Turn a Dozen Eggs Into 5 Weekday Lunches
By Anna Stockwell. Photo: Romulo Yanes
If you do one thing over the weekend to help make the week ahead easier, do this: Make a dozen hardboiled eggs and peel them all. Yes, peeling a dozen eggs at once might take you 15 minutes or so, but then it’s all done and won’t have to think about it again all week. And look at all the lunches you’ll get out of it:
MONDAY: EGG SALAD SANDWICH
Photo by Marcus Nilsson
You really can’t go wrong with a classic egg salad sandwich, and you can make it in any flavor you like, with whatever bread you like. If you’re worried about your sandwich bread getting soggy, just pack a container of egg salad and a couple slices of bread separately. When you make egg salad for your sandwich, make enough to use again for lunch tomorrow.
Get an amazing egg salad recipe here.
Photo: Marcus Nilsson
TUESDAY: EGG AND SALMON SALAD
This may become one of your new go-to lunches: layer a jar with arugula, smoked salmon, and egg salad (any egg salad recipe will work here—use the same one you made for your sandwich yesterday). You’ll be the envy of the office.
WEDNESDAY: DESKTOP PICNIC
Mix things up in the middle of the week and pack yourself a desk picnic: package up two hard-boiled eggs, whatever cheese or cured meats you have on hand, a slice of bread or some crackers if you like, and some crudite or fresh fruit or perhaps half an avocado. Make sure you have a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, on hand. Come lunchtime, just slice open those eggs, drizzle with oil and season to taste and eat them with whatever else you packed. It’ll be almost as fun as a picnic in the park.
THURSDAY: COBB SALAD
The classic chopped salad is perfectly packable, so long as you don’t dress it until right before you eat it: pack the dressing in a separate small container to bring to work. To preserve the freshness and nice green color of your avocado, make sure to toss the sliced avocado in plenty of lemon juice before packing it for your lunch.
Related: Chocolate Overload: 10 Must-Try Recipes for True Chocoholics
FRIDAY: EGGS ON TOAST
You can slice a hardboiled egg or two into slices and layer it on top of some bread with whatever else you fancy and you’ll have an amazing lunch. Or you can follow this recipe which features a tomato basil salsa and plenty of arugula: just make sure to pack the components separately and assemble the sandwich at your desk.
RECIPE: SMOKED SALMON WITH EGG SALAD AND GREEN BEANS
Recipe by Paul Grimes and Shelley Wiseman
INGREDIENTS
½ pound haricots verts or other green beans, cut into ¾-inch lengths
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon finely chopped shallot
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 hard-boiled large eggs, chopped
½ cup mayonnaise
2 celery ribs, finely chopped (1 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
4 cups coarsely chopped baby arugula
½ pound sliced smoked salmon, coarsely chopped
Equipment:
4 (16-ounce) wide jars or containers with lids
Accompaniment:
bagel chips
PREPARATION
Cook beans in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water (2 teaspoon salt for 2 quarts water), uncovered, until crisp-tender. Drain and transfer to an ice bath to cool. Pat dry.
Whisk together mustard, shallot, vinegar, oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and toss with beans.
Stir together eggs, mayonnaise, celery, chives, lemon zest and juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Divide arugula among jars and layer beans, salmon, and egg salad on top.
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