Claire Thomson’s recipes for back-to-school packed lunches

Black bean burritos

Make the bean filling prematurely, then assemble the burritos as you go for packed lunches every day; my 15- and 12-year-old daughters take a small bottle of scorching sauce to splash on once they’re able to eat. These are additionally good served scorching and freshly made.

Prep 10 min
Cook dinner 45 min
Serves 4

2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil, plus additional for frying
1 onion, peeled and finely diced
2 massive garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 tsp floor cumin
½ tsp dried oregano
, Mexican ideally
1-2 tsp chipotle paste, or 1 tsp smoked paprika (or extra to style)
1 x 400g tin black beans, drained and rinsed
200g tinned chopped tomatoes (ie, ½ tin)
Salt and pepper, to style
Juice of ½ lime
50g
soured cream
150g cheese
(cheddar, say), coarsely grated
4 x 25cm-diameter tortillas
50g child leaf spinach
1 small handful coriander
, roughly chopped
Scorching sauce
, to serve (non-obligatory)

Put the oil in a pan on a average warmth, then fry the onion, stirring, for 5 minutes, till barely softened. Add the garlic, cook dinner, stirring, for 3 minutes, till aromatic, then add the cumin, oregano and chipotle paste, and cook dinner, stirring briskly, for 2 minutes extra. Add the beans, tomatoes and a splash of water, deliver as much as a simmer, season generously, then flip down the warmth to a mild simmer and depart to cook dinner for 20-25 minutes, till the liquid has decreased and the flavours have come collectively properly. Take off the warmth.

To assemble the burritos, squeeze the lime juice into the soured cream. Spoon 1 / 4 of the cheese and 1 / 4 of the soured cream combine on the centre of every tortilla, then prime with 1 / 4 every of the beans, spinach and coriander. Fold the perimeters of every tortilla over the filling, then roll up, tucking within the edges as you go to safe the filling in the midst of the wrap.

Flatten every stuffed burrito a bit along with your hand. Put a few tablespoons of oil in a frying pan on a moderate-high warmth, then lay in a burrito seam facet down and switch down the warmth to average. Cook dinner one by one for 3 or 4 minutes, till the underside is crisp and golden brown, then rigorously flip over and repeat on the opposite facet.

Baguette (or bagel) pizzas

My youngsters request these on repeat for his or her packed lunches. They’re really easy to assemble, and virtually as fast to make as a sandwich. Add additional toppings as you want – ham, olives, sliced tomatoes, even pineapple have been identified to make an look in our home. Use the best-quality tinned tomatoes you'll be able to afford – I like Mutti’s Polpa tomatoes – as a result of, with the minimal cooking concerned right here, you want ones that style good from the off.

Prep 5 min
Cook dinner 12 min
Serves 1

3 tbsp finely chopped tinned tomatoes
Salt and pepper, to style
1 huge pinch dried oregano
1 small garlic clove
, peeled and finely grated
3 tbsp olive oil
1 x 125g ball mozzarella
3-4 contemporary basil or oregano leaves
, to serve (non-obligatory)
¼ baguette, lower in half lengthways (or 1 bagel lower in half)

Warmth the oven to 230C (210C fan)/410F/gasoline 6½. Put the tinned tomatoes in a small bowl, season generously, then stir within the dried oregano, garlic and a tablespoon of the oil. Lower the mozzarella into six slices.

Put the baguette halves lower facet up on an oven tray, drizzle over the remaining oil, spoon on the tomato combine and prepare the mozzarella slices on prime. Bake for eight minutes, or till the cheese has melted and brought on just a bit little bit of color.

Take away from the oven, tear over the basil or oregano, if utilizing, and add a beneficiant grind of additional pepper.

Roast carrot tabbouleh

To make this extra-speedy to place collectively, use roast carrots left over from Sunday lunch; failing that, you’ll must roast thinly sliced carrotsat a fierce warmth till softened. Tabbouleh is historically made with bulgur, however I’ve used couscous, as a result of it requires no actual cooking (simply add boiling water and steep) and makes this particularly simple. Some crumbled feta makes a pleasant of completion, as do a spoonful of yoghurt and a few pitta for serving.

Prep 10 min
Cook dinner 8 min
Serves 1

60g couscous
Salt and pepper
1 huge pinch floor cinnamon
About 150g leftover roast carrots
, roughly chopped, or 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced, tossed in 1 tbsp olive oil and a giant pinch of salt, and roasted at 220C (200C fan)/425F/gasoline 7 for 10 minutes, till softened
40g dried apricots, finely chopped, or raisins, or 1 contemporary peach, nectarine or apricot, halved, stoned and diced small
30g toasted pumpkin seeds
1 small handful flat-leaf parsley leaves
, finely chopped
1 small handful contemporary mintleaves, finely chopped

For the dressing
Juice from 1 lemon
2-3 tbsp olive oil
½ tbsp pomegranate molasses
(or use additional lemon juice and a pinch of caster sugar)
1–2 tsp orange blossom water
(non-obligatory, however really useful)
1 small garlic clove, peeled and finely grated
2 tsp floor sumac

Use a cup to measure the couscous right into a container with a tight-fitting lid, and add a giant pinch of salt and the cinnamon. Use the identical cup to measure in the identical quantity of just-boiled water, cowl the container and depart for 5 minutes.

To make the dressing, combine the lemon juice with the oil, pomegranate molasses, orange blossom water, garlic and sumac, then season generously.

When the 5 minutes are up, take the lid off the couscous and fluff it up with a fork to separate. Add the carrots, apricots, seeds, herbs and dressing, toss, verify the seasoning and serve.

  • Claire Thomson’s newest e book, Tomato: 80 Recipes Celebrating the Extraordinary Tomato, is printed by Quadrille at £22. To order a replica for £19.14, go to guardianbookshop.com

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