Another work lunch, with a summery twist

First I overegged myself. Now I’m bordering on having over-potatoed myself too. I need a change, so it’s ironic, then, that this week I return to the staple that I first started my work lunches with maybe three years ago: chickpeas.

Chickpeas are good little things: they’re filling, low-GI, very transportable, etc. Too much chickpea is a bad thing – but what isn’t?

I've tarted the chickpea up with a Greek-inspired ingredients (though no red onion, a lunchtime no-no). Cucumbers, black olives, feta, and sun-dried tomatoes, all topped with a lemon-oregano vinaigrette. Very tasty and light, but packed with flavour. And very good for outdoor eating.

Greek-style chickpea salad
(makes 5 servings)

2 tins chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½ tin black olives in brine, halved
100 g of dried sun-dried tomatoes (not the ones in oil), soaked in warm water and rinsed
100 g feta, crumbled or cubed in small pieces
300 g cucumber, deseeded and chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced thinly

for the vinaigrette:
1 tbsp oregano
juice of two lemons
1 tbsp olive oil

Combine the first six ingredients in a large Tupperware. Make the vinaigrette and drizzle over the salad. Close the container and shake to ensure the dressing covers the entire salad.

Scoop out 1/5 of the salad each day for lunch

Calories: 265 per serving.

a more appealing work lunch idea

I've been quite budget conscious lately, and my lunch has often borne the brunt of it. And last week I think I hit my limit with the boiled egg + carbohydrate + salad combo.

Something a bit nicer was in order - something that would taste lovely, be healthy, and hold me over until dinner time (or at least until late afternoon snack time).

Cue frozen salmon. Added to the potato salad with a lovely, tartar-sauce inspired dressing, and you're good to go. To be safe, I've cooked the salmon in two batches - I'm not sure exactly how long it will keep for in the fridge. (If anyone knows, do tell!)

Salmon with tartar-sauced potato salad
(makes 5 lunch-sized portions)

500 g frozen salmon
500 g baby new potatoes
50 g light mayonnaise
75 g gherkins, chopped
25 g capers, chopped
juice of one lemon
handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Prepare the salmon according to the instructions on the package (generally about 30 minutes at 190 C) and allow to cool.

Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes, and then submerge into ice water to stop them cooking. Remove and allow to cool.

While the potatoes are cooling, make the dressing - add the gherkins, capers, mayonnaise, parsley and lemon. When the potatoes are ready, add to the dressing and make sure they are combined well.

Each morning, spoon out 1/5 of the potato salad mixture and 100 g of the salmon. Enjoy - it won't be a huge portion, but the salmon is so filling that it will last you through the afternoon without a problem.

Calories per serving: about 290

(By the way, I've not used many veggies here - like baby spinach - this week. I think baby spinach, like egg, is on my "tired-of" list at the moment.)

So yes, salmon isn't cheap. But I think if you can keep your eye out for salmon that's close to its sell-by date, and freeze it, you're laughing. Or look for deals - this week, Tesco was offering 3 packs of fresh salmon for £10.

Young's frozen salmon (500 g) was about £4.49, the potatoes cost about £1.29, and I keep capers, gherkins, lemon and mayo as a norm in my cupboard. Divide that by £5, and lunch cost about £1.16/day. How's that for classy?

another work lunch idea

Call me crazy, but I'm mixing it up this week. I've been riffing on potatoes for awhile now, but something new is in order. And maybe it's springtime hunger kicking in, but I think I need to bulk the salad up a little more to last me through the day.

I'm experimenting with tuna and white beans this week, since it's a short week. I'm unsure as to whether tuna will hold up well for five days, so I'm going to make it in two-day batches.

