Office lunch: Couscous and ????

Trying to vary my office lunches so that I’m not eating sandwiches every day. I’ve picked up a few sachets of couscous which require just some boiling water. There are a few different flavours (veg, mushroom, chili etc) but even so, just couscous is perhaps a little boring. What can I add to make it more interesting to eat? We have a kettle and a microwace, no hotplate or grill or anything. we do have a freezer so I could e.g. get frozen peas and just cook them separately in the microwave

Sensible (or hilarious but unreasonable) suggestions please..

Also welcome suggestions of other lunches – there’s a chap on the local market who does curry from his mobile van, I regularly partake of his Keema Peas and rice, I occasionally visit the chippy and the pie shop…

the Mexican inspired ready made couscous at Lidl is two servings and tastes great and is about a quid.

I used to buy a packet of pre-cooked chicken to go with mine, along with some chilli sauce or something.

Word of warning though, I went off it very quickly, even 6 months later the smell of those packets make me heave.

Curry. Once every few weeks I make up a massive batch of curry and freeze it down, simply de frost one at a time to keep n fridge, add cous cous to a tupperware, little bit of butter on top, pour in boiling water, curry on top, job done. Microwave at work if I have time, if not it’s fine cold

Office lunch: Couscous and ????

….despair?

Smoked mackerel.

Make up the cous-cous at home and mix in chopped raw veg and chunks of cheese (feta if you are feeling fancy). I used to do that quite a lot.

Can do the same with pasta. also with chucks of chicken. roast a chicken on Sunday and it lasts til weds for lunches I find.

I am too lazy now, been living off ham sandwiches all year.

I’ve got mine from Aldi , though I tend to have a full packet 😳

Should note, these lunches are mainly for days when I cycle and don’t bring anything with me – I keep the couscous packets in my drawer, along with some tins of soup. I can use cupboard space / fridge / freezer at work and yes, do occasionally bring in “last night’s tea” when we cook extra portions

Feta or halloumi and loads of chopped or grated veg through it, but of garlic and chilli oil, good stuff.

Also, have a Google for home made pot noodles, I just bung in whatever Asian flavours I have, sesame oil, 5 spice, soy, nam pla, chilli flakes, lime and coriander and some prawns or cooked chicken. Bit of miso and a bit of boiling water, 90 secs in microwave and it’s awesome.

What can I add to make it more interesting to eat?

Tin of tuna, mackerel in tomato sauce, bring in shopped chicken, ham, chorizo etc, etc.

Giant cous cous is ace, lots of torn mozzarella, basil, sun blush tomatoes and rocket. Yum.

Pork Pie.

tiny grains of misery sand

Office lunch: Couscous and ????

….a walk to Greggs. I’ve already phoned your order in….

Just look at that smile? And who can blame her? Reckon anyone has ever smiled while holding a bowl of couscous?

Chips. Chips go with everything.

We often have couscous with a mix of sautéed veg (onions, peppers, courgettes, garlic, ginger, etc) to go with smoked mackerel fillets, other fish, omelette. The veg can be precooked, frozen, microwaved. Don’t bother with sachets either, that’s an expensive way to buy couscous. Get a pack and take a little to work in a container.

Two perfect poached eggs in 1 min and 52 secs?

This has transformed my work related breakfast / lunch options.

The best £1.49 i have ever spent.

Yolks soft? If so, I’m in.

The best £1.49 i have ever spent.

Ahem….

Yolks soft?

60 seconds with just water. 40 ml per egg. Add eggs, precracked into teacups for simultaneous insertion.

48 seconds for soft whites and runny yolks.
52 seconds for firm whites and runny yolks
56 seconds for firm yolks.

Timings correct according to our office microwave after a few days of experimentation. YMMV.

A genuine revelation.

It’s more difficult and time consuming to make the toast.

…..and steak.

Hold the couscous please. 😀

If you run out of couscous you can use cardboard which has been left out in the rain overnight as a replacement.

This nation has cous cous all wrong. It’s not about the cous cous. It is there to soak up the nice sauce of whatever is the feature. Lamb tagine with harrissa etc. on its own, or worse a perfumed packet from the supermarket. no chance.

I do three bean salad + extra chick peas (I am an addict) mixed with a bit of pasta then tossed with balsamic, oil & parmesan. Costs pennies and very tasty.

Alternatively, I do like Nissin SOBA noodles when they are on offer in the supermarket – far tastier than the likes of Pot Noodles but quite pricy when at full price.

What can I add to make it more interesting to eat?

Cardboard.

Lots of typical British meat and 2 veg dinosaurs about today!

This nation has cous cous all wrong. It’s not about the cous cous. It is there to soak up the nice sauce of whatever is the feature.

That’s what bread is for.

This nation has cous cous all wrong. It’s not about the cous cous. It is there to soak up the nice sauce of whatever is the feature.

Have we? That’s exactly its problem it only tastes of what it’s soaked in.

I had cous cous with falafels and a salad of cucumber/tomato/red onions with some herbs + some mint yogurt for lunch, very nice it was too.

Chilly Kidney Beans or Mixed beans with a few cherry tomatoes.
Big tin from Tesco- split over 2 days.

If you enjoy preparing at home then James Ramsdens love your lunchbox has some good inspiration.

Do you not have a short order chef at work that can do you steak and chips, with bacon on top, if you don’t fancy the duo of wild boar and venison with gnocci ?

Oh.

Have we? That’s exactly its problem it only tastes of what it’s soaked in.

Not really a problem but an opportunity. Don’t soak in boring old water, but some stock, or something with some spices added to it. I just soak in some form of stock usually with some spices and chilli flakes in, and add tinned fish, usually Mackerel.

Edmame beans from frozen
Falafel and houmous
Dhal
Heinz tinned lentil curry
Quorn fillets

(you may spot a theme here)

Falafel n hummmus in a pitta bread would be my first choice I think, possibly with a bit of lettuce. Couscous, something like falafel, precooked chicken etc…, something spreadable, bit of salad. All in a pitta/tortilla and you’ve got quite a few easy options.

Have we? That’s exactly its problem it only tastes of what it’s soaked in.

Same as pasta and rice then, mibbe you’re just that old and crabbit your taste buds are destroyed though.

Trying to vary my office lunches so that I’m not eating sandwiches every day.

Why? Sandwiches are great. I reckon I could eat a nice cheese salad sandwich for lunch every day and never get bored of it.

Perchy – if ye don’t have access to a microwave, get a cheap shit kettle, fill wi cold water and 2 eggs, boil and stand for 6 mins, perfect boiled eggs.

I use to use one of the nightshift guys kettles for this, his tea must’ve had an edge….

Sounds like an experiment waiting to happen.

First up though is office Eggs Benedict now that I’ve mastered the microwave poached eggs.

I’m hoping to work my way up to a full on hibachi desk barbecue.

Eggs Benny is food of the gods, if ye have a spoons nearby, theirs is wicked value at about 4 quid odd and free coffee refills.

Braw.