Lunch for one has never been my strong suit. The thought of all that chopping and mixing and cooking just for myself has me reaching for the tin of crackers while I make another coffee.
I cook – pretty well – but with four other people in the house, there are enough empty meal slots to fill without adding an extra one when I’m working from home and trying to hit a deadline. And besides, I like crackers, especially slathered in an inch of salty butter.
I jazz up other snacks, too: ever tried wedging salty butter in-between two Shreddies? It’s very tasty. Then there’s toast and Marmite, with butter, of course (OK, there might be a theme emerging here).
I’m better at breakfast, especially if I’ve been out for a dawn swim. It feels like there’s more point in refuelling after exercise. But stopping for lunch feels harder to justify when I’ve got a busy work day.
Except, let’s be honest, sitting in front of my laptop with a document open doesn’t always mean I’m working efficiently. And with working from home set to remain the norm for the foreseeable future, I figure it might be worth trying to increase my productivity.
However, I can’t be bothered to browse my stack of recipe books, so I open TikTok instead, lured by the buzz around #foodtok and #foodtiktok and a stream of food trends – from whipped coffee and cloud bread, to mini pancake cereal and a tortilla wrap hack I see everywhere.
Talking of which, I decided to start with the wrap because it barely takes longer than my Shreddies “sandwich”. I don’t have the ingredients required so I go shopping first, but it’s an excuse for a walk so I don’t mind. Foodie TikTok creators go heavy on the avocado and fresh salad, at lunchtime, at least, which suits me fine because I’d rather avoid carb-heavy choices such as pasta at this time.
You can’t really go wrong – there are seemingly endless takes out there, but I’m drawn to @cookingwithayeh and her “revolutionary lunch wrap”, which she promises will have me smiling even before my first bite. The trick, which works just as well with a pitta bread as a tortilla, is to lay the wrap flat and cut from one edge up to the centre. You then fill each quarter – I went for tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese and parsley, smothered in lemon juice, olive oil and some pepper flakes – and fold each quarter over on itself until you’re left with a quadruple-decker sandwich. This can be eaten as is, squished in a toaster or waffle maker, or warmed in a frying pan.
I also fancy the look of her “epic crispy summer rolls” and peanut dipping sauce, which I’m hoping will give me the energy to power through the afternoon. “Believe me when I say this peanut sauce will become your new best friend,” she promises of a simple concoction of peanut butter, soy sauce, maple syrup, and rice wine vinegar, with grated garlic and ginger. Fillings-wise, anything goes: I add some carrots, cucumber, coriander, lettuce, crispy tofu and some red chilli, all sliced super fine. They get wrapped in a circle of damp rice paper. Tuck the bottom part over, fold in the sides and roll all the way up. Extra sauce and chopped veg means I can repeat the same lunch tomorrow with ease.
I’m getting into my groove now, so I decide to up my game to involve some actual cooking. Searching #quick #lunch #veggie delivers me @carolinagelen, who has 2m likes for her 15-minute veg curry “for whenever you have a bunch of veg hanging around”. I’ve got onions, carrots, mushrooms, new potatoes, a red pepper, a savoy cabbage and the finishing touch, a tin of coconut milk, so I’m good to go. It couldn’t be simpler: chop, add a bunch of spices, stir in some veg stock, coconut milk and simmer. The chopping takes a little bit of time, but I can answer some emails from my phone while everything is simmering. I have it with rice but scooping it up with pitta bread would have worked just as well. It’s tasty and I feel more productive for the rest of the day.
The next day I feel like having eggs for a protein boost and remember seeing some tips for a simple shakshuka, a dish I normally save for brunch with friends. But the North African and Middle Eastern dish sounds relatively quick and easy to make, so I figure it will work for a speedy lunch. I go with @moribyan’s version: jalapeños, diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, spices, tomato paste, eggs and voila! For the authentic experience, you have to use bread as your utensil. Suits me – and so does eating a proper lunch, it turns out. Provided it’s quick.
Why not try something new? Discover the benefits of just having a go #LearnOnTikTok
