6 Snacks and Meals our Remote Employees Adore

I’m sure you already know that remote work provides you with a good work-life balance, removes the stress of commuting and gives you more independence. But my favourite perk is not having to prepare and reheat packed lunches. 

Since I’m nosy, I wanted to find out what my remote coworkers like to eat while working and I’m sharing the results with you. 

Shockingly, a lot of them don’t like to snack while they work, however, they shared their favourite recipes with me. 

Now that we've already shared Nikola's quick salad recipe with you, we're giving you a warning. Don’t read the recipes below if you’re currently hungry. 

These are the recipes our team members love to prepare and since food is the language of love, if you ever cook any of these meals, we would love to see them. Share them with us on social media.

Patricija’s Bestest Cheesecake

Base:

• 200g McVitie’s cookies (regular, crushed)
• 50g butter (melted)

Cheesy goodness:

• 1kg soft cheese (the more fat, the better, but avoid mascarpone - think cottage-cheese-like cheeses)
• Pinch of salt
• 250g caster sugar (or more if you want it sweeter, you do you)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Some grated lemon zest (completely optional, feel free to avoid)
• 250ml sour cream (again, the fatter, the better)
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 4 eggs + 2 egg yolks

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C and grease a cake pan (preferably with butter).
2. Beat the cookies to a pulp and mix them up with the melted butter, then press the mixture evenly into the base of the cake pan. Bake the base for around 10 minutes - it’s supposed to get slightly brown.
3. Beat the cheese until smooth and then just beat in everything else under the Cheesy goodness ingredient list. Once everything’s combined, pour it evenly over the cookie base.
4. Bake for around 50 minutes - the edges are supposed to set, but the middle needs to stay jiggly.
5. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar, and let the cheesecake rest in the warm oven for another 50 minutes.
6. Take the cheesecake out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Remove from the cake pan, cover with plastic foil, and let it cool in the fridge for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight). 

Yay, you just made cheesecake!

Sabrina’s Sausage, Fennel and Red Wine Risotto

Ingredients (serves 4)

• Olive oil
• 2 knobs of butter
• 1 litre of chicken or veg stock
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 small or 1/2 a bulb of fennel, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch of fresh thyme (15g)
• 250g quality sausages
• 300g risotto rice
• 250ml red wine
• 50g Parmesan, grated
• 50g fontina or manchego or Emmental, chopped into small pieces

Method

• Simmer the stock
• Put a large high-sided pan on medium heat with 1tbsp olive oil and a knob of butter
• Once hot, add the onion and fennel, then strip the thyme leaves in as well.
• Cook for a few minutes as it starts to soften.
• Squeeze the sausages out of their skins and add to the pan. As they start to cook, break them up into small pieces.
• Cook for 10mins, stirring occasionally
• Add the rice and stir for 2mins
• Add the wine and stir until absorbed
• I tend to turn the heat down a little at this point
• Now add the stock a ladleful at a time, letting each one cook away and absorb before adding more.
• Make sure you are constantly stirring or it will stick
• Do this for around 16-18mins, until the rice is cooked but retains its shape (you might not use all of the stock)
• Add a final splash of stock to make it oozy, then add most of the grated Parmesan (save some for serving) and stir in with a knob of butter
• Season with salt and pepper to your liking
• Remove from the heat and add the second cheese, cover the pot for a few mins and let the cheese melt
• Mix it all up and serve with some thyme tips and Parmesan garnish

Kristina’s Baked Camembert with Garlic and Rosemary inspired by Olivia Mesquita

Ingredients:

•  1 (9 ounces) wheel of Camembert cheese, in its wooden box
•  1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced
•  A few tips of fresh rosemary
•  Olive oil

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
• Remove Camembert from plastic wrap and put it back into its wooden box. Place the cheese (and box) on a baking sheet.
• Using a sharp knife, score the top in a crosshatch pattern. Push the slices of garlic into the cheese and sprinkle the rosemary all over the top. Drizzle with olive oil to taste.
• Bake for 20 minutes, until golden and fragrant.
• Remove from the oven and serve immediately with a fresh sliced baguette or crostini.

Notes

I find that Camembert is already salty enough, but if you don't, feel free to sprinkle some sea salt before baking.

Do not bake the Camembert without its wooden box (or a small baking pot). The cheese will spread around and will become a big mess!

Jamila’s Morrocan Seafood Bastilla Inspired by Christine Benlafquih

Ingredients:
Seafood

• 2 lbs. fresh medium shrimp, in the shell - (or 1 lb. shelled with head and tail removed)
• 1 lb. fresh calamari, - cleaned; cut into rings or strips and tentacles coarsely chopped
• 1 lb. swordfish - or other firm fish, cut into filet or steak
• 3 tablespoons butter, - divided
• salt and pepper

Tomato Sauce

• 2 large ripe tomatoes, - seeded and grated
• 3 large cloves of garlic, - pressed
• 1 large handful of fresh parsley, - finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Vermicelli Filling

• 6 to 7 oz. Chinese vermicelli - (bean thread or rice vermicelli)
• 1 large handful of dry black mushrooms - (wood ear mushrooms)
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce, - or to taste
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, - or to taste
• tomato sauce - (recipe above)
• reserved liquids from cooking the seafood

Assembly

• 1 lb. warqa pastry sheets,
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, - melted
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 egg yolk, - lightly beaten
• 1 cup grated cheese (Edam, Mild Cheddar, Gouda, etc.) - optional

Garnish

• 1/2 cup grated cheese - optional
• cooked shrimp in the shell - optional
• parsley sprigs - optional

Instructions: 

Clean the shrimp ahead of time

Make the tomato sauce

1. In a small saucepan or pot, combine the grated tomato, garlic, parsley, oil and salt and pepper. Simmer over medium-low to medium heat until a thick sauce forms, about 15 minutes. 
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the hot sauce and soy sauce. Set aside.

