9 to 5

There's nothing I love more than giving you guys ideas on what to pack for lunch. It can be such a challenge to think of something that involves little prep yet is well-rounded and different from the typical PB&J (although I do LOVE a good PB & J sandwich every so often, but lets not overdo a good thing).

The reason why what I have packed for lunch today was so easy to put together is because I relied on last nights dinner leftovers as my star ingredient: baked salmon. Which, by the way, was incredibly easy as well. We just put some salt, pepper, and olive oil on the fresh salmon and popped it into the oven at 375 degrees for 20-25min.

Leftovers should be the first thing you consider when thinking about putting together your lunch for the following day. You can eat it as is or make it into something entirely different in a few easy steps. One reason why baked salmon is an excellent choice is because it can be eaten cold - in fact, I prefer it cold.

Details:

Salmon Sandwich

Salmon sandwich:
- Piece of baked salmon
- 2 slices of Sesame Ezekiel 4:9 bread
- 3 slices of fresh tomato
- Dill mayo spread*

I hate a dry sandwich and this spread took care of that. Using just 3 ingredients, I made a spread which really made this sandwich into something special. It's refreshing lemony flavor is perfect for the summer season.

Dill Mayo Spread

Spread:
- 1 tbsp of reduced fat mayonnaise (unsweetened & eggless) - can be found in stores like Trader Joes
- Dill
- 1 tsp lemon zest

I really like the flavor of dill so I added about 1 tbsp's worth, you can add as much as you like. Just mix these three ingredients together and then smear onto each bread slice. Add the piece of salmon and tomato slices. That's it!

I also made a fruit salad with a grapefruit & cinnamon dressing. Just squeeze the juice of 1/2 a grapefruit and add in as much cinnamon as you like. Again, I really enjoy the taste of cinnamon so I sprinkled liberally (about 1 tbsp).

Fruit Salad Dressing

The acidity from the grapefruit not only adds flavor but also prevents the fruit from browning.

Fruit Salad

Fruit salad:
-  Red Delicious apple (you can use any apple)
-  Banana
-  Raw, slivered almonds
-  Grapefruit & cinnamon dressing

It took me 10min to put this lunch together and I can't wait to dig in. Summer has officially begun and I wanted my lunch to reflect that. Nothing too heavy or complicated with a great balance of sweetness and tartness.

What Would the Monkey Do?

I know you're tempted to laugh and think that I must have nothing to write about if I'm about to instruct you on how to best peel your banana. After all, you've been peeling bananas for as long as you can remember. Several of you might be doing it the better way, but I'd like to give you options and show you that there are other ways of peeling your banana besides the one you have been using.

  

Since most people don't take the time to wash their banana prior to eating, nor do they wash their hands or scrub under their nails this is an issue of germs. The point is to not touch the fruit beneath the peel. Every time I see someone pierce the peel with their nails to then rip open one of the ends, I can't help but cringe.

Here are 2 techniques to avoid getting gunk under your nail and touching the fruit with your finger:

1. Hold the body of the banana with one hand and the handle with the other (right end of the picture above) and just snap it open. If the handle doesn't snap back easily, a possibility if the banana isn't ripe enough, then don't continue struggling with this method or you'll run the risk of squishing the top. Just move on to technique #2.

2. THE MONKEY METHOD. This is how monkeys peel bananas. If you're going to take advice from anyone about bananas then a monkey should naturally be your first choice. Just hold the banana with the handle pointing down towards the floor and just pinch the end that is pointing up (left end of the picture above) with your thumb and pointer finger. This will cause the end to split and you just go ahead and peel!

Now go practice and eat a banana!