So, for two days, I needed:

2 small tins of tuna in spring water, drained
1 tin of haricot beans, drained
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
juice of a lemon
leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme
pepper
2 boiled eggs
8 pieces of round lettuce

Calories per day: 370. Packed with plenty of protein to keep me running until, oh, about 4pm when my mind starts to wander and fruit and yogurt is absolutely necessary.

more credit-crunch busting lunch salad ideas

I've been experimenting with a few other salad ideas that make for five easy weekday lunches. I'm going to go the mass-produced sandwich route and give them "zany", "quirky" names, that all end in "surprise"! Now that's quirky.

"Springtime surprise"
500g potatoes
300g broad beans
100g fresh French goats cheese
Handful of mint
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1/2 lemon
150g baby leaf salad5 boiled eggs

Calories per serving: 263
Verdict: loved this salad on Monday, Tuesday, and oh, half of Wednesday. After that I started to lose interest.

"Peppy pesto surprise"
500g potatoes
3 red peppers, chopped
150g chicken
90g green pesto
350g green beans, steamed and blanched
5 boiled eggs

Calories per serving: 275
Verdict: quite nice actually. The choice to forgo the spinach was rather inspired, in my humble opinion. Would definitely do again.

"Bouncy bulghur surprise"
1 tin of cherry tomatoes, juices drained
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
100g feta
150 g bulghur wheat, prepared as per instructions
25 sweet hot pickled peppers (like peppadew)
1 tsp dried oregano
150g spinach
5 boiled eggs

Calories per serving: 283
Verdict: Probably the tastiest of the lot. But, like couscous, bulghur wheat can make you feel a bit bloated sometimes. But worth having again.

more lunch ideas

Had some feedback that a couple of you liked my idea of making a big salad on a Sunday and spooning out each of the five portions over the the work week. Thought I'd share a few more of those salads with you:

Sweet potatoes
500 g sweet potatoes, steamed, chilled and cubed
250 g frozen green beans, parboiled and blanched
200 g wafer-thin chicken, sliced
lime juice-coriander dressing (juice of two limes, chopped coriander, 1 tbsp olive oil)
+baby spinach (about 25g a day) and a boiled egg

Ham and black olive
500 g salad potatoes, boiled and chilled
250 g wafer-thin ham
150 g light cream cheese
100 g black olives, sliced
chopped parsley (handful)
+baby spinach (about 25g a day) and a boiled egg

Classic potato with chicken
500 g salad potatoes, boiled and chilled
200 g chicken (ideally leftover from a roast, but wafer-thin is fine)
4 stalks of celery, chopped
4 spring onions, chopped
50 g light mayo
2 tbsp mustard
+baby spinach (about 25g a day) and a boiled egg
(WARNING: you'll need an apple after those spring onions!)

Pea and potato
500 g salad potatoes, steamed and chilled
200 g wafer-thin chicken, sliced
250 g peas, steamed and blanched
3 tbsp dijon vinaigrette (vinegar, dijon mustard, rapeseed oil, water)
+baby spinach (about 25g a day) and a boiled egg

Tomato and peppers
500 g salad potatoes, steamed and chilled
200 g wafer-thin chicken, sliced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
100 g feta, crumbled
sun-dried tomato vinaigrette (4 sun-dried tomatoes - leftover from an antipasti, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp tomato puree)
+baby spinach (about 25g a day) and a boiled egg

And for next week, I'm thinking:

Celeriac
500 g celeriac, grated
200 g carrot, grated
250 g mushrooms, sliced
handful of parsley, chopped
100 g feta, crumbled
lemon-garlic dressing (juice/zest of two lemons, 1-2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 tbsp rapeseed oil)
+baby spinach (about 25g a day) and a boiled egg

Feel free to mix, match or add your own suggestions below! I'm always looking for ideas...

lunch idea: a yummy and healthy potato salad

Okay, so I’m sick of chickpeas, tired of couscous. Have no time for pitta bread. I’ve been running out of ideas for a simple work lunch that will keep my attention and my stomach full. It needs to be cheap, easy to reproduce and about 300 calories. Here’s my latest idea, and I think it works well:

Salad with chicken, baby potatoes, peas, spinach, feta, boiled egg and lemon-parsley dressing
serves 5 (Monday to Friday)

250 g frozen peas, boiled and blanched
75 g wafer thin chicken, sliced
100 g feta cheese, crumbled
500 g salad potatoes, boiled
100 g cucumber, deseeded and chopped
5 medium eggs, boiled and blanched
150 g baby spinach

for the dressing:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
zest and juice of 1 lemon

Combine the first five ingredients in a large container with a top. Make the dressing by blitzing the three required ingredients with a hand blender and add to the container. Mix through. Chill in the refrigerator.

