FoodBlog’s Packed Lunches: 5 Veggie Lunches Powered by IPAK Bio 🥦
For this week’s FoodBlog Packed Lunches we’re taking the healthy route with 5 fresh and vibrant meals to fuel your day without any of those interrupting meat sweats! These 5 dishes will give you all the energy you need to get on with your busy work day and also serve as great meals packed with flavour and a little bit of fun! ⚡
No lunch should be boring so we’re setting you up with a few make at home lunches that will brighten your day everyday of the week - that is, after all, the FoodBlog way! All you need is a handy Inserv IPAK Bio container and you’re good to go! Here’s what we thought of this week:
IPAK Bio’s 4-Part Container
A 4-part IPAK Bio container means you can segment your food and some tonnes more flavour and nutrition to your day. This week we’re bringing you a fresh, fun and flavourful Asian dish that will definitely feature in your weekly meal plan with a full recipe to guide you along the way plus another simple dish that features some of the tastiest veggie treats: falafel! 😋
Falafel Wrap and Tapas
Not gonna lie, making falafel at home takes quite the learning curve, but boy oh boy when you master it, there’s absolutely nothing better than finding those crispy golden chickpea balls in your lunchbox after a stressful morning. 🧆
Here are the tricks I learnt along the way to mastering falafel at home. 🧑🍳
- You always need to use dried chickpeas, soak them and process them yourself - canned chickpeas will always fail you.
- The key to a fluffy falafel is baking powder. This will make the insides super fluff and the outside crispy AF.
- Don’t be stingy on your dried herbs and fresh herbs either - this is where the flavour smacks you in the face.
- Fry, don’t bake. Come on now… they’re leaps better fried. Maybe airfrying will do.
Use some time this weekend to batch cook some falafel, they freeze really well; just separate them from each other when freezing so they don’t stick together - and fry after they’ve defrosted. Save some fresh ones and fry them up in clean oil until golden brown. Place them in your IPAK Bio box alongside a tortilla wrap and some garlic dressed salad, then fill your 3 other compartments with some hummus (canned chickpeas work fine here), kalamata olives plus feta cheese if you’re veggie and not vegan and as many vine leaves as you can fit in the remaining compartment. This is absolute perfection. 🌯
Vegan Vietnamese Rolls
Let’s head to Vietnam with this week’s full IPAK Bio recipe! One of the most refreshing meals in existence has to be Vietnamese Rolls, also known as Summer Rolls. These beauties can be prepared with pretty much any veggie you like, but in my experience avocado is always a must. 🥑
A fresh and nutritious lunch in the perfect Inserv IPAK Bio box
Some super tasty options include peppers, spring onions, avo and tofu plus a sliver of mango which will be the recipe we take on today. Other options include fresh asparagus, cooked mushrooms, raw red cabbage, cream cheese and really anything else your heart desires. Get creative and try it out… this is the OG in our house and will inspire you to make your own delicious creations:
Ingredients for your Summer Rolls.
Ingredients:
Serves 2
- ¼ mango, julienne cut
- ½ cucumber, julienne cut
- ¼ red pepper, julienne cut
- ¼ yellow pepper, julienne cut
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 spring onion, julienne cut
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 firm tofu block, sliced lengthways
- 50g vermicelli rice noodles, soaked till malleable
- 8 rice paper sheets
- some lettuce leaves
For the dipping sauce and extras:
- pickled ginger (optional)
- 1tbs peanuts
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1tbs soy sauce
- 1tsp mirin
- some chilli paste/flakes
- sesame oil and S&P
- 2 3-Part iPak Bio containers
Recipe:
- There’s very little cooking in this dish so prep is key to rolling in style. Do not start rolling your Summer Rolls before all your ingredients are done; unless you want an absolute epic fail on your hands.
- Cut all your veggies into matchsticks - you’re looking for long thin strips of each ingredient apart from the carrot which works best when grated. Place all your chopped and grated veggies and fruits to the side in separate stacks - you’ll need them all to be organized and handy pretty soon.
- Next up on the chopping block is your firm tofu. You’re looking for 0.5cm thickness more or less but don’t be too fussed, if they’re thinner they’re crunchier, if they’re thicker they’re meatier! Heat a pan with some cooking oil and shallow fry your tofu till they’re crispy. Set aside to cool.
- While your tofu is cooling, you can get started on your noodles by simply placing them into a bowl and pouring some boiling water over them. Check them frequently to make sure they’re not overcooking. Once you get the bite you desire, place them in a bath of cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Next up (or while your noodles are softening), get started on your dipping sauce. Crush some peanuts in a pestle and mortar for a crunchy consistency, splash in some soy sauce, mirin and chilli sauce or flakes plus a minced garlic clove and mix. Add some salt and pepper to taste and emulsify the mixture by drizzling in sesame oil while you continue to stir. Place this directly into one compartment of your IPAK Bio box alongside some pickled ginger in the other and lettuce leaves in the next.