Cook the seafood and fish – reserve all cooking liquids

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add the shrimp. Season the shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and saute for 1 or 2 minutes, just until the shrimp is white and cooked through. 
2. Drain and reserve the liquids and set the shrimp aside.
3. In the same skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add the swordfish steak. Season generously with salt and pepper and cook, turning several times, until the fish is cooked and flakes easily. 
4. Drain and reserve the liquids. Break the fish off the bone into bite-size pieces, discarding any skin, and set it aside.
5. In a skillet with a lid, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the calamari and season with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Cover and braise the calamari in the butter and its own juices for 30 minutes or longer, until the calamari is very tender. Add a tiny bit of water during cooking only if the liquids evaporate before the squid is cooked.
6. When the calamari is cooked, drain and reserve the liquids and set the calamari aside.

Prepare the mushrooms and Chinese vermicelli – start while the calamari is cooking

1. Soak the dried mushrooms in a bowl of cold water for 25 to 30 minutes. Drain and coarsely chop the mushrooms.
2. At the same time, soak the Chinese vermicelli in a large bowl of cold water for about 15 to 20 minutes, until tender enough to cut but not fully plumped. Drain and chop into 2″ to 3″ strands.
3. Transfer the chopped rice vermicelli to the pot with the tomato sauce. Add the reserved liquids from cooking the fish and seafood and stir to combine. (I find tongs the easiest to use for this.)
4. Simmer gently over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the vermicelli is tender and most of the liquids have been absorbed. Remove from the heat.

Combine the filling

1. Transfer the Chinese vermicelli to a very large bowl. Add the shrimp, calamari, fish and chopped mushrooms. Stir gently to combine. 
2. Taste for seasoning. The filling should be quite flavorful and zesty, a bit salty and spicy to the tongue. Adjust seasoning with additional soy sauce and/or hot sauce as desired. Note that some versions of Seafood Bastilla have a lot of heat due to hearty additions of hot sauce. Use your own palate as your guide.

Assemble the Seafood Bastilla

1. Working on parchment paper or aluminium foil allows for easy transfer of the bastilla once it’s assembled.  Overlap sheets of parchment paper or foil to create a large work surface of about 17″x 17″.  
2. Brush the paper or foil with melted butter and then a little vegetable oil. Overlap sheets of warqa pastry, shiny side down, to fully cover this area. Allow the pastry sheets to drape well beyond the edge of your work area. 
3. Brush the pastry leaves with melted butter and add a single 12″ round layer of warqa, shiny side down, to the centre. Brush it with melted butter.  This centre circle serves as your guide and base for the Bastilla.  
4. Place the seafood filling on the circular base, packing and shaping the filling to fit the 12" round. Drizzle melted butter over the filling then top with the grated cheese.
5. Gather the excess pastry up and around the filling, enclosing as much of it as you can. Try to maintain a nice circular shape with smooth sides. Trim excess folds of dough that create unwanted bulk. Brush the folded pastry with butter.
6. Fully enclose the filling by arranging several more overlapping pastry leaves, shiny side up, over the top of the pie. Allow the edges of the pastry sheets to drape over the sides then tuck them carefully under the pie to finish shaping the Bastilla. 
7. Brush the top and side of the Bastilla generously with melted butter and egg yolk.
8. The Bastilla is now ready for baking. Proceed to the next step, or wrap the Bastilla in plastic (along with the parchment paper or foil base) and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, or freeze for up to 2 or 3 months.

Bake and serve the Bastilla

1. Preheat your oven to 350° F (180° C). 
2. Place the Bastilla (still on its parchment paper or foil base) on a large baking sheet or pan. A flat sheet allows for the easiest transfer; you can line it with foil and crimp up the edges to catch any drippings.)
3. Bake in the middle of the oven until golden brown and crispy; about 35 to 45 minutes. Allow additional time if placing a frozen Bastilla directly in the oven.
4. Remove from the oven and if garnishing with cheese, sprinkle it over the hot Bastilla. If your cheese doesn’t have a low melting point, return the Bastilla to the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese.
5. Carefully transfer the Bastilla to a large serving platter. Garnish as desired with shrimp, lemon slices and parsley. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Raw shrimp in the shell will lose about half its weight after it’s been shelled and cleaned.  Save time by buying shrimp that’s already been cleaned.
• Although other recipes calling for Chinese noodles may instruct you to soak the noodles in hot water, be sure to use cold water for this recipe. That’s because you want the noodles to absorb the flavour of the tomato sauce.
• To shape single-serving Bastillas, use a small bowl with a flat bottom or a mould as your guide. Drape small overlapping pieces of warqa pastry over the bowl and gently press them into the bottom of the bowl. Add some filling, packing it gently to 1/2″ (2 cm) thickness. Wrap up the edges of the pastry to enclose the filling, trimming excess pastry to make it as smooth as possible. Carefully remove the Bastilla from the bowl or mould and invert it so that the smooth bottom becomes the top of your small Bastilla. Butter the outside of the Bastilla and repeat. If freezing, wrap each Bastilla individually in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container or freezer bag.

Nikola’s Spanish Pie

Into a mixing bowl add:

• 5 eggs
• 1 cup of yoghurt
• 1 cup of olive oil
• 1.5 teaspoon of salt
• 17 spoons of flour

Mix everything together and add

• 200g of cottage cheese
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• Half a leek
• 100g of gherkins chopped
• 150g of ham, pepperoni, or any dried&smoked sausage chopped or diced

Stir everything together and pour into a pan lined with baking paper. 

Bake for 30-40 minutes at 200℃.

We hope you recreate at least one of our recipes. Bon Appétit!