Each morning, scoop out 1 of the portions of the potato salad and add to a Tupperware dish with one egg and 30 g baby spinach. All of the ingredients will last the week.

Calories per serving: 296

credit crunch winter lunch

My pack lunch of summer just isn't hacking it. For the last few weeks, it has sat, all alone, in the fridge at work while I run upstairs to the canteen to grab something warm and filling. Well, it's not easy on the cals or the coins. Something has to be done. But there's no microwave at work, so out goes bringing soup for lunch. It's going to have to be salad, but something a bit more substantial.

I'm trialling this salad this week:

Roasted vegetables with feta and boiled egg
(makes 5 servings)

1 medium aubergine, chopped
1 large pepper, chopped
2 medium onions, quartered
2 stalks worth of rosemary
1 small pumpkin, chopped
250 g mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
20 sprays olive oil
salt and pepper

250 g baby spinach
5 medium eggs
125 g feta (not reduced fat - go for the good stuff)

Season and oil the veggies and roast in a 200 C oven for 1 hour. Meanwhile, boil/coddle the eggs, plunging them into a bowl of ice water after 6-10 minutes of cooking (depending on your preference).

When the veggies are done, allow them to cool and then transfer them to a Tupperware container for the fridge.

Shell the eggs and transfer them to a separate Tupperware container for the fridge.

Each morning, take 50 g baby spinach, 1/5 of the veggies (about 150g), 25 g feta and 1 egg.

Calories per serving: 225.

Take along to work and do your best not to envy your colleagues their meals.

my new favourite salad

Twice. Twice in a row I've had this salad for lunch this week. And liked it. It's a sign.

I don't take salads lightly. It's not as though I cast them off when a new, more exciting salad comes along. A salad is for life. It's like an old acquaintance - maybe you move away, but every time you visit, it's just like old times.

What I really like about this salad, which I've been bringing to lunch, is that it's a year-round, cupboard-loving salad. Chances are, you have most of these ingredients. If you don't, it's cheap and easy to stock up. It's filling, it's healthy - and - wait for it - it transfers really well to a sandwich, ideal for those few salad-avoiding men who feel that too much lettuce negates their masculinity.

Tuna and butter bean salad
(serves 2)

1 tin of butter beans, rinsed and picked
1 small tin of sustainable yellowfin tuna in spring water
1 tbsp of light mayonnaise
1 lemon, sliced
2 stalks of celery, rinsed and chopped
1 small bag of lamb's lettuce (or chopped romaine)

Mix the butter beans, tuna, mayonnaise, celery and seasoning in a bowl. (If using half of the mixture for the next day, ideally use a bowl with a cover.)

Spread the lambs lettuce on a plate and top with half of the mixture. Serve with lemon wedges.

For those who prefer a sandwich, just add the mixture and salad leaves between two slices of wholemeal bread. And voila! Makes a great Saturday lunch too.

carrot, celeriac, mushroom, garlic, parsley and feta salad

I've gone and given the boat away in the title, but I think this salad deserves a bit more discussion. I have had it for at least five lunches this week and would happily munch away on it all next week. There's no lettuce or spinach, so it just feels different. The flavours are new and exciting - and perfect for this time of year.

