My lunches tend to be one of two things:  a big salad or some kind of omelet/egg dish.

I had such great plans for elaborate and imaginative lunches when I first started working from home.  I could make whatever I wanted!  I could have stir-fries for lunch!  I could go to the market, nab the freshest fish I saw, and eat it within an hour!

And then reality set in.  Duh, I might be at home, but I would still be working.  Double duh, I would not have the time or desire to spend MORE time in my kitchen than I normally do.

So, lest I leave myself privy to being tempted by roti lunches and rice/peas/chicken lunches, I’ve stuck to making either a salad lunch or an egg lunch.  The dressings and extras for the salad will vary, as will the filling for the omelet, but as long as there’s a template in place, I can resist the lure of chickpeas and goat.

On salad days, the tuna tins usually come out to play–and since I played around with this dressing and put peanuts into the mix, this has been THE favorite salad.  I will get violent (or at least irate) if someone finishes the peanuts and doesn’t tell me and I find myself peanut-less for this salad.

The whole thing about salads being fast to make?  A total lie.  It’s not that they’re hard or time-consuming, but there are so many ingredients that your kitchen will look like a disaster zone after making one.  I tend to chop a couple of peppers and cucumbers and grate up a couple of carrots every few days and leave them in the fridge so that, come lunch-time, I can just chop the tomatoes, lettuce and green onion/herbs (all of which get a bit wilty if you chop them ahead of time).  I also make extra of the dressing so I can eat this twice–it’s better to add the lime/lemon juice right before serving, but I always forget and add it all at the same time.

So go ahead and amass the following chopped goodies for your own salad (all ingredients to taste–I like my salad HUGE):

• Lettuce (or any other nice greens you like–I’m most envious of anyone who can get baby spinach for this)
• Tomatoes
• Carrots
• Green or red bell peppers
• Green onions
• Cucumber
• A can of tuna (I used water-packed tuna in chunks, but I won’t lie–I accidentally bought tuna in olive oil last week and it was pretty good too)
• Peanuts (a handful)
• A good sprinkling of cilantro, if you have some lying around (it’s fine and tasty if you don’t add it, though; you can also replace that with mint, or add both mint and cilantro… I’m getting ahead of myself here)

Then, once that’s all piled up and pretty in your salad bowl or plate, whip up this dressing and toss as much as you need with the salad (the rest keeps nicely in the fridge for another day):

• Soy sauce (a couple of tablespoons; use low-sodium if you’re concerned about the sodium intake)
• Sesame oil (a few drops/shakes)
• Lime or lemon juice (a few tablespoons)
• Chili paste (to taste; I use chili garlic paste and therefore spare myself the minute it takes me to peel and mince a garlic clove)
• A pinch or two of sugar (OK, more like half a teaspoon)
• Cider vinegar (a couple tablespoons)

Not only is this tasty, it’s filling without being heavy and it’s got that nice healthy-fats/vegetables/protein combo thing down. I could eat this every day.

(Sometimes I do.  Please don’t tell on me).