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Sandwich, pasta, salad, repeat.
If you’re tired of eating the same old lunches, you need to get acquainted with Nathan Anthony.
The Northern Irish homecook started his Instagram, Bored of Lunch, to keep him busy during lockdown in 2020 – but it went on to gain more than 1.2 million followers and see him become a best-selling author.
His debut recipe book, Bored of Lunch: The Healthy Slow Cooker Book, knocked fan favourites Pinch of Nom off the top spot in the UK official book chart in January. Now, just two months later, he’s back with a sequel: Bored of Lunch: The Healthy Air Fryer Cookbook.
As the name suggests, the latest title is packed with lunch ideas that can be made using the kitchen gadget du jour: the air fryer.
These speedy counter-top machines can whip up a dish in record time with lower energy use and costs. And despite the name, they’re useful for far more than frying.
To celebrate the book’s launch, Nathan shared three sneak-peek recipes with Metro.co.uk that can be prepped in advance or created during your break if you’re working from home.
Pret, eat your heart out.
Coconut Panko Prawns & Peanut Sauce
A gorgeous work from home lunch, these prawns are lovely with a salad or even in some wraps. Serve with peanut sauce for a match made in heaven, but if you’re not a fan of peanuts (or allergic), you could also mix up some sweet chilli, honey, garlic and soy sauce for a honey chilli dressing.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
120g panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
50g flour
2 eggs, beaten
400g raw prawns, peeled
Low-calorie oil spray
Salt and pepper, to taste
Peanut sauce
3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
150ml water
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground ginger
Method
- In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and coconut, and season with salt and pepper.
- Put the flour into one bowl and the beaten egg in another.
Coat the prawns in the flour, then dip into the egg, shaking o
any excess, then roll them in the breadcrumb mix to coat. - Spray really well with a low-calorie spray and air-fry at
200°C for 10 minutes. - While the prawns are cooking, whip up your peanut sauce
by combining all the ingredients in a bowl. Add some more
water if it looks too thick. - Serve the prawns with the peanut sauce.
Harissa Chicken Gyros
These street food-inspired gyros work for lunch or dinner – even if you have guests. They look so good that people will think you’ve spent ages cooking but the reality is, it’s all done in 15 minutes.
Ingredients (Serves 3)
2 tbsp harissa paste
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp ground cumin
500g skinless, boneless
Chicken thighs
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 supermarket gyros,
Flatbreads or pittas
Handful of rocket
3 tbsp pomegranate seeds
Small handful of pickled red onions (shop-bought is fine!)
Sauce
5 heaped tbsp Greek yogurt
Juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Method
- Combine the harissa, lemon juice, paprika, Cajun seasoning, cumin and salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Coat the chicken with this mixture – if you can, preheat the air fryer for 2–3 minutes because adding the chicken to the hot drawer will give it an extra bit of char. Air-fry at 200°C for 12 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, combine the yogurt with the lemon juice and garlic.
- Heat the gyros or flatbreads and assemble, stuffing with the chicken and rocket and drizzling over the yogurt sauce, then top with the pomegranate seeds and pickled red onions.
Sweet Potato & Chorizo Hash
While this is a speedy lunch it also makes for an incredible breakfast or brunch. You can make it more substantial by adding a poached egg or two and a slice of toasted sourdough.
Ingredients (Serves 3)
600g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 tbsp oil or low-calorie oil spray
1 tbsp paprika
150g chorizo, sliced
1 tbsp light or half-fat butter
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 garlic clove, grated
4 tbsp Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh dill, to sprinkle
Method
- In a bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, oil and paprika.
- Air-fry the potatoes at 190°C for 14–15 minutes, and add the chorizo for the last 2–3 minutes.
- While the chorizo is cooking, put the butter, chilli and garlic in a microwaveable bowl and microwave for 1 minute until the butter is melted.
- Season the yogurt with salt and pepper.
- Serve the hash drizzled with the yogurt, then top with the melted garlic chilli butter and sprinkle with fresh dill.
Bored of Lunch: The Healthy Air Fryer Book by Nathan Anthony (Ebury Press, £18.99), is out now. Photography by Clare Wilkinson.
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