Because there's no lettuce, this salad can be made ahead of time without worrying about whether it will wilt. Actually, I encourage you to make it ahead of time, so the flavours seep in and the celeriac becomes something quite amazing. Then, when putting your lunch together in the morning, simply scooping a bit into a container saves loads of time.

grated celeriac and carrot salad
(makes 2 servings)

1 large carrot, grated
200 g celeriac, grated (about 1/3 of an average celeriac
125 g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 large handful of parsley, chopped finely
50 g reduced fat feta, crumbled
1 tsp olive oil
juice of 1/2 of a large lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients into a large bowl and mix to ensure all of the flavours are evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate, ideally for at least 2 hours before serving. It will keep for a few days in the fridge.

a lunchtime switch

The clocks have gone back. There’s no hint of summer (or sun) around, and I’ve swapped berries for squashes in my desserts. So why haven’t I changed my lunch until now?

Partly, I suppose, because I get stuck into a routine. In go spinach, chickpeas, reduced fat feta, cucumber and tomato, a lovely salad for a summer’s day. It’s light and doesn’t sit too heavy in my stomach.

But now things are different. By 1pm, I’m craving filling foods, and if I don’t get them, I’m likely to sneak out of the office for a piece of cake by 3pm, which completely defeats the purpose of bringing a healthy lunch to work.

So what to do?

First off, I recommend leftovers, especially if your workplace has a microwave. Making a bit of extra pasta, or another piece of chicken, at dinner will save lots of time in the morning and make lunch more satisfying.

Bringing a soup to work isn’t a bad idea, either. Warming and filling, it just might carry me through the afternoon. But prepared soups are often loaded with salt and sugar, which isn’t suitable. But next time you make a soup, double the quantities and freeze half of it.

Finally – rejuvenate your salad. Instead of summery chickpeas, introduce some root vegetables (roast a load on Sunday afternoon and save some for lunch).

Or, as I’ve done today, change it completely. I made a bit of extra penne last night for my pumpkin pasta, saving enough for two future servings.

sardine pasta salad with spinach and chopped tomatoes
(serves 1)

1 tin of sardines in spring water
75-100 g (dry weight) pasta, cooked
½ a can of chopped tomatoes
1 small handful of baby spinach

Drain the sardines and remove any visible bones. Add to the pasta. Rip up the spinach (if the leaves are large) and add through. Pour half of the can of chopped tomatoes through (save the rest for tomorrow). Mix (or close the Tupperware dish and shake).

Writing this after lunch, I realise it would probably be best to puree the chopped tomatoes, or use a combination of chopped tomatoes and passata, to prevent the salad from having a watery texture.

Don’t worry about the fat or calories in the sardines – it’s a small 120 g tin, and it only brings about 150 calories, which is not bad for a wintertime salad. The protein and fat should help sustain the body through the afternoon (and don’t forget, there’s no cheese in the salad, which helps to balance the fat content).

The only thing you might worry about is the sardine smell – warn your colleagues and make sure you wash your hands right after preparing the salad, lest your skin will carry the odour around all day…

wednesday's lunch special

Today's lunch was a variation on one I made a few months ago, with bulgar wheat, peaches and ham, and similar to the dinner salad that won the best 'summer salad award'. With late summer upon us, I felt like bulgar wheat was a good option: filling yet light.

(serves 1)

50 g bulgar wheat

2 slices cooked ham, sliced

¼ ball of mozzarella

5 cherry tomatoes, halved

50 g baby spinach leaves

1 nectarine, quartered and then halved

Lemon juice

Calories: 298 (very respectable)

I decided to have bulgar wheat in my salads all week long, just to make a change from chickpeas and butter peas. I've found that the bulgar wheat really helps to fill me up and sustain me through the afternoon. (I get the sensation, as I do with couscous, that the grains expand in my stomach).

Unlike couscous, though, bulgar wheat holds its texture and form better, not tending to get mushy. It also has a nutty flavour that I really like – to get the nutty taste without all the calories of throwing in a handful of pumpkin seeds or cashew nuts is extremely satisfying.

