Bulk up and build muscle in the best way this summer with these flavoursome protein and carb-rich lunches
Pork meatball mini subs
SERVES 4 // TOTAL TIME 25 MINS
Ingredients
1 pack pork bangers
Canola oil, for frying
1 large baguette, cut into 4 (quarters)
½ punnet fresh coriander or parsley
½ cup mayonnaise
Salt and black pepper
Handful lettuce, torn or shredded
3 carrots, peeled and cut into thin sticks 1⁄2 cucumber, shaved into strips (use
a vegetable peeler)
½ pineapple, peeled and cut into cubes (or use tinned pineapple)
Sprouts or micro greens (optional)
Method
- Remove pork meat from the sausage casing and roll into golf-sized balls.
- Heat a glug of oil in a large pan and fry the meatballs in batches for 6-8 minutes, until cooked through and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
- Slice each portion of the baguette horizontally to resemble a sub.
- Blitz the coriander or parsley and mayonnaise until smooth. Season well.
- Spread half the coriander mayo inside each mini sub.
- Layer the lettuce, carrots, cucumber and pineapple in each sub.
- Top each sub with 3-4 meatballs and drizzle over the remaining coriander mayo. Serve immediately.
The dagwood stack
SERVES 1 // TOTAL TIME 10 MINS
Ingredients
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 egg
3 slices seeded rye bread, toasted
2 tablespoons basil pesto
Handful butter lettuce
2-3 slices smoked chicken, ham or salami
1⁄4 cucumber, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
2-3 slices Emmenthal cheese
1 teaspoon chopped chives
Method
- Heat oil in a pan and fry the egg for 3-4 minutes, until crispy round the edges.
- Spread pesto on each slice of rye toast.
- Layer lettuce, meat, cucumber, tomato and egg on the bottom slice of toast.
- Top with the second slice of toast and repeat the layering process, this time using lettuce, meat, cucumber and cheese.
- Sprinkle with chives and add the final slice of rye toast.
Honey & paprika steak wraps
SERVES 2 // TOTAL TIME 25 MINS
Ingredients
1 sirloin or porterhouse steak
Salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika (smoked or regular) 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1–2 tablespoons honey (or syrup)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
Juice of 1 lemon
For serving
2 beetroot wraps (or regular wheat wraps) 2 tablespoons hummus, mayonnaise
or pesto
1⁄2 red, yellow or green pepper, sliced and fried
Small handful lettuce, shredded 1⁄4 red or green cabbage, shredded
Method
- In a bowl, season the steak and add the paprika, garlic and honey. Toss to
coat evenly. - Heat oil in a large pan. Fry steak for 3-4 minutes on each side (for medium-rare).
- Add the butter to the pan a minute before the end of cooking. Allow it to melt and add the lemon juice.
- Use a spoon to baste the steak with the melted lemon butter.
- Allow the steak to cool before slicing.
- To assemble wraps, spread hummus, mayo or pesto on the wraps and layer the sliced pepper, lettuce and red cabbage.
- Top with steak slices and fold the wraps to enclose the filling.
Spicy & zesty chicken taco bowl
SERVES 1 // TOTAL TIME 25 MINS
Ingredients
1 chicken breast fillet, scored
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Handful lettuce leaves, chopped
¼ cup tinned corn kernels, rinsed
1 tomato, chopped
1 avocado, sliced
Juice of 1 lime or lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander Nacho chips, for serving
Method
- Drizzle 1 spoon of oil over chicken and season with salt, pepper and spices.
- Fry chicken in a pan for 6-8 minutes per side, until cooked through.
- Remove, cool and slice into strips.
- In a bowl, arrange the lettuce, corn, tomato, avocado and chicken strips.
- Whisk 2 spoons of oil with lime or lemon juice and coriander. Season well.
- Drizzle dressing over the taco bowl and serve with nachos.
Recipes & styling: Chad January
Photography: Zhann Solomons