Five easy summer lunches to make that are low on effort and high on taste

Lacking lunchtime inspiration? You're not alone. Check out our quick, simple and delicious recipes to enjoy this week 

Lunch should not take effort, but it need not be boring.

Red cabbage, orange and pomegranate sunburst salad

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

Salads don’t have to be boring - you can dress one up to look fabulous with the right ingredients, filled with vibrant citurs colour and flavour

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 10 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• ½ head red cabbage, shredded (quarter the cabbage, remove the core and slice)

• 1 pomegranate, cut and deseeded

• 1 orange, zest and juice

• 1 lime, zest and juice

• 3 oranges, peeled and sliced

• large handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped

• 200g organic natural yoghurt

• 1 tbsp honey

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and stir to combine.

2. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for a delicious salad option.

3. This salad will go beautifully with meat or fish at a barbecue.

Halloumi sliders with pickled carrot and wilted spinach

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

Halloumi is substantial enough to replace meat or be in place of a protein, making it a perfect addition to sliders at your summertime barbecue

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 1 hours 10 mins

Cooking Time

 5 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 15 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• olive oil

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1 x 200g pack of halloumi cheese

• 4 small burger buns

• mayonnaise

• handful of spinach

• 1 garlic clove, sliced very thinly

• For the carrot pickle:

• 1 large carrot

• 50ml of cider vinegar

• 1 tsp honey

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1 tsp mustard seeds

Method

1. To make the quick pickle, peel the carrot and discard the outer shavings. Continue to peel the carrot into ribbons until you get down to the core (you can keep this for the stockpot).

2. Place the carrot ribbons in a medium sized bowl along with the vinegar, honey, sea salt and mustard seeds. You can add a little water to make sure all the ribbons are covered with pickling liquid. Leave marinading for at least an hour before using the carrot ribbons.

3. Heat a tiny bit of oil in a saucepan and add the garlic, frying in the oil for a minute or two. Discard the garlic and add the spinach to the oil with a splash of water. Cook the spinach down for another minute until very wilted and green. Remove from the pan and place on a kitchen towel so it’s not too wet.

4. Slice the halloumi and pan fry until golden on both sides. Squeeze some lime juice over the halloumi as it fries.

5. Toast the burger buns and add a large dollop of the mayonnaise on each bun. Arrange slices of halloumi and wilted spinach and top with a little carrot pickle. Serve hot.