Inspiration for Back To School Lunches

It's back to school which means back to making lunches!

Friend of the show Aisling Larkin from Food Oppi joined Alison Curtis on Weekend Breakfast with some great inspiration for tasty lunch recipes and ideas!

Aisling chats through 'Bento' lunch boxes, how to make the most of leftovers and batch cooking and adding dips and fibre.

Scroll down for some easy recipes to get you started!

Listen back to their chat by pressing the play button at the top of the screen! 

Simple flapjacks

Ingredients

• 250g porridge
• 150g butter
• 150g brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4tsp sea salt
• 50g nuts ( sesame seeds & hazelnuts )

Optional:

• 1 bag chocolate chips
• 1 mashed banana
• 120g cadburys dairy milk chocolate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180℃. Line the tin with parchment paper.
2. Let the butter and sugar in a saucepan. Pour in the vanilla and sprinkle in the sea salt.
3. When the butter and sugar are melted stir in the oats. Combine well.
4. Pour into the lined tin and press down well.
5. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool in the tin for 20mins and then remove to a wire tray.
6. Melt the chocolate and drizzle over the top.
7. Cut into crunchy squares. Freeze or store in a airtight container.

Ham, Cheese and Tomato Relish Muffins

Makes 12

• 250g plain flour (or 125 wholewheat four & 125g plain flour )
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 egg
• 125mls milk or 200ml greek yogurt
• 50g tomato relish
• 50mls olive oil / melted butter
• 100g mature cheddar cheese
• Herbs  - dried or fresh - chives, parsley
• 4 slices ham ( leftover cooked ham)
• Optional: chopped spinach

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190℃. Weigh out all the ingredients. Grate the cheese.
2. Grease the muffin tin or pop in the muffin cases.
3. Put all the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl. Stir around.
4. In a jug mix the egg and milk together. Season with a little salt and pepper.
5. Make a well in the centre and stir the wet ingredients in to the dry ingredients. Stir in the cheese. ( and ham, chopped spinach, tomato relish)
6. Do not over mix this. Don’t worry about lumps. They disappear in the oven.
7. Spoon into the muffin tin and sprinkle each with a little cheese.
8. Bake for 25 - 30mins .
9. Cool on a wire tray and eat at once with real butter and a big cup of soup.

No Knead Cheese & Onion ‘Focaccia’ Style Loaf

Ingredients

• 200g plain flour
• 200g wholemeal flour
• 200g grated cheese ( mature cheddar or gruyere is fab )
• 4 tsp onion powder
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 350-400mls buttermilk
• Optional : 200g grated vegetables ( carrot, courgettes, apple, beetroot )

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180℃. Grease a flat oven tray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, sieve in the plain flour, wholemeal flour, baking powder, onion powder and salt. (remember all the goodness (bran) from the wholemeal flour will get stuck in the sieve, so just pour this in too).
3. Stir in the grated cheese. (keep back a handful for the top)
4. Make a well in the centre and stir in the buttermilk using a spoon. ( Add the grated vegetables at this stage if using.) For the buttermilk, add it gradually until you get a wet and sticky dough. ( the amount may vary depending on if you use vegetables or not).
5. Spoon out on to the greased flat oven tray. Spread out until it forms a rough rectangle shape. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
6. Bake at this stage for 45minutes. Alternatively stud the top with olives, rosemary, cherry tomaotoes etc and then bake.
7. Cool on the tray and then slice into fingers. Pop them on some parchment paper in a freezer bag and freeze in individual portions. Take out when needed.
8. Perfect for dipping into a big bowl of creamy soup. Enjoy.