Post Punk Kitchen Forum

I generally take leftovers to work and if I forget or don't have any the college canteen can just about be depended on for jacket potato and beans or chips. Out of term time though, or on admin days like today, the canteen shuts. So I'm looking for ideas of stuff I can keep in my desk drawer for this type of situation, to eat at lunch. I have a kettle and microwave - I do also have a fridge, but the stuff would have to be pretty long life as I never know when I'll use it. Any ideas of edible ready meals or snack food to fit the bill?

Are there Indian markets available? They usually have pre-packaged meals (some of which come with rice) that can be stored in drawers indefinitely. I usually have one or two stashed in my desk for emergencies. You will have to check carefully to make sure they aren't full of dairy, but generally you can get some nice bean or chick pea dishes to have handy.

I've microwaved dry pasta before in a pinch. Add a tin of lentils, some dried herbs and onion and garlic powder, and you have something resembling a meal. The post office was holding all my cooking equipment hostage a few weeks ago, so I didn't have any pots.

Baxter's does a chickpea curry in a microwavable tin that's actually not bad. I think it contains 2 of your 5 a day. I think the Merchant Gourmet microwave lentil packs are available again (I thought I saw them in Tesco the other day) - add some microwave rice and you have a decent meal. And there's always pot noodle in a pinch!

Not very exciting but I carry some oatcakes and a packet of instant miso soup for food emergency situations. They don't take up much room in my bag and will last for a long time depending on the sell by date

I have some of those Tilda microwave rices, some packets of cous cous, and a can of Amy's soup in my drawer at work.

The Food Doctor do some Pot Noodle type things (without all the terrifying-sounding ingredients).

No one has mentioned smash yet? Sal?

I've had those uncle ben express rice sachets before, some of them are vegan (as far as I can tell) - not too bad for an emergency feed.

and you could always keep a little packet of MSG around to give them a boost.

Packets of cous cous and tins of spicy bean soup. Enough to make anyone remember to bring in their lunch.

I know, what is wrong with you people???

The dirty stuff is for home, not workplace...

That's what she said?

If you have a microwave, tins of soup are always useful. Or packets of sainsburys dirty noodles.

Tins of Batchelors chip shop mushy peas and smash. I am filthy.

I normally have oat cakes/rice cakes and some nut butter in my drawer here at work. Sometimes have kale chips too and ginger nuts. There are quite a few shops here though so I can usually pop out if I am stuck .Hate doing it though as its usually because I forgot my lunch and I begrudge paying for something mediocre when I have something yummy at home.

Filthy awesome though.