Yes, it’s that time of the year again where mums are sighing about the thought of the dreaded daily lunchbox ordeal. I’m hearing you : ) So if you’re on the lookout for something new to pop in the lunchbox or for after-school snacks, you might want to give these a go. Good luck for the year ahead.

You’ll need (makes 8 cakes, they freeze for up to 3 months so consider making extras):
500g chicken thigh fillets, cut into pieces
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large handful of baby spinach leaves
2 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
3 tbsp coconut cream
1 tsp finely grated ginger

Serve with:
4 iceberg lettuce leaves, trimmed into cups
1 avocado, sliced
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1 small handful of coriander leaves
1 lime, halved
(Or whatever salad or veggies you like.)

Preheat the oven to 180 C and lightly grease an 8 cup muffin tin with coconut oil.

Place the chicken, garlic, spinach, fish sauce, turmeric, coconut cream and ginger in a food processor and pulse a few times until finely chopped.

Spoon the chicken mixture evenly into the prepared tin, then bake for 12 minutes, or until cooked through. Cool slightly for 5 minutes before turning out. The chicken cakes will release a bit of liquid when cooked, so drain off the liquid before you remove them from the tin.

Arrange the lettuce cups on a large platter or serving plates. Place two chicken cakes inside each cup, along with some avocado, cucumber and coriander, and squeeze over some lime juice.

Thanks to Pete Evans for this recipe.