- Next up is rolling. Get a clean dishcloth, a deep plate filled with warm water and all your chopped produce and cooked tofu. Place the dishcloth on a surface with the end of the cloth hanging over the side. Dip your rice paper into the warm water until it becomes malleable. Place it on your clean dishcloth, making sure it’s flat on the cloth and dab it gently (really gently) with the loose cloth end. Remove the cloth and start building.
- There’s no rule on which ingredient should go first, so just mix it up and figure out which one you like best for your next try - it’s all about learning something new and enjoying the process.
- Now for the roll. This is the tricky part. You don’t want to overload your roll as this will cause it to rip, so use your judgement and whatever you do commit to your choice. Flip the edges over the filling on either side, lift the end of the paper and cover your filling and folded edges. Keep on turning as you would a burrito until the roll seals at all ends.
- Place them inside some lettuce leaves to avoid them sticking together and get ready to be the envy of the office tomorrow.
The final result in the perfect container.
IPAK Bio’s 3-Part Container
In IPAK Bio’s 3-Part Container this week we will be setting you up for a trip to India! With an all-vegan dhal! This is probably one of my absolute favourite Indian dishes and packs in so much flavour and love with every mouthful. You can do this the traditional way and dip your naan right in there or gracefully load it into your gob with a fork full of rice. The choice is yours. 🍚
Dhal, Rice and Fried Onions
To make the perfect dhal you’ll need to soak your red lentils overnight. Cleaning off all dust and residue before you fry them up with your onions, garlic, ginger, possibly turmeric and ground spices. Take your dhal up a notch by making your own garam masala mix with a coriander, cinnamon, mustard seeds, clove, nutmeg or mace, peppercorn and cardamon. The best thing about cooking your own food is that you can do it exactly as you like it. It’s magical! 🧂
Serve your dhal with some basmati rice in the bigger container of your IPAK Bio box and garnish with fresh coriander. In the smaller boxes you can add some fried onions or onion bhaji if you’re up for a real Indian feast, a garlic yoghurt, or vegan yoghurt raita made with shredded or diced cucumber and perhaps some extra spring onion and chilli peppers on the side to give your dish that extra kick! 🌶️
Don’t forget to pack some extra naan bread, there’s nothing like lapping up all the extra dhal off your plate with a torn piece of the fluffiest bread in town! 👌
IPAK Bio’s Large Container
Thank Inserv for their large containers, as with these beauties you’re able to pack in a big satisfying meal, whether it’s veggie or not! And everyone, yes everyone, loves that little bit extra. For this week’s veggie and vegan recipes we’re loading our Large IPAK Bio containers with two hearty dishes perfect for both a hot roasted meal or a refreshing yet filling salad. Here they are:
Stuffed Mushrooms with Roasted Veggies
Mushrooms are a veggie’s best friend. They’re meaty and so damn tasty when prepared the right way. Most of the people I’ve spoken to who claim to dislike mushrooms say it’s more of a texture thing than a flavour thing - and I get that sometimes too. BUT, when prepared correctly, mushrooms can easily be the star of the dish! 🍄
Stuffed mushrooms are a great lunchtime meal and when served with some of your favourite roasted veggies, it’s like a good Sunday roast but at the office. You can opt to stuff your mushrooms with so many different ingredients, they’re absolutely versatile and great vessels for caramelized onions and goat’s cheese, lemon zest and garlic ricotta with a touch of parmesan and parsley and even herby breadcrumbs if that’s your jam! 🧅
When it comes to your veggies, chop up a nice selection of peppers, asparagus, onions, whole garlic cloves (skins on) and roast them with some olive oil, salt, pepper and chilli or opt for a rootier selection of carrots, parsnips, potatoes and maybe even some brussel sprouts finished with rosemary and tonnes of garlic. 🧄
Fried Tofu Salad
Last, but not least this week we’ll be looking at a hearty fried tofu salad that will make you fall in love with both this soybean product and salads in general! The key to a good salad is the dressing. So make sure you dress your greens and sturdier veggies generously. 🥗
Some of my favourite dressings include an olive tapenade and olive oil dressing, veggie parmesan and garlic dressings in an olive oil base or even a herby yoghurt dressing - but this all depends on the main components of your salad. 🧀
Remember to add your dressed greens to the bottom of your IPAK Bio box and top with the fresher, crunchier ingredients such as the fried tofu, some crunchy almonds and perhaps some croutons and a mix of seeds to amp up the protein and flavour factor! 💥
We’ve got so many more options to choose from, but this will serve you well for the week. Tune in next week for FoodBlog’s Packed Lunches where we will be taking a look at the best food group of all CARBS! From noodles to pies, pizzas to ftajjar, these mean bites will slide so easily into your Inserv IPAK Bio containers and fill your day with so much foodie joy! Happy lunchin’! 🤤
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