Recipes

6 back to school lunch ideas

6 back to school lunch ideas

Creamy goat cheese and sundried tomato loaf

Author: Jennifer Bartoli

Recipes

6 back to school lunch ideas

Back to school isn't just for kids! Try these delicious recipes to get you back on track as the new school year begins.

 

The new school year is fast approaching and although you may not be going back to school, there's no reason why you can't get into the back-to-school spirit, too! We've prepared a few easy and healthy recipes to put you in a great mood for the start of a busy year.

 

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GRAPEFRUIT AND AVOCADO SALAD

This salad takes minutes to put together and will make sure that you have something fresh for lunchtime. The grapefruit and avocado combination is heavenly and will keep the summer spirit going!

Ingredients

  • 1 large grapefruit, cut into wedges
  • 1 large avocado, peeled and cubed
  • 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • A small handful of fresh mint leaves


Directions
1 Mix the grapefruit and avocado in a bowl.

2 In a separate bowl, whisk the olive oil and lemon and season with salt and pepper. Spoon over the salad and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Serves 2-4.

 

 

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TUNA APPLE SANDWICHES

Tuna and apple may seem like an odd combination but it's really the perfect balance for a delicious sandwich. These sandwiches can be packed up in the morning and still taste amazing come lunchtime.

Ingredients

  • 2 cans of tuna packed in olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon of grainy mustard
  • 1 handful of arugula
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
  • 4 mini ciabatta rolls
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper


Directions
1 Slice the ciabatta rolls lengthwise. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and toast in a warm oven for 3-4 minutes or until the bread is just golden brown. Reserve.

2 In a small bowl whisk the mayonnaise and grainy mustard and reserve.

3 In a medium-sized bowl, add the tuna (drained from most of its oil). Using a fork, press down on the tuna to separate the chunks. Fold in 3/4 of the mayonnaise mixture and add a good pinch of salt and pepper.

4 Divide the tuna mixture and add an even amount to each ciabatta half. Layer with a few slices of apple and top with arugula. Spread the remaining mayonnaise on the other side of each piece of ciabatta. Close the sandwiches.

Make 4 sandwiches.

 

 

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LIGHT POTATO SALAD

Who doesn't love potato salad? We've put together a lighter version here, to enjoy at any time of year. Scallions, sweet cherry tomatoes and mustard dressing work wonderfully together and make for a much healthier version than the usually mayonnaise-heavy potato salads.

Ingredients

  • 28 baby potatoes
  • 15 cherry tomatoes
  • 2 scallions, finely minced
  • 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of grainy mustard
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 1 splash of red wine vinegar
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 8 fresh basil leaves, coarsely torn


Directions
1 Cook the potatoes until they are just tender. Let cool.

2 In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, mustard, lemon, red wine vinegar and add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Reserve.

3 Cut the cherry tomatoes and potatoes in half and add to a serving platter. Add the minced scallions and vinaigrette. Top with the torn basil leaves.

Serves 4.

 

 

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CREAMY GOAT CHEESE AND SUNDRIED TOMATO LOAF

This savoury loaf is the perfect pack-away lunch. Packed with creamy goat cheese and flavourful sundried tomato, it pairs wonderfully with a simple salad.

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 1/4 cup of white wine
  • 1/4 cup of heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup of olive oil
  • 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup of flour
  • 1/2 cup of grated Gruyere, tightly packed
  • 70 grams of crumbled soft goat cheese
  • 8 large sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and coarsely chopped
  • 2 tsp of fresh oregano, coarsely chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

 

Directions
1 In a large mixing bowl, whisk the 3 eggs, wine, olive oil and cream. Once homogeneous, add the flour and baking powder and whisk. Fold in the Gruyere and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Take out the loaf batter and fold in the goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and oregano. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper.

3 Pour the batter into a greased standard loaf pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. If the loaf starts to brown too much, cover with a piece of aluminum foil and continue to bake. Let cool for a few minutes and unmold onto a cooling rack.

 

 

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WATERMELON JUICE

For a healthier alternative to sodas and sugary carbonated drinks, try packing a bottle of watermelon! Packed with pure watermelon juice, fresh mint and a little lemon, it's a perfectly satisfying treat for lunch.

Ingredients

  • 1 large watermelon, seeded and cubed
  • 1/4 cup of sugar
  • 1/4 cup of water
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • A small handful of fresh mint, coarsely torn

 

Directions
1 Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan and cook on medium heat until the sugar has just dissolved. Let cool.

2 Place the watermelon pieces in a blender and blend until smooth. Place in a pitcher and add the sugar water. Stir.

3 Add the lemon juice and mint. Serve in large glasses with ice cubes.

 

 

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LEMON CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

For an occasional sweet treat, a beautifully frosted cupcake is a fail-safe option. This lemon and chocolate combination is heavenly and will make any work day a little sweeter.

Cupcake ingredients

  • 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 1/2 stick of butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon of packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon curd
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract


Cupcake directions
1 Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, mix the flour, salt, lemon zest and baking powder.

2 In a separate bowl, add the sugar and butter. Using a mixer, beat the sugar and butter until the mixture is light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs, one by one, beating until just incorporated. Add the lemon juice, vanilla extract and lemon curd and beat until just incorporated. Slowly add the flour mixture. Once the mixture is homogeneous, scoop one ice cream scoop of batter into a cupcake-lined muffin tray.

3 Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Leave to cool on a cooling rack and ice once the cupcakes have completely cooled.

Makes 6 cupcakes.

Chocolate Icing

 

Chocolate icing ingredients

  • 1 stick of butter, at room temperature
  • 1-3/4 cups of confectioners' sugar
  • 3 tablespoons of dark chocolate, melted and cooled

Chocolate icing directions
1 Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

2 Cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the confectioners' sugar little by little. Mix for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is smooth. Fold in the cooled chocolate and mix until the chocolate is entirely incorporated.

3 Ice the cupcakes as you please.

Frosts 15 cupcakes.

Jennifer Bartoli is a Toronto-based writer, photographer and recipe developer who grew up in Paris, France. Her longstanding passion for food took her to New York City, where she studied at the French Culinary Institute. For delicious recipes and more, check out Jennifer’s blog, Chocolate Shavings.

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Recipes

6 back to school lunch ideas