February Week 1 Lunches

BF likes healthy lunches. Don't get me wrong I appreciate this, but if it was up to me I'd be having ham and cheese toasties every day for lunch!

I started preparing lunches when we moved to Perth as a cheaper alternative to buying lunch out every day. You'd think that summer salads would be an easier option than winter but who wants to make up a fresh salad every night for the next day? Not me. It is so much easier to freeze a homemade chicken soup into lunch portions any pop one out each morning!

For summer I make up lunches on Sunday nights and Tuesday nights. The criteria for my lunch recipes is three-fold: little bit of carbs, protein and fresh salad/vegetables. This recipe has it all and was inspired by warm Vietnamese salads and rice paper rolls.

Vietnamese rice noodle salad

Makes 6 lunch servings or dinner for 3-4 people.

Tools and supplies:
One of the best things about this salad is the texture. I use a julienne peeler for the zucchini and carrot and shred the cabbage very finely.  I spread the salads across individual lunch containers and store the dressing in tablespoon sized containers which can be stored inside the lunch container. Just pop the frozen chicken portion in the morning before work to defrost while you work through at your desk till lunch.

Ingredients:
Salad
1 large (approx. 300g) chicken breast, poached and shredded.
Medium zucchini, julienne (just use the outer bits to avoid getting the soggy seeded middle)
2 medium carrots julienne
1/2 packet thin rice noodles or vermicelli noodles
Handful shredded cabbage
Handful mixed lettuce leaves
3 spring onions, sliced thinly
4 sprigs fresh mint, torn
1 cup whole/crushed unsalted toasted peanuts
1/4 cup fried shallots (optional)

Nuoc mam cham dressing (adapted from this recipe found here)
1 long red chilli
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup boiled water.

1. Poach the chicken, let cool before shredding. Divide into 6 equal servings (around 50g each) and place in freezer safe bags. Freeze.

2. Prepare rice noodles according to packet directions. Rinse thoroughly.

3. Divide rice noodles across each lunch container, top with handful of lettuce leaves, julienne carrots and zucchini and cabbage. Garnish with torn mint, spring onion, fried shallots and peanuts.

4. To make the dressing, use a mortar and passel to combine chilli and garlic (or blitz/mince). Combine with remaining ingredients (bigger bits of chilli and garlic are all part of the magic of this dressing) and divide equally across small dressing containers.

5. Before leaving for work, add the packet of frozen chicken to the salad. Store in refrigerator until ready to eat! I like to warm the chicken and noodles slightly before adding to the salad and dressing.

Yum Yum. Krumm and Scout love it when I make this, they sit by the kitchen waiting for their share of the carrot ends and zucchini middle. Silly dogs.

I like lunches with plenty of texture, crunch and flavour. Even though its a bit more effort combining all the ingredients I tend not to snack as much because I am so satisfied with the flavor! I wonder though, what kind of lunch options would you like to see on Plan, Shop, Cook, Repeat?

Cheers, Jess