5 easy kids' lunches for summer: Week 3

Rainbow veggie couscous salad with grilled chicken

1 tsp vegetable oil
1 chicken breast fillet, cut in half widthways
80g wholewheat couscous
½ vegetable stock cube, dissolved in 130ml boiling water
6 Nightingale Farms cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ red pepper, finely chopped
½ 325g tin Grower’s Harvest sweetcorn, drained
¼ cucumber, finely chopped
½ lemon, juice and zest
10g coriander, finely chopped

1. Heat the oil in a frying or griddle pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5-6 mins on each side until cooked through. Leave to rest for 5 mins, then cut into strips.

2. Meanwhile, add the couscous to a bowl and pour over the boiling stock. Cover with a plate and leave to stand for 15 mins before fluffing with a fork.

3. Stir the remaining ingredients through the couscous and serve topped with the grilled chicken.

Chicken burgers

1 chicken breast fillet, cut in half horizontally
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp lighter than light mayonnaise
2 wholemeal batch rolls, halved
½ Little Gem lettuce, finely shredded
4 Nightingale Farms cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
½ red onion, finely sliced
¼ cucumber, cut into batons

1. Preheat the grill on high.

2. Place the chicken on a baking tray, drizzle with oil, season with black pepper and grill for 5 mins on each side until cooked through.

3. Spread the mayonnaise on the cut sides of the rolls and fill with the lettuce, chicken, tomatoes and red onion. Serve with cucumber batons.

Quick fish ‘n’ veggie curry

1 tsp vegetable oil
½ red onion, thinly sliced
¼ red pepper, thinly sliced
¾ courgette, cut into 2cm chunks
2 tbsp korma curry paste
½ vegetable stock cube, dissolved in 500ml boiling water
2 Bay Fishmongers white fish fillets
2 tbsp Creamfields Greek style natural yogurt
2 wholemeal batch rolls

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper and courgette, then fry for 2-3 mins until starting to soften. Stir through the curry paste, then add the stock. Nestle the fish in the veggie broth, cover with a lid and cook for 20 mins until the fish is cooked through.

2. Remove from the heat and transfer the fish to a plate. Stir through the yogurt until the sauce is creamy, then spoon the veg onto the plate with the fish and serve with bread rolls for dipping in the sauce.

Couscous fritters and salad

80g wholewheat couscous
½ vegetable stock cube, dissolved in 160ml boiling water
¼ courgette, finely grated
40g Creamfields mature white cheddar, finely grated
1 Little Gem lettuce, roughly chopped
¼ cucumber, roughly chopped
4 Nightingale Farms cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ red pepper, cut into chunks
½ 325g tin Grower’s Harvest sweetcorn
¼ lemon, cut into wedges

1. Preheat the grill on high.

2. In a bowl, mix the couscous and hot stock. Cover with a plate and leave to absorb for 15 mins before fluffing with a fork.

3. In a sieve, squeeze out as much of the liquid from the courgette as possible then mix into the couscous with the cheddar. Tightly compact the couscous into 4 x disc shaped fritters and place on a baking tray lined with parchment. Grill for 8-10 mins until lightly golden.

4. Serve the fritters with the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, pepper and sweetcorn as a side salad. Serve with a wedge of lemon on the side.

Carrot and coriander soup with bun croutons

2 tsp vegetable oil
1 brown onion, roughly chopped
4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
½ vegetable stock cube, dissolved in 900ml boiling water
20g coriander, roughly chopped
1 wholemeal batch rolls, torn into chunks

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and fry for 2-3 mins, then stir through the stock. Cover with a lid, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 mins, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender. Take off the heat and blend until smooth, adding a splash more water if needed. Add most of the coriander, saving a little to garnish, then blend again until just incorporated. Place over a low heat to keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tsp oil in a frying pan, add the torn bread and fry for 5-8 mins until golden and crisp.

3. Divide the soup between 2 bowls, sprinkle with the coriander and grind over some black pepper. Serve topped with the croutons.

Shopping list

Fresh produce
1 250g pack Nightingale Farms cherry tomato
1 whole cucumber
1 loose red pepper
1 loose lemon
30g pack fresh cut coriander
2 pack Little Gem lettuce
1 loose red onion
1 loose courgette
4 loose carrots
1 loose brown onion
500ml Creamfields Greek style natural yogurt
300g 2-pack British chicken breast fillets
1 block Creamfields mature white cheese

Cupboard and frozen
500g pack wholewheat couscous
450ml lighter than light mayonnaise
Tesco wholemeal batch rolls 6-pack
200g korma paste
100g 10-pack vegetable stock cubes
325g pack Grower's Harvest sweetcorn
520g pack frozen Bay Fishmongers white fish fillets

At home
vegetable oil
black pepper

*Based on two children.