Smoked Salmon & Sweet Potato Salad

I'm a creature of habit who likes routine when it comes to food - 8am: morning smoothie; 10am: boiled egg; 3pm: yoghurt with nuts or a protein ball. Occasionally though, I get bored of having the same thing for lunch every day. I tend to eat something until I am so sick of it I can't face it for years - like my 2 minute noodle (cheese flavour) obsession at uni, or the period at school where I ate marmite on everything, and I do mean everything, including flapjacks and potatoes.

My usual weekday lunch is steamed broccoli and baby marrow with a chopped grilled chicken breast, hummus and mixed seeds. I love that combination, but there comes a day when you just. can't. anymore.

Variety is the spice of life and so it is in cooking, especially healthy cooking where I do feel a responsibility to make my meals interesting and inventive. It's hard enough to encourage people to put down the Victoria sponge, but so much harder if you then confine them to a life of limp lettuce and spiritless brussel sprouts (judge me, I just can't get into them).

Yesterday I made one of my favourite alternative lunches. It was my husband's birthday and I was at home, so it was a welcome departure from the norm for both of us. It's also easy to throw together the night before if you want to take it ready made to work.

Smoked Salmon & Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients:

120g smoked salmon (or trout)

1 medium sweet potato

Feta or goat's cheese

Lettuce

Unsweetened Greek yohgurt

Lemon juice

Chilli paste or flakes

Dill

Method:

1. Cook the sweet potato in the oven until soft and then scoop out of the skin. Chop into rough chunks.

2. Layer lettuce, feta/goat's cheese, sweet potato and smoked salmon on a plate.

3. Mix the dressing in a separate bowl: yoghurt, a couple drops of lemon juice, a small squeeze of chilli paste and a palm sized portion of finely chopped dill.

4. Drizzle dressing over the salad and enjoy!

#recipes #lunch #salad