Bulgar wheat is also relatively low-calorie: 50 g of dry bulgar wheat will cost you about 180 calories. While that is more than ¼ of a can of butter beans, it is also more filling, and you'll have less of a tendency to snack.

A salad of baby new potato, runner bean and tomato - all from leftovers

Lunch today was a hodge-podge of leftovers in the refrigerator. Luckily, leftovers can be better than first-timers. I filled my salad with some of the best seasonal vegetables (runner beans from the garden... tomatoes from Norfolk... potatoes from Jersey) and complimented them with some protein to last me through the long afternoon. It was a niçoise of sorts:

Baby new potato, runner bean and tomato salad

(serves 1)

180 g baby new potatoes, steamed, halved and cooled

100 g runner beans, sliced diagonally

2 medium ripe tomatoes, deseeded and chopped

2 slices of cooked ham, sliced

50 g little gem lettuce, rinsed and chopped roughly

Pepper, to taste

A dollop (about 10 g) of light mayonnaise

A splash of balsamic vinegar

Combine the first six ingredients in a bowl. Spoon a dollop of mayonnaise on the side. If serving immediately, add a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Calories: 291

I made this dish the night before, since I had extra new potatoes after cooking salmon fishcakes. It keeps well in a plastic container overnight and transports easily to work.

I have begun keeping a bottle of vinegar at work to splash on my salad right before eating. This helps keep the lettuce fresh. Aspall's Organic Balsamic Vinegar is on my shelf (you can get it at Tesco), but white wine vinegar and red wine vinegar work nicely too. I prefer not to use cider vinegar in salads, though others think it makes a good salad dressing. Try them all and decide for yourself.

a lunch of leftovers

Lunchtime yesterday was great - roasted chicken breast with tabbouleh. Why such a fancy lunch, some might ask, used to me flogging my spinach and butter bean salad every day?

Well, actually, this 'fancy' lunch was actually as easy as it gets, because it was entirely from leftovers - roasted chicken from Sunday lunch and then leftover tabbouleh from dinner the night before (which I didn't mention on the blog, but it was grilled mackerel with cumin and lemon served with tabbouleh and green beans, one of my favourites).

Making lunch that morning was certainly easy enough -combining the contents of two Tupperware dishes from the refrigerator into one and dropping it in my lunch bag with a couple pieces of fruit.

A few weeks ago, while on a training course, I headed into Pret a Manger for lunch and picked up one of their salads - Chicken Tabbouleh and Yogurt Dressing Salad, which the company's website describes as "chicken breast in a light yoghurt dressing, tabbouleh (Israeli cous cous, broad beans, chick peas, red peppers, flat leaf parsley), red peppers....finished with French dressing." I have to admit, it was quite nice, especially for a store-bought salad, and I didn't even need the French dressing. The salad, minus the dressing, was 189 calories, say Pret. But it was also expensive, setting me back £4, which is a lot for a takeaway, especially one that's not particularly big.

The brilliance of leftovers is that they're so easy to make, and if you plan ahead, you can "build in" leftovers to your cooking. When I was making the tabbouleh the night before, I knew that a 50g serving per person of bulgar wheat was plenty, but I threw in an extra serving; this way, if my husband wanted a bit more, he could have it, and if he didn't, I knew exactly where it would be going - my lunch box the next morning.

Tabbouleh is extremely tasty on its own for a lunchtime salad as well, and creative cooks - tabbouleh purists may consider them heretics - can add feta cheese or olives too. I like it with feta cheese sometimes, but actually, it's not necessary.

Tabbouleh

(serves 2)

100 g bulgar wheat

3 medium size ripe tomatoes, chopped and deseeded

150 g cucumber, diced and deseeded

A small handful of mint, chopped

A package of parsley, chopped

Juice of 1 large lemon

Salt and pepper

Cumin, to taste

Prepare the bulgar wheat as per the instructions, allowing it to cool. In a separate bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, salt, pepper, lemon juice and cumin. Mix together.

