• ½ chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
• ¼ cucumber, halved lengthways, sliced

Method

1. Cover the chicken with cold water, bring to the boil, then cook for 10 mins. Remove from the pan and tear into shreds. Stir together the fish sauce, lime zest, juice and sugar until sugar dissolves.
2. Place the leaves and coriander in a container, then top with the chicken, onion, chilli and cucumber. Place the dressing in a separate container and toss through the salad when ready to eat.
   
   source: bbcgoodfood

Lunchbox snacks

Lunchbox snacks

Keep hunger pangs at bay with these healthy, yummy lunchbox nibbles.

Ingredients

• bean dip with veggie sticks
• raspberry banana smoothie
• cinnamon custard plums
• apricot yogurt granola pots
• carrot & pineapple muffins (all ingredients for recipes below)

Method

1. Bean dip with veggie sticks 5 of 5-a-day, low fat. Whizz 215g can drained butterbeans, squeeze lemon juice, 1 small crushed garlic clove, 1 tbsp each chopped parsley and mint, 2 tsp olive oil and 1 tbsp water. Serve with vegetable dippers made from 1 celery stick, 1 carrot and ½ red pepper - wrap in a damp piece of kitchen paper to stop them drying out (serves 1).
2. Raspberry banana smoothie Whizz 85g raspberries together with 1 chopped banana and 150ml orange juice until smooth (serves 1).
3. Cinnamon custard plums Put 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp butter, 2 quartered plums, few drops vanilla extract, pinch ground cinnamon and 2 tsp water in a dish. Cover with cling film, pierce, microwave for 3 mins on High. Once cooled, put fruit in a container and spoon 2-3 tbsp custard on top. Seal and refrigerate (serves 1).
4. Apricot yogurt granola pots Mix 200g oats, 2 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a baking tray. Spread out and bake at 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 for 7 mins. Stir, bake for 7 mins more. Cool. Mix with 150g dried fruits (enough for 8 servings). For one serving, mix 100ml natural yogurt with 1 tbsp sugar-free apricot jam in a container. Store granola in an airtight container and portion into a small bag when packing lunchbox.
5. Carrot & pineapple muffins Sift together 140g self-raising flour, 85g wholemeal flour (reserving about 2 tbsp of the bran), ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 2 tsp ground cinnamon and a pinch salt. In another bowl, beat 150ml sunflower oil with 100g golden caster sugar. Add 200g mashed cooked carrots, 3 canned pineapple slices, cut into cubes, 2 tbsp pineapple juice from the can, 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix in 50g sunflower seeds. Fold dry mix into the wet one. Cut out a dozen 10cm squares of baking parchment and place in the holes of a muffin tin. Spoon mixture into tin, sprinkle with bran and a few sunflower seeds. Bake at 200C/ 180C fan/gas 6 for 20-25 mins or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool (makes 12).
   
   source: bbcgoodfood

Green club sandwich

Green club sandwich

This healthy sandwich is packed full of goodness to keep you going until dinner.

Ingredients

• 3 slices wholegrain or rye toast
• 3 tbsp ready-made houmous
• 1 small avocado(100g), stoned and sliced
• 1 handful rocket leaves
• 8-12 cherry tomatoes, sliced

Method

1. Toast the bread and spread houmous evenly over one side of each slice. On one slice of bread, lay half the avocado, rocket and tomato. Season with pepper, then cover with another slice.
2. Pile on the rest of the avocado, rocket and tomato, season again and top with the third slice.
   
   source: bbcgoodfood

Chicken soba noodles

Chicken soba noodles

Quick and easy to prepare, whether you're packing them up for work or grabbing a bite at home.

Ingredients

• 85g bundle soba or buckwheatnoodles
• drizzle of sesame oil
• 8 mangetout
• 1 small carrot
• ½ red chilli
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• handful shredded cooked chicken
• soy sauce

Method

1. Cook the noodles, drain well, then toss with a drizzle sesame oil.
2. Finely slice the mangetout, cut the carrot into matchsticks and deseed and slice the red chilli.
3. Add to the noodles with the toasted sesame seeds and some shredded cooked chicken, if you have it. Pack with a small portion of soy sauce.
   
   source: bbcgoodfood