Easy ideas to give your weekday lunch a lift
Looking for hearty, delicious midday meals that pack a flavour punch? We’re here to help, with our delicious new salads and recipes from chef Chris Baber, plus hints and tips so you can say goodbye to boring lunches for good
Flavour-packed frittata
A frittata is a brilliant recipe to have up your sleeve for lunch – it’s really simple and any leftovers can be eaten the next day. It’s also a great way to use up whatever veg you have in the fridge. Chris Baber’s asparagus version is packed with spring flavours. “Looking for lunch inspiration? Quick, filling and delicious, my asparagus frittata has a tasty kick of spice.”
Serves 4
Olive oil, for cooking
2 tsp Cook with M&S easy chilli or fresh red chillies
1 leek, finely sliced
8 medium eggs
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 pack (200g) feta, crumbled
1 pack (125g) asparagus, woody ends removed
New potatoes and salad, to serve
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp Cook with M&S easy chilli in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the leek slices until they begin to sweat down.
In a bowl, whisk the eggs with black pepper, salt and paprika. Stir in 150g feta and the cooked leeks.
Grease and line a baking dish (20cm x 30cm) with baking parchment and pour the egg mixture into the dish.
Evenly layer the asparagus spears on to the egg mixture and crumble over the remaining feta and Cook with M&S easy chilli. Season with some more black pepper.
Place in the oven at 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6 and cook for 15 minutes until it is firm around the edges with a slight wobble in the middle.
Serve with your favourite side salad and new potatoes, or just enjoy as is.
Top tip: the asparagus can be swapped for frozen peas, and the leek for spring onions.
Bagel your way
Change up your lunch by trying out our super-tasty bagel topping ideas.
Scandi sensation
Toast your bagel and top with cream cheese, smoked salmon, dill and pickles. Make your own pickles by slicing a whole cucumber finely and covering in 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar and 1 tbsp caster sugar. Keep in a sterilised jar in the fridge and eat with burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and more.
A taste of the Mediterranean
Top your toasted bagel with pesto, sliced tomato, mozzarella and torn basil. It’s quick and simple to make homemade pesto: toast pine nuts in a dry frying pan and add to a blender. Pour in a generous glug of olive oil, plenty of basil and some parmesan (or use pecorino for a veggie version). Blitz until smooth. The pesto keeps well in the fridge and can be stirred into pasta for a quick and simple midweek meal.
Houmous hero
You only need three ingredients to make a super-tasty houmous at home. Blend a tin of chickpeas, olive oil and lemon juice until smooth. Use this to top your bagel and add roasted peppers or sundried tomatoes and salad leaves. Keep in the fridge and eat as a snack with veggie crudités. Top tip: take this houmous to the next level by adding a spoonful of pesto (recipe above) and a few toasted pine nuts.
Use your loaf
If you’ve got bread, you’ve got the makings of a brilliant lunch. Get inspired with our topping ideas and clever ways to use up leftovers.
Avo on toast
Make your favourite avocado brunch dish at home. Use a fork to smash the avocado with a little olive oil, dried chilli flakes and a squeeze of lemon. Spoon onto toast or bread that has been spread with chilli jam, and top with feta. You can swap the feta for poached or soft-boiled eggs and the chilli jam for cream cheese or butter.
Pump up the jam
Fancy something sweet? Make a batch of jam at home that can be used for breakfast, lunch and baking. Place your chosen fruit (fresh or frozen) into a pan with granulated sugar and simmer over a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil until the jam is thick. Allow to cool and then place in sterilised jars.
Love your leftovers
Use any leftover bread – the staler the better – to make crispy croutons for soup or salads. Simply cut the bread into chunks and cover in olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake until golden. Or blitz the bread in a food processor and use to coat salmon, cod or chicken.
Nourishingly delicious
Hunger pangs hitting by 3pm? Reach for one our new nourish pots next lunchtime. Developed by our expert chefs, these flavour-packed pots are filled with tasty proteins and slow-release carbs, which keep you fuller for longer, and layered with colourful veggie goodness. There are five varieties, all under 400 calories, to try, including beetroot and feta, sesame prawn and coronation chicken.
Find our nourish pots in store now.
The super salad
Get two of your five-a-day from one vibrant lunch with our new falafel and chargrilled vegetable salad. Perfect for picnics in the park or lunch al desko, this sunshine salad features chargrilled courgettes and peppers, a tasty tabbouleh – made with bulgur wheat, turmeric couscous, chickpeas, diced cucumber and pomegranate – broad bean, chickpea and coriander falafels, cos and red batavia salad leaves and a sesame tahini and lemon dressing.
Pick up this salad and many more delicious options in our Foodhalls now.
Food inspiration
A Baber sensation
Looking for recipe inspiration? Try chef Chris Baber’s latest recipes
Hot cross yums
From our award-winning luxury hot cross buns to our brand-new chilli and cheese variety, find your favourite flavour
