As good as it can be to have a foot-long sub to munch on, sometimes it’s nice to have a lunch that’s a little bit of lots of things, buffet-bar style. Making this sort of lunch yourself is far cheaper than buying it out (as anyone who’s ever got overexcited at a salad counter that charges by weight and paid the price – literally – can testify).
Do some minor prep at the beginning of the week by making smallish batches of a couple of veggie dishes and salads, and enjoy them over three days in small quantities, supplemented with a mix of breads, crackers and crudités. Change toppings, or add one extra crunchy ingredient in the morning to keep things fresh:
• Cut an aubergine in half lengthways and slice a crisscross pattern into the flesh. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan. When hot, add the aubergine (cut-side down) and cook for 6-8 minutes, then flip and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. Finish by baking in an oven preheated to 200C/400F/gas mark 6 for 10 minutes. When cool, slice the aubergine into chunks by cutting along the crisscross. Store in a Tupperware, removing a portion each day for lunch. Top with a blob of yoghurt and a squirt of chilli sauce one day, mix with a dash of chilli oil the next, and drizzle with parsley-garlic oil (mash together in a pestle and mortar) the following day.
• Finely chop ¼ red onion and two sticks of celery and add to a bowl with a can of drained cannellini beans and a can of drained black-eye beans. Season and add a dressing of one garlic clove mashed into a paste with salt, mixed with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp red wine vinegar. Add chunks of cucumber, red pepper or trimmed green beans if you want to mix it up.
• Cut two courgettes into diagonal 1cm slices. Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a sauté pan and 2 sliced garlic cloves. Cook on a medium low heat, adding the courgettes the second the garlic looks like it might colour. Add a pinch of sea salt and cook, lid on, until the courgettes become tender and then mushy (around 10 minutes). When done, season to taste, and mix in a large handful of chopped mint. If you want to jazz it up, add a crumbling of feta one day.
• It wouldn’t be a salad bar medley without potato salad. Boil new potatoes or Jersey Royals (halve or quarter any big’uns) until tender. Leave to cool a little then season and stir in half fat crème fraiche and a squeeze of lemon juice. Customise by mixing in a few capers one day, some chopped gherkins and a tsp of wholegrain mustard the next, and some flaked smoked mackerel the final day.
