Light Meals and Weekend Treats from an English Woman in Berlin
Recently I have cut down on the amount of bread I eat, not that I typically eat a lot of it but instead of always going for that grab and go sandwich I am starting to make more of an effort in pre-preparing my lunches so that I have something waiting for me on busy days. However, as I have mentioned before anyone who lives in the real world will have their favourite go to sandwich! I mean, who doesn’t love a sandwich!? They are the staple of a typical kids school packed lunch…
Whether you identify yourself as a bit of a foodie, a healthy eating guru or suspicious of anything pre-packaged, if you also live in the real world you will have a favourite go to shop-bought sandwich! It is convenient, quick and let’s face it, it is cheap. Realistically you are not going to have a home made packed lunch every day. Maybe you didn’t actually make it to the supermarket recently, been away for a weekend or with work or just had no time. The humble sandwich is easy, you can eat it at your desk…
My New Year’s resolution is to cut out the junk food. Not that I constantly order on the take aways and fast food but it is easy to become tempted during a quick lunch break or at the end of a busy day. During the week, when I have less time, I like my food to be both fast and fresh. After a hectic day I am not always up for a full on dinner. I just want a bit to eat which is where it is easy to fall into the trap of popping out for a burger, a subway at lunch or a box of noodles on the way home….
A Banh Mi is my go to easy, comfort food after a long day. It is easy to make, quick to snack on and packed full of flavour. This is also one of my favourites to make on a hot summer’s evening. They say that something really spicy is meant to be the best thing to eat when the weather gets hot – and this recipe sure is hot! Something you are not often going to get in Berlin unless you do it yourself……
Lunch time always seems to be a big deal. Since first arriving in Berlin I have worked in 3 separate places and lunch time has always played an important part of the day. I am not comparing German lunches to that of the French. I have yet to experience a 2 hour (at least) lunch break with wine and a 3 course (again, at least) meal. Yet when you compare this to lunch in the UK, it is a big deal. It is not the amount of time that is spent on lunch but more to do with what you have for lunch. 
Most days I bring a sandwich and salad to the office and most days I receive a response of ‘I don’t know how you can just eat a sandwich for lunch’. Once I have explained (yes, I actually have to explain myself!) that I have my main meal in the evening I am simply greeted with a ‘yeah.. and?’ response. As I have mentioned previously, food in Berlin is cheap. For lunch you can grab a doener, chinese in a box, falafel, pizza, pasta, currywurst for all under 5.00EUR or less. …
