Welcome to The Working Lunch
Let’s show our lunchtimes some love
Welcome to the first edition of The Working Lunch. It’s great to have you here!
What is The Working Lunch?
I love food, I work from home, and lunch breaks are important. So, TWL seemed a good way to join that all up and celebrate the everyday essential that is the lunch break.
There is a reason why we have them. We need to take a break from work and nourish ourselves with some food so that we can stay focused and happy for the rest of the day. It’s even better if we can find some enjoyment beyond the basic need in what we prepare and eat.
Despite that, as we all know, it can be all too tempting to not take a proper break, grab something quick or even eat al desko while reading emails. And apparently, some people even skip lunch altogether.
If we work from home, there’s really no excuse. We can eat what we want when we want, so with a bit of thought and planning, there’s no reason we should have to settle for peanut butter on toast or a pot noodle again (unless you want to — and they are both excellent choices!)
Are you ready to show your lunch breaks some love? Join the club.
Something on toast…
Pan-fried mushrooms on toast
Move over baked beans. This is such a simple dish. Just pan fry mushrooms with a little butter or oil.
I’ve used chestnut mushrooms chopped into halves or quarters, and a few sprigs of fresh thyme.
Season with salt & pepper once they’re cooked, so the salt doesn’t draw out the moisture during cooking.
Serve on toast of your choice. I’ve used day-old baguette, which worked a treat.
Get ahead: Wash and chop the mushrooms in the morning.
Speedy soup…
Tom yum soup
Using tom yum soup paste, this is super quick.
Prepare the soup paste with boiling water according to the pack’s instructions.
Add your vegetables to the broth. I’ve used halved cherry tomatoes, a random tin of sliced mushrooms that was lurking in the cupboard, fresh coriander, and spring onions.
Then add just a few prawns. Once the prawns are cooked through, which won’t take long, the soup is ready.
Lemongrass and fresh chilli would be great additions if you have them. I didn’t have lemongrass, and I forgot to add chilli— mine was missing some heat.
(N.B.: the photo doesn’t do this one justice)
Make it meat-free: Swap the prawns for more veg or tofu. And check the ingredients on the tom yum paste.
Cook while you work…
Shakshuka
This is one of those stick it all in the dish and get back to work for a bit meals, which is great when you want something warm and comforting, but don’t have time to be stood at the stove.
Mix together chopped red & green peppers, a tin of tomatoes, fresh cherry tomatoes, a diced onion, crushed clove of garlic, with 1/2 tsp each of cumin, chilli, paprika, a pinch of cinnamon, and fresh coriander.
Season with salt & pepper and bake at 190c for around 25 mins, depending on your oven.
Then, crack in the eggs and return to the oven for another 8-10 minutes.
Finish with flat leaf parsley or coriander and a few splashes of hot sauce.
Bonus points for crusty bread on the side.
Get ahead: Prepare the vegetables in the morning or the night before, and keep them covered in the fridge until you’re ready.
Make it meat-free: Leave out the eggs, then serve with blobs of chunky houmous instead.
Just a sandwich…
Easy Reuben
I actually didn’t know this was called a Reuben until I looked it up. I’ve used mayonnaise and mustard to make it ‘easy’.
Build the sandwich using rye bread, mayo, mustard, Swiss cheese, salt beef (or pastrami), and sauerkraut.
Then butter the outside of the sandwich before ‘toasting’ it in a frying pan. There’s no way this will fit in a sandwich toaster.
Get ahead: Make the sandwiches in the morning. Take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before you want to toast them.
Why only four meals?
I know, most people work 5 days a week, but it’s nice to wing it one day a week—use up some leftovers, meet a friend for lunch, support your local coffee shop…
See you next week, lunch buddies!
These look amazing! So glad I signed up to this!
These all look very yummy indeed. Later this year I am going to need to become the main cook in the house during the week, as my wife's work requires her to commute, mine doesn't.