The busy, working person's weekday lunch is rarely a soulful affair taken at leisure on a park bench in the sunshine. More often than not, it's purchased in haste and gobbled in even less time than it took to buy.
As you gaze mournfully at the crumb debris and packaging detritus on your desk, that "artisan" sandwich now a distant memory, ask yourself, does it always have to be like this? While we're unlikely to be able to get back our lost lunch hours, one thing is clear: there's still a need for quick and easy lunch recipes. This is where the mighty avocado comes in.
Arguably our favourite standby lunch item, avocados are both a treat and incredibly good for you. They are packed with vitamins and healthy fats, plus you can shove them in a handbag without prior refrigeration. What's not to love about these wonderful fruit? Here are some of our favourite ways to lunch on them:
Slice in half, de-stone, and pour some French dressing into the convenient little hole. Enjoy with a teaspoon – and the waste is biodegradable.
Guacamole is an obvious choice: delicious on sourdough (toasted at home before work) or dolloped on top of bean salads. We make ours with plenty of lime, salt, chilli, coriander, and red onion.
Chop some avocado, cucumber, tomato and lettuce into chunks, sprinkle with salt and stuff into a pitta, along with some mint or basil leaves. A simple creamy dressing made from creme fraiche or yoghurt with lemon juice and salt adds a nice tang.
Do as chef Margot Henderson suggests in her book You're All Invited and top mashed avocado with salt, lemon juice and smoked paprika: delicious on rye bread or in wraps with leftover chicken. If you don't have paprika, dried chilli is just as good.
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