The New Packed Lunch

Filo Parcels

Lunchtime during the working week can be one of the toughest things to get right. Buying lunch everyday can be an expensive habit, but faced with the prospect of soggy sandwiches or limp unappealing salads it’s no wonder most people run to their nearest lunch stall.

This might have once been the case but I don’t think most of us are really stuck in this situation anymore, we just think we are. Probably as a result of a mix of laziness and popular belief. In fact most of us work in a office that at least has a microwave so we can heat up soups, bring in leftovers and general eat a good meal for lunch and dinner.

As I said on Tuesday I have been in a very excitable going back to school state this week. None of this holiday hangover for me. I am leaping into September with relish. Who doesn’t love a chance to set down a new routine.

With this in mind I have decided to make over my lunches. I wanted easy things, that aren’t difficult to cook, take too much time and can either be eaten as they are or quickly zapped in the microwave.

Enter Filo Pastry – I decided our ancestors had it right with lunch, take what you want to eat wrapped in pastry – it adds bulk, keeps things warm and is just plain delicious. So Filo Pasty parcels with a salad has become my favourite lunchtime treat. The trick here is you can pretty much put whatever you fancy in the centre of filo pastry wrap it up, bake it and have a delicious lunch. In fact Filo Pastry is your leftovers best friend.

Today I decided on an Indian inspired Filo Pastry mix, a bit like having a samosa mixed with a cornish pasty, I mixed Carrot, Parsnip, Onions, Chilli, Garlic, Ginger and peas together and came out with a yummy giant samosa.

However you can pretty much make whatever – what about a vegetable stir fry wrap, or Goats Cheese and Red Onion with Spinach, or sweet and sour vegetables or chicken all wrapped up. The list is pretty much endless.

I can imagine you are itching to get started now.

So without further ado here is the recipe for Filo Pastry Autumn Vegetable Pouches ( doesn’t it have a lovely ring to it!)

Ingredients 

1 Carrot

1 Onion 

1 Parsnip 

1 mug of peas ( I actually just used a mug for tea to measure these out)

1 clove garlic 

Thumb size piece of ginger 

1 chilli (remove the pith and seeds if you don’t like things spicy)

1tsp group cumin

1tsp ground cinnamon

4 sheets of Filo Pastry

 

Method

  1. Peel and chop your carrot and parsnip, chop your onion, garlic and chilli and place in a blender with the ginger
  2. Blend until the are in little chunks – not so small that they start to turn into a past though 
  3. Heat some oil in a pan and add that mix to the pan, left this soften in the pan on a low heat and add the peas
  4. After about 5/7 mins add the spices and season with salt and pepper
  5. Cook for another 5 mins then lay out your Filo pastry – 2 sheets per parcel
  6. Place about 1/2 the mix in the pastry, fold into as parcel and brush with oil
  7. Repeat with your other parcel 
  8. With an oven at 180 degrees bake the pastry parcels for about 15mins or until golden 

Filo Parcel with Salad

That’s it. Simply eat with a salad for lunch, or pop in a tin and take them to work and reheat before munching down. ( As a side note I had tried these cold and they are just as delicious so if you can’t be bothered you don’t even have to heat!)

 

Comments are closed.