Add the bulgar wheat (when cooled), mint and parsley, mixing to distribute evenly.

Taste and add more seasoning if necessary. The mixture should be very parsley-heavy.

Serve immediately, or for added flavour, allow the juices to soak into the bulgar wheat for a few hours in the refrigerator. Either way, it's great.

One serving: around 200 calories.

I am actually already thinking about the next time I will make tabbouleh. But for now, since it's my lunch break, it's back to my old friend the spinach and butter bean salad...

marsh ruby - a real gem of a curry

Tucked away on Lower Marsh, a local market street brimming with south-of-the-Thames flavour, sits Marsh Ruby. Run by two women, the shop serves 5 homemade curries a day, opening at noon and closing when the pots are empty.

This place, put simply, is brilliant. Though I am a tried-and-true proponent of the pack-up lunch (it's often healthier, cheaper and tastier), this is perhaps the one place that could make me change my ways.

All of the chicken is free-range, the lamb is English, and the vegetables are seasonal. Only fresh ingredients are used - and the only cooking fat in the curry is olive oil. They even make their own curry powders.

Each day, two chicken curries are on offer: one is usually creamy, with fresh plum tomatoes, and one is a more straightforward curry. Two vegetable curries are on the boards: my personal favourite is the butternut squash, carrot and potato, though the spinach and lentils are amazing as well. The customer has a choice of either white basmati rice or, at 60p more, its brown counterpart.

What I like most is their mix and match philosophy - you can combine two curries in one takeaway container - or, if you prefer, on your plate, should you eat in.

The owners/chefs ethical approach is extremely attractive. Wasting nothing, and encouraging reuse (5p off should you reuse your takeaway container), these women are on to some thing really special. Prices are reasonable - chicken curry in the larger size will run you about £4, whereas vegetables in the smaller size are just under £3.
Salad, yogurt and fresh chillies come with each plate.


They began as a stall in Leadenhall Market, but due to popular demand have set up shop in Lower Marsh. Only open at lunchtimes presently, they are considering evening hours.

Menus are posted weekly on the site: http://www.marshruby.com/

another summer salad

I humbly present yet another salad for your consideration. The thing is, although many eschew the salad as rabbit food, I really enjoy salads. And it’s not just a former-vegetarian-aching-to-return thing, as others enjoy salads too. Even men, and even my husband. The trick is (surprise, surprise) to make it full of flavour and have loads of complimentary ingredients.

This one was inspired by the leftover olives from the penne puttanesca night. Here’s a quick and tasty greek salad, which, if the fridge is kept stocked of its staple ingredients, should be a flash to prepare:

greek salad
(serves 2 equally)

10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red pepper, chopped
10 sprays of Fry Light olive oil spray
100 g cucumber, sliced lengthways
10 black olives, chopped
Fresh parsley, chopped
50 g (2 oz) reduced fat feta, crumbled
½ a tin of chickpeas
Lemon juice, to taste
Seasonal salad leaves

To prepare, just add all of the ingredients in a bowl. If you have a bit of time ahead, marinating the peppers in the olive oil and lemon is nice, but if you don’t it’s still great.

Serve with fresh fruit if you desire (I used plums – they’re just starting to come into season. But strawberries are a great June choice as well.

Calories (per serving): 273.

A quick note: the protein in the cheese and chickpeas is vital to this lunch dish holding you over until the late afternoon.

park lunch

I was approached in the park today at lunch. Before you start worrying for my safety, however, I must tell you that in fact, it was about the salad I was eating. That morning, I had created what I felt was a ‘mini-masterpiece’ salad:


(serves 1)
baby spinach leaves
1 peach, quartered, peeled and broken into chunks
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
75 g cucumber, sliced and quartered
2 slices of wafer-thin ham, cut into think strips
about 35 g mild French goats cheese

The man, in his late thirties, shyly approached, and asked, “Did you get that salad from around here?” I must say, there are some lovely places to eat lunch on Lower Marsh, down behind Waterloo Station – Ruby Marsh and Coopers Vegetarian Deli, to name a couple. “No, I make my salads at home,” I told him, to which he replied, “Oh, that’s why they are so good then.”

