I've had the good fortune to work from home the past couple of years, and my stomach and taste buds are very thankful for it. The extra flexibiltiy means lunches no longer have to fall in the categories of cold sandwiches or microwaveable meals. My lunch can be more versatile and spontaneous just like my work day at home. I just need a few key ingredients:
Perhaps the most underrated aspect of working from home is the lunch. I don't have to plan it in advance. I don't have to make sure it's portable. And I can give my stomach some time to wake up and figure out what it's really craving that particular day.
Tacos? Quesadillas? Paninis? Bruschetta? Salad? You can have variations of any of those with just a few standard ingredients...
• Fresh bread: I usually get some sandwich rolls or a French loaf to take me through the week.
• Fresh meat and/or vegetables: Tomatoes, avocados, red bell peppers.
• Cheese: Parmesan or. queso fresco is usually always in my fridge.
• Fruit
• Alternative starch: For me it's always a tortilla!
I typically start by toasting my starch (tortilla, French loaf, naan) under a thin film of olive oil seasoned with freshly ground black pepper, some kosher salt, and some ground herbs like oregano.
What happens next is up to my mood and the on-hand produce. One of my favorite things to make is a roasted red bell pepper sandwich with mozzarella cheese and basil. Quesadillas are also always a winner with shredded chicken and cheese. Salads and bruschetta are great for finishing up the random remains towards the end of the week.
Do you work from home? Do you have some essential ingredients that allow you to make a quick, easy, yet versatile lunch for the day?
(Image: Leela Cyd Ross)
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I love the opportunity to have a hot sandwich or some soup that I can make from scratch, rather than have to reheat. One of my favorites in a nice bowl of roasted tomato soup with a grilled cheese. I put slices of apple or peach (in season) on the grilled cheese, or maybe just a slather of whatever fruit jam I have in the fridge. Mozzarella in carozza is the Italian version of a grilled cheese, and just takes a few more steps for a nice gooey sandwich to dunk. And if I'm feeling really decadent, I might slather some bacon jam on my grilled cheese for some smoky goodness.
I dont work from home so I probably would've skipped over this post if it wasn't for the picture of that sandwich. I love eggs (runny, over-easy or poached) over asparagus but dont know why I never thought of using hard boiled as a topping over the stalks in a wonderful sandwich. Great idea-thanks for the inspiration!
I’m at home with my 2 year old and 4 year old during the day, and don't have much time to put together lunch. I usually roast a bunch of veggies over the weekend to have around for these quick lunches. Tossing them with spinach, a balsamic vinaigrette, and whatever protein I have leftover from dinner is my usual approach. I'll also stuff them into a warm pita with dressing or include in a quesadilla with a bit of cheese. And my favorite way to end lunch is with a Ferrero Pocket Coffee.
Healthy or not, I tend to fry a box of frozen pierogies in olive oil on my rare work from home days. And I tend to watch a cooking show while I eat if I have time.
One of my favorite quick, hearty WFH lunches is eggs and spinach on toast: Toast a couple of slices of nice bread, sauté up some baby spinach with slices of garlic and hot red pepper flakes, fry up a couple of eggs over easy, pile the lot on the toast, and squeeze a half a lemon over everything. Delicious, filling, hot, and takes approximately 10 minutes to pull together.
When I very occasionally get to work from home, my favorite thing about it is having access to my kitchen for lunch. Eggs, soup not from a can, grilled cheese are usually things I gravitate towards when I have the opportunity to make something fresh mid-day. Also have been known to take a mid-day cookie-baking break.
I am tremendously grateful every single day for the fact that I get to work from home. What a luxury, I sincerely do not take it for granted. And esp. in terms of food! Lunch is my chance to make things for myself that my husband doesn't like--anything vegetarian or vegetable heavy, tofu, tuna, certain grains. One of my most frequent default lunches is whole-wheat pasta with garlic, olive oil, lemon juice + zest, and whatever vegetable and cheese I have on hand; roasted broccoli + parmesan often, or sauteed kale + ricotta. Quick and satisfying.
My work-from-home lunch treat is eating on my porch when it's nice outside!
My favorite is putting together a mezza-style lunch (like this one: http://and-here-we-are.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/a-lunchtime-mezza-for-one.html) with bright veggies, herbs, cheese, olives, and any meat I have on hand. This kind of meal really energizes me when I need it.
when i work from home, i skip breakfast and roll it into lunch time. I'm always much more productive during my work hours at home, so when I can break away from the desk, I usually make a toasted whole grain english muffin with peanut butter and jam with coffee (if there's any left!).
I'm a photographer so I work from home all the time.
My favourite is to make some sort of delicious sandwich that I would never pack to take with me somewhere.
This week I used leftovers from this delicious cuban pork that we made, with cheese, a few dabs of hot sauce, avocado slices, arugula, salt and pepper, dijon mustard and mayo, toasted on a fresh bakery loaf of bread (roasted garlic). I ate it all week. It was amazing.
I always make sure to have a few sides (veggies, olives, pickles) so that it feels a little special and it helps me to really take the time to appreciate that I get to work from home. Finish it off with a tiny bowl of Liberte Mediterranee yogourt (best ever!) and a cup of tea.
This is pork we made - leftovers were even better!
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cuban-Grilled-Pork-em-Lechon-Asado-em-364810
I miss the hot sandwiches and smoothies I frequently made when I worked from home.
I always have some fresh veggies in the crisper, ready for a quick blitz in the microwave to lightly steam. My go to is broccoli, for about a minute and a half sprinkled with sumac, its amazing… That alongside a coleslaw I make with bagged mix, mustaphas harissa, and avjar paste, and fresh lime/lemon juice.