This month it was back to school for kids all over the UAE, and all of the excitement that brings. While children are getting ready to don their uniforms, the minds of parents will be turning to the daily challenge of preparing a fresh, healthy and tasty lunch for their brood.
But what of the parents’ lunches?
It can be a challenge to come up with office desk-friendly meals. The same old soups, salads and sandwiches soon get boring and eating out every day can be expensive and isn’t always an option depending on what you have arround you where you work, anyway. So why not take a bit of inspiration from school children and put a special lunch together? With a little effort you can make the whole office jealous.
Japanese bento box
A bento is a traditional Japanese lunch box, featuring multiple compartments to allow diners to have a well balanced meal with a variety of dishes. Typical foods contained in a bento box include rice with fish or meat, plus pickled or cooked vegetables. This elegant mix of teriyaki salmon, Japanese-style salad and stir-fried noodles makes the perfect portable lunch, because although noodles and salmon can be heated up, they also taste great cold. Make sure you store your bento in the fridge if you are not planning to heat it up.
Salmon teriyaki
Ingredients
80g fresh salmon
1g white pepper
1g salt
1 lettuce leaf
For the teriyaki sauce
100ml soy sauce
150ml non-alcoholic mirin
100ml chicken stock
5g sugar
Method
1 Place the teriyaki sauce ingredients in a pan and heat until the mixture has reduced by half. You can thicken the sauce further by adding cornflour (5g) and cold water (10ml).
2 Season the salmon with the white pepper and salt. Grill to preferred temperature. Rest and slice.
3 Place the lettuce leaves in the bento box. Place the salmon on top and pour the teriyaki sauce over it, making sure it is completely covered.
Salad with carrot and ginger dressing
Ingredients
70g iceberg lettuce
20g white cabbage, thinly sliced
10g purple cabbage, thinly sliced
45g tomato, cut into wedges
5g carrot, thinly sliced
10g sweetcorn
For the carrot/ginger dressing
30ml soy sauce
10ml non-alcoholic mirin
30ml rice vinegar
6ml lemon juice
15ml vegetable oil
5ml sesame oil
1.5g ginger, finely grated
5g garlic, finely grated
2g carrot, finely grated
A pinch of black pepper
Method
1 Combine all dressing ingredients, whizz in a blender and refrigerate.
2 Mix the ingredients for the salad together and toss with the dressing.
Stir-fried noodles
Ingredients
75g udon noodles (dry)
5g red pepper, thinly sliced
5g yellow pepper, thinly sliced
5g green pepper, thinly sliced
10g carrot, thickly sliced
10g white onion, thickly sliced
5g spring onion, thinly sliced
10g bean sprouts
15ml sesame oil
45ml vegetable oil
15ml soy sauce
15ml dark soy sauce
A pinch of white pepper
A pinch of salt
5ml white vinegar
Method
1 Add the udon to a pan of boiling water, bring to the boil again and cook for just under ten minutes.
2 Drain the noodles, toss them with sesame oil and set aside.
3 Add the oil to a hot pan and sauté the veg. When they are al dente, add a little hot water to the pan.
4 Add the noodles, the soy sauce, white pepper and salt.
5 Allow the ingredients to combine, and the sauce to coat the noodles and veg. Remove from the heat and add the white vinegar.
Duck and hoi sin sauce wrap
Ingredients
50g duck breast (or chicken,
if you prefer)
1 tbsp hoi sin sauce
1 wrap or flat bread
¼ carrot, peeled and sliced
30g Chinese cabbage,
finely sliced
30g bean sprouts
A handful of fresh mint leaves
A handful of fresh coriander leaves
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp fish sauce
Pinch of salt and pepper
Mixed salad leaves to garnish
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place a pan on a medium heat, add the oil and place the duck skin-side down. Cook for eight to ten minutes.
2 Turn the duck and place the pan into the oven for five minutes. Rest for five minutes before slicing.
3 In a bowl, mix the duck, hoi sin sauce, carrot, cabbage, bean sprouts, mint, coriander, salt, pepper, fish sauce and sesame oil.
4 Place the mixture in the centre of the wrap. Fold the ends in and over the mixture and wrap the other ends in on one another. Wrap in greaseproof paper and twist tightly at each end.
5 Serve with the salad leaves.
Caramelised onion, roasted pumpkin and cheese omelette
This is a great, healthy lunch that will satisfy your appetite without being too heavy and making you feel sleepy in the afternoon. Thanks to the minimal carbohydrates but plenty of protein, you shouldn’t feel the need to snack during that mid-afternoon slump. To prevent your salad wilting by lunchtime, keep the dressing in a seperate container and add just before eating.
Ingredients
2 large eggs
20g red onion, thinly sliced
20g pumpkin, diced
10g mozzarella cheese
1g fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Butter
For the salad
½ bunch of local rocket
1 small tomato, cut into thin wedges
20ml olive oil
10ml balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
1 Crack the eggs in a large bowl and whisk until very fluffy.
2 Place a little oil and butter in a large pan. Once hot, add the pumpkin. Pan-roast for a few minutes on a gentle flame until tender, then season well.
3 Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool slightly. Add the pumpkin to the whisked eggs.
4 Add a little more butter and oil to the pan. Once it’s hot again, add the onion and sauté until fragrant – take care not to burn it.
5 Season with salt and pepper, add the egg and pumpkin mixture and the cheese, and cook on a gentle flame for seven to eight minutes, making sure the egg mixture is cooking thoroughly. Turn the heat off and allow the mixture to continue cooking for a few more minutes.
6 Cut the omelette into wedges and place in your lunch box wrapped in greaseproof paper.
7 To make the salad, toss the ingredients together and store separately from the omelette, then mix the olive oil and vinegar for the dressing. You can either drizzle it over the salad leaves before packing your lunch box, or store it separately in a small jar and dress the salad before eating for extra freshness.
Boxing clever
Need the perfect container in which to store your lunch? Here’s our pick…
For salads and bento
Created by London-based design duo Black + Blum, the ‘Appetite’ box is a sturdy ceramic container replicating the iconic design of Japanese takeaway bento boxes. It’s divided into compartments and there’s even a sauce pot for dressing or dips.
Dhs99. Available at Jones the Grocer (02 443 8762).
For fruit
Making sure your lunch contains a few portions of your necessary five a day can be tricky: transporting softer fruits without them getting bruised is a particular headache. This banana guard from Lakeland
is an inspired way of carrying bananas to protect them from damage in your lunch bag.
Dhs39. Available at Lakeland, Mushrif Mall (02 690 4422).
For drinks
The ice melt bottle from Nude Food Movers has a space-saving dual purpose that makes it perfect for Abu Dhabi’s summer climate. Pour water (or whatever lunchtime drink you fancy) into the bottle and freeze overnight. Take it out the next morning and pop it in your lunch box: it will act like an ice pack to keep your food cool without refridgerating, and by lunchtime theliquid in the bottle will have melted, ready to drink.
Dhs45. Available online at www.dbbabies.com.
