/ 26 November 2024

Alexandra Dudley’s Working Lunch

We’ve all been there – stuck for weekday lunch inspiration the moment Monday morning arrives. In this instalment of her column, SheerLuxe contributor Alexandra Dudley is serving up fresh, easy ideas – whether you work from home or like to take a lunchbox into the office. This month, she’s sharing a simple frittata…

By Alexandra Dudley /

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EATING IN

Butternut Squash, Cavolo Nero & Feta Frittata

I love a frittata any time of the day, but they make an excellent quick lunch and keep well for a few days too. This one contains a good dose of warming spices, along with feta and roasted squash which make it substantial. I usually eat this with a simple salad and a bit of toast on the side.

Ingredients

½ butternut squash, cut into cm cubes

1 tsp of ground cumin

1 tsp of ground coriander

1 tsp of dried chilli flakes

Salt

Olive oil

1 small bunch of cavolo nero (100g)

1 red onion, finely sliced

8 large free-range eggs

200g of feta

Black pepper

Method

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200°C Fan. Place the chopped butternut squash onto a large roasting tray. Add the spices, a good pinch of salt and good slosh of olive oil and toss with your hands to coat. Cook for 25-30 minutes until slightly caramelised. Set aside to cool slightly. Then switch the oven to grill setting.

Step 2

Pull the leaves from the stems of the cavolo nero and chop into roughly inch sized pieces. Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes then drain. Squeeze out as much excess water as you can.

Step 3

In a large oven proof frying pan heat another glug of olive oil, add the onion and cook gently for about 7 minutes until soft. Stir through the cavolo nero then add roughly 2 handfuls of the cooked squash and toss to combine.

Step 4

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add a pinch of salt, half the crumbled feta and a generous grind of cracked black pepper. Pour into the pan and crumble over the remaining feta. Heat over a gentle heat on the hob for about 5 minutes then transfer to the oven to grill for a further 4-5 minutes until set. Allow the frittata to cool and slice into wedges. This keeps well for up to 4 days.

GOING OUT

Sol’s Wine Bar

A café-deli in the morning and restaurant-wine bar by night, Bayswater newcomer Sol’s has the same relaxed energy vibe as many of east London’s best wine bars. The list focuses on low-intervention European wines, with some brilliant options by the glass and the food menu sits somewhere between tapas and small plates. I went for a date night a few weeks back and enjoyed plates of anchovies, nocellara olives and bread from Toklas bakery (a holy trinity of starter bites) followed by coco beans with roast squash and taleggio and a dish of purple sprouting broccoli with chilli and whipped almond. It took me ten minutes to register that the latter was entirely plant based – a brilliant reminder of how far London’s plant-based options have come.

The space has a cosy, intimate feel to it with the handwritten blackboard menu hanging above a long communal table. But the best seats are those at the bar by the window where you can people (or dog) watch as they make their way to Hyde Park. It’s an excellent spot for an end-of-the-week wind down or mid-week late lunch.

Visit SOLS.LONDON

For more from Alexandra, follow her @ALEXANDRADUDLEY or visit ALEXANDRADUDLEY.COM