Very pleased with his compliment, I thought back to the origins of this salad for me, which was really only four days prior.

I was going to prepare a salad on Saturday afternoon when I was stuck for ideas. I looked at my fruit bowl, where six Spanish peaches sat colourfully. I bought them in the excitement of seeing local (well, European) peaches at the supermarket for the first time in months and months. But they were, in fact, a bit tart, so they sat. Until now. An entry in Nigel Slater’s Kitchen Diary popped into my mind, one in which he described a quick meal he had made with mango and bulghur wheat. I believe he served it with ham as well. Well, why not peaches, I thought, as I got to work.

Thirty minutes later I put the finishing touches on the grandmother to the salad I ate in the park.

(serves 1)
50 g bulghur wheat
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
Baby spinach
2 slices of wafer thin ham
Juice of half of a lemon
Basil leaves

It was lovely, and even my husband liked it, although he confessed to me later that he couldn’t quite get his head around tomatoes and peaches together. To me, it makes sense.

Monday rolled around and I couldn’t get the salad out of my mind. Instead of my stalwart salad (see other blog), I attempted a recreation – this time, approximately the same as Saturday. But I missed the other vegetables I’m used to having at lunch – cucumber – and the cheese.

Tuesday comes and I tweak it again. I love this version, but for different versions than I loved the weekend version. I think they suit their days, if that makes sense. I did miss the bulghur wheat, but as it can take up to 30 minutes to soften once boiling water has been poured onto it, it may not be the ideal ‘quick meal’ to make in the morning.

Oh, for those who ask where the dressing (lemon juice) went in the second version – I realised that with the juicy, ripe peaches added plenty of juice for the salad. It kept better, and in fact, when the soft goats cheese mixed with the peach juice, a lovely impromptu dressing was born.

Intrigued by Pete’s comment about the implausibility of peaches and tomatoes, I searched Epicurious for the two ingredients and got six hits. A notable entry was the peach and tomato gazpacho (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/232601). I may just have to try that this summer. It evokes thoughts of a sweltering summer afternoon being rewarded by a surprising soup. And I’ve made melon salsa before, so why not peach salsa?

eating lunch at work

For some, a weekday lunch is the most dangerous meal of the day. Often there's not time for much of a lunch. Or there's only time for lunch at the desk. Or you're meeting friends for lunch. Or colleagues.

It's safest, if you are able to take time for lunch at work, to bring a salad or some leftovers. Sandwiches are gone too quickly. A salad is a good way to get 5-a-day, or even more. I used to vary my salads, but once I found my favorite, it became my stalwart. There's always room for a variation or two:

everyday lunch salad
(serves 1)
50 g baby spinach
5 cherry tomatoes, halved (or 2 tomatoes-on-the-vine, chopped)
1/2 a large carrot, sliced into matchsticks or chopped (approximately 70 g)
2-3 inches of cucumber, chopped or sliced (approx 75 g)
1/4 tin of chickpeas
25 g reduced fat feta
red wine vinegar

Rinse and prepare all the ingredients and combine into a tupperware container.

Calories: 170, which leaves room for a few pieces of fruit as a snack during the day.

Tips for this lunch:
-Add more vegetables if desired, to bulk the salad further - this will help to increase satiety. But CONTROL the portions of cheese and chickpeas. The cheese is a treat, and the chickpeas are there to sustain energy levels for the rest of the afternoon.

-The red wine vinegar is a substitute for an oil-based dressing. With the vegetables, as well as the cheese, there's plenty of flavor there already.

-Substitutes for chickpeas: butter beans, sliced chicken

-Open a tin of chickpeas on Monday: rinse and put into a small tupperware in the refrigerator. Use 1/4 of it each day and the tin will last you most of the week.