The Working Lunch #31
Caesar salad, no-cook poke bowls, and mushroom croque madame. It’s your weekly reminder to show your lunch break some love.
Hello,
What have you got planned for lunch today?
My plan is to eat the leftover lasagne in my fridge, which is always better the next day, don’t you think?
After a morning with my face fixed in front of the bright lights of a computer monitor, I’m ready to take my plate out into the garden for a fix of fresh air.
I hope you’re having something tasty and you’re taking a little break from your computer/work/whatever you’re doing to straighten up, stretch, give your brain a rest and take some time to nourish your body and soul.
You are taking a lunch break, right?
Let me know what you’ve got planned. Find me on Twitter or tag me on Instagram (@the.working.lunch).
If you’re new here, welcome! It’s great to have you here.
On to this week’s ideas…
Summer salad…
Caesar salad
Salad season continues… with a simple plain caesar salad with a quick dressing. It’s so tangy and fresh, and the croutons make it interesting enough to have on its own.
Make the croutons ahead of time by using cubed (use up some stale) white bread with a spray of oil and some mixed herbs. Bake them on low for 20 minutes until they’re dry and crisp. Allow them to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. I’ve been using a re-usable zip-seal freezer bag and the rest of mine are still crisp one week on.
The main bulk of the salad is crisp little gem lettuce — if you’re gonna be picky, it should probably be romaine or cos — I’ve also added cucumber and celery.
The quick homemade caesar dressing is made from mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and Worcester sauce (instead of anchovies, but you could leave it out altogether) mixed up to your liking.
Assemble the salad in a bowl. Scatter over the croutons. Drizzle on the dressing. Finish with more than enough Parmesan cheese.
Simple swaps: Add cooked chicken for a classic chicken caesar. Use pre-made caesar dressing to make it quicker and simpler. (I’m trying not to buy pre-made dressings only because I end up with half-finished bottles lining the fridge door. The more I’m making dressings myself, the more I’m finding that most dressings can be made, after a fashion, using ingredients that you might usually have in the kitchen anyway).
Make ahead…
No-cook poke bowls
Pre-cooked rice and canned flavoured tuna make this poke bowl as simple as prepping up some veggies the night before. I love the fresh flavours in this, particularly from the sesame seeds and the soy dressing.
When I made them,I made four at the same time; one in a plastic container so it was all ready for a packed lunch. Covered and stacked up in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.
Precooked rice
Lemon juice
Carrot
Avocado
Radish
Cucumber
Sweetcorn
Spring onions
Red cabbage
Toasted black sesame seeds/toasted sesame seeds
Dressing:
Soy
Mirin
Sesame oil
Lime juice
Prepare all the salad and vegetables, finely shredding, grating and slicing.
Coat the chopped avocado with a little lemon juice to prevent any discolouration.
Arrange all of the vegetables in bowls along with the tuna and rice. Store covered in the fridge.
Mix up the dressing — 2 parts soy, to 1 each of mirin, sesame oil, and lime juice. Keep that in the fridge too.
When it’s lunchtime and you’re ready to eat, add the dressing and sprinkle over the sesame seeds.
Simple swaps: This can be customised really easily. I made four bowls in one go. One with no avocado. One with sweetcorn instead of spring onion. One with cooked chicken instead of tuna. Cooked prawns or tofu would be good options instead of the tuna too.
Just a sandwich….
Mushroom croque madame
A couple of simple substitutes, such as using cream cheese instead of making a béchamel and adding Marmite for instant depth of flavour, make this easily achievable for a workday lunch.
If you want to get ahead, you could prep and slice the mushrooms the night before to save some time.
This makes two sandwiches.
Ingredients:
250g chestnut mushrooms, prepped and sliced
30g cream cheese
60g cheddar, grated
1 generous teaspoon of Marmite
4 slices of good white bread
2 eggs
Spray oil/ oil for frying
Salt & pepper
Method:
Sauté the mushrooms until they’re cooked to your liking.
Stir in the cream cheese, Marmite, and 3/4 of the grated cheese, until it melts together to form a sauce around the mushrooms. Season.
Toast the bread.
Divide the mushroom mixture between two slices of toast.
Top each slice with the other plain slice, to make a mushroom sandwich.
Sprinkle the grated cheese on the top side of the sandwich.
Pop under the grill to melt.
Wipe out the frying pan. Check the cheese under the grill.
Fry two eggs sunny side up.
Top the grilled sandwiches with fried eggs.
From the archives…
Something on toast…
Goat’s cheese toast with walnuts & honey
Give your usual cheese on toast routine a serious upgrade with this goat’s cheese and walnut toast.
If you’re not feeling the lunchtime love with this week’s selection, don’t forget that you can tuck into the archives at any time.
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Why only four meals?
I know, most people work 5 days a week. I do too. But it’s nice to wing it one day a week. Today I have leftover lasagne, but you knew that already.
See you next week, lunch buddies.
Ooh those no-cook poke bowls look amazing! Love the idea of making a few variations and stacking them up for the week 😋