Cheesy runner bean cakes

I got the idea for this from Pinterest. The original used broccoli and was a suggestion to get kids to eat their veggies. I'm quite happy to eat my veg and I don't have any broccoli right now but I do have plenty of runner beans in the garden so I thought this might make a nice simple lunch.

Ingredients (serves 1)

6 runner beans, chopped and lightly steamed

1 slice brown bread, blitzed or grated into crumbs

1 egg, beaten

15g grated cheese

Salt and pepper

* heat the oven to 190C

* mix all the ingredients together in a bowl

* shape into 4 cakes and place on a greased baking tray

* bake for around 20 minutes, turning over half way through

I just ate them on their own with some Caesar salad dressing.

Packed Lunch

When I was a kid, packed lunch meant a sandwich (usually ham or cheese on white bread) a bag of crisps and a chocolate biscuit. That was fine, but my tastes have changed over time.

My best mate and I went for a 10 mile walk yesterday and decided to take food with us rather than pay for a pub lunch. I opted for houmus, veggies and pitta bread, plus some fruit and a cereal bar. Very nice and kept me full for ages.

In praise of tinned fish

I always have tins of fish in my store cupboard as they are so useful for quick, easy meals.

Tuna is really versatile, as a sandwich filling, topping for a jacket potato, pasta sauce ingredient - the possibilities are endless!

I love anchovies, especially on pizza but they are also essential in a nicoise salad and work really well in bolognese sauce.

Sardines or pilchards in tomato sauce are my quickest lunch option. Warmed up, with a bit of sweetcorn and pepper, they are great on toast and that's what I had today.

Omelette

Not exactly a recipe, so much as a general method.

Ingredients (serves 1)
2 eggs
Splash of milk
Salt/pepper
1 spring onion
1 mushroom
1 rasher bacon
Chunk of courgette

* thinly slice the veg and bacon
* beat eggs and milk together and season to taste
* heat 1tsp oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the veg etc
* pour over the eggs and cook for a couple of minutes, lifting the edges to allow uncooked egg to run underneath
* Cook the top under a hot grill if necessary

Sausage Surprise

This has been a fave of my daughter's for years, and cooks in next to no time. It was something my mum used to cook with her Guides and my dad always said the 'surprise' is that it tastes pretty good. :-)

Ingredients (serves 1)
1 pack super noodles
2 or 3 hot dog sausages, sliced
Handful frozen peas or sweetcorn

* Cook noodles according to pack instructions, adding the sausages and veg at the start

Any flavour of noodles works, but we usually use mild curry.

Nicoise Salad

Another light and easy lunch idea. I think a proper nicoise is meant to have potatoes and green beans, but I don't bother with them when it's for lunch. I expect there should also be some form of vinaigrette dressing, but I don't like salad dressings. I do like anchovies though.

Ingredients
Salad (own preference)
Hard boiled egg
Tin of tuna, drained
Anchovies

Assemble salad ingredients and top with fish and egg.

Simple Wrap Pizza

Not a recipe, so much as an idea/general method. This is one of my fave quick lunches and could easily serve 2 if you had a decent salad with it.

Heat oven to 200C
Place wrap on a baking tray and top with a thin layer of tomato puree or ketchup
Add pizza toppings of your choice. Mine today had ham, mushroom and basil.
Top with cheese (ideally mozzarella, but cheddar works pretty well)
Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted